A normal person has moods that shift from moderate liveliness to moderate lethargy, depending largely on circumstances. A person who has the disorder called manic depression has extreme moods that are not related to external events. Manic depressive illness tends to be cyclical, with periods of elated over activity (mania) irregularly alternating with deep depression . Periods of normality, sandwiched between the extremes, may last a short time or years. Extreme stress may trigger off a sudden attack of mania or depression, particularly in people who seldom have acute attacks. Often, however, there is no direct cause, and phases of the illness begin gradually. Very rarely manic depression is caused by a severe infection, a stroke , or a brain injury.

What are The Symptoms?

Close associates of a person with this disorder are likely to be first to recognize the beginning of the manic phase, which starts gradually with hypomania, a moderate degree of mania. People in this phase begin to wake up earlier and earlier in the morning, until they find themselves leaping out of bed before sunrise. At the same time, their work output often falls because they are easily distracted and increasingly restless. They may be promiscuous sexually, go on spending sprees, and enthusiastically start (but rarely finish) new projects. They are often irritable, and may have sudden attacks of rage.

Hypomania seldom reaches a fully manic stage. If it does, total elation may result in wilder speech, full of rhyming, punning, and illogical word associations. Some people sing and dance or laugh uproariously for no reason. At times an underlying sadness may break through in fleeting moments of withdrawal. Because they lack concentration, manic people often forget to eat, so they tend to lose weight and become exhausted. Eventually, they may have delusions of grandeur or intense anger at their inability to carry out wild schemes.

The depressive phase is like depression, but the symptoms are often more severe. The onset is gradual. The person becomes increasingly withdrawn. Sleep is frequently disturbed. Although there may be early morning wakefulness, late rising becomes habitual. Sex drive decreases, speech and movement slow down, and imagined problems multiply. Some manic depressives become unable to face the world, and simply stay in their rooms.

What are The Risks?

Manic depressive illness is rarer than depression. It is thought to occur in about three per cent of the population. It tends to run in families, and men and women are equally susceptible to it.

Although someone with this disorder may threaten suicide during depressions, he or she usually lacks the energy to carry it through. The danger increases with emergence from deep depression, when renewed energy may accompany a continuing death-wish. In the manic phase, outrageous behavior may ruin social and professional relationships, and lack of judgment can become serious enough to lead to financial disaster.

What Should be Done?

If you suspect someone you are close to is manic depressive, persuade him or her to see a physician. If necessary, ask your own doctor for advice. If you think that you yourself may be becoming manic depressive, see your physician without delay. The illness is easier to treat effectively in its early stages.

What is The Treatment?

After a diagnosis is made, in mild cases it is often possible for medications to be taken at home. Your physician may also refer you to a specialist for psychotherapy. In severe cases, especially when there is a risk of suicide or if irrational behavior gets out of hand, treatment in a hospital is usually necessary.

Drugs that alter brain chemistry are now generally used for manic depressives. Because of possible side effects, however, the person must have blood, kidney and thyroid gland tests before some of these drugs can be prescribed. Electroshock therapy (EST) may also be recommended.

As the treatment in the hospital begins to show results, occupational therapy is added to the treatment to prepare the person for a return to normal life. If somebody in your family has been in the hospital for this disorder, you will probably be told both how to recognize signs of an impending attack and how to reduce the strains on the patient and lessen the risk of further attacks. After release from the hospital, many manic depressives must continue to take drugs. They may need to have monthly checkups to guard against potentially harmful side effects of this drug regime.

What are The Long-Term Prospects?

Not long ago most people who had one episode of manic depressive illness could expect to have further attacks, which might become increasingly severe. However, this gloomy outlook can now often be brightened by long-term drug treatment.

Nontoxic goiter

What is this Condition?

Simple goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland - the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck - that’s not caused by inflammation or abnormal growth of new tissue. Simple goiter is more common in women than men, especially during adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause, when the body’s demand for thyroid hormone increases. With appropriate treatment, the prognosis is good.

What Causes it?

Simple goiter occurs when the thyroid gland can’t secrete enough thyroid hormone to meet the body’s needs. To compensate, the thyroid gland enlarges. Such compensation usually overcomes mild to moderate hormonal deficiency. Goiter probably results from impaired hormone synthesis within the thyroid and depletion of the gland’s iodine level, which makes it more sensitive to thyroid-stimulating hormone .

Classifying Goiter

Simple goiter is commonly classified as endemic or sporadic. Endemic goiter usually results from too little iodine in the diet, as occurs from iodine-depleted soil or malnutrition. Using iodized salt prevents this deficiency.

