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Archive for the ‘Diseases and Conditions’ Category

Did you ever tried not find the key to the house or do not know where you left your glasses? It is a very common problem, as most people experience occasional bouts of memory loss, and can not always be attributed to age. In reality the causes are many, and although rarely indicate serious problems, they can interfere with normal activities of daily living.

“Why did I come to this room?” Or “I was going to say something but … I forgot!” We all passed similar. The temporary forgetfulness are more common in people who are naturally distracted. If you’re one of them, the remedy is simply trying to pay more attention to what you do. But distraction or inattention is one thing, and loss of cognitive ability, including memory, is another.

When you start having these episodes of forgetfulness short, look for the cause. There are many reasons that can make you go forgetting things, albeit mild, or what is known as temporary memory loss. The most common are: Read the rest of this entry »

Among the most used medicines for the treatment of osteoporosis include:

Bisphosphonates adhere to the surface of the bones and retard spoilage. That way they can avoid fractures (bone breaking) to preserve bone mass and even increase its density. Includes alendronate (Fosamax ®), ibandronate (Boniva ®), risedronate (Actonel ®) and zoledronic acid (Reclast ®). These medicines can have unwanted effects such as vomiting and stomach pain, consult your doctor if you feel you do not like them.

On the other hand, if you should get dental surgery, it is important to mention to your dentist you are taking this medicine. Ideally, medicine should be discontinued two weeks before dental treatment because there is something known as osteonecrosis of the jaw that happens very rarely, but whose risk is reduced if suspended before invasive dental procedures. Studies suggest that bisphosphonates be suspended after taking them for 5 consecutive years since its benefit may continue beyond that time. Read the rest of this entry »

As with other parts of the body, bones also get older and may be weakened. As mentioned earlier in life and health, one of the most common diseases in the bones is osteoporosis and occurs more often in women. Here we have drugs that tend to prescribing physicians and other measures you can take to protect the health of your bones.

Remember what osteoporosis is and then talk of drugs that treat: it is a silent disease that affects the bones and occurs because the bones have less calcium deposits than they need, then weaken and become porous (for you can imagine, would look like a loofah).

It is said that osteoporosis is silent because they generally have no symptoms, unless you are very advanced. This means that you do not realize that you have and is usually detected when the problem already exists and there is a fracture (a broken) bone, typically in the hip, wrist or one or more vertebrae of the spine. Read the rest of this entry »

What is a febrile seizure?

It is an occasional seizure occurs in a child following a febrile process. It occurs in children between 6 months and 5 years.

It is very important constitutional predisposition, ie inheritance. Usually a family history of febrile seizures.

Types of febrile seizures

Simple febrile seizures

- Are the most frequent (85% -90%)

- They tend to be unique (only one in the same febrile illness)

- Are widespread, with symmetrical movements of arms and legs

- The postcrítico period is short. Read the rest of this entry »

What are seizures?

Phenomena are caused by a sudden disruption of the normal function of neurons, ie our brain cells. You can say that this group of neurons begins to operate unchecked.

Although it can manifest in many different ways, most often they are presented as transient alterations of consciousness, sometimes associated with body movements (arms and legs).

Following the seizure there is a space of time the child is still a bit dazed until fully recovered: it is called postcrítico period. Then usually enter a deep sleep.

Types of seizures

Generally speaking, seizures are usually classified into two groups:

Generalized seizures

There is loss of consciousness. It is an emergency that requires the transfer of the patient to a healthcare facility, it can lead associated with various disorders (cerebral oxygen deficiency, lower blood glucose, etc..) That can cause brain damage if not treated early. Read the rest of this entry »

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a disease that manifests in attacks, also known as seizures. One of the most common neurological disorders, affecting 0.5% to 1% of the population. Epilepsy can occur at any age but is most common in childhood and old age. It is a disease that occurs under different symptoms with causes, treatments and prognoses.

Not all epileptic seizures are necessary. Sometimes, alcohol or some medications prescribed for other diseases can cause seizures in some circumstances.

Currently, most physicians do not interpret the isolated seizure and epilepsy. The prognosis of epilepsy is a clinical condition consisting of recurrent seizures in a patient.

The brain is composed of a large number of nerve cells called neurons that communicate with each other through electrical signals. For normal operation of the brain must be careful regulation of power flows that integrate the activity of these neurons. Read the rest of this entry »

How do you detect the disease?

The evolution is progressive. The first and most important change is the loss of memory, especially for recent events, gradually evolving to a higher intensity, indicating the existence of a disease. This is often accompanied by difficulty performing everyday activities.

Initially, the patient feels that something is happening, and this is a very unpleasant and disturbing experience. However, with the progress of the disease concern disappears, becoming a problem for your family and friends.

What are the warning signs?

Many people in their daily lives suffer memory problems. If this condition is increasing, making your daily life can be a sign of dementia, requiring an evaluation by a physician, preferably a specialist as a clinical neurologist. Do not make judgments for himself and diagnoses, there may be disturbances of memory are not necessarily dementia. Read the rest of this entry »

What is multi-infarct dementia?

Multi-infarct dementia is a form of dementia caused by a large number of small clots (emboli) in the brain. It is more common in people with abnormal heart function, especially an irregularity in the rhythm, or by occlusion of cerebral capillaries.

The consequence of emboli is a cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain), leading to the death of a large number of nerve cells. The disease is more common in elderly people with arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). A stroke can be defined as an area of ??dead brain tissue.

The most severe disease, once diagnosed, is that you can not do anything about the damage that has already occurred. However, it is possible to prevent further brain damage. The causes of the disease are identical to those of stroke (thrombosis), produced by a large clot. The main difference is the only blood clots in the vessels of small diameter. Read the rest of this entry »

Deficiency of vitamin B-12, also often associated with anemia.

- Hypothyroidism, liver failure and/or renal

- Diabetes with falls of glucose levels

- epilepsy

- Parkinson’s disease

What can you do?

In the early stages of the disease, there are practical ways to refresh your memory, for example, keeping a journal or use a board to leave notes. Some seniors who have no family, to avoid missing out on the street, always carry with you (usually around the neck) a kind of card with their picture, name and address or telephone number. Read the rest of this entry »

What causes can lead to dementia?

We can distinguish two main groups of causes:

Reversible dementias: may be caused by metabolic disease, poisoning by drugs, alcohol abuse, trauma, tumors, etc..

Irreversible dementia: as, for example, Alzheimer’s disease.

What types of dementia are there?

Alzheimer’s disease

This is the most common form of dementia, is due to a loss of brain cells (neurons) leading to brain atrophy. Seems to be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Over time, there are fewer neurons that function properly, and the patient’s mental state is deteriorating slowly but surely. Read the rest of this entry »