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CONTROL YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
DRUG DREE in 3 Weeks or Less

There are several blood pressure symptoms. You usually suffer from blood pressure when the flexibility of the artery decreases. In case of a normal person anxiety and exercise may cause the level of your blood pressure rise abnormally. This may invite a number of diseases.

Simultaneously, blood pressure symptoms are also visible when you suffer from low blood pressure. Low blood pressure occurs when you have a sudden heart attack or when you lose a considerable amount of blood unnecessarily. When blood pressure falls there are high chances of the normal flow of blood to the brain being hampered. For this consequences can indeed be fatal.

To keep a constant track of blood pressure symptoms and level in case of both high and low blood pressure you can easily make use of a device attached to your forearm showing the fluctuations in your blood pressure level. Such a system will help your doctor have a better understanding of your condition and he will treat you accordingly.

It is very important to diagnose the blood pressure symptoms for the best possible treatment of the condition. However, blood pressure symptoms are not so easily discernible even after significant damaging of the organs. Therefore rather than noticing the symptoms it is better if you make use of sphygmomanometer for a constant measurement of your level of blood pressure.

Victims of high blood pressure suffer from symptoms such as headaches and breathlessness and on a slightest exertion conditions can be even worse. A pain in the head and dyspnea are common blood pressure symptoms. When you visit a physician with complaints of uncontrollable headache he first checks your pressure to ensure that whether the pain in your head is an outcome of high blood pressure or not. A headache can also be a warning sign of early damage to the vascular system in the brain or retina. Under such circumstances your blood pressure needs to be controlled immediately to avoid further complications.

Patients of high blood pressure who complaint of breathlessness in most cases are obese. People who are more than fifty years of age may suffer the risk of bleeding from arteries into the brain and retina. This may cause stroke and visual loss in case the bleeding continues. Such conditions are more exaggerated by the occurrence of high blood pressure. Thus, a proper treatment is required in this case.

Other high blood pressure symptoms include nose bleeding and subconjunctival hemorrhages. The term Subconjunctival hemorrhage means an amount of bleeding in the white area of the eye. If you suffer from anxiety disorders you may have symptoms like palpitations, tension headaches and hyperventilation. However, with these if you are a patient of high blood pressure the conditions might get accelerated.

Chest pain or angina is one of the most common blood pressure symptoms for those suffering from low blood pressure. If a patient of low blood pressure gets a tremendous shock then there is a rapid deterioration in the normal functioning of the organs like kidney, liver, heart, lung and brain.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of low blood pressure

Blurred vision
Depression and stress
Dizziness or lightheartedness
A feeling of thirst
Nausea
A feeling of faintness
Rapid and shallow breathing
Cold, clammy and pale skin
Fatigue
Lack of concentration

To get rid of blood pressure symptoms the doctor may recommend you to bring about various life style changes. He may ask you to change your diet and activity level and ask you to take drugs to lower your level of blood pressure. Once you get rid of these blood pressure symptoms your life will change drastically.

Chronic fatigue is a condition quite complicated and disabling.
Moreover, you cannot overcome the condition with complete bed rest and
comfort. A constant fatigue condition can ruin your physiological and
psychological status thus making you feel more sick and worn out. No
one exactly knows what causes chronic fatigue. This ailment can neither
be measured not can it be treated well. It extremely affects your
physiological stability.

After you have cold or viral
syndrome you have all possible chance to suffer from a prolong fatigued
condition. Stress can also make you feel extremely tired and exhausted.
When you suffer from acute fatigue syndrome you find it difficult to
concentrate on things and you have painful joints, muscles and lymph
nodes.

Chronic fatigue syndrome hampers your normal daily
activities. This condition can last more than six months. It is very
difficult to identify an acute fatigue condition. Most people do not
want to accept chronic fatigue as a kind of ailment. However, a proper
interaction with the physician can improve conditions of prolong
fatigue condition.