Sporadic goiter is caused by eating large amounts of foods or taking drugs that decrease production of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. Such foods include rutabagas, cabbage, soybeans, peanuts, peaches, peas, strawberries, spinach, and radishes. Goiter-causing drugs include propylthiouracil (PTU), iodides, Butazolidin, Pabanol, cobalt, and Lithane. In a pregnant woman, such substances may cross the placenta and affect the fetus.

What are its Symptoms?

In simple goiter, the thyroid may be mildly enlarged, or it may be huge and misshapen. Simple goiter doesn’t affect metabolism, so the symptoms arise solely from the enlarged gland. The person’s neck may be swollen; if the gland compresses the windpipe and esophagus, difficulty breathing and swallowing may occur. A large goiter may impede blood flow through the veins, causing them to swell. Blocked veins may cause dizziness or fainting when the person raises his or her arms above the head.

How is it Diagnosed?

The doctor reviews the medical history and performs a physical exam to rule out disorders with similar symptoms, such as Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s disease, and thyroid cancer. A detailed history also may reveal goiter-causing foods or medications or geographic factors.

Lab test results that suggest goiter include:

• a normal-to-high level of thyroid-stimulating hormone

• low-normal or normal thyroxine levels

• normal or increased uptake of radioactive iodine

How is it Treated?

The goal of treatment is to reduce an enlarged thyroid. The treatment of choice is thyroid hormone replacement with Levoid, a preparation that inhibits secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone and allows the gland to rest. Small doses of iodide commonly relieve goiter caused by iodine deficiency. A person with sporadic goiter must avoid goiter-causing drugs and foods.

For a large goiter that doesn’t respond to treatment, the surgeon may have to remove part of the thyroid.

This rare condition occurs when certain nerve cells die. These are the motor neurons that run from the brain to the muscles and control the muscles’ movements. The affected muscles cannot be stimulated and used, and they gradually waste away. The affected part of the body becomes increasingly weak. The disease can cause difficulty in swallowing, breathing, walking, or any other muscle powered activity. Thus it can interfere with virtually any of the body’s physical functions.Motor neuron disease occurs most often in people over 40. Little is known about its cause, and it cannot be cured. Treatment is directed at easing symptoms and helping you to remain relatively mobile and independent. In most cases death occurs within two to ten years of the onset of the disease.

Aging is a universal phenomenon. We consider age as a variable all throughout. It is the most accepted yet most complex process that is being dealt with by the scientists worldwide. Many postulates have been laid in order to explain the possible etiology of aging but the definitive evidence still eludes the genius brains.

If a person experiences accelerated aging , it is the result of genetic mutations occurring either during childhood or on attainment of adulthood. The Progeria syndromes like Werner’s syndrome and Hutchinson Gilford syndrome are nothing but the examples of accelerated aging. Werner’s syndrome , though a rare disorder occurs in adults, which is an autosomal recessive disorder. The person, who develops normally till puberty, suddenly starts developing aging symptoms like graying of hair, cataract, muscular atrophy, alopecia, high incidence of neoplastic diseases and diabetes mellitus.

In Hutchinson Gilford syndrome , however, the onset of accelerated aging is much earlier in childhood. Mutations in LMNA gene cause the syndrome. It is a known fact that though normal in infancy, the children typically start showing signs of “failure to thrive” and start appearing aged. They lose fat under the skin and develop alopecia. The aging process makes the arteries vulnerable and the children develop marked anomalies of arteries (arteriosclerosis), thus leading to earlier heart attacks or strokes. This autosomal dominant condition has proved a breakthrough in research of accelerated aging.

Whether it is Down’s syndrome, Werner’s syndrome or Ataxia telangiectasia, not all syndromes constitute all the characteristics of accelerated aging. They are segmental progeroid syndromes, giving valuable information about the normal aging process as well. The most basic aspect of accelerated aging can be said as, the normal degenerative and deteriorative process that acts on the cellular level is speeded up. This process results in premature onset of aging symptoms that may cause early death.

There are a number of companies that are providing the life insurance policies at minimal prices. You can get the information on the different life insurance companies and the different policies provided by them with the help of the internet. Internet has a vast resource on the different insurance covers that are available in today’s time. You cam make the use of the online quotes that are available for the life insurance policy to make the right choice of the company that you should opt for. If you are new to life insurance then you can take the help of the online brokers or the agents to get additional information on the same. The rates of the insurance policies vary from company to company and you should always verify the rates before selecting any particular life insurance company. Life insurance provides stability to the future of your children and your loved ones. It also ensures an income protection so that they can live peacefully and comfortably after your death. Although it is strange to think this way, it is quiet a good protection scheme that should be put to use by everyone who wants a security of their children and family members.

