Asperger's syndrome has recently come under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder. This syndrome usually affects the social skills of the patient, most heavily. The patient may seem normal and even intelligent at first glance. But on closer interaction, several social skill problems will come to the fore including an obsessive focus on certain topics and issues. Repetitive behaviour is also a part of this disease. Let us find out more about asperger's syndrome.

Symptoms: the symptoms usually begin to show up early on in one's childhood. The patient will not be able to make eye contact while speaking with others. Also, a perfectly normal person may seem inordinately shy and reserved during social interactions. This awkwardness may come to the fore in the form of looking for expression cues on other people's faces and even the body language. The patient may not be a very happy and lively soul, with hardly a smile to crack at the funniest of jokes. The lack of emotions or the emotionally numb state is also a major giveaway of the condition. Other symptoms may include a strong aversion towards change in food habits and routine.

Diagnosis: the diagnosis is usually done by mental health specialists like a developmental paediatrician, a psychiatrist, a psychologist or even a paediatric neurologist. These specialists can put the child through a variety of tests that will study the neurological health as well as the speech and emotional behaviour of the child.

Educating the parent: once the diagnosis has been done, the parents of the patient will have to appraised of the condition and its implications. The symptoms and treatment will have to be duly discussed even as the parents are put through training and therapy to learn techniques with which they can help the child in progressing along more normal lines. The therapy will also help the parents deal with the challenge of living with someone suffering from this condition.

Treatment: there are varied forms of treatment that aim at fixing the specific areas and symptoms that the patient is learning to live with. Social skills training, speech and language therapy, cbt or cognitive behavioural therapy and other forms of treatment can help the child overcome many symptoms that come from this condition.

In the course of the treatment, it is important for the child, parent and therapist concerned to realise that there is no single approach that can be applied to all patients suffering from asperger's syndrome. Individual care and therapy will be required for individual cases. At the same time, most of the skills will need to be repeated at home so that the child takes them more seriously.

What Is Asperger's Syndrome?

We're all guilty of making fun of snorers, but sometimes this snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is not continuous and may start and stop many times while asleep. This affects the quality of your sleep and in turn can affect many aspects of your health including your cardiovascular health. Here's how:

High blood pressure
When a sleep apnea patient's breathing stops, the oxygen levels in the blood also suddenly fall. This can increase your blood pressure. High blood pressure means that the heart muscles need to work harder to pump blood through the body.

Cardiomyopathy
As a result of high blood pressure, the heart walls may become thicker and the heart muscles become stiffer. This is known as cardiomyopathy. As this condition worsens, the heart becomes weaker and is unable to maintain a regular rhythm. This can eventually lead to heart failure.

Arrhythmia
An irregular heartbeat is also known as arrhythmia. This may also be related to the changes in the heart's structure that follow the drop in blood oxygen levels. In many cases, arrhythmia has no visible symptoms and can often go undiagnosed. This can result in the formation of blood clots in the atria which can lead to a stroke.

Sleep apnea is easy to diagnose. If the doctor feels that you show symptoms of sleep apnea, you may be asked to stay on the hospital overnight and undergo a sleep evaluation. This tests a variety of body functions including brain activity, eye movements, heart rate, breathing patterns and blood oxygen levels.

Treatment for sleep apnea depends on the causes for this condition. If you are overweight, regular exercise and a change in diet can help you lose the excess weight and cure sleep apnea. Similarly, if your sleep apnea is triggered by an allergy, treating the allergy can help cure the sleep apnea. Other forms of treatment for sleep apnea may include:

Continuous positive airway pressure (cpap)
This is a machine which pumps air into the body through a nasal mask. By keeping the pressure in the machine higher than normal air pressure the upper airway passages are kept open and hence the quality of your sleep is improved. An auto cpap machine can modulate the air pressure such that it is higher when you inhale and lower when you exhale.;

Oral devices
Your doctor may suggest oral devices that allow you to keep your mouth open while you sleep. This is easier to use than cpap machine but less effective. Surgery is the last resort when it comes to treatment for sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea and Its Link to Heart Failure

Facial Palsy is a paralysis of facial muscles. The weakness of facial muscles is also known as Facial Palsy. It may be caused by temporary or permanent damage to facial nerves. There are different facial nerves for different sides of the face. When nerve bundles on one side are affected, muscles on that side of the face become weak. 

Since different nerves are involved, cerebral palsy may affect different parts of the face such as lower part, left side, right side, etc. There are medicines for Facial Palsy. However, there is no standard treatment approach in modern medicine for treating Facial Palsy. However, Ayurveda can help in treating these patients.

