Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that occurs in the primary nerve between the brain and the ear. The tumor progresses very slowly and can influence your balance and hearing. In certain cases, if the tumor becomes very large, then it may also impair vital functions of the body.
Symptoms-
The symptoms of acoustic neuroma tend to develop when the tumor starts to press on the nerve and its adjoining branches. The symptoms of this disorder are  
You may experience hearing loss on one side which might worsen gradually.
You may have problems in balancing yourself.
A continuous ringing sound in the ears.
Persistent dizziness.
If the tumor is large and presses on the nearby nerves, then you may experience numbness of the facial muscles.
In some cases, it may impair the vital functions of the body.
This disorder is caused by a malfunctioning gene. There is no documented reason as to why the gene malfunctions.
The treatment options for this disorder are  
Constant Monitoring: These tumors tend to grow very slowly but might spurt in some cases. In order to prevent damage to your body, they need to be monitored on a regular basis. Imaging tests are recommended on a periodic basis to determine the growth of the tumor.
Radiosurgery: Stereotactic radiosurgery is done to treat acoustic neuroma that is small in size. In this surgery, radiation is directed at the tumor without creating any incision. It is done to limit the growth of the tumor and preserve your hearing.
Surgery: The tumor can be removed by using surgical procedures. It involves administering general anesthesia, followed by removing the tumor through an incision on the skull or the inner ear. Surgery is used to remove the tumor and preserve your hearing abilities. 

Acoustic Neuroma - Everything You Need to Know

In today s stressful environment, more and more people are being diagnosed with psychological disorders such as insomnia and depression. Neither of the two are things which people feel lucky to possess. However, it is interesting to note that there is a link between the two conditions. Also, the problems are a lot more common than a person is likely to first think; 80% of depressed people suffer from chronic insomnia!

For a long time until recently, many people were of the opinion that most depressed people were insomniac. But that is not really correct. The two issues do overlap to a large extent, but they are different from each other. Again, that does not mean one cannot affect the other.

When a person has depression, one of the main things that he or she can experience is a lack of pleasure from the activities and happenings which occur in his or her daily life. Similarly, when a person does not get enough sleep or even just cannot sleep, he or she is quite likely to display a tendency to worry. Often, worrying sets the stage for depression to develop in the person. In fact, doctors have observed that people who do not sleep enough are more likely to undergo treatment for depression than the others.

Recent findings have concluded that when a person sleeps better, the case of depression also shows an uptick. In addition to this, the habit of sleeping well can also go quite a long way to make sure that a person does not relapse into depression. According to some sleep therapies, people who suffer from lack of sleep are advised to follow a systematic routine of getting to bed and getting out of bed. Activities including reading in bed or watching TV after going to bed must be avoided. While there are various means to help a person sleep better, the choice as to which one would suit a person in the best possible way is only best decided by the person s personal doctor. What is for sure is the fact that a person can effectively sleep to a better life!

So, it can be said that if a person wants to cure his/her depression and enjoy life being peppy, napping away is not such a bad idea after all. Having said that, everything is good only up to a certain limit!

Insomnia and Depression - Is There A Link Between Them?

Social interactions and social skills are going to help a child make friends, help to develop hobbies and interests. It helps a child to learn something new. For children with Autism, it is not going to be easy to interact with people, in classrooms, in some simple conversations or on the playground. Being a parent of a child with Autism is not at all easy. You will never want to see your child suffer even when they interact with their friends.
But there are ways to help your child to enhance their social skills.

Here are some of them for you:

Reward them: You need to support your children as much as possible. When you get less time to spend with them, then you can opt for therapy sessions. But therapy sessions alone will not help. When there is something done at the session, practice it at home as well. Reward them if they are able to meet the expected behaviour.
Buy a Pet: Yes, a pet can help them to improve social behaviour. They form an emotional bonding with the pets and that is when they will be able to understand these emotions and feeling. Many studies show that when a child with Autism has a pet, they learn to interact in a much better way.
Help them understand what is expected: At the very beginning, do not try to teach your child what is right or what is wrong. Rather, you should try to help them understand what is expected from them. For example, when someone is talking to them, they tend to look elsewhere. Do not tell them that it is wrong to look elsewhere, rather help them understand that when a person is talking, they expect your attention. Give them some example, some concrete example to make it easy for them.
With right practice and understand, you will be able to help your child improve their social skills. In fact, you play the major role.

Helping Your Child With Autism To Improve Social Skills!

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of severe neurological and developmental disorders which begin in early childhood and can last throughout a person s life. It affects the ability to interact with others and also hinders communication and well as learning ability. A proper health center can diagnose the presence of autism spectrum disorder early on. Many tests are available for evaluation and diagnosis as it is a range of disorders which can have a variety of symptoms. The environment and genetics also play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder but the exact cause of autism spectrum disorder is not yet known.

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder:

Your child may not be able to respond when called by his or her name by 12 months age.
Will avoid eye contact and also have the desire to stay alone.
Have trouble understanding or relating to other people or talk about their own feelings.
Delayed speech and language skills which would affect the ability to speak.
Show unusual reaction to sound, smell, taste or feelings.
Answering questions with unrelated answers that have no meaning or link.
Prefer to play alone and would avoid physical contact.

Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation   The behavior of your child and development is first studied by the doctor in detail. The tests include genetic testing, neurological testing, hearing and vision testing among others. Doctors may also suggest other specialized tests in certain cases.
Developmental Screening   The development of your child s basic learning skills with respect to the age is checked. The doctor checks for some delays in the progress and will also monitor movement, behavior and speaking progress of the child. Some additional checks are also done for low birth weight, premature birth among other things.
Treatment:

Applied behavioral analysis   This is a notable treatment and widely accepted by doctors all over the world. ABA is known to encourage positive behaviors and improves a variety of skills in a child.
Occupational Therapy   Teaches the skills to live independently like eating, dressing and social skills. This can help people afflicted by autism spectrum disorders to lead a normal life within the society and thus relate to as well as interact with other people.
Speech therapy   It improves and focuses primarily on communication skills and also uses picture boards and gestures to improve the abilities and induce learning skills.

Autism Spectrum Disorder - How To Diagnose It?

A Brain Tumour can be defined as an abnormal growth of the tissues in the brain, which can disrupt the proper brain functions. Generally, the cells in the human body die and are replaced by new cells, while in the case of a tumour, the old cells do not die and form an accumulation and continues to grow to form a mass as more and more cells are added to it.

Symptoms of Brain Tumour:

Headache: Having headache on regular basis, without any history of having such frequent headaches in past, which becomes worse because of other pressure related activities, such as sneezing, coughing, exercising might be a possible symptom of brain tumour and issues related to such sudden and frequent headaches should be taken up with the doctor without any further delay.
Seizures: Seizures (fits) are amongst the most common symptoms of brain tumour, which might be limited to a particular body part or the whole body. Seizures might even continue after the treatment of brain tumour because of the left scar tissues in the brain.
Numbness in arms/legs: Numbness in any body part, especially arms and legs should also be get evaluated timely, so that, if the possible reason behind them is a brain tumour, then the same could be treated well on time.
Balancing problems: Poor coordination and balancing problems also arise as the most prominent symptom for the brain tumour and hence such small changes must be evaluated and the person suffering should be taken to a doctor immediately to get treated without any delay.
Memory problems: Lack of concentration, poor memory and short term memory loss are few of the possible symptoms that indicate the presence of tumour.
Nausea or vomiting: Nausea or vomiting might be the symptoms of many other possible health issues, but a headache supported by nausea and/or vomiting is one of the many symptoms of a brain tumour and hence should not be ignored.
Facial paralysis: The inability to keep the facial activities under control also indicates the presence of a possible brain tumour and the same should also be diagnosed as soon as one experiences it.
Change in vision: A person suffering from brain tumour might also experience changes in the vision, dizziness, blurry vision, among other sight related issues.
Change in speech: The inability to speak properly and changes in the speech of a person may also indicate a possible presence of a tumour.
Hearing problems: Sudden occurrence of hearing problems and other hearing related disorders might have the brain tumour as a possible reason.
Diagnosing a brain tumour may include one or more of many tests, including CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Angiogram and biopsy. One should never ignore the symptoms of the brain tumour and should get himself/herself checked since the brain tumours might result into permanent damages to the brain; hence such issues should never be ignored.

Do You Think You are Suffering from Brain Tumor? 10 Signs You Must Take Seriously

Epilepsy is a relatively common disorder. Most cases of epilepsy can be controlled with a combination of drug therapy and healthy lifestyle. In some cases, surgery may also be advised. Epilepsy affects not only the lifestyle of the patient but also that of their caregiver. Each person reacts to epilepsy in a different way and hence the type of care needed also varies from person to person. While some patients have few seizures and require care only when they're having a seizure others need round the clock care. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if a loved one suffers from epilepsy.

Know what type of epilepsy he/she is dealing with: Not all epileptic seizures are the same. Find out what type of seizures your loved one suffers from and what are the possible triggers associated with Involve yourself in their lifestyle. Epilepsy should not be a reason for your loved one to lock themselves in a room to stay safe. Participate in activities with them of you feel the activity may be a safety risk if they were to have a seizure; for example - swimming.
Notice seizure triggers: Often an epileptic patient may not remember the seizure after it has occurred. As their care giver, keep a seizure diary to track their seizures and its related triggers. Look for patterns in the triggers to their epilepsy attacks.
Keep them safe during a seizure: When experiencing a seizure, the patient will lose consciousness, experience muscle convulsions and may grit his teeth. If the person is standing, hold them so that they do not fall. If they are lying down, try turning them onto their side. Do not put anything into their mouth.
Take care of them after a seizure: After the seizure, people are most likely to be confused, tired and have a headache. Check for injuries and keep them calm till medical help arrives. Loosen clothing around their neck and ensure that there is nothing inhibiting their breathing.
Medical identification: While someone who suffers from seizures often is likely to always have someone with them, others who have rare seizures may often venture out alone. In such cases, ensure that they always have medical identification on them. Also make sure that their friends, colleagues etc are aware of their medical condition.
Help them maintain a healthy lifestyle: Staying active is essential for people with epilepsy. Avoid contact sports and pick low impact exercises like walking, running or swimming. Following a buddy system is essential when an epileptic person works out. If you wish to discuss on any specific problem, you can consult a neurologist and ask a free question.

How to Deal With Epilepsy?

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