Do you know that Huntington s disease is an inherited disease? This condition leads to the progressive degeneration of the nerve cells present in your brain. Huntington's disease has severe impact on several functional abilities of an affected person and results in psychiatric, thinking and movement disorders.

Causes
Huntington s disease occurs from an inherited defect present in a single gene. It is a form of autosomal dominant disorder, which indicates that a person requires just one copy of the defective gene for developing the disorder. Except the genes on the chromosomes, two copies of every gene are inherited by a person. The affected parent may pass along the defective gene copy or the healthy copy.

Symptoms
Commonly, the symptoms of Huntington s disease start appearing during midlife. It may also affect a person during childhood. The symptoms of this disease vary from person to person. Abnormal movement and weight loss are common symptoms, which occur in all stages.

Early stage

The usual early stage symptoms include the following:

Slight coordination changes, which affect balance and make you clumsy
Uncontrollable fidgety movement
Stiffness and slowing
Irritability and depression
Problems with thinking in difficult situations
Middle stage
With passing time, the symptoms start interfering more with the patient s daily life and activities. You may start dropping things, face trouble with swallowing, and talking. Staying organized may get tough. Certain emotional changes are indicated.

Later stage
In the later stage of Huntington s disease, a patient becomes dependent on others for taking care of them. A patient cannot walk or speak, and fidgety movements are likely to become more severe or may subside.

Treatment
Huntington s disease has no fixed cure. Several measures are followed for managing the symptoms. They are as follows:

Medications are used to manage fidgety movements. Other medicines are also used for controlling any other side effect experienced.
Speech or language therapy may be beneficial in case of speech and swallowing problems.
Physical therapy may help you in improving your control movements. Assistive devices like handrails can be used for managing your changing physical abilities.
Nutritional support is used in which special utensils are used to focus on a nutrient-rich diet.
Exercise is also important for patients with Huntington s disease as it enables them to stay active and fit.
In case you experience any symptom of Huntington s disease, it is important for you to consult a doctor immediately. This is a severe disease and early diagnosis and treatment will prevent the condition from worsening.

Huntington's Disease - Understanding the Stages of Symptoms!

Brain surgery involves several medical procedures, which incorporate fixing issues with the brain, including changes in the tissues of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid and brain blood flow. Brain surgery is quite a complicated method of surgery and the type of surgery to be conducted depends on the underlying conditions.

Reasons for Brain Surgery:
Brain surgery is performed for the correction of physical brain abnormalities. These abnormalities could occur because of diseases, birth defects and injuries. A brain surgery is required when the following conditions arise in the brain:

Abnormal blood vessels
Aneurysm
Bleeding
Blood clots in the brain
When the protective tissue or dura is damaged
Epilepsy
Due to nerve damage
Parkinson's disease
Any kind of pressure after an injury
Abscesses
Skull fractures
In case of stroke and tumors
A surgery may not be required for all the above mentioned conditions, but in case of many, a brain surgery is very important as the conditions may worsen health problems.

Types of brain surgeries:

Craniotomy: During this open brain surgery, an incision is made in the scalp, and a hole is created in the skull, near the area, which is being treated. After this process is complete, the hole or bone flap is secured in its place using plates or wires.
Biopsy: This form of brain surgery helps in the removal of a small amount of brain tissues or tumors. After removal, the tissues or tumors are examined under a microscope. The creation of a small incision and a hole in the skull is indicated as a part of this process.
Minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery: This form of brain surgery enables the removal or lesions and tumors via the nose and sinuses. Private parts of the brain can be accessed without creating an incision. An endoscope is utilized in the process which is used to examine tumors all across the brain.
Minimally Invasive neuroendoscopy: This process is similar to the minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery. This method also involves the use of an endoscope for removal of brain tumors. Small, dime sized holes may be made in the skull to access some brain parts.
Risks:
Brain surgeries may be associated with several risks. They may be:

Allergic reactions to anesthesia
Bleeding
Blood clot formations
Swelling of the brain
A state of coma
Impairment in speech, coordination and vision.
Problems in memory
Strokes and seizures
Infections in the brain
A brain surgery is a serious and very complex surgery. There are different kinds of brain surgeries, which are conducted depending on the condition and severity of the disease.

Brain Surgery - When It Is Required?

Are you aware of behavioral and emotional disorders in children? During the developmental years of a child, constant growth and change are signified. This fact should be strictly kept in mind while dealing with behavioral and emotional disorders in children. Brain disorders like bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety disorders may affect any child during early childhood. The assistance of a mental health professional should be taken while dealing with these problems. On a global scale, almost 15% of children suffer from behavioral disorders. Among the different forms of behavioral disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) accounts for being one of the most common ones.

