Macular degeneration is a medical condition that involves the eye in which the central part of theretine gradually deteriorates. It is the main cause of blindness among elderly people leaving in Western countries and a major cause of legal blindness in the United States.

In this disease the lost portion is the highly detailed, central part of the visual field. Such loss occurs because of the light detectors in the center of the retina (macula) which are responsible for processing light from the center of the visual field. As a result, central vision fades, making tasks such as driving or reading difficult. In about 90% of individuals with macular degeneration, the problem may attribute to the atrophy of the macula alone.

Macular degeneration often occurs in elder people and is more likely to develop in women than in men. Other people who are at high risk to develop macular degeneration are those who smoke, and individuals with a family history of the disease. The major symptoms of macular degeneration are the loss of central vision. In the beginning, however, symptoms are typically lines or irregular patches of dimness running across the visual field. Individuals who have any symptoms of macular degeneration need to be evaluated by an ophthalmologist. If symptoms of this disease are found in time, this condition is treatable.

People with this disease should change lifestyle to make life with limited vision more livable. These include: finding large-type reading materials, reading with special high-magnification lenses, and increasing the level of brightness in rooms. One study showed that adding zinc supplements to the diet may be helpful as well. There are no guarantees that you can prevent macular degeneration. Regular eye examination is very important in order to detect this disease in its early stages. To reduce the risks of macula degeneration, you should wear sunglasses which absorb ultraviolet light.

Temporal arteritis is a medical condition in which a vascular disorder involves inflammation of the large blood vessels throughout the body. The cause of temporal arteritis is unknown. Some scientists think it may be due to an autoimmune reaction which somehow damages arteries, which results in the blood supply blockage to the central parts of the body, especially the neck and head.

If this disease is not diagnosed promptly and isn’t treated, temporal arteritis may lead to irreversible blindness in one or both eyes. Almost 50% of the people with temporal arteritis have polymyalgia rheumatica, a connective tissue disorder in which shoulder, neck, hip, lower back and thigh muscles become painful and stiff. Temporal arteritis is most likely to occur in women than in men, with 65 being the average age of onset.

Sometimes it may appear in people of age 50 and seldom in African Americans at any age. The symptoms of temporal arteritis are severe headaches, frequently in the temples. In some cases the pain starts after exposure to cold or when hair is brushed or the head rests are on a pillow. Such symptoms like blurred vision, tender scalp, and jaw pain may lead to irreversible blindness

Temporal arteritis is evaluated by a clinician with blood tests, a biopsy of the temporal artery, an MRI or Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MGA).  This disease is usually treated with high doses of antiflammatory drug from corticosteroid group such as Prednisone. Prednisone may be taken in a form of a tablet. Usually, treatment starts with a big dose and gradually reduces as symptoms begin to improve. After about 2 years of using Prednisone, the drug may be discontinued completely and the symptoms may be relieved by taking nonsteroidal antiflammatory medicines, such as Aspirin. There is no total cure for temporal arteritis.

In people with Raynaud’s Phenomenon fingers or toes become temporarily blue and white after exposure to cold or after emotional stress. This is a frequent and independant occurrence, but Raynauds Phenomenon may occur in conjunction with a connective tissue disease.

This disease occurs in about 5% of Americans and is more likely to occur in women, than in men. The major common connective tissue problems associated with Raynaud’s Phenomenon are scleroderma and related disorders. People with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis are more likely to have this disease.

Such drugs like beta blockers, belomyein, vincristine cisplastin and others can trigger this disorder. Birth control medications may sometimes decrease circulation and promote attacks. Raynaud’s Phenomenon usually occurs in 3 phases. First phase is when the ends of the toes or fingers become pale or white. During the second phase, they become bluish; during the third phase circulation is restored and they become red before returning to their normal color.

Frequently the color changes are associated with pain or numbness. In some cases in people with Raynaud’s Phenomenon the nose, carlobes or tongue may also be affected. Attacks may last from minutes to hours. The doctor determines this disease through a physical examination and the individual’s medical history. To prevent Raynauds Phenomenon people should avoid exposure to cold and should wear gloves and mittens, and a vest in cool or cold weather. During an attack, waving the affected leg or arm may be helpful. In worst cases, such medications as Nifedipine (calcium-channel blockers) are usually used to treat chest pain from coronary disease and hypertension.

Many doctors advise people with Raynaud’s to avoid cold temperatures, cigarette smoke, beta blockers and other drugs which may lead to this disease. A technique like Biofeedback in which patients learn how to regulate ordinarily involuntary body functions is also beneficial to prevent a future attacks.

Bulimia known as bulimia nervosa is a type of psychological eating disorder. It is a condition where an individual is binge eating followed by purging in order to control their weight problem. Such methods like vomiting, enemas, and laxative use are the inappropriate methods used during purging. Bulimia was first diagnosed in 1980s and women with this disease usually look normal and even some may be overweight.