Ayurvedic Interpretation of Facial Palsy:

In Ayurveda, Facial Palsy is referred to as Ardita, and it is defined as a disability in facial expressions and communication. The source of the disease is facial nerve paralysis, which precipitates motor and sensory impairment on the affected side of the face. According to Ayurveda, this disease can affect people of all ages. 

Ayurveda targets the dosha responsible for this disease. According to Ayurveda, the dosha responsible for this problem is known as Vata. It is thought that the face or the relevant side of the face is afflicted by Vata, which needs to be rectified.

Factors Responsible for Facial Palsy:

According to Ayurveda, there are some factors which may precipitate Facial Palsy in the long term. These include:

Speaking loudly.

Chewing hard stuff.

Laughing, sneezing or yawning excessively.

Putting heavy load on head.

Sudden change of direction of head or neck.

Having uncomfortable posture during sleep.

Using too high or too low pillows.

Anemia.

Injuries.

Excessive sleeping during the day.

Excessive use of tongue scrapers.

Excessive rubbing of the ears, eyes, and nose.

Consuming excess of alcohol.

Symptoms of Facial Palsy According to Ayurveda:

Preliminary symptoms of Facial Palsy, as mentioned in different Ayurvedic books, include: 

Blurred vision.

Loss of sense of touch on facial skin.

Pain.

Neck stiffness.

Jaw stiffness.

Distortion of the affected side.

Tremors of the head.

Shaking of teeth.

Incomplete closure of affected eyelids.

Distortion of nose.

Slurred speech.

Hoarseness in voice.

Impairment of hearing loss and smell sensation.

Pain in the ear on the affected side.

Trouble chewing and swallowing.

Sneeze getting suppressed.

Severe pain in the neck, chin, teeth, on the affected side.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Facial Palsy:

Ayurveda depends on the following to treat the problem.

Oil massages on the head.

Applications of oil to the ears and eyes.

In the case of any burning sensation, therapeutic bloodletting may also be conducted.

Medicated oil in nostrils

Oral drugs include Akaangavira Rasa, Sameera Pannaga, Ashwagandha Churna, Ashwagandharishta, etc.

Exercise including balloon breathing exercise

Conclusion:

A study published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research has come up with astounding results for the efficacy of Ayurveda on Facial Palsy. This indicates that in the absence of any standard therapy, Ayurveda can offer an excellent remedy against Facial Palsy. However, it is always recommended to consult an Ayurvedic physician before opting any ayurvedic remedies or purchasing any ayurvedic medicines. Any treatment depends upon the condition of the individual. This is why one should always consult a doctor before going for any treatment.

Facial Palsy - Causes, Symptoms & Ayurvedic Treatment For It!

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. This condition can affect men and women of all ages. However, it is associated with a number of myths. As a result of these myths, epileptic patients are often discriminated against. Let s bust a few of these myths.

Myth 1: Epilepsy is contagious
Coming in contact with an epileptic patient will not increase your risk of suffering from this condition. Epilepsy can be caused by a number of factors but is not transferable from one person to another. Factors triggering epilepsy include genetic defects, oxygen deprivation at birth, trauma to the head and strokes.

Myth 2: Epilepsy cannot be treated
There is no known cure for epilepsy but this condition can be managed with treatment. Treatment for epilepsy can take many forms. The most common amongst these is medication to reduce and stop seizures. In some cases, brain surgery may also be advised. A special diet can also help control epileptic attacks. Lastly, nerve stimulation may also be used to treat epilepsy.

Myth 3: Epileptic patients cannot lead a normal life
There is nothing stopping an epileptic patient from living a normal life like everyone else. Epilepsy does not affect a person s intelligence or any other ability. It is also a misconception that epileptic women cannot have children or that their children will also have epilepsy. With treatment and a healthy prenatal plan, they can have a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child. However, certain activities like driving should be avoided by epileptic patients.

Myth 4: A person having an epileptic fit should be restrained
An epileptic seizure will run its course and restraining the person may do more harm than good. Instead, the person should be made to lie down on their side. This will keep saliva from collecting in their mouth. Clear the area around the person and loosen their clothing. If the person wears spectacles, these should be removed. Do not try and put anything into the person s mouth. An epileptic fit usually lasts for up to 5 minutes. If the person does not recover within that time, call a doctor immediately.

Myth 5: Anyone who has a seizure is epileptic
Seizures are not synonymous with epilepsy. They can be triggered by a number of factors including excessive drinking, heat, injury to the head etc. To be diagnosed with epilepsy, a person should have had two or more seizures with unrelated triggers. 

