Archive for October, 2006
October 8th, 2006 at 05:55am
Under Mental Health
[tag]Cerebral Palsy[/tag] is a name given to a group of neurological defects that cause lack of body and muscle coordination, due to damage in one or more parts of the brain.
These defects can range from mild to severe, and can only be treated symptomatically; there is no cure.
According to the Cerebral Palsy Source, an online publication dedicated to the disease, nearly 8,000 infants are diagnosed every year in the United States. All women envision having a happy healthy baby, and while many do, there is an astonishing number that don’t. Many of the causes of cerebral palsy can be completely preventable, which is why there are now a growing number of attorneys that specialize in litigating these types of cases.
When cerebral palsy occurs, nerve cells in the motor control center of the brain are damaged, and when these cells die, the muscles that are controlled by them no longer function properly. Cerebral palsy has many causes and may result by more than one insult to the brain. The infant may be deprived of oxygen during birth, the mother may abuse drugs or alcohol, the obstetrician or midwife may exert too much pressure with the vacuum device, or injure it with forceps during delivery. The mother could have been infected with a bacterium during pregnancy, such as rubella, or she may have endured some type of injury to her body through a fall or an assault, or there could be a blood incompatibility between the developing fetus and the mother. The infant’s brain could be damaged by someone dropping it, or not taking care to make sure the baby was safe. A motor vehicle accident could also be the cause, or the cerebrum may be under developed, all causing the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy to appear. Now you can see why cerebral palsy is so prevalent, and why there are so many different scenarios that can occur causing damage to the brain, and risking the onset of cerebral palsy.
Symptoms vary greatly because it is clearly dependent on the severity of damage to the brain, and to what area of the cerebrum is most affected. Some children may require only leg or arm braces, others cannot hold themselves in an upright position, and some are completely paralyzed. Uncontrolled drooling and grimacing is also common, and some children cannot speak or swallow and must be fed through a gastrointestinal feeding tube. Seizure disorder is also common in infants and children that suffer from cerebral palsy. There are required to be on various anti-seizure medications and neurologic agents to control these episodes for the rest of their lives. Oxygen may be required to administer in case of deprivation during a seizure, and be very scary for anyone observing, if not trained properly on how to intervene.
There are many foundations and organizations dedicated to educating the population about cerebral palsy, how it occurs, and how it can be prevented. Even with all the medical technology that is available, it cannot be cured, only the symptoms can be treated. There are many children and adults who have to live their lives with this debilitating disease, and in some instances, it could have been totally preventable.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
October 8th, 2006 at 05:53am
Under Alternative Medicine+ General Health+ Treatment
Each and every day our bodies are subjected to not only the things we eat but the things we do. The stress involved with the typical hectic lifestyle can make a person feel burned out and listless.
One way to combat this is to take some time to cleanse not only the body but the mind.
A perfect time of year to think about making a positive lifestyle change is spring. Spring is a time for renewal and incorporating spring cleansing herbs into your life can give you a fresh new start for the new season.
Cleansing herbs are natural substances that aid the body in ridding itself of unwanted toxins. The cells of our bodies contain all kinds of unappealing toxins that enter our systems through the foods we eat as well as the environment we live in.
Utilizing a supplement that contains cleansing herbs is a natural way to give your body back the control it needs to function properly. Just as we do spring cleaning in our homes we can do the same thing with our bodies. Cleansing herbs are a safe and easy way to do this.
Supplements that contain cleansing herbs can be found in most health food stores. These supplements are specifically designed to be taken when the individual can concentrate on purifying the body. Deciding to cleanse your mind at the same time can be very beneficial as well.
This can be accomplished by choosing to use the cleansing herbs at a time when you can relax. It’s best not to undertake the procedure when you are facing a deadline at work or immersed in the planning of a family event. Instead do it while you can spend your days enjoying relaxing and soothing activities such as reading, meditating or taking peaceful walks. Whatever you find enjoyable and stress free is what you should be doing while undergoing the cleansing process.
When you decide to take cleansing herbs to help clear your body’s system you’ll want to discuss this with someone who specializes in natural remedies. There are several products that offer the benefits of cleansing herbs and it’s important to choose one that will give you the results that you desire.
If you have any health concerns at all you’ll want to consult with your doctor before purchasing and using cleansing herbs. Once you get his or her approval you can go ahead with giving your body its own fresh start.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
October 8th, 2006 at 05:48am
Under Heart
A blood pressure monitor is a good thing to have on hand, especially if you know that you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a family history of heart disease. Because blood pressure is an excellent indication of how your heart is performing, and how much stress it might be under, your blood pressure is a vital piece of information in determining your overall health. Indeed, along with your heart rate, your blood pressure numbers are often referred to as your ‘vitals’. One of the first things most doctors or nurses will do when they see you in a treatment environment is to measure your vitals with a blood pressure monitor.
I worked at a residential drug and alcohol treatment center for over a year, and during my time there I became very familiar with the use of blood pressure monitors. The old school and more traditional blood pressure monitors that you usually see your doctor use are called sphygmomanometers. This is the typical cuff thing that they Velcro onto your arm, and then pump up by hand. It has a pressure gauge attached, and requires careful watching to accurately determine your blood pressure. These traditional blood pressure monitors are usually used in conjunction with a stethoscope to give a reading of your heart rate as well. That means taking vitals the old school way is a very active process and requires some amount of training.
