Influenza

Influenza, or more commonly referred to as the flu, is a virus that affects many people every day all over the world. Influenza is characterized by an infection which develops mainly in the respiratory system. Mainly, those who have influenza experience fever, sore throat and headaches, among many other possible symptoms. These symptoms should pass if the influenza is properly taken care of with available treatment. Sometimes the flu can remain with you for weeks. An exhausting experience, influenza effects many people and can lead to pneumonia if it is untreated. There is a vaccine available to those who would like to receive it, in order to prevent the virus from affecting them. The vaccine’s effectiveness will vary from person to person but it is mainly effective in prevention of influenza.In addition, the influenza vaccine must be taken each year for proper prevention. The reason for this is because the virus that causes people to get influenza is always changing or mutating and as such, the vaccine needs to adapt to those changes in order to keep up the prevention of the symptoms.  Prevention plays an important role when it comes to avoiding the miserable experience of the flu. Influenza is a tiring and laboring experience for your body and you can follow some basic guidelines for prevention of this ordeal. Here are some basic tips to follow for the prevention of influenza:

-Prevention by Knowledge. Utilize the internet to conduct a search to read up on the virus, how it works and where it attacks. There are a whole host of reliable websites that will provide you with the information you need to stay healthy.

-The Vaccine. Prevention can be continually updated each year with a flu vaccination. The vaccine changes every year, as does the virus, so keep going back to the doctor to get the vaccine.

-Keep Healthy.Prevention begins with good health. If you are keeping your body healthy by providing it with all the nutrients it needs your immune system and body will be better able to fight off any viruses, especially the flu.

-Keep clean. Make it a steady practice to wash your hands consistently throughout the day, especially when you come into close contact with someone else. If you touch an object make sure you are washing your hands with anti-bacterial soap and warm water to kill any germs. In addition try not to touch your self, especially the nose and mouth.

-Stay away. Other people may not be as health conscious as you are. Avoid coming into contact with people who are sick. The flu will spread quickly when you come into contact with someone who has it, you do not even have to touch them. You could just be in the same room with someone who has the flu and contract it yourself, since it is contagious. By following these simple tips you can decrease your chances of getting the flu dramatically. Once you do have the flu there are plenty of options in terms of managing the illness.

Lyme

Lyme Disease can affect any number of parts in the body with the bacterium that causes this disease. The bacteria is called spirochete. One of the main ways in which Lyme Disease is produced is via ticks. Some ticks will have this bacteria in their bodies. When the tick goes to bite an animal or human, they are transferring this bacteria into the unsuspecting victim. As a result, the bacteria will cause damage to any number of parts in the body such as the heart, skin, nervous system and the joints in the body. The disease can be managed with medicine. Medicine is used to combat the devastating side affects this bacteria will have on the body. Lyme disease takes its toll on its victims and the medicine produced by pharmaceutical companies in collaboration with doctors works to revers those negative effects. If you think that you may have Lyme Disease or you have recently received a bit from a tick, you should take a visit to the doctor. Getting tested to see if you have Lyme disease is a good precaution when it comes to a tick bite. If you do in fact have Lyme disease a doctor will be able to prescribe you with the right medicine to deal with the disease. Here is a list of medicine that a doctor may give you to manage Lyme disease and combat its harmful effects on your body.

Doxycycline-  This is a medicine whose main goal is to break down the protein production in the bacteria itself, to prevent it from causing your body any harm. Doctors usually prescribe this antibiotic when Lyme Disease is caught in its early stages.

Amoxicillin- This medicine stops the bacteria from dividing and multiplying in number. Another form antibiotic this medicine will also work against the bacteria in the favor of your body.

These two drugs are used in the early stages of Lyme disease and can be taken in a pill form. When Lyme disease has developed over time, it can begin to affect the nervous system and joints. When this happens, doctors may prescribe Rocephin, which is injected into the body. This medicine helps with the effects the bacteria will have on the nervous system. In addition, the joints of a person with this disease  can become affected. Joints may begin to swell up and can cause a lot of pain and discomfort for the person. Medicine will be prescribed in order to help cope and manage these symptoms as well. An anti-inflammatory drugs would help the joint issues in this instance. With all these options for treatment, Lyme disease is very manageable. However knowing that ticks spread this disease should increase your awareness and change your behavior when traveling outdoors. To protect against ticks, when you go outside, wear clothes that will protect your skin from a ticks penetration. If you wear a hat you also decrease the chances of tick becoming embedded in your scalp. These are only a few ways to be proactive when it comes to Lyme disease prevention.

