Environmental crisis

   Today's ill be blogging off topic. This is a serious problem we are facing in Pakistan, and not only in Pakistan but also, all around the world. Our health is directly related to our environment, a polluted environment always leads to health crisis.
  Today I shall be focusing on "HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BELOVED PLANET AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT".

 Clean Air:

• Painting your house? Use a latex paint. Oil-based paints release hydrocarbon fumes.
• Get a tune-up. Properly maintained vehicles get better gas mileage and emit fewer pollutants.
• Don’t top off your gas tank. Overfilling causes spills that release hydrocarbons and other toxic chemicals into the air.
• Conserve energy. You’ll lower your utility bills and help avoid peak demands on utility plants.
• Don’t burn your yard waste. It’s illegal in many areas of the world because burning yard waste releases mold spores, soot, and other contaminants that can aggravate allergies and cause respiratory problems.
• Plant a tree. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
• Park the car. Walk, bike or use mass-transit whenever you can. Vehicle traffic is a major contributor to smog.

Clean Water:

• Use less fertilizer on your lawn. When it rains, excess fertilizer runs off into storm sewers and pollutes streams.
• Never pour anything – especially waste oil or leftover lawn chemicals – into a storm drain. It will end up in the nearest stream.
• Don’t trash our streams. Volunteer groups sponsoring annual cleanups find everything from old tires to old appliances in our waterways.
• Water your lawn in the early morning, when the water will soak in and not evaporate in the heat of the day.
• Don’t water more than once a week, and then only if it hasn't rained. Established lawns need only one inch of water a week.
• Don’t water the sidewalk - it won’t grow. Set your sprinkler to keep the water on the lawn.
• Mulch around your landscaping. A three-inch layer of mulch holds moisture and prevents evaporation, reducing the need to water.
• Use a bucket when you wash the car, instead of the hose. Letting the water run while you work costs money and wastes water. Only use the hose to rinse.
• Sweep your driveway and sidewalk instead of cleaning them up by spraying with the hose.
• Don’t do the dishes until you have a full load. Your dishwasher uses 12 gallons of water whether it’s full or half-empty.
• Wash a full load of laundry. Your washing machine uses 40 gallons of water. Run it full, or adjust the water level to the size of your load.
• Don’t let the water run while you shave or brush your teeth. Turn it on only when you need it. Every minute the faucet runs, five gallons of water go down the drain.
• Take a shorter shower. And switch to a low-flow shower head.
• Repair leaky faucets and toilets. You can tell if the toilet leaks by putting food coloring in the tank. If color shows up in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak.
• Install faucet aerators. You can cut your water usage by up to six percent.

Clean Land:

• Recycle. If your community does not offer a recycling program, ask local officials to start one.
• Don’t put hazardous materials in the trash. Save paints, pesticides, lawn chemicals, car batteries, waste oil and similar materials for your local household hazardous waste collection day
• Don’t buy more than you need. When it comes to lawn ,chemicals, pesticides, paints and other hazardous materials, buy a smaller package so you won’t have leftovers to dispose of.
• Paper or plastic? Better yet, take a canvas bag to the grocery and re-use it each time you shop.
• Use both sides of the paper. Set your copier to make double-sided copies and you’ll substantially reduce your paper use.
• Use rechargeable batteries. Many batteries contain metals that are better kept out of landfills.
• Give it away, don’t throw it away. Many charitable organizations accept donations of wearable clothing and gently used household items

Plant Trees:

  Planting a tree is a lifelong investment. How well this investment grows depends on the type of tree selected and the planting location, the care provided during planting, and the follow-up care after planting. Getting your new tree off to a healthy start will help the tree mature to its full size and ensures it will provide environmental, economic, and social benefits throughout its lifetime.

   Ideally, trees are planted during the dormant season – in the fall after leaf drop or in early spring before bud break. Weather conditions are cool and allow plants to establish roots in the new location before spring rains and summer heat stimulate new top growth. Healthy balled and bur lapped or container trees, however, can be planted throughout the growing season if given appropriate care. In tropical and subtropical climates where trees grow year round, any time is a good time to plant a tree, provided that sufficient water is available.

