Tag: Accurate Diagnosis

Symptoms of Arthritis

Symptoms of Arthritis
John Robben

Symptoms of Arthritis

In a previous article, we discussed what Arthritis is and its
many forms, now it is time to take a look at the symptoms of
Arthritis. Arthritis shows up in various ways. Some of the first
symptoms include things like knees cracking when you stand up,
general pain or swelling around joints that lasts for more than
two weeks, you may also notice that pain in your joints
increases as you move, also you may notice increased stiffness
in your joints when you wake up in the morning, and your joints
may appear red and feel warm to the touch.

Some other symptoms of Arthritis include fever, a sense of
feeling tired all the time, even a feeling that you have the
flu. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is imperative
that you see your doctor or physician at once. Only a doctor can
truly diagnose whether you have Arthritis, and because there are
over 100 forms of Arthritis, it is also important to determine
which form of Arthritis you have. The different forms of
Arthritis have different symptoms as well. It is also important
to seek medical treatment as soon as possible, since Arthritis
has no known cure, the sooner you seek treatment and begin a
regimen of care, and the better your results of managing your
Arthritis will be. Your treatment plan may include things such
as a specific course of medicine, plenty of rest, adequate diet,
and proper nutrition, losing weight if you are overweight, and
in severe cases, surgery may be required. In future articles we
will look at treatment options, from Acupuncture to Zinc.

Is it Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis?

We’ve discussed that there are over 100 forms of Arthritis. The
most common forms are Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and
Gout. All of these forms have different symptoms and require
testing by your physician for an accurate diagnosis. Here are
some of the symptoms and differences between Rheumatoid
Arthritis and Osteoarthritis.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis Typically begins in one Joint Osteoarthritis
Typically affects only the Joints Osteoarthritis does not
affect Internal Organs Osteoarthritis affects Cartilage
Osteoarthritis causes Stiffness in the Joints when waking in the
Morning Osteoarthritis is a Result of Wear and Tear on the body

Osteoarthritis is a result of cartilage being broke down. As
this takes place, the bones rub together. This typically happens
in the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Unfortunately, when the
pain sets in there has already been a substantial loss and
damage to the cartilage.

Rheumatoid Arthritis has different symptoms than Osteoarthritis.
Here are the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Symptoms of
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Extreme Tiredness and Fatigue Low Grade Fever Muscle Pain
and Aches Appetite Loss Painful and Swollen Joints Redness
and Heat at the Joint Site

Typically, Rheumatoid Arthritis affects the joint of the body in
a symmetrical fashion. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systematic
disease and it often affects other organs in the body, and not
just joints.

The symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis often appear, and then
enter a state of remission. There is no proven reason as to the
exact cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis, however it has been
suspected that bacteria, fungi, and infections may cause it.
There has also been evidence that Rheumatoid Arthritis is a
hereditary condition. It is also believed that certain triggers,
such as poor nutrition, stress, and infection can bring on
Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Stay tuned for our next article, “Osteoarthritis: Cause and
Treatments”.

About the author:
Written by John
Robben of Ultimate Water Massage, Inc. Providing Massage
Services and Pain Relief products. Visit our Arthritis Information
Center

Sciatic Nerve Pain Relief-Get It Fast

Few things are as painful as the searing pain associated with sciatica. If you suffer from this condition, all you really want is a surefire way to relieve sciatic nerve pain. The faster you can get relief, the better. Once you are stricken with the pain of a sciatic attack, you can’t do much of anything and are temporarily disabled. In fact, it’s quite common for people to freeze up in these situations, and they may completely incapable of moving. The following information will help you to understand the problem, and show you some ways to minimize the pain of sciatica.

Your sciatic nerve travels from the base of the skull down to your feet, and happens to be the longest nerve in your body. Because it is so long, it is frequently under pressure or gets otherwise irritated. At times this may only lead to tingling or throbbing, and you can go about your normal routine. However, when the pressure on the nerve becomes too great, it can overwhelm you with pain. If this is something you have experienced more than once or twice, then you need to make an appointment with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.

Many people find relief from sciatic nerve pain by taking anti-inflammatory medication each day. This prevents any pressure on the nerve that may be caused by surrounding tissues being inflamed. You may wish to try an over-the-counter medication, or you can have your doctor prescribe something for you.

If you are having severe pain that is lasting for more than a day, then you can use this simple trick for easing the pain. Lie down with your back on a firm surface (the floor or a suitable mattress) and put a small pillow underneath your knees. This removes a great deal of pressure from the sciatic nerve, and allows the inflamed area to start healing. In fact, this position has long been the prescribed treatment for dealing with sciatica. However, it only brings temporary relief, but that’s better than nothing when trying to get rid of the pain.

Some people have found they can control their pain by using either cold or heat therapy. Which one is more effective will depend on what is causing the pain in the first place. Try one or the other and see how it feels, moving to the other method if needed.

Having proper posture will keep everything in your body aligned, and that can reduce the chances of unnecessary pressure being placed upon the nerve. Sit with your back straight, as though your head is being pulled straight up by an invisible string. When walking, be careful that you are not hunched over. If you have fallen into a habit of sloppy posture, you will be amazed at how much of an improvement this tip will make.

Trying to relieve sciatic nerve pain can take time, but keep trying. There is no reason that you should have to live with the pain. Once you find something that works you will feel a whole lot better.