Hepatitis

Your liver, the largest organ inside your body enables you to fight infection and removes chemicals or toxins from the system. However there are several complications that can arise when the liver is affected with any form of hepatitis. The liver gives your body some of the energy that it needs and its function is vital to your life. Hepatitis is a disease that will cause this organ to become inflamed,only one of the many complications that may be the result of having this disease. The swelling of the liver affects its ability to function properly in order to carry out its designated bodily tasks. The liver is essential to your health because of the role it plays in your body’s daily functioning. Hepatitis is a disease that comes in several different forms and affects the liver negatively, making it suffer from infection and possibly scarring it for life along with several other serious complications. Hepatitis can be infectious or non-infectious in nature. Someone who is suffering from a problem with their immune system can ultimately develop a form of hepatitis as one of the complications. There are several other ways non-infectious hepatitis can be developed such as metabolism issue or a genetic problem that is present since birth. Complications can arise from any number of areas in the body because of the effects of hepatitis. There are several different types of hepatitis which are listed below.

Hepatitis A-This type is caused by a virus. That virus can be present in food, water or other individuals. The virus can be contracted by eating food or drinking water that contains the Hep A virus. Also if you engage in any oral sexual intercourse with a person who has the virus, you will most likely contract it as well.
Hepatitis B-This is also another type cause by a virus. It can be transmitted in a variety of ways and the complications can be severe and difficult to treat. Those suffering from complications from this type may have contracted it through sex, needles that are not clean, and even if you are bitten by someone who has the virus.

Hepatitis C- Complications resulting from this type are usually caused by contact with blood of someone who already has the virus.

There are also three other types, D, E, G and X. If you already have type B, type D is easily contracted. Like the other types, complications resulting from this type also include inflammation of the liver. Type E can be from merely drinking some water that contains the virus, while type G rarely shows complications at all. There is also type X. This type has not be pinned to any particular virus that the other types are from. This type cause complications from an unknown source or virus. Hepatitis is a dangerous disease and the treatment options are very minimal. For some people with certain types, you may be able to recover on your own. Your body somehow will overcome the virus, while others will suffer with the complications of this virus for the rest of their lives.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that is characterized by high levels of sugar present in the blood. Diabetes disrupts the normal function of your metabolism and disables your ability to properly function and break down foods that your have consumed. People with diabetes are unable to remove the sugar build up in their blood because of a lack of a specific hormone cause by the presence of this disorder. Insulin, the hormone needed to remove the sugar and get it to your cells is not in supply. With only a small amount or no insulin available the body is unable to unclog the blood of sugar. Sugar builds up in the blood causing a host of other health issues. If you think that you have diabetes, testing can be done to see what, if any type you may have of this life long disease. Dealing with this disease can be very manageable but you need to get testing done if you experience any of the symptoms that are associated with this disease. A doctor will be able to help you develop a way to keep track of your insulin levels and there are a number of medical products available to help accomplish this as well, once testing is conducted. This who are diagnosed with diabetes will go through many rounds of testing, as they will always need to monitor the amount of insulin in their body. The body stops being able to regulate the insulin when one has diabetes and the testing enables the person to understand what their body needs or is lacking.

There are three main types of Diabetes:

1.) Type I- This type is a result of the body working against itself. The immune system of a person with Type I diabetes will fight their own body, attacking its insulin producing cells. Without insulin a person is unable to unclog their blood and they can die. Type I diabetes is very serious and those who have it should be testing their insulin levels consistently throughout the day and replacing the insulin via injection. Testing for this type is essential to survival.

2.) Type II- This type of diabetes is very common. Out of the three types of diabetes, this type is actually occurs the most frequently. Testing can also be done to see if this is the type you have. In contrast to type one, this type actually does provide the body with insulin. The bodily functions associated with making insulin are still in proper working order. However the problem in this case is that the body resists the insulin itself. The insulin is not able to be used for the good of the body, causing health risks.

3.) Gestational. This type of diabetes is developed during a woman’s pregnancy. Testing can be done to make sure that if you are pregnant the symptoms you are experiencing are not cause by this type of diabetes. Testing should be conducted to see if a woman has this type because often there will be no signs of it during the pregnancy. However the body will still be lacking the proper amounts of insulin which will affect healthy function of the body during the pregnancy.

Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a cancer that develops in young children, with a central location on the eye or eyes. Retinoblastoma is a tumor that develops in young children and it appears in one eye, or the other or sometimes both eyes. This is a dangerous tumor that can affect a child’s vision and can even spread, creating a tumor in the brain as well. The appearance of the eye will have a white haze or white spots to distinguish this tumor. Doctors can usually diagnose children with this tumor relatively early on, but depending on how far the tumor has spread the child may lose one or both of his or her eyes due to this retinoblastoma. There may be more than one tumor and in this case, more care should be placed on treating this problem. Although this is a fast spreading cancer there is a cure and many of those who had retinoblastoma have been cured and still have maintained proper function of their eyesight. However there are two different types of retinoblastoma that can affect your child or children:

1.)Genetic Retinoblastoma-This type is passed from parent to child causing a tumor to develop in one or both of the eyes.

2.) Non-Hereditary Retinoblastoma-This type occurs randomly and there is no hereditary or genetic link to the tumor that a child develops.

Both of these types should be treated with the same fervor, since a tumor can spread very rapidly and cause permanent damage, including but not limited to blindness. No matter what the cause, hereditary or non-hereditary, retinoblastoma is still highly treatable and curable. In some very serious cases, a cure may not be possible. Like any other cancerous tumor, a retinoblastoma tumor, if undetected can spread and cause further damage to the body. The tumor can spread to the brain and bones which may be even harder to treat and nearly impossible to cure, depending on the extent of the spread and the length of time the tumor has been present. Since retinoblastoma is an extremely fast moving cancer, the best treatment for some patients may entail removing the entire eye. This way all of the cancer is completely removed and the tumor is no long in existence to spread or cause any further damage to the rest of the body.
A tumor in the eye is a very serious problem and if your child appears to have any of the symptoms associated with retinoblastoma, you should contact an ophthalmologist right away. An ophthalmologist will be able to help you determine whether or not your child has retinoblastoma and what caused it. You can take a test to figure out whether or not you carry the genetic material that causes this problem to prepare yourself when you decide to have children. If in fact a tumor is discovered, the doctor will be able to provide you with the best possible course of action to ensure your child’s health. Being prepared and always going for routine checkups is a proactive way to ensure that if your child develops retinoblastoma, then the ensuing tumor will be dealt with immediately.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer that affects the tissue of blood cells. Leukemia can also be found in bone marrow; this is where, more often than not, leukemia initiates. Leukemia is basically an out of control overgrowth of cells that do not help the body, instead they fight against it and continue to grow and develop even though they are not needed. These cells, once white blood cells working to help your body fight off any kinds of infection, become abnormal in size and shape and are mass produced, ultimately making them leukemia cells. These cells make it difficult and near impossible for your other cells to function, such as red blood cells which oxygenate your body and platelets whose job it is to clot blood. These other cells in combination with your white blood cells each have a job to help your body function properly and without them the damage can become extensive and beyond repair.
There is no known or exact cause for leukemia but there are several ways to treat it and attempt to manage it. There are different types of leukemia and the effects that they may have can vary from person to person. Here are some of the available treatments for leukemia today:

Chemotherapy- This type of treatment for leukemia works to destroy the abnormal white blood cells by bombarding the body with drugs to kill off the cells. This is an extremely exhausting process and diminishes energy and health, because often the drugs kill some healthy cells along with the unhealthy cancerous ones, which depletes one’s health. This can take any number of weeks and it is not always successful.
Intrathecal Chemotherapy-This treatment is used to destroy cancer that has spread. This treatment is delivered right into the spinal canal to effectively treat the cancer and attempt to kill any cancerous cells that have spread.

Radiation- Bombarding the body with drugs is not the only way to go. Radiation therapy is also used when it comes to treating this disease, because it works in the same manner just a different delivery system.

Cancer is often a long and uphill battle and these methods of treatment may not kill or rid one’s body of the cancer. Cancer can go into remission but it sometimes comes back and spreads even further the second time. The drugs and treatments available are often combined into a sort of cocktail to kill the cancer altogether, but this is not without doing damage to the already healthy cells a person with this disease may have. If none of these treatments work, there are some clinical trials that are available to leukemia patients. These are not always safe or reliable and are still in their experimental stages of development. Some of these may prove successful so it may be worth a shot if all else fails. There is no cure to cancer or this type of cancer, as of yet. The treatment is exhausting but crucial to fight the cancer and grow healthy tissue, while simultaneously killing off the cancerous ones.

