Tag: Psychiatrist

Origins unknown, the battle with Alzheimer’s continues

One could trace back the history of Alzheimer’s disease from a presentation and lecture made by a German psychiatrist in 1906 during 37th Meeting of Southwest German Psychiatrists held in Tbingen.

Dr. Alois Alzheimer presented his findings on a woman who had died after years of having memory problems and confusion.
When Dr. Alzheimer autopsied the patient’s brain, he found thick deposits of neuritic plaques outside and around the nerve cells. He also found a lot of twisted bands of fibers or neurofibrillary tangles inside the nerve cells.

Today, medical specialists need to find the presence of the same plaques and tangles at autopsy in order to have a conclusive diagnosis that Alzheimer’s disease indeed caused the disease. And due to this lecture and achievement in research and studies, the medical community has bestowed the honor of naming the disease after Dr. Alzheimer.

However, Dr. Alzheimer’s work only signaled the start of years of medical research and studies which could only resolve the mysteries of the disease by so much. Up until now, Alzheimer’s disease has still unknown origin and remains to have no cure. At first, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease was limited for individuals between the ages of 45-65 since the symptoms of pre-senile dementia due to the histopathologic process are more common and prominent during this age.

However, during the 1970s and early 1980s, the term Alzheimer’s disease began to be used to refer to patients of all ages that manifest the same symptoms.

Statistics show that around 350,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease are being diagnosed each year. It is estimated that by 2050, there are 4.5 million Americans afflicted by the disease. Recent studies have shown that there is an increase risk of contracting and developing Alzheimers as one grows older.

It has been reported that 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 to 74 suffer from Alzheimers disease. Also, half of those in the 85 years and older age group are more likely to have the disease.

Generics have also been seen as a factor in the development of the disease. Scientists have found out that mutations on chromosomes 9 and 19 have been associated with the later stages of Alzheimer’s. However, not everyone that manifests the mutations results to having the disease. Up until now, the relationship between genetics and late-onset Alzheimer’s is still a grey area.

Meanwhile, other research have associated trauma as a factor that increases the risk of acquiring the disease. There are also evidences which suggest that lack of exercise increases the risk factor of Alzheimer’s. It is important to avoid high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels folate in order to decrease the risk of developing the disease.

There are basically three stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Stage 1 or Mild Stage is the early of the disease. At this stage patients become less energetic and will experience slight memory loss. Often times, the symptoms at this stage are either go unnoticed or are ignored as but trivial or normal occurrences.

At Stage 2 or Moderate stage, the patient needs to be assisted in some complicated tasks and memory loss is no highly noticeable. The final stage is the severest stage. Because the disease already progresses too far this point, the patient is unable to perform simple tasks and will lose the ability to walk or eat without help.

Identifying Lower Back Pain Symptoms

Lower back pain is a common complaint not only in old age but also among much younger adults. What truly cause this element may never be exactly diagnosed and even experienced physicians and experts may overlook some causes underlying the condition. The patient may also find it hard to distinguish the location of the pain and may often be confused on where to start pinching the section of the body to temporarily relieve the pain.

The typical lower back pain symptom is excruciating pain felt somewhere in the back. There is no telling how one would identify the cause of pain without really undergoing medical examination or x-ray. However, even these two may not suffice, as there is a host of symptoms that are not supported with anatomical abnormalities. But still the pain is real and not psychological.

The problem often arises here. Since physicians don’t find any physical symptoms with some forms of lower back pain, they may recommend their patients to a psychiatrist. Therefore, no true diagnosis is made therefor the condition is not properly addressed.

No one should be blamed for this, not even the doctor who emphasized that nothing is wrong.

Why this is the case is not yet comprehensively studied. But recent researches assert that trigger points may be responsible for this condition/s. Trigger points are individual areas in the body that are usually located nearest to the bones. The fact is, for each pain that is felt there are a number of trigger points responsible.

Most lower back pain would go away for around 3 months after the onset and will only recur as suddenly as it went. However there are symptoms that may indicate the severity of the condition and may require immediate medical intervention and surgery. The following symptoms may be as follows:

Cauda equina syndrome or sudden bowl movement, which may not be linked to other conditions rather than the actual pain felt at the lower back. This syndrome may also manifest as progressive weakness of the legs. There can be no known cause for this except that the sciatic nerve that is located at the lower back down to the legs is impaired or irritated.

Continuous low back pain

Severe abdominal pain

Sudden fever and chills without evidence of illnesses that normally come along with these two.

Unexplained weight loss

Unlike with other ailments, lower back pain symptoms may vary from case to case and the severity of the case is also dependent on the individual states.

Detecting Symptoms of Dual Diagnosis

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about diagnosis to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from diagnosis experts.

If used together, both substance abuse and mental health illness can greatly affect an individuals psychological, mental, spiritual also social and physical status. These symptoms may interfere with how the individual may function in a more effective manner and with regards to the humans around the person. Dual diagnosis must be detected earlier in order to prevent the effects of the disorder and elicit the other manifestations.