Some of the usual symptoms of chronic fatigue

A pain in the head
Sore throat
Tender and painful areas inside your neck or armpits
A kind of muscle soreness which cannot be explained
A kind of pain that goes on moving from one joint to another without causing redness and swelling
Inability to memorize or concentrate
Trouble in sleeping and extreme tiredness

How can doctors treat conditions of chronic fatigue syndrome

First,
the doctors try to detect the cause of the condition. He reviews the
symptoms, goes through the medical history and then asks you to give a
physical test. Symptoms of this disease can be treated with medicines
but the disease itself cannot be cured with drugs. The condition can
only improve with time and patience.

Doctors combine
several treatment options to ease a condition of chronic fatigue. The
ways by which the condition of acute fatigue syndromes are controlled
and treated are

Gradual but steady exercise
Treatment for existing pain
Treating conditions of low blood pressure or hypotension
Treating problems of the nervous system
Treating several allergy like symptoms
Taking care of psychiatric problems
Making essential life style changes

What can you do to help yourself get rid of chronic fatigue syndrome

You should identify your feelings and attempt to express them
You must grieve for the energy which has left you
Are you suffering from loss of memory and poor concentration due to
chronic fatigue? If so, then make a list and keep reminding yourself of
important things in life. Deal with activities where you need to
concentrate more. If you can do so then you can surely improve your
level of concentration
Check your daily routine and see that at which time of the day you have
the maximum amount of energy. Plan your activities especially at those
hours.
Take medicines to sleep better. This may improve your ability to memorize and concentrate
Exercise your body according to your ability. Don’t go for something which is more than what you can afford
You may seek for help from your friends and family and you can even
join support groups or counseling within the community. With emotional
support you can best proceed in life. Your doctor too may help you a
lot in combating the disease

Some
medicines required for treating acute fatigue can cause tremendous side
effects and thus it should be handled according to the suggestions
given by the physician. Therefore, you have to be very careful not to
invite any additional problem when trying to combat cases of chronic
fatigue syndromes.

Despite the last 60 years of medical researches, Cerebral Palsy (CP)
is claiming thousands of lives all over the world. Specifically in the
developed countries, deaths from cerebral palsy are roughly around
2-2.5 per 1000 live births. Even contrivances such as electro-fetal
monitoring have not provided great break-throughs.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral
palsy is a combination of two words – the former refers to the brain
and the later refers to inability to move. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a
broad term comprising a group of non-contagious, non-progressive
neurological disorders, which result in physical immobility of human
beings, particularly the posture and movement.

This
disorder becomes manifest when the motor control centers of the young
budding brain are damaged. It mostly crops up during pregnancy (in
around 75 percent cases), or at the time of childbirth (in around 5
percent cases) or even after the child is born (in around 15 percent
cases), of course, before the child becomes three years old.

The Causes

The
roots of congenital CP are yet to be clarified. Nevertheless, it is
clear that children born under certain circumstances are highly prone
to this disorder. The circumstances being:

Existence of hemorrhage in the brain
Premature birth
Newborns needing ventilator for more than 4 weeks
Undersized infants who do not cry within first 5 minutes of delivery
Malformations in internal system like kidneys, heart or spine and
Incidents of seizures

There
are some cases of CP occurring from injuries in head during infancy or
early childhood. Prolonged infections and undernourishment too are
known to lead to the disorder after birth.

Classification

Cerebral
palsy can be segregated into four major categories based on the area of
brain damaged. These classifications also project the different
disabilities in movement. The four major classes of Cerebral Palsy are:

Spastic or Athetoid
Dyskinetic
Ataxic
Mixed

Signs And Symptoms

Majority
of the cerebral palsy patients reflect symptoms like abnormal muscle
tone, reflexes, posture or motor coordination and development. Cerebral
palsy is also associated with deformities in the bones and joints, and
contractures (that is permanently fixed, tight joints and muscles).