Often times binge eating and purging is done secretly therefore it makes it difficult to know if an individual is suffering from bulimia. Those who suffer from the disorder can consume large amounts of food, up to 20,000 calories which are high in fat and sugar.

There are currently no known causes for bulimia. There are researchers who say that it is caused by a person’s self dissatisfaction with her body and usually those who have bulimia have self esteem issues and the feeling of being helpless.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a severe disabling fatigue lasting atleast 6 months for which there is no medical explanation.

Main symptom of this disease is constant feeling of being tired, severe fatigue, muscle aches, sleep and mood disturbance. Other problems such as heart and chest problems are not medical reasons that would cause fatigue. The feeling of fatigue goes on a constant basis and is usually overwhelming to a point that an individual has a hard time continuing with normal physical and mental activities. Many conditions can cause tiredness therefore there is no simple blood test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Other common illnesses that may cause you to be tired are anemia, heart disease, depression, and low thyroid gland function therefore it is important that you don’t have any of the other conditions that may cause you to feel tired.

A menstrual cycle is 28-30 days long from the first day of one menstrual period to the first day of the next normal menstrual cycles lasting between 21 and 38 days and its flow lasts from 4 to 7 days.

Most women lose about 3 to 4 ounces of menstrual fluid each month. The fluid is normally reddish-brown and odorless until it is contaminated by bacteria. Most women use pads, tampons, sanitary napkins or menstrual sponges to absorb the menstrual fluids. Some women prefer to use rubber menstrual cervical cup – a device which is worn near the vaginal opening and can be washed and reused many times. Currently an “urban legend” has speculation on the Internet that some commercial tampons contain potentially cancer-causing substances which include dioxins and asbestos.

Advice for women is to buy all-cotton unbleached feminine hygiene products, which are more safer. Some argue however that this is untrue. As for switching to all-cotton, unbleached products, it should be noted that grown cotton is rich in pesticides, which are also potentially the cause of cancer. The best advice for women is to use the lowest-absorbency tampon that does the job and switch to pads overnight and on days of lighter flow. While having menstruation, healthy women usually do not have to change their daily activities or exercising habits, unless they are experiencing severe menstrual cramps. Usually the menstrual cycle begins between the ages of 10-17 and stops in late 40s-50s.

It is important to realize that it is normal in any age. Shortly before a girl reaches puberty, her pituitary gland begins to secrete more PSH and LH. Menstruation begins when LH is produced in a rhythmic pattern and in sufficient quantities.

Lupus is a medical condition, which affects 7 to 10 as many women as men. This is a chronic autoimmune disease, which involves inflammation of the joints, blood vessels, brain, lungs, heart and kidneys.

In many people with Lupus a rash “mask” occurs over the cheeks and nose in the form of a butterfly. The lupus symptoms may vary and may include rashes and fever after exposure to sunlight; swollen painful joints, especially in the wrists and fingers; inflammation of the membranes around the lungs and heart that may lead to fatigue, coughing and chest pain; abdominal pain; disturbances of the central nervous system, seizures and headaches; changing color in fingers after exposure to cold. Some people, who have lupus have mild symptoms and require no treatment.

In more advanced cases, serious complications can result in joint deformity, kidney disorders, internal bleeding, depression, lower resistance to infection and respiratory heart problems. Most of the serious complications occur as a result of kidney disease, heart disease, infections. In people with lupus, about 60-70% experience kidney disorders which lead to death for many people. More frequently complications tend to appear in African American women with lupus. Treatment depends on the organ that is affected and the symptoms the patient has.

Lyme Disease (commonly mispelled as: lime disease) is a tick-borne multisystem infectious syndrome. It is one of the most commonly reported vector bone illnesses in the United States with about 12,000 cases each year.

It is an illness caused by spirochete bacteria, borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted to people and animals through infected tick bites. Lyme Disease is treated with antibiotics and if you quickly are able to determine that you have this disease , chance of recovery increase.

Advice with your physician on the most effective type of treatment. You can avoid tick bites by taking simple precautions to reduce being bitten. Some tips: Tuck your pants into your socks and shirt inside your pants and wear light colored clothing.

Inspect your clothes often for ticks and always apply repellents. If you remove the tick promptly, it will decrease the chances of contracting lyme disease. Use tweezers as it is the easiest method for the removal.

Peyronie’s disease is a hard lump or a plaque forming on a penis. It may develop on either the lower or upper side of the penis in layers with erectile tissue. The plaque eventually may develop into a scar.

Back in 1743, Peyronie’s Disease was classified as a form of impotence by a French surgeon. These days however, impotence is just one factor associated with Peyronies but its not always present. Researches believe this disease occurs from inner bleeding of the penis turning into trauma.