Knowing Your Cancer, Hodgkins disease

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Lymphoma in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma or otherwise proclaimed as Hodgkin’s disease is one of two kinds of lymphoma or a cancer of the lymphatic system. Thomas Hodgkin was the first person who published documented studies of the disease hence the cancer was named after him. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is different from the other benevolent of lymphoma chiefly through the presence of Reed – Sternberg cells in the cancer cells. These Reed – Sternberg cells burden perform seen through an open biopsy. In contrast, cells seen on non – Hodgkins lymphomas are mutated B – cells or T – cells.

It has been observed that Hodgkins lymphoma oftentimes begin to develop in the lymph nodes in the neck. This is again quite different from non – Hodgkins lymphoma which beings in different locations in the frame. Nonetheless, since this is cancer were talking about, from the neck lymph node spreading to other lymph node groups, the lungs, spleen, and bone marrow is one shot natural and inevitable if no treatment is undergone. It seems and that Hodgkin’s lymphoma targets the immediate nearby lymphatic regions before leaving eventually the lymphatic system and spreading throughout other organs of the body.

According to studies, Hodgkins lymphoma is more likely to develop in young adolescents particularly those within the age range of 15 to 24 as well as those who are more than 60 dotage aged. Besides this is totally colorful from non – Hodgkins lymphoma which rarely happens in young people and instead is more common to people tired 60 years old and above.

In determining a diagnosis, one can actually self – diagnose at least initially. A doctors expertise is still needed, of course, for a more accurate diagnosis of the disease. The symptoms that posses been reported are not that different from the antithetic kinds of lymphoma. The presence of a painless lump in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin, recurrent fevers, unexplained qualification termination, night sweats and fanatical skins are among the warning signals of developing lymphoma.

Among the usual tests your doctors would require you to undertake includes glowing tests to check abnormalities in the blood counts, blood assembling, and abnormal erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR ), X – rays to look at the lymph nodes, computerized tomography or CT scan and enterprising resonance imaging or MRI scans of the chest, pelvis, and abdomen to see if the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body.

Other scans that could be used to properly diagnose and determine the stage of the cancer are the positron emission tomography or PET scan which scans the cancer at a cellular level and the gallium scan which looks for radioactive intake of gallium which can mean the onset of the disease. There are other tests and procedures which doctors might conduct on you all in the aid of a opportune and accurate diagnosis.

Hodgkins lymphoma has several sub – types, namely nodular sclerosis ( NS ) which hits the lower neck, chest and collarbone, lymphocyte predominance ( LP ) which is made of malignant L&H cells which have a ” popcorn “, mixed cellularity ( MC ) which has lymph nodes that are usually contain Reed – Sternberg cells and inflammatory cells, lymphocyte depleted ( LD ), and nodular lymphocyte crack ( NLP ).

As they say, knowing is half the battle. Knowing more about Hodgkins disease is a good thing. You can contribute fully to the decision making process if you know precisely the situation you are in.
As your knowledge about Lymphoma continues to grow, you will begin to see how Lymphoma fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

Dual Diagnosis A Challenge to Medicine

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with diagnosis.

Dual diagnosis is the term thats given to individuals having a mental illness and alcohol or substance abuse both occurring at the twin time. Conditions corresponding these occur frequently together within a persons behavior.

Management of either one of these problems are draining enough to the medical practitioner handling the case. To make things more complicated, adding the symptoms caused by the mental disorder that overlaps and masks the ability of the practitioner to recognize both events again make an accurate diagnosis. End game? A difficult status which is complex, challenging and is extremely exhausting to be able to make a possible solution.

In able to achieve the desired outcome, both of the disorders should be treated in a way that both ill be affected by the treatment. Simultaneous attempts must be trumped-up in order for cumulative effects to influence all aspects of an individuals personality and can greatly increase any pledge for relapse upon recovery.

Dual relationship

There is relative make evident that both mental illness and substance dependence go hand – in – helping hand. Although, it is still a bugging question which aggravates which. Experts are trying to figure out if the cause for the mental disorder is because of the abuse of the person in drugs or alcohol. Another contradictory statement elicits that when a person is already experiencing symptoms of mental sickness, it ends up in nondiscriminatory alcoholism because of the negative ways of how the person is coping with the situation.

Majority has concluded that oftentimes the psychiatric problems are the one that initiates in the person. When the person can no longer sustain the problem, in orderliness to get and feel better, the personalized results to self – medication thus, leading to chemical dependency. Whereas when a person is already at the brink of alcoholism or drug addiction, evidences of anxiety, depression and other emotional breakdowns will occur thus affecting the mental capacity of the person.

Whatever the cause is, the primary step in living a healthier and more productive life is to eradicate the individuals body from all the harmful and addictive substances. Detoxification is ideally done inside a rehabilitation center or under the supervision of a professional medical practitioner. The process can last for a couple of days and even weeks. Itll all depend on the substances that the person took and how long was he exposed to the substance.

Dual diagnosis is sometimes referred to as co – existing morbidity, co – occurring disorders, and the like. Statistics show that in dual diagnosis, crackerjack are about 53 % of drug dependents and about 38 % of alcoholics that has one mental illness thats seriously co – existing. More or less, there are about fifty percent of persons suffering from the severity of a mental disorder who is also being affected by the problem is substance dependency.

The possibility of indentifying co – existing disorders is cloudy. It is can be quite difficult on the part of the psychiatrist to hit two birds with one stone. Several symptoms of substance and drug maltreat can act as also be the identical symptoms of mental illness some of which are depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations besides delusions. With these symptoms impact, the individual can no longer function in a proper also healthy state because of the decline in self – mobilization and self – care.

Dual diagnosis affects the lives of people around the individual suffering from it. Ergo, it is important that the family can also recognize the early symptoms for treatment to yield place.
So now you know a little bit about diagnosis. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.