The
secondary symptoms of cerebral palsy are: spasms, seizures, and other
involuntary movements, eating problems, sensory impairments, hearing or
vision impairments, disorders in speech or communication, behavioral
disorders, disability to learn as well as mental retardation.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Explicit
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy is not easy in all the cases, as it
involves an inexact time of waiting. A doctor can consider the
aberrations in the muscles and muscle tones, movements and reflexes.

Usually
tests and scans like Computed Tomography or CT and Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI) are used to diagnose cerebral palsy. However, these tests
do not fully establish whether a child is suffering from cerebral palsy
or not.

Treatment

The treatment of cerebral palsy
involves different types of therapies, which allow the patients
afflicted with disorder to lead a better life. In some cases, the
children are able to lead normal adult lives if their disabilities are
effectively handled.

The treatment of cerebral palsy may
include drugs to control seizures, alleviate pain and relax muscle
spasms. Occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and
surgery are used to check the anatomical abnormalities or release tight
muscles. Communication aids include computers with attached voice
synthesizers. Wheelchairs, rolling walkers, braces and other orthotic
devices too are used but there is still no specific cure for cerebral
palsy.

Generally the damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system
leading to disease or dysfunctions of their peripheral nerves is
referred as peripheral neuropathy. It is also associated with side
effects of systemic illness. The presentation and origin of peripheral
neuropathy often varies and in some cases impairs the nerve or the
neuromuscular junction

Causes of peripheral neuropathy

There
are various factors, which can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Cases
where a single nerve is affected the most likely cause is said to be
trauma or some kind of repetitive activity that puts pressure on the
nerves. The common causes for pressure on the nerves are – use of cast
or crutches, a tumor, intraneural hemorrhage, or abnormal bone growth
or even mechanical pressure of staying long hours in an unnatural
position like typing on a computer keyboard.

Most often you
would find that diabetes mellitus is sighted as the cause for damage of
several nerves. It has been seen that almost half of the people
suffering from diabetes have developed some kind of neuropathy. Other
major causes of the ailment include inherited disorders, amyloidosis,
alcoholism, HIV/AIDS, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and a lack of some vitamins,
particularly B vitamins.

Types of peripheral neuropathy

Essentially,
the Peripheral neuropathy can be generalized and symmetrical or focal
and multifocal that is considered as a good indicator of the peripheral
nerve disease.

The generalized peripheral neuropathies are
known to be symmetrical and are normally caused as a result of disease
processes and systematic illnesses, affecting the whole peripheral
nervous system.

Whereas the typical disorders of the
peripheral nerves is associated with focal entrapment neuropathies,
plexopathies and radiculopathies.

Signs and symptoms

Following are the signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, which you would encounter commonly:

The
skin becomes very hypersensitive which is why certain parts of the
patients are prohibited from touching, particularly the feet.

Loss of sensory function showing function (negative) symptoms such as
tremor, numbness, and gait imbalance are quite evident.

The Motor symptoms are also associated with the loss of function (negative) symptoms of tiredness, heaviness, weakness

The function (positive) symptoms like tingling, pain, itching, crawling, and pins and needles are gained.

There are also cases of pain in the muscles (myalgia), cramps, etc and at times autonomic dysfunction

Treatments

The
treatments of peripheral neuropathy are accomplished by repressing the
conditions causing the neuropathy and repair damage, and bring relief
from the symptoms. In a situation where the cause of your neuropathy
can’t be determined, different medicines are used to find the one that
is effective.

Through medications the symptoms of pain can
be eased, however the patients are vulnerable to side effects, more so
if the medicines are continued for a longer periods of time. Before
using any medicine such as the over-the-counter (OTC) products it is
essential to consult a doctor.

The treatment also includes
managing a chronic condition that might help in eliminating peripheral
neuropathy. Like those of you having diabetes consult with the doctor
to device ways for maintaining
blood sugar levels as close to
normal as possible. If vitamin deficiency is the cause of neuropathy
then suggested injections of vitamin B-12 daily for a few days and then
every month can be of help.