Here is a list of the different forms of behavioral and emotional disorders, which are observed in children:

ADHD- This common mental disorder in children is more common in boys than in girls. Commonly, children affected with this disorder are unable to finish familiar tasks, plan or sit still. They may even lose awareness about what goes around them. ADHD-affected children may seem fine on some days, but on other days, they may experience disorganized and frenzied activities. This disorder may continue into adolescence and adulthood as well. There are several treatment options for ADHD, which may include medications, therapy and educational options.

Autism- Children affected with autism seem to become indifferent, remote and isolated in a world of their own. They are unable to form emotional ties with other people or their peers. Autism is more likely to occur in boys than in girls. The condition may result in language delays, mental retardation, and in some cases, a child may suffer high functioning and usual speech and intelligence. This is because the brain of such children functions differently than others. Consistency is very important for managing autism in children.

Bipolar Disorder- This disorder is most likely to begin in early childhood and it continues into adulthood. It is featured by extreme mood swings in the patient. A child may have extremely high or euphoric feelings, but his mood may turn into depression and sadness all of a sudden. This condition is a genetic illness, and it is often mistaken or misdiagnosed as ADHD.

Anxiety- Anxiety disorders make children feel uneasy, distressed and unusually scared for no appropriate reason. Panic disorders, featured, by intense episodes of fear, which occur without any kind of provocation or signal are a common type of anxiety disorder. OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder, which is repetitive and compulsive in nature, is another type of anxiety disorder.

It is very important to treat and deal with children s behavioral and emotional disorders at an early stage. Early diagnosis enables an early start of treatment, which prevents further degradation of the condition.

Types Of Behavioral And Emotional Disorders In Children

Neuropathy, popularly called us peripheral neuropathy, is a condition where the nerves that are responsible for carrying information from spinal cord to brain is damaged. It is always good to consult your Ayurvedic doctor to treat neuropathy. The affected patients are treated naturally with Bhumyamalaki Chura 3g on a dosage of two times per day. It is always good to go by

Symptoms
Peripheral neuropathy condition results in numbness and pain in feet and hands. The usual symptoms of the disease include infections, metabolic disorders, exposure to toxins and injuries. Sometimes tingling or pain of toes, legs, feet, arms, hand, fingers etc. may happen.

Causes
In spite of reducing the body s toxicity, it is very important to identify the root cause for the disease. Here the essential cause for the disease includes viruses, inflammation and oxidation.

Treatment

Intake of 600 mg lipoic acid per day would reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. In case of diabetes patients, it is good to monitor the blood glucose level, as the intake of lipoic acid on a regular basis might reduce blood glucose level.
Another effective medicine to control the symptom of Peripheral neuropathy is CoQ10. This is very good at treating heart and brain.
Omega-3 fatty acid is also good at treating this disease. Salmon fish and flax seeds acids are the natural source of fatty acids that helps in reducing the inflammation I the body.
An herb known as St.John s wort is good at treating all types of nerve injuries, especially to the toes and fingers. It helps in reducing the burning and shooting pain. The herb is very powerful in treating mild depression and is anti-viral herb.
The numbness and weakness in the limb can be cured by the regular usage of oat seed. It is an herb that is rich in minerals. It is a safe natural medicine free from any side effect.
Another herb called passion flower is useful in curing from agitation, spasms, muscle twitching and restlessness.
Nettle and Ginko Bilba are other useful herbs that help in treating peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral Neuropathy - How Ayurveda Can Help You Treat it?

A brain stroke can affect anyone at any point of time when the supply of blood to the brain is interrupted. It can threaten major physical functions and can prove to be fatally dangerous at times. The brain stem which is placed right above the spinal cord controls the breathing, heartbeat and levels of blood pressure. It is also in charge of controlling some elementary functions such as swallowing, hearing, speech and eye movements. 

What are the different types of strokes?
There are three main kinds of stroke: ischemic strokes, hemorrhagic strokes and transient ischemic attacks. The most common type of brain stroke is the ischemic stroke is caused by narrowing or blocking of arteries to the brain, which prevents the proper supply of blood to the brain. Sometimes it so happens that the blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body have travelled via the blood vessels and has been trapped in the blood vessel which provides blood to the brain. When the supply of blood to a part of the brain is hindered, the tissue in that area dies off owing to lack of oxygen. The other variant of brain stroke is termed as hemorrhagic stroke is caused when the blood vessels in and around the brain burst or leak. Strokes need to be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible in order to minimize brain damage.  Remembering the F.A.S.T. acronym can help with recognizing the onset of stroke (Face, Arms, Speed, Time - explained below). 

What are the common symptoms of a brain stroke?
The symptoms of the brain stroke are largely dependent on the area of the brain that has been affected. It can interfere with normal functioning, such as breathing and talking and other functions which human beings can perform without thinking such as eye movements or swallowing. Since all the signals from the brain as well as other parts of the body traverse through the brain stem, the interruption of blood flow often leads to numbness or paralysis in different parts of the body.