What is this Condition?

Vocal cord paralysis is caused by disease of or injury to one of the nerves that conduct impulses to and from the vocal cord muscles.

What Causes it?

Vocal cord paralysis commonly is caused by accidental severing of a nerve during thyroid surgery. Other causes include pressure from an aortic aneurysm or from an enlarged lower heart chamber (in people with a congenital heart disorder called mitral stenosis), bronchial or esophageal cancer, enlargement of the thyroid gland, neck injuries, or intubation. Paralysis may also be caused by neuritis from infections or metallic poisoning, or from hysteria.

What are its Symptoms?

One-sided paralysis, the most common form, may cause vocal weakness and hoarseness. Paralysis on both sides typically causes vocal weakness and incapacitating airway obstruction if the cords become paralyzed in the adducted position.

How is it Diagnosed?

The doctor makes a diagnosis of vocal cord paralysis based on a person’s history and symptoms. Diagnosis may be confirmed by a test called indirect laryngoscopy. This test shows one or both cords fixed in an adducted or partially abducted position.

How is it Treated?

Treatment of one-sided vocal cord paralysis consists of injecting Teflon into the paralyzed vocal cord, under direct laryngoscopy. This procedure enlarges the vocal cord and brings it closer to the other cord, which usually strengthens the voice and protects the airway from aspiration.

In another procedure, an implant is placed through a neck incision. The implant helps establish nerve control of the vocal cord muscles. If a person has bilateral cord paralysis, with the cords pulled toward the center position, he or she may have to undergo tracheotomy.

What is this Condition?

A chronic sexually transmitted disease, syphilis begins in the mucous membranes and quickly becomes systemic, spreading to nearby lymph nodes and the bloodstream. This disease, when untreated, is characterized by progressive stages: primary, secondary, latent, and late (formerly called tertiary).

About 34,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis are reported each year in the United States. Incidence is highest among urban populations, especially in people between ages 15 and 39, drug users, and those infected with HIV Untreated syphilis leads to crippling or death, but the prognosis is excellent with early treatment.

What Causes it?

Infection by the organism Treponema pallidum causes syphilis. The disease spreads primarily through sexual contact during the primary, secondary, and early latent stages of infection. An infected mother can pass the disease to her fetus.

What are its Symptoms?

Primary syphilis develops after an incubation period of about 3 weeks. Initially, one or more chancres (small, fluid-filled lesions) erupt on the genitalia; others may erupt on the anus, fingers, lips, tongue, nipples, tonsils, or eyelids. Usually painless, these chancres start as pimples and then erode; they have hardened, raised edges and clear bases. Chancres typically disappear after 3 to 6 weeks, even when untreated. They’re usually associated with lymph node disease on one or both sides of the body. In women, chancres may be overlooked because they often develop internally, on the cervix or vaginal wall.

Secondary syphilis is marked by development of symmetrical lesions on mucous membranes and skin and general lymphadenopathy, which may develop within a few days or up to 8 weeks after the first chancres appear. The rash of secondary syphilis varies in appearance. Lesions are of uniform size, well defined, and generalized. Macules often erupt between rolls of fat on the trunk and on the arms, palms, soles, face, and scalp. In warm, moist areas (perineum, scrotum, vulva, between rolls of fat), the lesions enlarge and erode, producing highly contagious pink or grayish white lesions.

Mild constitutional symptoms, which appear during the secondary stage, may include headache, malaise, lack of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and possibly a mild fever. Hair loss may occur, with or without treatment, and is usually temporary. Nails become brittle and pitted.

Latent syphilis lacks clinical symptoms but is detected in a serologic test for syphilis. Because infectious lesions may reappear when the infection is less than 4 years old, early latent syphilis is considered contagious. About two-thirds of people are symptom-free in the latent stage and remain so until death. The rest develop characteristic late-stage symptoms.

Late syphilis is the final destructive but noninfectious stage of the disease. It has three subtypes, any or all of which may affect the person: late benign syphilis, cardiovascular syphilis, and neurosyphilis. Late benign syphilis produces lesions 1 to 10 years after infection. They may appear on the skin, bones, mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, liver, or stomach. In severe cases, late benign syphilis results in destruction of bones or organs, which eventually causes death.

How is it Diagnosed?