Down Syndrome

Down syndrome, creates physical and mental limitations for those who have this genetic disorder. The reason why a child will develop this disorder is because during conception they are given one extra chromosome. An individual with Down syndrome will have 47 chromosomes instead of 46. Since individuals with down syndrome have this extra chromosome they develop differently. The genetic factor causing this disorder is not explained. There is no information as to why this genetic error occurs at birth but for women getting pregnant over the age of 30 the chances of having a child with down syndrome increase. A genetic test during pregnancy, although somewhat invasive, may provide parents with the genetic information on their child, including whether or not the child will be born with down syndrome.

Down syndrome, although a genetic disorder can be managed, like many other diseases. Down syndrome will create difficulties for the developing child which will never be reversed. There is no cure for down syndrome but you can overcome the genetic error by still living a productive life, despite limitations. Since those with this disease will suffer from behavioral issues and they are aware of their genetic related disability, anger management, therapy and behavioral lessons may be required to help cope with those issues when they arise. Also an individual with this disorder is not always completely aware of their actions or able to contemplate consequences before an impulse reaction. Because of this impulsive nature that this disorder creates, those with this genetic limitation should be educated and trained in order to help them differentiate what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Since this disorder is genetic, a doctor could diagnose a child before it is even born or after birth. Regardless of the genetic factor, doctors are usually able to distinguish a baby with down syndrome by appearance at birth. A baby that is determined to have the genetic disorder may also experience heart conditions. The genetic disposition of this disorder also increases the chances for certain types of heart problems, cancers and early memory loss for those who have it. The disorder creates medical issues in several areas for the individual who has down syndrome making it a complicated disorder that needs constant medical attention and awareness. Those with this disorder develop slowly, both physically and mentally. The lack of physical development also could cause or complicated other problems, such as impaired hearing or vision. The limitations that this disorder creates makes it almost essential for parents to enroll their children in schools that will give special attention to their needs and help them gain some independence from their symptoms from this disorder. It is recommended that children with this disorder are entered into these types of educational facilities early on so they can gain the help they need to manage their disabilities. The earlier the better, when it comes to dealing with the symptoms of this disorder. With guidance and aid, individuals with down syndrome can improve their condition and maintain an incident free and productive life.

Pick's Disease

Patients with Pick’s disease are suffering a disease that affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Pick’s disease is very similar to Alzheimer’s disease in that it causes the brain to function improperly. The reason why function becomes impaired for patients with Pick’s disease is because the brain has an excess build up of protein and the protein actually causes the brain cells to diminish. These cells are vital to daily functions, such as speech, movement, and they also help to regulate mood. Patients who have Pick’s disease will suffer from any one or more of the following symptoms:

-Memory Loss, Mood Changes, and Behavioral Changes
-Mobility impaired, Speech Impairment
-Poor judgment, Lack of Cognitive Ability and Uncoordinated.

Patients who are diagnosed with Pick’s disease have a variety of options to help manage this disease. Pick’s disease is a rare disorder that is not easily or accurately diagnosed until after death. This makes it very difficult to determine whether or not someone actually has this disease. There are no tests that will positively and absolutely determine whether or not a patient has Pick’s disease. However, there are some symptoms of this disease that, in combination, stand out to help doctors recognize this disease in order to diagnose patients right away. If a person is experiencing behavioral changes, and is unable to control normal functions with no regard to consequence, these may be warning signs that pin point someone who may have Pick’s disease. These characteristics, if presented in a patient before the age of 65, will most likely distinguish the disorder as Pick’s Disease, not to be confused with Alzheimer’s disease, which shows very similar symptoms when it develops.

Those who have Pick’s disease can find ways to cope with their symptoms. To deal with their hearing or speech impairment, that is associated with this disorder, patients can obtain hearing aids to bolster their hearing ability and also they can attend speech therapy classes to help them maintain and prove their speech capabilities. In addition to these aids, patients with Pick’s disease can consult a doctor to prescribe them drugs to help balance their activity, and their behavior. Some drugs will help even out the mood swings or behavior changes that are brought on as a result of this disease. Like so many other diseases there is still no cure for this disease and it often goes unrecognized until death. Since it is so hard to diagnose this disease, it is even more difficult to handle the symptoms if there is no conclusive way to determine whether or not a patient has Pick’s disease. There is another option to help deal with the effects of this disease once diagnosed and that is clinical trials. Although many clinical trials are experimental in nature, some may prove successful in lessening or diminishing the effects and symptoms caused by this disease. Clinical trials are voluntary but help to increase awareness and provide valuable insights to doctors who are working hard to prefect and create medicines to help cure and alleviate the pains of their patients.