Conserve water:
    Conserve and don't waste water as we are running out of clean water. Take part in activities like social media awareness for building dams. Spread awareness among people.

Protect your environment to give your children a better future and a better life.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

   Gouty Arthritis which was published last week, is a metabolic disorder, Whereas Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. This means that the protective or the security system or the immunity of our body starts attacking our own cells specifically present in the joints which progress t this disease ultimately.

   Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition also can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues.Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis is what can damage other parts of the body as well. While new types of medications have improved treatment options dramatically, severe rheumatoid arthritis can still cause physical disabilities.

 Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:

• Tender, warm, swollen joints
• Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
• Fatigue, fever and weight loss
• Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first — particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet.

As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body.

About 40 percent of the people who have rheumatoid arthritis also experience signs and symptoms that don't involve the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many nonjoint structures, including:

• Skin
• Eyes
• Lungs
• Heart
• Kidneys
• Salivary glands
• Nerve tissue
• Bone marrow
• Blood vessels

Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms may vary in severity and may even come and go. Periods of increased disease activity, called flares, alternate with periods of relative remission — when the swelling and pain fade or disappear. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place.

When you observe these symptoms, then it is probably a good time to visit your doctor.

Gout

    Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It's characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe. An attack of gout can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the sheet on it may seem intolerable.
   The signs include:

• Intense joint pain. Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins.
• Lingering discomfort. After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks. Later attacks are likely to last longer and affect more joints.
• Inflammation and redness. The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
• Limited range of motion. As gout progresses, you may not be able to move your joints normally.

      Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood.

Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines — substances that are found naturally in your body. Purines are also found in certain foods, such as steak, organ meats and seafood. Other foods also promote higher levels of uric acid, such as alcoholic beverages, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose).Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes either your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys excrete too little uric acid. When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle like urate crystals in a joint or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling.

    Most likely risk factors include:

• Diet. Eating a diet rich in meat and seafood and drinking beverages sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose) increase levels of uric acid, which increase your risk of gout. Alcohol consumption, especially of beer, also increases the risk of gout.
• Obesity. If you're overweight, your body produces more uric acid and your kidneys have a more difficult time eliminating uric acid.
• Medical conditions. Certain diseases and conditions increase your risk of gout. These include untreated high blood pressure and chronic conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart and kidney diseases.
• Certain medications. The use of thiazide diuretics — commonly used to treat hypertension — and low-dose aspirin also can increase uric acid levels. So can the use of anti-rejection drugs prescribed for people who have undergone an organ transplant.
• Family history of gout. If other members of your family have had gout, you're more likely to develop the disease.
• Age and sex. Gout occurs more often in men, primarily because women tend to have lower uric acid levels. After menopause, however, women's uric acid levels approach those of men. Men are also more likely to develop gout earlier — usually between the ages of 30 and 50 — whereas women generally develop signs and symptoms after menopause.
• Recent surgery or trauma. Experiencing recent surgery or trauma has been associated with an increased risk of developing a gout attack.

 

 As far as diet is concerned, avoiding beverages especially carbonated and using fresh juices and citrus fruits always help in the prevention of  Gout.

Arthritis

     Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints.Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain. Joint pain is referred to as arthralgia.

   There are many types of arthritis (over 100 identified, and the number is growing). The types of arthritis range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to those associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis). Together, the many types of arthritis make up the most common chronic illness.

   The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis. Causes include injury (leading to osteoarthritis), metabolic abnormalities (such as gout and pseudogout), hereditary factors, the direct and indirect effect of infections (bacterial and viral), and a misdirected immune system with autoimmunity (such as in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus).

      

  Arthritis is classified as one of the rheumatic diseases. These are conditions that are different individual illnesses, with differing features, treatments, complications, and prognoses. They are similar in that they have a tendency to affect the joints, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons, and many have the potential to affect other internal body areas.

    Many of the forms of arthritis, because they are rheumatic diseases, can cause symptoms affecting various organs of the body that do not directly involve the joints. Therefore, symptoms in some patients with certain forms of arthritis can also include fever, gland swelling (swollen lymph nodes), weight loss, fatigue, feeling unwell, and even symptoms from abnormalities of organs such as the lungs, heart, or kidneys.

      or most forms of arthritis, diets play little or no role in precipitating or exacerbating the condition. However, in general, oils of fish have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Some osteoarthritis suffers benefit from omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Some people with osteoarthritis feel they benefit from the curcumin that is present in curry foods.