Microscopic identification of T. pallidum from a lesion confirms the diagnosis. Other tests may identifY this organism in tissue, eye fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, tracheobronchial secretions, and discharges from lesions.

Additional procedures may include the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test, the rapid plasma reagin test, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.

How is it Treated?

The treatment of choice is penicillin by intramuscular injection. Persons who are allergic to penicillin may be treated with Achromycin or Vibramycin by mouth for 15 days for early syphilis or for 30 days for late infections. Pregnant women should not be given Achromycin.

What can a Person with Syphilis do?

• Be sure to complete the entire course of drug therapy, even after symptoms subside.

• Arrange for testing after 3,6, 12, and 24 months to detect possible relapse. If you’ve been treated for latent or late syphilis, have blood tests every 6 month for 2 years.

• Inform sexual partners of your infection so they can receive treatment.

• Get tested for HIV.

Green drink labeled under the protein or nutritional supplement is not a modern drink for increasing or balancing the nutrition. There are proofs and history shows the medicinal value of the plants earlier people knew. Our earlier generations have been using them and it has passed to the present generations and its importance is now more commercially advertised. But the fact of the Ayurveda and other medicinal fields tell about the uses of plant derivatives. The tribal people who are not exposed to the modern life know better recipes than the urban educated and commercially prepared drink as per the study of a sociologist of the Indian tribes.

All the protein rich supplements and the nutritional rich substitutes are not very new to the world. They have been passed from generations and have been taken commercially and are medically prescribed as per the trend and needs of the society. Protein shakes are available in different flavors and tastes to increase the sales and other way to ease the person to consume without any hardships of troubling.

Dairy products and their benefits were known from the generations and the same is continued in the households. Milk products are prepared at home and have not been taught, though we study about it in our schools. Whey proteins are also the dairy products that are processed and done commercially and scientifically. These can not be made at home but our forefathers might have used other alternatives to this product which is not deniable.

What is this Condition?

Impotence refers to a man’s inability to reach or maintain erection of the penis sufficient to complete intercourse. It’s called primary impotence if he has never achieved a sufficient erection or secondary impotence if he has successfully completed intercourse in the past despite present inability. Secondary impotence is more common and less serious than primary impotence.

In response to stress, a man may have situational impotence, a temporary condition. About half of adult men probably experience temporary periods of impotence, which aren’t considered dysfunctional.

Impotence affects all age-groups but becomes more common with advancing age. The prognosis depends on the severity and duration of impotence and on the underlying cause.

What Causes it?

Emotional and mental factors account for at least half of all cases of impotence; physical factors account for the rest. In some men, all of these factors coexist, so it’s hard to isolate the main cause.

Emotional and mental causes fall into two main categories. Personal sexual anxieties generally involve guilt, fear, depression, or feelings of inadequacy resulting from previous traumatic sexual experience, rejection by parents or peers, exaggerated religious orthodoxy, incest, or homosexual experiences. Interpersonal sexual anxieties reflect a disturbed sexual relationship and may stem from differences in sexual preferences between partners, lack of communication, ignorance of sexual function, or nonsexual personal conflicts.

Physical causes of impotence include chronic diseases, such as heart and lung disease, diabetes, MS, or kidney failure; spinal cord injury; complications of surgery; drug or alcohol use; and genital or central nervous system defects.

What are its Symptoms?

The man with partial impotence can’t achieve a full erection. The man with intermittent impotence sometimes is potent with the same partner. The man with selective impotence is potent only with certain women.

Some men become impotent suddenly; others, gradually. If the underlying cause isn’t physical, the man may still be able to achieve an erection through masturbation.

When impotence stems from emotional or mental factors, the man may experience anxiety, sweating, and palpitations, or he may lose interest in sex. He may also suffer extreme depression (this may cause the impotence or result from it).

How is it Diagnosed?

Typically, the health care professional takes a detailed sexual history to help distinguish between physical and nonphysical factors that may be causing impotence. The health care provider also must rule out other disorders, such as diabetes and problems involving the blood vessels, nervous system, or urinary and genital structures.

How is it Treated?

Sex therapy, which should include both partners, may cure impotence stemming from emotional or mental factors. This type of therapy usually includes exercises that restrict the couple’s sexual activity while encouraging foreplay. It also includes improving verbal communication skills, eliminating unreasonable guilt, and reevaluating attitudes toward sex and sexual roles.

When impotence results from physical factors, treatment aims to reverse the underlying cause, if possible. If it can’t be reversed, psychological counseling may help the couple deal realistically with their situation and explore alternatives for sexual expression. Some men who are physically impotent may benefit from penile implants.