Huntington's

Medical doctors will diagnose individuals with Huntington’s disease if they have a genetic defect on their fourth chromosome. It is this defect that causes Huntington’s disease, a genetic and degenerative disease. As this disease is passed down in a hereditary manner, the chances of developing Huntington’s disease increase. Medical doctors have documented cases of this disease and have narrowed the symptoms to unusual movement, loss of memory and change in behavior. Those who have Huntington’s disease will suffer any number of  symptoms within these broad categories which will limit their daily function and impair their cognitive and mobile abilities.

-Memory Loss- The medical reason for the loss of memory in Huntington’s disease patients is that the disease works to break down the nerve cells in the brain, making function impaired. Medical doctors report that some patients with Huntington’s disease will be unable to recognize their own family members or swallow.

-Confusion- Patients with Huntington’s disease may be unable to recognize where there are who they are with. The medical reason for this is because their learning and memory functions have become impaired and they are unable to retain memory or learn new things.

-Behavior-The medical condition that this disease creates cause some patients to experience extreme behavioral changes. These symptoms can include hallucinations and mood swings. Medical doctors have reported that patients with Huntington’s disease can suffer anyone of these symptoms and there is no cure for the disease, only medical drugs to combat the negative side effects that will continue to progress.
-Movement and Speech- Huntington’s disease may also cause impairment of mobility and also speech.

Huntington’s disease can affect adults and children. Medical reports suggest that this disease will affect more adults than children or those in their teens. If you are wondering whether or not you could have Huntington’s disease, the medical diagnosis is made only to those who carry the gene. If a parent carries the gene and has a child that child will have a fifty percent chance of getting Huntington’s disease. If one of your parents does carry the defect on their fourth chromosome, a medical test can be conducted to see if you will develop the disease as well.

Unfortunately, there is no medical cure yet developed for this disease. Those who suffer with this disease are able to gain access to several treatments that will help alleviate or try to help them manage the effects. Since the medical symptoms reported that are associated with disease, vary from person to person, the medical treatment must also vary. Some patients may suffer from behavioral changes or just movement impairment. Depending on the symptoms, doctors may prescribe a host of drugs to help them cope and try to live more comfortably since there is no cure. The drugs used for patients with Huntington’s disease are prescribed in an attempt to just slow the degenerative process of the disease. More research is being conducted in order to develop a cure for those suffering through this genetic disease.

parkinson

Parkinson’s disease attacks the central nervous system and is often characterized by a main symptom of tremors in some part of the body. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative and progressive disease that is due in part, to a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that your body needs to ensure that movement occurs smoothly and properly. Without the proper amounts of dopamine your body is unable to function accurately and therefore patients with Parkinson’s disease have problems moving, may suffer tremors and may eventually lose physical movement abilities altogether. Some people believe that this disease is genetic, although there is no substantial and reliable proof of where or how Parkinson’s disease develops. To combat Parkinson’s disease doctors have medicine that will help improve mobility but there is still no cure yet for Parkinson’s disease. Here are the two options currently available in terms of medicine for Parkinson’s disease patients that are readily available.

1. Medicine- There are several drugs that have been developed to decrease the tremors, increase mobility and lessen the negative effects of Parkinson’s disease. These drugs work to build up dopamine, the chemical that is in short supply in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. The medicine that works to develop more dopamine in the brain is called Levodopa. Used in conjunction with levodopa, another drug called Carbidopa prevents levodopa from converting into dopamine until the medicine has reached the brain, where it needs the dopamine to be deposited.

2. Secondary Medicine. If the dopamine-like medicine does not work there is also another option called antiviral medicine. These drugs work in a similar manner to try and lessen the negative affects of this disease on its victims.

3. Deep Brain Stimulation- If all the medicine fails to work or improve the functioning of a Parkinson’s disease patient, then there is another option instead of medicine. This is called Deep brain stimulation and it uses electrodes to stimulate the brain in order to improve functioning of the Parkinson’s disease patient. By stimulating the brain this type of therapy hopes to lessen the need from dopamine-like medicine for the patient. This has been a somewhat recent development in the crusade to find more treatment and potentially a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
If the source of the disease was discovered, it would be easier to try and figure out a better way of treating this disease. Since doctors still are not entirely sure about where this disease comes from or how it starts, they are at a loss for developing a cure for the disease. However, all across the world individuals are conducting research and experimentation to try and figure out the source, causes and potential cures for this degenerative and progressive disease that affects so many. In the mean time, patients with Parkinson’s disease are not left without options. There is medicine and therapy to treat their disease and hopefully the medicine will continue to prove effective in lessening the negative effects of this disease.