One
of the best treatments for peripheral neuropathy is believed to be
drug-free therapies and techniques that can help in relieving pain. The
Biofeedback, Hypnosis, Acupuncture and Relaxation techniques are some
of the therapies effective for treating peripheral neuropathy.

BE VIRTUALLY BACK PAIN FREE
– JUST 21-DAYS –

Hip and back pain are very often interrelated – one
adverse physiological condition often leads to the other. Each time
when you keep your feet on the ground, the pain travels through your
legs and hip and then hits your back. At times, it may happen that you
have a flat feet and a condition of over-pronation is causing hip and
back pain.

It is no doubt hard to treat
such excruciating pain. Seeing a medical practitioner can prove
helpful. The doctor will get to the root of the pain and even suggest
you exercises, medication and/or surgery to overcome the pain and
suffering.

Other Relevant Causes Of Hip And Back Pain

• One leg shorter than the other causing difficulty in walking and finally giving way to severe back and hip pain

• A wee bit uneven pelvis

• A kind of curve in the spine

• Degeneration of any one of the discs between the vertebra of the spine

Sportspersons
and athletes also suffer from conditions of back and hip pain, which is
essentially caused by relentless muscle strain. They usually visit an
orthopedist, an osteopath or may be a chiropractor; the medico will
examine the spine and vertebra to have a clear understanding of the
condition and prescribe remedies accordingly.

A
weak abdomen or lower back muscle may also contribute to causing an
excruciating back hip pain. Regular exercise can significantly take
care of this condition by providing utmost strength to the stomach and
lower back portion of the body.

If, in
any case, unequal leg lengths is the cause of your hip and back pain,
the physician may recommend the use of a piece of 1/2″ foam rubber into
your running shoe or prepare a sponge of just the right size. When both
the heels are of similar sizes, your problem of a painful back and hip
may be solved to some extent.

However,
if the problem lies in the structure of the foot, you can readily solve
your problem of hip and back pain by wearing running shoes of different
sizes. You can simply order for a motion-control shoe as a solution for
over-pronation.

Pain in the back and
buttocks may be caused by an uneasy piriform muscle, which lies deep in
the buttock. In this case, the back of the buttocks becomes sensitive
to touch. Tightening of the back or hamstring does not allow the
piriform muscle to work well and it can also give form to undue
inflammation causing unbearable hip and back pain. Icing and
anti-inflammatory can greatly help in easing this form of hip and back
pain. Vigorous massage of the knot can also help a lot in relieving the
pain. Likewise, you should also concentrate on stretching and
strengthening your hip, hamstring and lower-back muscles.

Common Remedies For Hip And Back Pain

• Work less and avoid excess physical strain

• Try applying some damp heat

• Take hot baths or visit the steam room

• Help yourself with occasional heat rubs

• Closely inspect the cause of the pain and think of a possible remedy as fast as you can

There
are plenty of reasons for hip and back pain. However, if appropriate
treatment measures are taken, then you are soon to get rid of an
agonizing condition of pain.

Fibromyalgia treatment has emerged as a boon for all those suffering
from unbearable pain of the dreadful disease. Fibromyalgia is
characteristically a chronic pain all over the body. Fibromyalgia (FM
or FMS) is actually indication of collection of symptoms and signs
associated with diffusion or joint, or bone pain, fatigue, and many
other such symptoms.

Currently, fibromyalgia is receiving
greater credence and patients who are suffering have a gained better
knowledge of the disease. Most of the people affected with fibromyalgia
are now leading a better life after going through some changes in their
lifestyle. Lots of people have improved with passing time.

Causes of fibromyalgia

The
causes of fibromyalgia are still to be uncovered. Nevertheless there
are a number of factors, which considered responsible such as illness,
repetitive injuries, stressful or traumatic events, and specific
diseases. According to researches in some cases it occurs on its own
while others say it is genetic. Apart from these causes there can be
several reasons behind fibromyalgia.

Recent studies suggest
that fibromyalgia is not contagious, yet genetically susceptible. The
nature of fibromyalgia is not clearly understood, some physicians think
that it may be psychogenic or psychosomatic.