Myths About Seizures - Debunked!

The relationship between intelligence and brain size, both among people and between various species, has never been precisely well defined. People often believe that their outstanding psychological capacities must mean that they are superior to all animals as far as brain size is concerned. However, it is not true since whales and elephants have much bigger brains than humans and humans have the same brain-to-body mass proportion as mice do.

Here are a number of ways by which the brain size can be determined:

Encephalization remainder: Since it would be against human instinct to admit loss and defeat, researchers have created a measure to determine the brain size called the encephalization remainder. It is the proportion of actual brain mass with respect to the anticipated cerebrum mass for the animal s size (based on the suspicion that bigger animals require somewhat less brain matter with respect to their size, compared to little animals). By this metric, human beings prove to be the best, with an EQ of 7.5 outperforming the dolphin's 5.3 and the mouse's 0.5.
IQ testing: Without a solitary and evident method for measuring intelligence, some improved tests like IQ (Intelligence Quotient) are by and large acknowledged as a moderately decent working device. IQ estimations are not without issues, and there is a great deal of criticism about their significance. IQ testing uses government sanctioned tests, for example, the WAIS III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale). The normal IQ is somewhere around 90 and 110. The scores beneath the normal may demonstrate changing degrees of pathology, for example, marginal intellectual function, or mental hindrance of different severity. Over the normal range is regularly connected with knowledge, splendour, talent, or genius. However, as with computers of a few eras, size and intellect do not precisely relate. Present day portable computers weighing around one or two kilogrammes can store more data and perform a greater number of assignments than supercomputers from the 1980s that used to possess expansive structures. This is a contrast amongst quantity and quality. Numerous scientists now hold the view that it is not the whole brain, which is bigger in a human with a higher IQ, yet rather certain zones that are denser and might be bigger. A fascinating late revelation is that these ranges can be expanded in size and enhanced in usefulness during the course of our life.
NeuroplasticityIt refers to the dynamic procedure of repair and maintenance that our brains are continually experiencing. We are conceived with around hundred billion neurones, yet lose around two hundred thousand a day to a procedure called pruning. As we develop and grow, pathways in the brain that are not required are detached, and the neurones pass on. However, in a compensatory procedure, new neurones are delivered and more detailed associations are built up between neurones that are more dynamic. This is the procedure of de-cluttering, in which our brains develop to work at most extreme effectiveness. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Neurologist.

Brain Size - How It Is Related With Intelligence?

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological problem that is characterised by a cognitive decline and memory loss. It is a type of neurodegenerative dementia. The symptoms of alzheimer's disease include not being able to absorb and retain new information, lack of reasoning and judging, not being able to take on complex tasks, impaired visuospatial abilities, problems in reading, writing and speech, among many others. If a person has at least two of these symptoms in a debilitating manner, then the diagnosis can be made in favour of alzheimer's disease. The main causes of alzheimer's are shrinkage of the brain size and death of the brain cells. The immune system is also said to trigger this neurodegenerative disease. Let us find out what medical science has found so far.

1. Connections: many a times, in alzheimer's disease, the memory and behaviour of the person changes because the brain is unable to make proper neural connections which can lead to memory loss of how a person behaved and the elements that formed the basis of the patient's cognition. Apparently, the immune system behaves in the same way within the brain and blocks the connection. This happens because there is constant communication between the brain and immune system along neurological lines, which is where the disease first emanates.

2. Inflammation: the brain is prone to inflammation or swelling that is not the normal kind. This inflammation happens as a result of the activation of the infection fighting neurotransmitters and the chemical changes that happen in the brain when an infection strikes. The inflammation usually happens in the plaques or clumps which the brain tries to protect. These clumps are made up of a protein called amyloid. The immune system is responsible for creating this inflammation in the brain of the patient.

3. Pattern recognition receptors: many of these receptors work in different manners and cooperate with each other to create a response in the brain. These prrs can be found in the brain plaques, and they develop the signs of danger which further fuels the inflammation in the brain as a matter of protection.

4. Activation of cells linked with the immune system: when the prrs begin to respond, it basically activates the immune system and the cells of the same. This is the basic reaction that causes the changes in brain which then leads to the attachment of the protein to the tissue that is diseased, in which case alzheimer's disease starts. The inflammation that we had spoken about earlier basically happens in the nervous tissue.

It is important to recognise and act on the initial signs of alzheimer's disease before it progresses beyond one's control.

Can the Immune System Trigger Alzheimer's Disease

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