    Gout is a particular type of metabolic arthritis that is clearly diet-related. Foods that are high in purines, especially red meats and shellfish, can worsen the condition. Moreover, certain foods elevate the levels of uric acid, including alcohol (especially beer) and those foods containing high amounts of fructose (such as the corn syrup found in soft drinks). For people with celiac disease, gluten-containing foods (wheat, barley, rye) can worsen joint pains.

   

      With the exception of the unique metabolic form of arthritis in gout and celiac disease, there are no universally accepted foods that must be avoided by people with arthritis. Gout can be promoted and precipitated by dehydration as well as fructose-containing foods (corn syrup, etc.), high-purine foods (seafood, shellfish, organ meats), and alcoholic beverages (particularly beer). People with gout should avoid these foods. The arthritis of celiac disease can be worsened by intake of gluten-containing foods (wheat, barley, rye).

    The detail of forms of arthritis will be discussed in the subsequent blogs, so stay tuned.

Tourette Syndrome

   Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The disorder is named for Dr. Georges Gilles de la Tourette, the pioneering French neurologist who in 1885 first described the condition in an 86-year-old French noblewoman.

   The early symptoms of TS are typically noticed first in childhood, with the average onset between the ages of 3 and 9 years. TS occurs in people from all ethnic groups; males are affected about three to four times more often than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as many as one in 100 exhibit milder and less complex symptoms such as chronic motor or vocal tics. Although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst tic symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood.

   Tics are classified as either simple or complex. Simple motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements that involve a limited number of muscle groups. Some of the more common simple tics include eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking.  Simple vocalizations might include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds. Complex tics are distinct, coordinated patterns of movements involving several muscle groups. Complex motor tics might include facial grimacing combined with a head twist and a shoulder shrug. Other complex motor tics may actually appear purposeful, including sniffing or touching objects, hopping, jumping, bending, or twisting. Simple vocal tics may include throat-clearing, sniffing/snorting, grunting, or barking. More complex vocal tics include words or phrases.  Perhaps the most dramatic and disabling tics include motor movements that result in self-harm such as punching oneself in the face or vocal tics including coprolalia (uttering socially inappropriate  words such as swearing) or echolalia (repeating the words or phrases of others).   However, coprolalia is only present in a small number (10 to 15 percent) of individuals with TS. Some tics are preceded by an urge or sensation in the affected muscle group, commonly called a premonitory urge. Some with TS will describe a need to complete a tic in a certain way or a certain number of times in order to relieve the urge or decrease the sensation.

   Tics are often worse with excitement or anxiety and better during calm, focused activities. Certain physical experiences can trigger or worsen tics, for example tight collars may trigger neck tics, or hearing another person sniff or throat-clear may trigger similar sounds. Tics do not go away during sleep but are often significantly diminished. 

   The symptoms of TS are involuntary, some people can sometimes suppress, camouflage, or otherwise manage their tics in an effort to minimize their impact on functioning. However, people with TS often report a substantial buildup in tension when suppressing their tics to the point where they feel that the tic must be expressed (against their will). Tics in response to an environmental trigger can appear to be voluntary or purposeful but are not.

   The cause of TS is unknown, current research points to abnormalities in certain brain regions (including the basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and cortex), the circuits that interconnect these regions, and the neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) responsible for communication among nerve cells. Given the often complex presentation of TS, the cause of the disorder is likely to be equally complex.

Many individuals with TS experience additional neurobehavioral problems that often cause more impairment than the tics themselves.  These include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—ADHD);   problems with reading, writing, and arithmetic; and obsessive-compulsive symptoms such as intrusive thoughts/worries and repetitive behaviors. For example, worries about dirt and germs may be associated with repetitive hand-washing, and concerns about bad things happening may be associated with ritualistic behaviors such as counting, repeating, or ordering and arranging.  People with TS have also reported problems with depression or anxiety disorders, as well as other difficulties with living, that may or may not be directly related to TS.  In addition, although most individuals with TS experience a significant decline in motor and vocal tics in late adolescence and early adulthood, the associated neurobehavioral conditions may persist.  Given the range of potential complications, people with TS are best served by receiving medical care that provides a comprehensive treatment plan.