Some doctors
claim to have developed a successful fibromyalgia treatment,
specifically in psychological cases, although a universal cure is yet
to be accepted.

Treatment of fibromyalgia basically assists
in reducing pain, improving sleep, and gives relief from related
symptoms. Such treatment is specifically designed for individuals. The
response of the fibromyalgia treatment varies. While some patients
receive considerable relief from the symptoms, others witness a fair
amount of improvement, and there are others who receive meager or no
relief at all.

Different types of treatments

Fibromyalgia
has different kind of symptoms and there are different types of
treatment associated with them. Have a look at the some of the
fibromyalgia treatment programs:

Medication- The
antidepressant agents also called tricyclics are widely used in
fibromyalgia treatment. They assist in relieving sleep upsets, decrease
muscle pain, and treat depression. Generally tricyclic usually
prescribed for fibromyalgia treatment is amitriptyline.

The
antidepressants should be taken in low doses initially and then if
needed the dose can be increased. This kind of medication can provide
only limited relief from pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness and in most
cases the patients succumb to side effects of these drugs even at low
doses.

Lifestyle Changes – This is said to be the best
possible fibromyalgia treatment. Some modifications in the lifestyle
specifically scheduling an exercise program, evading caffeine, getting
rid of incidental activities, concentrating on tasks, fixing a regular
sleep routines, and having proper diet can help in ameliorating the
symptoms. Relaxation techniques such as biofeedback or meditation can
reduce the symptoms.

Exercise – Settling a routine for
exercise, which should include low-impact aerobics such as walking,
swimming, and riding a stationary bicycle. This may reduce depression,
relieve pain, and would help to sleep.

Physical Therapy – In
this method, therapies with ultrasound, massage, whirlpool, heat, ice
and electrical stimulation, which may reduce pain. Some physical
therapists suggest certain exercises to enhance the fitness,
flexibility, and posture.

Behavior Modification- This
treatment includes learning coping skills, relaxation exercises, and
self-hypnosis. Counseling or any other therapy should be used to cope
with their illness, improving self-esteem, and reducing stress.

On
a whole the fibromyalgia treatment appears to have its own limitations
as far as relieving pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness is concerned. The
studies show that only about 5% of those undergoing fibromyalgia
treatment become totally symptom free, yet for those excruciated with
chronic pain a bit of relief is more than enough.

Description: Hormones, genes, and lifestyle may contribute to multiple sclerosis risk.
People may have heard of multiple sclerosis (also referred to as MS)
without knowing much about it. It is a chronic disease affecting the
central nervous system. The disease is indeed a cause of great concern
as the central nervous system – the spinal cord and the brain – is
affected. In multiple sclerosis, the immune system of one’s body
attacks the other body components as if they are alien; hence, it is
categorized as an autoimmune disorder.

Multiple sclerosis is believed to affect around 300,000 people in the
United States. Worldwide, over 1 million people are affected by the
autoimmune disorder. It is a fact that twice as many women are affected
by this disorder as men.

What Happens In Multiple Sclerosis?
In multiple sclerosis, the body misdirects the white blood cells and
antibodies against the myelin sheath proteins. (The myelin sheath is a
fatty substance that insulates the nerve fibers in your spinal cord and
brain. Like the sheath around an electrical wire, the myelin sheath
protects the nerves from damage.)

This misdirected activity injures the sheath and it gets inflamed;
eventually, this inflammation spreads to the surrounding nerves. This
damage slowly goes on to block the nerve signals that controls the
body’s strength, muscle coordination, vision and sensation.
The part of the body where demyelination occurs shows the development of plaques and lesions.

Why This Happens?
The primary factor for the development of the multiple sclerosis are
genes. If the parents are afflicted with the disease, their children
are most likely to get it. Viruses causing diseases like measles, flu
and herpes may also lead to multiple sclerosis. One can also be
afflicted with the disease due to a change in the environment.
Hormones, especially sex hormones, like progesterone and estrogen play
a significant role in weakening the immune system and provoking
multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms
Usually the first signs of the disease or symptoms can be experienced between the ages of 20 and 40.