Fortunately, there are newer and easier to use blood pressure monitors available today. Today you can purchase electronic sphygmomanometers that are programmed to basically do everything for you. All you need to learn how to do is properly attach the cuff to the subject’s arm, which is easier than tying your shoes. Then with the push of a button, the blood pressure machine does the rest. It even records your heart rate, and displays it along with your blood pressure in a little LCD display. All you have to do is wait for it to finish.
Needless to say, these automatic blood pressure monitors made my life a lot easier when I was working at the treatment center. Anyone that works in a medical environment that doesn’t have the training nurses and doctors have gotten in the use of a regular sphygmomanometer will certainly appreciate having an automatic blood pressure monitor on hand.
Since my time at the treatment center, I have purchased my own electronic blood pressure monitor. It’s a nice tool to have on hand to accurately gauge any stress your heart may be under if you think you may be having heart trouble.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
October 8th, 2006 at 05:45am
Under Cancer
Leukemia is a very scary word and it carries with it the connotation of terminal illness, cancer, and death. This is a great misconception and in many cases, can be completely cured. Reliable leukemia information can be found on a number of sites on the internet, most of which provide leukemia facts in an easy to understand layman’s terms. As we all know, sometimes all that medical terminology can be confusing, which just adds to the frustration and development of misconceptions. Leukemia information should be clear and easy to read, which makes it easy to share with others as well. These sites also serve as great resources for anyone seeking leukemia information for group presentations, research papers, or because they have a loved one affected and they want to learn more.
Let’s begin with some basic leukemia information according to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center at www.cancer.med.umich.edu. Leukemia is a disorder of the tissues where blood cells are formed, in particular, bone marrow. White blood cells are the infection fighters in the body, and when the normal production of these cells is decreased because of the production of abnormal or immature cells, infection occurs and the immune system fails to function properly. Because of this malfunction, the formation of healthy red blood cells and platelets is also affected, which both play important roles. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, and platelets are an integral part of the clotting mechanism. Leukemia can be either chronic or acute, the latter diagnosed most often in children. There is no one single cause of leukemia, and in many cases the cause is unknown.
Information on leukemia discusses the different classifications of the disorder, as well as various treatment options such as bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy. These treatment options are usually very effective in treating acute and chronic leukemia. Bone marrow donors must be a blood relative and can only be performed while the leukemia is in its earliest stages or during remission. Chemotherapy is most often prescribed as first line therapy in acute cases of the disorder, and is used in chronic leukemia too. The diagnosis of leukemia can be scary; leukemia information provides the knowledge that is needed to educate patients and families to lessen the fear of the unknown. More leukemia information can be found at www.meds.com/leukemia, www.cancer.org, www.leukemiainformation.com, www.cancercenter.com/leukemia, or any number of other sites dedicated to providing reliable information on this blood disorder.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
October 8th, 2006 at 05:43am
Under Mental Health
One of the first things to keep in mind when you are seeking information on [tag]schizophrenia[/tag] for yourself or for loved ones is that schizophrenia is considered a psychosis; and unlike neuroses, wherein a sufferer can have many or most or all of the “symptoms”, with a psychosis, the patient has ALL of the symptoms. So when you do find some interesting, fascinating, helpful information on schizophrenia, do not try to self-diagnose. Read more, ask more specialists, and see the appropriate mental health and/or medical professionals.
That said, so those of us borderline hypochondriacs who find a new malady once a week will be spared the panic of said information on schizophrenia, here are the clinical details of the disorder once termed Dementia Praecox (and coined schizophrenie, from the Greek, “split mind,” by Bleuler in the early 1900s):
While for decades, schizophrenia was categorized—into Hebephrenia, Catatonia, and other separate schizophrenias, today many specialists understand schizophrenia in general to include symptoms such as hallucinating, experiencing delusions, having “derailed” or incoherent speech; and displaying what one expert identifies as “grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior.”
But further, mental health professionals categorize their information on schizophrenia in the following way, according to their assertion that there are five “recognized subtypes” of schizophrenia which are 1) paranoid schizophrenia, 2) disorganized schizophrenia, 3) catatonic schizophrenia, 4) undifferentiated schizophrenia, and what they call 5) residual schizophrenia.
An individual with paranoid schizophrenia characteristically shows evidence of “prominent” delusions, those which are typically auditory and which usually come and go during an episode. The individual may experience delusions of grandeur (how great am I) or persecution (X is/are after me) or what doctors call command hallucinations, wherein someone or thing is commanding him or her to carry out untraditional, unusual, illogical, or illegal acts. Other symptoms for the paranoid schizophrenic include anxiety, fright, anger, apathy, and/or recalcitrance or an argumentative attitude.
An individual diagnosed with hebephrenic schizophrenia—now called disorganized type—will typically have flat (no) or inappropriate affect (laughing when there is no relevant humor, for instance), and will be disorganized in speech. Personal goals and abilities are limited, so the individual may be anything from unable to care for him- or herself to unable to “sustain goal-oriented activities”….
For more information on schizophrenia, check Mental Help Net; Health-X; Psych-net.uk; and then consider a personal doctor or referral to a specialist, so the suspected psychotic disorder can be tested and evaluated and, if necessary, treated.
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By YourHealthIssues Admin
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