Hepatitis

 Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer. Hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis in the world but other infections, toxic substances (e.g. alcohol, certain drugs), and autoimmune diseases can also cause hepatitis. So there is either infectious hepatitis or non infectious hepatitis,

There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These 5 types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. In particular, types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Acute infection may occur with limited or no symptoms, or may include symptoms such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Scientists have identified 5 unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. While all cause liver disease, they vary in important ways.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is present in the faeces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. Certain sex practices can also spread HAV. Infections are in many cases mild, with most people making a full recovery and remaining immune from further HAV infections. However, HAV infections can also be severe and life threatening. Most people in areas of the world with poor sanitation have been infected with this virus. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent HAV.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood. Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. HBV also poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected-HBV patients. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent HBV.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. There is no vaccine for HCV.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections occur only in those who are infected with HBV. The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome. Hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.


Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is mostly transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world and is increasingly recognized as an important cause of disease in developed countries. Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed but are not widely available.

 Symptoms of hepatitis can be summed up as

Personality disorders

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school.

In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you may blame others for the challenges you face.

Personality disorders usually begin in the teenage years or early adulthood. There are many types of personality disorders. Some types may become less obvious throughout middle age.
A person suffering from this disorder can present as:
Types of personality disorders are grouped into three clusters, based on similar characteristics and symptoms. Many people with one personality disorder also have signs and symptoms of at least one additional personality disorder. It's not necessary to exhibit all the signs and symptoms listed for a disorder to be diagnosed.
Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behavior. They include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.
Paranoid personality disorder:

• Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others and their motives
• Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you
• Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
• Hesitancy to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use the information against you
• Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as personal insults or attacks
• Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults
• Tendency to hold grudges
• Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful
• Schizoid personality disorder
• Lack of interest in social or personal relationships, preferring to be alone
• Limited range of emotional expression
• Inability to take pleasure in most activities
• Inability to pick up normal social cues
• Appearance of being cold or indifferent to others
• Little or no interest in having sex with another person

Schizotypal personality disorder:

• Peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior
• Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice whisper your name
• Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses
• Social anxiety and a lack of or discomfort with close relationships
• Indifferent, inappropriate or suspicious response to others
• "Magical thinking" — believing you can influence people and events with your thoughts
• Belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages meant only for you

Cluster B personality disorders:
Cluster B personality disorders are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior. They include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.

Antisocial personality disorder:

• Disregard for others' needs or feelings
• Persistent lying, stealing, using aliases, conning others
• Recurring problems with the law
• Repeated violation of the rights of others
• Aggressive, often violent behavior
• Disregard for the safety of self or others
• Impulsive behavior
• Consistently irresponsible
• Lack of remorse for behavior
• Borderline personality disorder
• Impulsive and risky behavior, such as having unsafe sex, gambling or binge eating
• Unstable or fragile self-image
• Unstable and intense relationships
• Up and down moods, often as a reaction to interpersonal stress
• Suicidal behavior or threats of self-injury
• Intense fear of being alone or abandoned
• Ongoing feelings of emptiness
• Frequent, intense displays of anger
• Stress-related paranoia that comes and goes
• Histrionic personality disorder
• Constantly seeking attention
• Excessively emotional, dramatic or sexually provocative to gain attention
• Speaks dramatically with strong opinions, but few facts or details to back them up
• Easily influenced by others
• Shallow, rapidly changing emotions
• Excessive concern with physical appearance
• Thinks relationships with others are closer than they really are

Narcissistic personality disorder:

• Belief that you're special and more important than others
• Fantasies about power, success and attractiveness
• Failure to recognize others' needs and feelings
• Exaggeration of achievements or talents
• Expectation of constant praise and admiration
• Arrogance
• Unreasonable expectations of favors and advantages, often taking advantage of others
• Envy of others or belief that others envy you

Cluster C personality disorders:
Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful thinking or behavior. They include avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Avoidant personality disorder:

• Too sensitive to criticism or rejection
• Feeling inadequate, inferior or unattractive
• Avoidance of work activities that require interpersonal contact
• Socially inhibited, timid and isolated, avoiding new activities or meeting strangers
• Extreme shyness in social situations and personal relationships
• Fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
• Dependent personality disorder
• Excessive dependence on others and feeling the need to be taken care of
• Submissive or clingy behavior toward others
• Fear of having to provide self-care or fend for yourself if left alone
• Lack of self-confidence, requiring excessive advice and reassurance from others to make even small decisions
• Difficulty starting or doing projects on your own due to lack of self-confidence
• Difficulty disagreeing with others, fearing disapproval
• Tolerance of poor or abusive treatment, even when other options are available
• Urgent need to start a new relationship when a close one has ended
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
• Preoccupation with details, orderliness and rules
• Extreme perfectionism, resulting in dysfunction and distress when perfection is not achieved, such as feeling unable to finish a project because you don't meet your own strict standards
• Desire to be in control of people, tasks and situations, and inability to delegate tasks
• Neglect of friends and enjoyable activities because of excessive commitment to work or a project
• Inability to discard broken or worthless objects
• Rigid and stubborn
• Inflexible about morality, ethics or values
• Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder, a type of anxiety disorder.

When to see a doctor:
If you have any signs or symptoms of a personality disorder, see your doctor or other primary care professional or a mental health professional. Untreated, personality disorders can cause significant problems in your life that may get worse without treatment.
Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes you unique. It's the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how you see yourself. Personality forms during childhood, shaped through an interaction of:

Your genes. Certain personality traits may be passed on to you by your parents through inherited genes. These traits are sometimes called your temperament.
Your environment. This involves the surroundings you grew up in, events that occurred, and relationships with family members and others.
Personality disorders are thought to be caused by a combination of these genetic and environmental influences. Your genes may make you vulnerable to developing a personality disorder, and a life situation may trigger the actual development.

Risk factors:
Although the precise cause of personality disorders is not known, certain factors seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering personality disorders, including:

• Family history of personality disorders or other mental illness
• Abusive, unstable or chaotic family life during childhood
• Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
• Variations in brain chemistry and structure

Complications:
Personality disorders can significantly disrupt the lives of both the affected person and those who care about that person. Personality disorders may cause problems with relationships, work or school, and can lead to social isolation or alcohol or drug abuse.

Common Cold

 The common cold is a viral infection of your nose and throat. It is usually harmless, although it might not feel that way, but it is harmless. Children younger than 6 yrs are at the  greatest risk for catching this, but young healthy adults may also have two or three colds annually. Most people recover from this within a week or 10 days.

     Symptoms usually appear after 1 to 3 days of exposure to the virus, and these may vary from person to person including the following:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Congestion
• Body aches
• Head ache
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Malaise

A common practice is the use of antibiotics for this particular disease, self medication is always harmful, as this is a viral disease, antibiotics have no affect and they may worsen the fever.

 If the fever is greater than 103.5 F then you may have a need to consult your doctor.

 Although a vast majority of viruses can cause this but the most common culprits among them is the rhinovirus. It enters the body through mouth, eyes, or nose. It may be spread by a hand to hand contact.
 It may have several complications including an Ear infection or sinusitis or it may even cause bronchitis in children.

 There is no vaccine, but precautionary measures  can help prevent the spread of this  disease.
Washing your hands, using disinfectants, and using tissues always help to prevent the spread of it.

Schizophrenia

A chronic severe mental disorder, that affects how a person thinks,feels,and behaves. People seem like they have lost touch with reality. Not as common like depression but the symptoms are really disabling.

 The symptoms appear usually between the age of 16-30 years, but in rare cases children may also present with symptoms. The symptoms are usually divided into three categories, Positive,Negative,and Cognitive.

  Positive symptoms are psychotic behaviors not generally seen in healthy people. These may include:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Thought and movement disorders

  The negative symptoms are disturbance to normal emotions, these are:

• Reduced expression of facial emotions
• Reduced feeling of pleasure in routine life
• Difficulty in beginning and sustaining activities
• Reduced speaking

  Cognitive symptoms are related to memory and other aspects of thinking these may be:

• Poor ability to understand information
• Poor decision making
• Trouble focusing 
• Problem with working memory or the ability use information after immediately learning it.

