Tag: disease

Improving Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Improving Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Hans Hasselfors

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease where white blood cells
suddenly attack healthy tissues, specifically joints and
cartilage. There are a few ways to help ease the symptoms,
depending on which stage of the disease you are in. If you are
in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis there is a new
disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) which has done an
excellent job in controlling symptoms. It works best in the
initial stages, so if you suspect you may have rheumatoid
arthritis, see your doctor as soon as possible.

There are other options if you are in later stages of rheumatoid
arthritis. These are also helpful if you are still in early
stages. One is to use anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin,
ibuprofen, and naproxen. This does a great job reducing pain and
inflammation. However, these have side effects including heart
problems and gastrointestinal bleeding. You can also use
acetaminophen for your rheumatoid arthritis, which does not have
these side effects.

When symptoms are mild, moderate exercising including
stretching, weight lifting, and aerobics ease rheumatoid
arthritis symptoms. Be sure to rest when your joints flare up as
this would just add strain to your aching joints. Stretching is
important because it increases flexibility and is easy enough to
do at any age. When stretching, stop when you feel mild
discomfort and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Then repeat 3 to 5
times. Weight lifting also improves flexibility as well as
strength and balance. Barbells are easy, convenient, and
inexpensive. Remember to stretch before lifting any weights.
Start with 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions. If you would like you
can start with no weights at all (such as going leg lifts for
rheumatoid arthritis in the knees), then add weights when you
can. Lift the weights slowly and evenly to not damage the
cartilage.

Some other popular forms of exercise for rheumatoid arthritis
are aqua therapy and Tai Chi. Be sure to find an actual
therapist as they have specific exercises they do for arthritis
patients. Aerobics instructors may push to far and do further
damage. Tai Chi has no long term studies proving its
effectiveness, but due to testimonials from patients who have
taken Tai Chi, the Arthritis Foundation began offering the
class. Remember to always check with your doctor before starting
an exercise program.

Some other ways to relieve rheumatoid arthritis pain are to lose
weight to take additional pressure off joints, eating a healthy
diet, getting enough sleep, using heat or ice, and possibly
using devices such as a cane, brace, or splint. There are many
resources for additional information on rheumatoid arthritis
including websites, flyers, periodicals, books, etc. Your doctor
should be able to provide you with some reference on where to
look for additional help.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical
practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes
only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always
seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical
condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay
in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural
and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be
accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that
the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product
is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.”

About the author:
About the Author: Hans Hasselfors is the founder of http://www.SubmitYourN
ewArticle.com. You may find varied arthritis articles in our article directory.

Dealing With Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimers disease is a degenerative disease, meaning it gets worse and not particularly better over time. It affects the area of the brain that is involved in language, judgment, and behavior. This is the most common form of brain malfunctions or mental decline in older adults. Causing severe or mild memory loss, the adult may experience mood swings, personality changes, and the ability to think clearly, or even carry out normal daily routines without difficulty. The persons brain is not so mixed up that the person does not realize that there is a problem, but in most cases it is the family member who first notices changes. Still unclear why these changes occur, doctors have developed treatments to assist with the symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms include memory loss, confusion of time and day, frequently getting lost in familiar places, or trouble with learning and processing new information. The person may have a hard time expressing himself and may act out of frustration. Development of seemingly strange or odd behaviors may occur, like withdrawing from family or paranoid episodes. If you have begun to notice similar odd behavior in an older relative or friend, you should consider Alzheimers as a very real possibility, though you should not panic or blow out of proportion. If it turns out that your worst expectations were true, then you will definitely be able to get the support and help that you need.

Forgetting how to perform basic tasks like washing clothes or bathing oneself will become increasingly common. It has been noted that some people with the disease in very late stages will forget how to walk and talk. As serious as this disease is, there is still no cure but quality of life can be maintained with the help of others. Keeping the person active by working on tasks that are easily completed and providing a safe environment under careful eye is the best way to ensure that they can still enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Treatments only include improving memory, dealing with behaviors that may develop and depressive medications. Older people with this disease are aware of what may be happening to them and can become saddened at their inability to perform basic tasks. Alzheimers is becoming an increasing problem with a rising rate of occurrence, because people are living longer and physically healthier lives.

Because caring for a person with this disease is both financially and emotionally draining, it is important that the caregiver seek as much assistance as is available. In the early stages of the disease decisions about making your home safe for the person, tailoring tasks for the person, an assisting the person will be of great importance. Monitoring behavior and constant checking of appliances used may be necessary. The person should begin planning for the future by handling all financial and final affairs while they still are able to think clearly and still make some decisions. Once driving privileges are revoked the person may need additional attention with dealing with immobility or simply grocery store runs and the like. Later stages will mainly be with behavior problems and tasking problems for the individual. This is draining on the care giver as it will require more time and emotional input. Thus, the caregiver must remember to care for themselves and seek as much support as possible. The main thing is to not give up hope and make the person quality of life good while maintaining your own health. Hang in there and try not to shoulder all of the responsibility by yourself. Enlist the help of family, friends, and those who may know the individual. All involved will need to lean on one another.