To make things worse, not only can co – existing morbidities affect a persons life but create symptom interaction which can exacerbate disorders severity which makes relapse more possible. Diagnosis of a mental illness must be done by a psychiatrist or a physician. But because of the masking and overlapping effects of drugs which is the cause of psychosis, it will be more difficult on the part of the physician to make a very accurate diagnosis in order to give treatments which are effective and very much appropriate.

One key element of dual diagnosis is through suspicion or awareness that someone is already being drawn to mental illness and drug addiction or alcoholism. Signs like these must strictly be taken into consideration. You must be able to talk to the person about the mental health botheration in order to be given proper assessment and plan of treatment.

Mental illnesses may vary in overlapping notation and symptoms. That is why it is important that a person must note accurately the peculiar early manifestations of the problem. There are useful tools in order to recognize that a existence is bunged up not only from alcohol and bearing abuse but also slight attacks of mental illness.

There are by far multiples hieroglyphics and symptoms of misuse of substances which may cause produce the fervor of mental illness or vice versa. In a clearer aspect, it is easier to recognize substance abuse from mental illness. A lot of factors may be taken into consideration in order not to make any premature testimonies of the case. Some of the signs and symptoms are:

Neglecting ones own dignity with the deterioration of physical change or appearance

Temper outbreaks and is easily irritated with his or her surroundings which may result in fights and misunderstandings

Evident changes in the individuals unexpurgated personality and attitude

Associated with people who are known to be using illegal drugs

Doesnt want to take any responsibility which instances of prolonged depression and anxiety

Sudden changes in school or drudgery attitude, level of performance and discipline

Consequences and problems that are deeply associated with dual diagnosis that can trigger the substance abuse and mental disorder can also be in terms of:

Problems in school or trial

Relapses and multiple admissions inside a psychiatric ward

Problems regarding relationships with loved ones

Monetary problems

Withdrawal from society and isolation of oneself

Increased risk of harming oneself or morbid thoughts about suicide besides dying

Effective detection of symptoms in dual diagnosis can also be seen through knowledge of the individual symptoms of mental illness which are:

Depression and anxiety

Passion

Extreme mood swings

Increased anxiety, fear and worrying

Hallucinations and delusions

Increased hostility and anger feeling

Suicidal thoughts

Inability to cope with problems of daily living

Changes in sleeping and eating habits
Those who only know one or two facts about diagnosis can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

Integrated Treatment for Dual Diagnosis

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about diagnosis, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about diagnosis.

Integrated treatment for dual diagnosis is the time when a person who is experiencing dual diagnosis is receiving combined thrust further treatment for mental illness and abuse of destructive substances from his or her psychiatrist. Treatment that can be done through integration is gross the while difficult but possible.

In treatment and management of dual diagnosis, it is most helpful that the person receiving treatment has his or her hopes enormous in order to develop the needed skills and knowledge and sustentation that they direly need. This will help them see how meaningful their treatment is and how goals in life must be achieved.

Even if there are difficulties in making a plan for treatment for dual diagnosis, some psychiatrists are already engaging in the course of vigor. You will know or get a hang of things the moment your physician does things that are quite numerous. Some of which can be indicated by:

Encourage and help you be convoluted with supported services and employment that can help revive your recovery and lead to more interesting and helpful processes.

Help you visualize about the different roles of alcohol again drugs are negatively contributing to your life. The physician will let you realize of how these types of addictions own destroyed and affected your life terribly. This process must be done in confidentiality that will not result to any kind of negative consequences which may hurt the client.

People, especially those afflicted with some kind of disorder, feel more secured and confident to talk about the offbeat issues in their lives if it is done in a non – judgmental, confidential and no – restriction – attached type of conversation.

The physician will also give you the opportunity to soak up more about the effects of drugs and alcohol in a persons body. This commit allow the client more knowledge about the different substance dependencies and how it has managed to take over his or her life in an instant. You will also learn about the interaction of every medication and mental health problems.

Help you become more self – reliant in order for you to recognize your own goals for faster recovery. Once you have decided the negative outcomes of your dependency and how it has affected your mental status, you will be able to define the problems that you are recently facing and be able to find the appropriate solution equivalent without the help of your psychiatrist. You can forward your thoughts and ideas on a counselor that will train you to develop goals for recovery. In this working the client will learn about the different strategies in order to recover without relapses.

If you are someone who is experiencing dual disorders, strict participation is needed in order to treat the disorders effectively all at the same time. With treatment aimed at effectiveness, it will be more effective to say that the disorder may be bankrupt including any further predicaments like: financial problems, suicide, violence, physical and sexual victimization, increased symptoms of mind illness, homelessness, incarceration and early death.

As someone who is affected by dual diagnosis, you must have all the information needed in order to cope with the situation in your utmost level. You should also be able to identify the different causes of any kind of relapse in order to avoid it.
Is there really any information about diagnosis that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.