 

   Certain risk factors including Genes and environment play a major role in the progression of this disease. Usually it runs in families as a genetic disorder, or some scientists regard the genetics as a major risk factor. No single gene causes it.
  An imbalance in the neurotransmitters probably glutamate and dopamine also play a role. Changes occurring during puberty may also trigger an onset.

 For the treatment Always consult a doctor, Self treating is always harmful.

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Tuberculosis

 Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that is spread by inhaling tiny droplets in air that are coughed or sneezed by an infected person. It mainly affects the lungs, but it may have an effect on any organ of the body like, kidneys, or even the brain.

 Tb occurs worldwide, but commonly in the third world countries, where people usually are malnourished. Typical symptoms of TB include,

• A persistent cough that has been for at least three weeks and the sputum is usually tinged with blood.
• Weight Loss
• Night sweats
• Fever, usually high grade occuring at night
• Loss of appetite
• Swelling in the neck

  These symptoms may not present immediately and may even take months or years before they fully present after the primary infection. Sometimes it doesn't cause any symptoms and goes into a latent form. Only the active from of this disease presents the symptoms.

Anyone can get TB, but those at greatest risk include people:

• who live in, come from, or have spent time in a country or area with high levels of TB – around three in every four TB cases in the UK affect people born outside the UK
• in prolonged close contact with someone who's infected
• living in crowded conditions
• with a condition that weakens their immune system, such as HIV
• having treatments that weaken the immune system, such as chemotherapy or biological agents 
• who are very young or very old – the immune systems of people who are young or elderly tend to be weaker than those of healthy adults

Treatment for tuberculosis (TB) usually involves taking antibiotics for several months.While TB is a serious condition that can be fatal if left untreated, deaths are rare if treatment is completed.Most people don't need to be admitted to hospital during treatment. 

  Always have a complete course of your treatment, never leave prescribed medicines in between the course because it always increases the risk of reinfection.

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Mixed Anxiety Disorer

  A mental health disorder characterized by anxiety and depression, and a related symptoms are simply a mixture of these two entities The symptoms of anxiety and depression are both present in an equal ration and none of them is prominent.

   The symptoms can be very similar and to diagnose a case of mixed anxiety is a task, that requires a highly skillful psychiatrist. A patient usually presents with the following symptoms:

1. A dysphoric mood
2. Trouble concentrating and problem with memories
3. Disturbed sleep
4. Lack of energy and tiredeness
5. Worrying without any cause
6. Easily crying 
7. Enhanced sensory state
8. Pessimistic
9. Having low self esteem

  Stress, Childhood trauma, and having a chronic illness have been characterized as the risk factors, but as it has been recently included in the ICD 10, still more research is going on.

 Consulting a psychiatrist and ofcourse having therapy and sessions is the best way of getting rid of this.

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Hypertension

    A common condition in which the force of blood against the walls of the arteries leads to problems such as heart disease. Your blood pressure depends upon the volume of blood pumped by your heart per minute and the resistance offered by your arteries to the flow of blood, this simply means that, more the blood pumped and narrower the arteries, greater would be your blood pressure.

    You can suffer from hypertension, even without any visible symptoms, and still it is damaging  the blood carrying vessels. It generally develops over years and nearly has an effect on everyone, but luckily it is easily detected and can be managed with a similar ease.
    Most people have no symptoms even with dangerously high readings.Some people do have headaches, nosebleeds and dizziness even though these signs are not specific.
  There are two main causes of hypertension one is Primary hypertension, and the other is the secondary hypertension. For primary there is no identifiable cause and it is attributed to genetic predisposition only. There might be certain other diseases that lead to a secondary hypertension which means hypertension is secondary to another disease, the most common being kidney problems and abuse of drugs like amphetamines. an excessive use of salt may also lead to a raised blood pressure.

  Risk factors such as age, being obese or over weight also play a dominant role in the progression of this disease.
   For the preventive measures, i would just refer to the below shown pictures

    Uncontrolled blood pressure may lead to certain complications, such as heart failure, stokes, metabolic disorders, kidney diseases and it may even cause dementia.

  A normal range of blood pressure should be between 120/80-140/90, and if in any case you have a higher value for more than 3 days consecutively then you should consider consulting your doctor.