Symptoms of the disease are: plaque causing the penis to bend upward, plaque causing the penis to bend downward, bending and emotional distress and painful erections. Peyronie’s Disease usually heals without the need of treatment in 6-15 months. Other types of treatment available is surgery or palliative methods.

Autism and ASD are 2 forms of brain’s developing complex disorders. Such disorders are characterized by repetitive behaviors, nonverbal communications and social interaction difficulties. They include Rett Syndrome, Autistic Disorders, Asperger Syndrome, PDD – NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified).

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) might be associated with motor coordination difficulties & physical and attention health issues, including gastrointestinal and sleeping disturbances. Some patients, who have ASD, excel in music, visual skills, art and math.  Autism has its roots in very early development of brain. However, the obvious symptoms and signs of Autism commonly tend to be visible in children between two and three years of age.

Further studies are needed to detect autism at earlier stages in order to start proven behavioral therapies which may improve outcome.  Statistics from CDC (Center for Control & Prevention ) showed that about one in 110 children in America have autism spectrum – 600% increase over the past 2 decades. Researchers revealed that such spike is the only partially explained by awareness and improved diagnosis. The study also revealed that Autism is 3 to 4 times more common in the boys than in girls. Approx. one of seventy boys is diagnosed in the U.S. More children are expected to be diagnosed with Autism this year than with childhood cancer, pediatric aids, or juvenile diabetes combined.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects about 3 million individuals in the United States and 10s of millions around the World. Autism numbers from government’s statistics suggest that Autism cases rate is higher 10 – 17% annually in current years. There are no established explanations for such increase annually; although, environmental influences and improved diagnosis – 2 reasons are considered.

Causes of Autism

Over the past several years, researchers have identified a rare number of mutations or gene changes associated with Autism. These factors are sufficient to result in Autism by themselves. But most Autism cases appear to be resulted from combination of environmental factors & autism risk genes influencing early development of brain.  In the Autism’s genetic predisposition presence, a number of ”environmental” or non-genetic stresses, result in further increase of risk in children. The best evidence of such Autism factors involves events during and before birth. These factors include maternal illness at the time of pregnancy, advanced parental age during of conception (both parents) and specific difficulties at the time of birth, especially those involving oxygen periods deprivation to the brain of baby. It’s important to know that such factors don’t result in Autism. Rather, genetic risk combination factors may increase risk.

Researchers suggest that risk of Autism is less likely to happen in children whose mothers used vitamins containing Folic Acid for months before & after conception. Scientists are also looking at the immune system role in Autism.  Each autistic individual is unique. Many people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) have exceptional abilities in academic skills, visual and music skills. Approx. 40% have above average or average intellectual abilities. Many of individuals on ”spectrum” take deserved pride in ”atypical” ways of viewing the World and their distinctive abilities. Other autistic individuals are unable to live by themselves and have disability. Approx. 25% of people with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are nonverbal, but may learn communication by using other means.

Autism mission is – to improve lives of individuals with ASD. For others, this means delivery & development of more effective treatments that may address significant challenges in physical health and communication. And for other ones – support and respect, increasing acceptance.

Treatment of Autism

Each autistic adult or child is unique and each treatment plan must be tailored to address appropriate needs. Intervention way involves medications, behavioral treatment or both combined. Many individuals, who have autism, have extra medical disorders including seizures, sleep disturbances and GI (Gastrointestinal) distress. Treatment of these disorders may improve learning attention and related behaviors. Early behavioral intervention include an affected child’s all family members by working closely with professionals team. In some such programs, the therapist comes home to do all the services. It may include training of parent making therapy sessions under therapist’s supervision. Other programs may be delivered as therapies in preschool, specialized centers or classrooms.

Different support and interventions become appropriate as an autistic children develop & acquire learning and social skills. When children with Autism start school, they might benefit from specialized teaching approaches and targeted social skills. Adolescent, who has Autism, may benefit from transition services which promoting adulthood employment opportunity and successful maturation into independence.

Treatment options for preschool children and toddlers with Autism

Early intervention includes:
1. The program involves a multidisciplinary team including occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist and family doctor.

2. The children get therapeutic structured activities about 25 hours per week.

3. Therapist makes clear his/her respect for the special needs, perspectives and values of the children and their families.

4. Highly trained therapist and teacher deliver the intervention. Well trained paraprofessionals can assist with such intervention under experienced professional with expertise in autism therapy.

5. The program engaged parents in the intervention both – in treatment delivery and making decisions.

6. The programs provide the children with opportunities to interact with typically developing.

7. Intervention focuses on the direct areas affected by Autism. They include communication and language, social skills, motor and daily skills and imitation skills.

8. Therapy is guided by well-defined and specific learning objectives and child’s progress in meeting such objectives should be regularly recorded and evaluated.