Numbness or weakness in the limbs and generally on one side of the body at a time
Blurring of the vision or double vision

Complete or partial loss of vision in one eye at a time; one may also experience pain during eye movement

Fatigue

Dizziness

Electric-shock sensations, especially during head movements

Pain or tingling in parts of the body

Lack of coordination and weakness in the lower part of the body

Consequences
The severity of the multiple sclerosis varies from person to person. In
some, the disease remains a mild one, whereas in others the disease may
also lead to permanent disability.
People affected with the MS may also develop slurred speech, muscle
stiffness or spasticity; problems with bowel system, sexual function
and the bladder are also not uncommon.
One can also experience some mental changes like difficulties in concentration and forgetfulness
.
Treatment
The doctor finds out the actual status of the disease and then the mode
of treatment is decided upon. The affected person has to go through
various tests. Medicinal drugs like Rebif and Avonex are prescribed.
However, when medicines fail to work, the ultimate option for treatment
will be to undergo chemotherapy.

How To Prevent Multiple Sclerosis
If one,s parents are suffering from the disease, he/she should take the
required precautions after consulting a doctor. Prior to making any
foreign trip, one should take the pains to analyze the effects of any
environmental changes. Doctors, too, should be extremely cautious while
prescribing medicines to someone who suffers from fluid retention,
kidney issues and/or hypertension. People should also follow a balanced
diet in order to keep the immune system strong and keep multiple
sclerosis at bay.

People experiencing chronic pain specifically – muscles aches,
spasms and stiffness are said to be suffering from fibromyalgia
symptom. This can further cause tingling of the skin, fatigue and sleep
loss. Though some researches suggest sleep loss is actually correlated
to interruption in sleep pattern.

There are others who are
affected with fibromyalgia symptom such as problems with thinking and
memory, headaches, and passivity in the hands and feet. Especially
woman having menstrual periods suffer severe pain. Fibromyalgia symptom
is more profound particularly in the morning and while sleeping at
night.

There are lots of people who enter the state
commonly known as ‘brain fog’. This is a state in which the brain waves
get slower and cognitive shortfalls. However, the major fibromyalgia
symptom is associated with interruptions in sleep.

Normally,
fibromyalgia is encountered more often in women than in men. Those in
their middle adulthood and even children are mostly the victims of
fibromyalgia. In some cases it is also hereditary, so people a family
history of fibromyalgia may be affected with it too.

Having
pain in any part of the body shouldn’t always be ill-conceived as a
fibromyalgia symptom. Nevertheless, those suffering from fibromyalgia
may experience pain spread throughout the entire body or may occur in
particular locations like pain in the back, shoulders, neck, and hips.

Three major symptoms of Fibromyalgia:

There are various symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia, however there are major symptoms as mentioned below:

Pain
– This is the most perceptible fibromyalgia symptom. This symptom
typically spreads over the entire body starting from head down to the
knees. The pain grows more terrible when pressure is employed. In some
instances the painful body part of the patient gets stiff and hard to
move.

Fatigue – It is also a major fibromyalgia symptom. In
this case the patients get too wearied even if he does not involve in
any kind of tiring job. Such a type of fatigue is generally called
‘brain fatigue’, as the victim feels that he has lost all his energy
and is incompetent of performing any task. Subsequently, this leads to
lack of concentration and therefore such patients are incapable of
doing full-time jobs.

Sleeping disturbances – Those suffering
from this fibromyalgia symptom have sleepless nights. For some it
prevents them from reaching the stage four or deep sleep. Anyhow, there
are some patients who have sleep for adequate time, but when they wake
up they feel extremely tired. This is generally occurs when several
activities in the brain disrupts patients deep sleep.