For more information and support related to Alzheimers disease, you should ask your doctor for information on any local support groups for people who have relatives afflicted with the disease. It is a great way to get rid of some of the stress that will surely accumulate.

What To Do If You Have A Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

What To Do If You Have A Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

Living with a bipolar disorder diagnosis isn’t easy. However, knowing, as they say, is half the battle. Once a diagnosis is established, a person has two main choices right off. They are whether to let the disorder take control of one’s life, or to fight it with every weapon in the modern psychiatric and psychological arsenal.

If fighting for normalcy is the answer, then a bipolar disorder diagnosis can make one aware of what one is fighting. Bipolar disorder can touch every aspect of a person’s life, so someone with a bipolar disorder diagnosis will need to be wary on all fronts.

First of all, if there is a bipolar disorder diagnosis then there must have been some sign of the disease. The more severe this manifestation is, the more likely one is to take notice. It is important, though, to treat the illness as soon as a bipolar disorder diagnosis is obtained.

Early treatment can often help prevent some of the more extreme manic highs and depressive lows of bipolar disorder. The earlier treatment is successfully begun, the less the devastating effects of the disease on the person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

Early treatment is helpful. The challenge is to keep someone interested in taking medications or engaging in talk therapy when there has been no crisis to set him or her on this path. Such a person needs to be convinced that their bipolar disorder diagnosis is accurate.

For others, the first signs of illness are so overwhelming they consider their bipolar disorder diagnosis to be a relief. For them, it is just good to know that there is a name for what is happening to them and that there are treatments.

For these people, it is extremely important to keep taking medications that are prescribed. This is a responsibility one has to oneself when he or she gets a bipolar disorder diagnosis. If the medication seems to be causing problems, it is important to contact the prescribing doctor to discuss the matter. If no satisfaction can be obtained, finding another doctor is even preferable to simply stopping the medications on one’s own.

Those with a bipolar disorder diagnosis usually are given the recommendation to take some form of counseling, or talk therapy. Some may balk at the notion that talking to a therapist can effect their disease. The truth is that these therapies have been shown to have a positive effect on those with bipolar disorder diagnosis.

There are other actions a person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis can take to help lessen their illness. These include the ways a person takes care of him or herself in day to day life. It may seem obvious that a person should eat and sleep in reasonable amounts and times, or do an adequate but reasonable amount of exercise. A person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis will probably find that these common acts do not come naturally. However, with some conscious effort they can begin to see some difference.

A bipolar disorder diagnosis can certainly seem to complicate one’s life. It can lead one to take medications, submit him or herself to talk therapy, and take the time and energy to regulate his or her own personal habits. On the other hand, all these concessions to the disease can help a person to live a much calmer and more fulfilling life than that person would had he or she never gotten their bipolar disorder diagnosis. In other words, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

What Are the Causes of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a difficult illness to manage and to treat. Many who have it may ask themselves, “Why me? What caused all this?” There are great disagreements as to the causes of bipolar disorder. They all tend to go back to the old nature/nurture controversy. In other words, does a thing happen to a person because of who he or she is, or because of the environment he or she grew up in?

The nature side of bipolar disorder causes has always been seen in family histories. This, however, can be misleading. Families often pass behaviors on from one generation to the next, regardless of whether family members are natural relatives or adopted ones.

The scientific concept of correlation without causation may account for shared histories of bipolar disorder in biologically unrelated siblings. This concept is easy to grasp. For example, a man could state that all summer, every time he got a sunburn he ate fish. So, did the sunburn cause the man to eat fish? No, but the act of fishing both caused the man’s skin to burn and allowed him to catch a fish, which he then ate. In a similar way, bipolar disorder can occur in families without anything in one family member’s bipolar disorder causing the bipolar disorder of another.

Also, for whatever reason, people with bipolar disorder are often drawn to each other. In this case it is unclear whether the families formed come together because of their shared genetically similar predisposition towards bipolar disorder, or whether some members of the families are genetically more prone to bipolar disorder but the illness of some other members of the family becomes exaggerated more than it would in another environment.

Research into the genetic causes of bipolar disorder is often done using twin studies. It is assumed that twins will have environments that are as close as is possible. Identical twins are used to show the effects of genetics, since they will share the same genetic materials. Fraternal twins are used as a control group. While these twins share nearly identical environments with their twins, the fraternal twins have less genetic material in common.

It has been shown through these twin studies, and other studies where identical twins are compared to adopted siblings, that there does seem to be a genetic basis for bipolar disorder. Only one percent of the population has bipolar disorder. Fraternal twins, who share some genetic information, are 20 percent more likely to have the disease if one has it. The percentage for identical twins is even higher, at around 60 to 80 percent chance of one having it if the other does.

Environmental causes of bipolar disorder are more difficult to assess. Bipolar disorder has been proven to have a chemical basis in the brain, but the chemical reactions can be caused by any number of factors. A history of losses early in life can be a contributing factor, as can any major source of stress. Physical illnesses such as cancer and others can lead to a depressive state, which is then often followed by mania.

Neither genetics nor environment can fully explain the causes of bipolar disorder. Research is constantly being undertaken in both areas. In the meantime, the nature/nurture controversy is just beginning to heat up.