Who is likely to have a stroke?
Anyone is at a risk of developing brain stroke although ageing is directly proportional to the risk of having a stroke. Not only that an individual with a family history of brain stroke or transient ischemic attack is at a higher risk of developing stroke. People who have aged over 65 accounts for about 33 percent of all brain strokes. It is important to point here that individuals with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol, cancer, autoimmune diseases and some blood disorders are at a higher risk of developing brain stroke.

There are a few factors which can increase the risk of developing stroke beyond any control. But there are certain lifestyle choices as well which aids in controlling the chances of being affected by stroke. It is crucial to refrain from long-term hormone replacement therapies as well as birth control pills, smoking, lack of physical activity, excessive use of alcohol and drug addiction. A brain stroke is a life-threatening medical condition, and when an individual has symptoms that resemble that of stroke, it is crucial to seek immediate medical help.

Treatment for stroke

Treatment depends on the type of stroke.
Ischemic strokes can be treated with 'clot-busting' drugs.
Hemorrhagic strokes can be treated with surgery to repair or block blood vessel weaknesses.
The most effective way to prevent strokes is through maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
What is TPA?
TPA is a thrombolytic or a  Clot Buster  drug. This clot buster is used to break-up the clot that is causing a blockage or disruption in the flow of blood to the brain and helps restore the blood flow to the area of the brain. It is given by intravenous (IV). This can be given only within 4.5 hrs of the onset of symptoms

Time is brain

Remember Every second Loss means brain cells die.
Rush to the nearest Stroke Centre whenever you experience such symptoms.
U can save the brain cells dying if you reach within 4.5 hrs by the CLOT BUSTER. 
Endovascular procedures 
Another treatment option is an endovascular procedure* called mechanical thrombectomy, strongly recommended, in which trained doctors try  removing a large blood clot by sending a wired-caged device called a stent retriever, to the site of the blocked blood vessel in the brain

Stroke prevention
The good news is that 80 percent of all strokes are preventable. It starts with managing key risk factors, including 

High blood pressure,
Cigarette smoking,
Diabetes
Atrial fibrillation and
Physical inactivity.
More than half of all strokes are caused by uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure, making it the most important risk factor to control. 
Rehabilitation
The best way to get better after a stroke is to start stroke rehabilitation ("rehab"). In stroke rehab, a team of health professionals works with you to regain skills you lost as the result of a stroke.

Brain Stroke - Things You Must Know!

Whether it's a child or a grown-up, difficulty in concentrating is often experienced by many people. While, people tend to brush off this particular problem to be nothing worth being concerned about, but sometimes, there may be a more serious underlying issue for which concentration problem is only a mere symptom. Yes, difficulty in concentrating can be a sign of a neurological disorder. Keep on reading to know more about neurological disorder, its symptoms, and treatment.

Reasons behind difficulty in concentrating
Inability to focus properly is a periodic and normal occurrence for many. While sometimes it is the emotional stress or physical tiredness that is responsible for it, at times it is the outcome of hormonal changes in the body, such as during pregnancy or menopause that causes it. However, when experienced in severe degrees, it may be a characteristic of a serious psychological condition called neurological disorder. Affecting both adults and the children, the neurological disorder can be a serious threat if not treated at the right time.

Neurological disorder
Neurological disorder refers to any condition that happens due to the dysfunction of the nervous system or the parts of the brain. Depending on the location of the damage to the nerve or in the spinal column or the brain, different areas controlling the vision, movement, thinking or hearing can be severely affected. The decreased ability to focus on something or loss of concentration power being one of the many symptoms of neurological disorders among the various complications it causes.

Causes behind neurological disorder
Many reasons lead to neurological disorder or its associated symptoms like difficulty in focusing. From lifestyle-related issues to nutrition related causes, physical injuries to some infections, complications during childbirth, and genetics to environmental influences, numerous factors can be responsible for such disorder. Depending on the type of neurological disorder, the symptoms can vary from to another, while for some difficulty concentrating can be a symptom, for some, the symptoms can be more of physical difficulties such as problems in walking or difficulty speaking or seeing, etc.

Dealing with difficulty concentrating
Once the cause of the neurological disorder is determined, there are various treatment options, offered by the doctors. To deal with the neurological disorder as the cause of difficulty concentrating one may need medications and treatment provided by the medical professionals. However, there are a few tips that one can keep in mind, such as minimizing multitasking and focusing on one single thing or thought at one time or dividing tasks into small steps, etc.

Difficulty in concentrating means the ability to focus on thoughts or action decreasing. In case one experience this issue on a long term basis or excessively, visiting the neurologist as soon as possible should be the best thing to do.

Problem In Concentrating Could Be A Sign Of Neurological Disorder!

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