 

Bulimia Nervosa

    While the royal wedding was going on, all eyes were on the couple, comparing the new princess with Lady Diana, and while i was watching the whole procession  one thing that was coming in my mind was the eating disorder that she had been suffering from, 'Bulimia" a disease characterized by a cycle of bingeing and self compensatory behaviors such as inducing an artificial vomit to compensate for the effects of binge.

    Eating in a discrete period of time and eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during that time. A sense of lack of control over eating during that period of time. And then recurrent inappropriate behaviors in order to compensate or prevent the gain in weight.
    This is referred to as the binge- purge cycle a simple flow chart shown below explains the cycle completely.

    According to the National institute of mental health, Women are more likely to develop this disorder and at least 1% of the adult population is suffering from this disorder.  
  Therapy is designed by your consultant psychiatrist and by recognizing the triggers, he helps you manage stress and overeating. Therapy is necessary because our body is not designed for repetitive vomits as it causes an electrolyte imbalance, damage to our heart and may also cause Gastric ulceration.

Cholesterol and its harmful effects

    Cholesterol, as some might after hearing this word consider it a harmful substance, is actually an essential component of the outer most covering of our cells known as the cell membrane.

    This is a simple diagrammatic representation of that particular membrane containing cholesterol, this, thus showing us that cholesterol isn't harmful but the excess of it is. Cholesterol circulates in our blood in bound form as "LIPOPROTIENS", which are classified as good cholesterol or bad cholesterol. LDL is the bad cholesterol and HDL is the good cholesterol.

    LDL levels shoud be less than a 100mg/dL in our body and the HDL levels should be atleast greater than 60mg/dL. These are the baseline values and as you can already interpret, a rise in the LDL levels and fall in the HDL levels results in serious heart conditions by formations of plaques of cholesterol that reduce the supply of blood to the muscle tissues of our heart.
    As the formation of plaques start and the partial occlusion of arteries occurs, this situation is termed as atherosclerosis. This is a high risk condition as atherosclerosis is the foundation of the Coronary Heart Disease.

        If you have been diagnosed with a high cholesterol blood level, than simply changing your dietary habits is the best treatment of all. According to a research conducted in Harvard a diet based on oats, barley, beans, eggplant & okra, nuts, vegetable oils, apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits, soy, fatty fish, and fiber supplements like ispaghol, help you controll the high LDL levels as the foods which contain fiber directly drag this bad cholesterol out of your body without letting it get absorbed from your gut, while others get you polyunsaturated fatty acids which directly lower LDL.
    By simply  following a healthy lifestyle, exercising properly and having a fiber rich diet, can help us avoiding alot of diseases. Stay smart stay healthy.
   My gratitude is to Rumsha,Asna and Tayyaba for helping me, and pointing out my mistakes, ofcourse you guys encourage me I write!

Bipolar Disorder

    A manic-depressive illness,which causes shifts in mood, energy levels and the ability to carry out daily tasks.

    The mood may be elevated up to mania at a moment with high energy levels and may be depressed to very sad, "down" and hopeless periods. People with bipolar disorder experience periods of unusually intense emotions, changes in sleep pattern and activity levels.

     To differentiate between mania and depression these following observations can help
For Mania:

• The person may feel "HIGH" with an elevated mood
• Have a surge of high energy levels
• Feel jumpy and weird during the maniac episode
• Talk very fast and feel agitated
• Think of themselves as "Multitaskers" and capable of doing alot of things at once
• Do reckless things

   Whereas a person having depression may feel:

• Sad, Empty, Down and Hopeless
• Have little energy
• Sleep disturbance, may sleep alot, may not sleep at all.
• Feel worried and empty all the time
• Have trouble concentrating and tend to forget things

   Episodes of mixed features also occur among some patients, known as the mood episode.

    Certain risk factors like alot of mind related disorders are associated with this disease, the most prominent of them is a genetic disposition which alters the metabolic map of our brain leading to the emergence of these symptoms.
   A simple pictorial differentiation between a normal human mind and a patient of bipolar disorder is shown.

 
 Finally, do not worry if you have mood swings without specific symptoms, You're fine, it is sometimes natural :)