SINAI Urban Health Institute

Archive for the ‘Medical Symptoms’ Category

Psoriasis is a skin disorder than can occur at any age in both men and women. Most commonly, psoriasis first appears as thick, flaky patches of skin on the elbows, knees, or other parts of the body. The patches may be silver or red.

In some cases, psoriasis is so mild that people don’t know they have it. At the opposite extreme, severe psoriasis may cover large areas of the body. Psoriasis cannot be passed from one person to another, though it is more likely to occur in people whose family members have it.

The underlying psoriasis cause is unknown. However, it can be genetically inherited or passed from generation to generation. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body’s surface in 28 to 30 days. But a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the lesions. Possible triggers include: Stress, injury, illness, infection, steroids, and reaction to medications. Psoriasis is not an infection and it is not contagious.

Dry, red patches of skin are the most well-known symptoms of psoriasis. The skin replaces itself more quickly than normal, causing excess skin cells to pile up in thick layers. Roughly half of people with psoriasis also have irregular fingernail growth that results in pitting, crumbling, or discoloration of the nail. A smaller proportion of people also experience arthritis symptoms.

Because psoriasis is a chronic condition that can progress over time, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis and to understand the challenges and risks that accompany the disease.

There are a range of treatment options for psoriasis including topical (applied to the skin), systemic (taken internally) and phototherapy (ultraviolet light applied to the skin).

Effective treatment of all but mild to moderate forms of psoriasis usually includes a combination of treatment options and requires a prescription and medical guidance.

The treatment of psoriasis has improved greatly with the understanding of the role of the immune system in causing skin abnormalities. However, treatment of psoriasis has been limited by the side-effects of the medications used.

The most commonly used medications such as topical steroids, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) can only be used for a limited time. After stopping these medications, symptoms generally return over a variable amount of time. Amevive is unique in that it was well-tolerated in clinical trials and induced a remission of symptoms for up to 1 year after the treatment was discontinued.

Attention deficit disorder is a condition that’s characterized by behavioral & learning disorders. This disease is generally diagnosed in children & mostly affects boys than the girls. This disease tends to linger on in adulthood in some cases.

Hyperactivity, distractibility & impulsivity are some of the most common characteristics found in children with ADD. This makes children difficult to perform a task assigned to them or concentrated on some of the important aspects of conversations.

ADD is a neurobiologically-based developmental disability that usually affects children.

The actual cause of this disease is not known. However, many researches have proved that the disease is caused due to the genetic transmission of the condition from parents to the children. This can be also a result of a type of chemical imbalance or deficiency of some important neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are actually chemicals that help the brain regulate the behavior of an individual. According to a recent study, it has been proved that the rate at which the brain uses glucose, the main energy source is lower in people suffering from ADD as compared to individuals not suffering without ADD.

Some of the symptoms of inattention in this disease include inattention, hyperactivity & impulsivity. Some of these symptoms due to in attention include conditions such as facing difficulty in sustaining attention in certain tasks & activities, not able to listen when spoken to directly, indulging in careless mistakes in school activities & forgetting certain tasks in daily activities.

Some of the symptoms faced by patients with ADD due to hyperactivity include fidgets with hands, squirms in seat, fidgeting with feet, running about or climbing excessively in situation where it is not required.

Other symptoms include facing trouble in playing or engaging in leisure activities & excessive talking. Patients with ADD may also suffer from impulsivity that include blurting out answers way before the question are completed in tempting in a conversation & facing difficulty in waiting for their turn.

Some people even face difficulty in remaining seated for a long time. Here are some other symptoms of ADD:

a) Facing excessive difficulty in following instructions.

b) Shifting from one uncompleted task to another.

c) Facing difficulty in playing quickly.

d) Talking excessively.

e) Forgetting things that are important for tasks or activities

f) Eagerness in participating in dangerous activities without knowing consequences.

g) Easy distraction by extraneous stimuli.

h) Unable to follow daily tasks.

i) Difficulty in organizing activities.

j) Avoiding important tasks & assignments.

k) Feeling & acting restless.

Once it is confirmed that an individual is suffering from ADD & all the symptoms confirm this, it is important to take immediate medical attention.

Meet an expert medical practitioner & follow all the instructions provided by him or her. You also need to go for medication as prescribed by your health care practitioner. This will help you cure this disease promptly & effectively. It is also important to provide adequate social support to the patient to help him come out of this situation. Remember that it is a joint effort of the health care practitioner, the individual, people around him & medication that work towards the cure of this condition.

When flying on commercial airlines, most airline passengers develop some medical problems which are  usually minor.  However, sometimes these symptoms can develop into more serious medical conditions.

The next paragraph lists some common symptoms.

Typical in-flight symptoms you may experience are ear-popping, nasal congestion, dehydration, headache, diarrhea or constipation, loss of appetite (may be caused by the in-flight food), light-headedness, problems with coordination, inability to concentrate, irritability, confusion, anxiety, fatigue, sweating, swollen lower legs and feet, and motion sickness.  Some of the above symptoms can also be associated with jet lag.  In addition, jet lag can also affect your sense of orientation in terms of time and place, as well as disrupt your sense of well-being.

Most medical symptoms can be easily reduced or eliminated by doing a few simple things.

If you drink plenty of water, juice, or soda, every half hour or so, it can help prevent dehydration and dryness in the throat, nose and eyes.  Alcohol, as well caffeine should be avoided or consumed in moderation as they can cause dehydration and disrupt sleep patterns.

Most people’s bodies tend to swell when they fly.  Wearing loose clothing helps to relieve this swelling.  It will also add to your in flight comfort.

If you can, try to sit in an aisle seat so you can easily get up and walk around a bit.  By doing this, it will help the circulation in your legs and greatly reduce the chance that you will develop a serious medical condition called deep-vein thrombosis.

If you experience jet lag you may want to consider taking a melatonin tablet or capsule in the early evening (your time) to help you adjust to the time zone at your destination.  You may still have to take another melatonin pill for the next three or four evenings in a row before you go to bed in this new location to help you reset your biological clock.  If you’ve never taken melatonin before, you should ask your doctor or  pharmacist for more information in regards to the suggested dosage.