Other fibromyalgia symptoms

Some
of the other fibromyalgia symptoms are – skin disorders; irritable
bowel syndrome, which includes diarrhea and constipation; Chronic
bladder conditions, migraine; painful menstrual periods; facial pain;
tingling sensations; increase in sensitivity and dizziness; and chest
pain.

Causes for fibromyalgia

The specific cause of
fibromyalgia is not yet known. Generally, there can be a list of
factors such as stressful or traumatic events, illness, repetitive
injuries and certain diseases held responsible for fibromyalgia.
According to certain researches it may be genetic. In the opinion of
some doctors it results from chemical changes in the brain. Again there
are others who believe that it is a viral infection.

Detecting fibromyalgia

Currently,
there is no firm test for detection of fibromyalgia. However, most of
the doctors depend on the medical history of the patient and
fibromyalgia symptom. At most what one can do is undergo medical tests
like blood tests and x-rays. These are likely to come back normal. Some
estimates suggest that diagnosis of fibromyalgia may take as long as
five years.

Treatment

The best way to treat
fibromyalgia is by modifying the life style. Have healthy food, have a
bit of exercise everyday and try to go to bed on time. To get rid of
the chronic joint pain, it would be better to use prescribed medicine.
The doctors generally prescribe little doses of anti-depressants. Such
medications can be of great help to treat fibromyalgia symptom.

The other name for Lou Gehrig’s Disease is Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis or ALS. If you analyze the whole term you would discover the
fact that:

“a” stands for without,
“myo” stands for muscle,
“trophic” stands for nourishment ,
“lateral” stands for the side of the spinal chord, and
“sclerosis” stands for scarring and hardening.

Lou
Gehrig’s Disease is caused when your muscles lack essential
nourishment. As a result the muscles appear small and weak. The term
lateral identifies the affected side of the spinal chord where the
nerves, which nourish the muscles, are located. On the other hand, the
term sclerosis refers to the damaged part of the spinal chord that
gradually develops into hardened or scarred tissue by replacing healthy
nerves.

The disease has been named after Lou Gehrig – a
famous baseball player of New York Yankees. This famous sport
personality was detected to be suffering from this particular disease
during the 1930’s. However, the inhabitants of Australia and England
know this disease by the name Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

This
disease can progress rapidly. Moreover, it is a fatal neurological
malady, since the nerve cells, which are responsible for controlling
the voluntary muscles, are damaged. This disease is a part of a group
of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, in which the motor neurons
gradually degenerate and ultimately die.

Motor neurons are
kinds of nerve cells situated in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord.
Motor neurons are responsible for interlinking the nervous system and
the voluntary muscles of the body. When one suffers from Lou Gehrig’s
Disease both the upper and the lower motor neurons are damaged and
finally they die out and are unable to send messages to the muscles of
your body. With time the muscles become weak and brain loses its
ability to control the voluntary movement of the muscles.

Effects of Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Those
suffering from this disease are unable to move their legs, arms and
body. Due to failure of the muscles of the chest and diaphragm the
patient is unable to breathe and this necessitates ventilatory support.
Most victims of Lou Gehrig’s Disease die because they are unable to
breathe.

However, as the disease only affects the motor
neurons, it doesn’t usually damage the individual’s intelligence, mind, memory
and personality. Even the person does not have to face any problem in
seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or touching things. Moreover, there
is no hindrance in the usual maintenance of eye muscles, bladder and
bowel functions.

The usual symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Weak muscles affecting arms and legs
Difficulty in chewing and swallowing
Tendency of slurred and nasal speech
Muscle cramp and stiffness

How to treat the disease

There
exists curable treatment for Lou Gehrig’s Disease. However, a drug
called riluzole has been recommended by FDA to treat this particular
disease. Riluzole saves the motor neurons from being damaged by
reducing the release of glutamate. This disease-specific therapy
increases the hope for patient’s survival by extending the time before
which the patients requires ventilatory support.

There are
several other treatments too. These treatments for Lou Gehrig’s Disease
can successfully relieve symptoms and help the patient survive with
health and vitality.