Epilepsy is a disorder in the central nervous system characterized by recurrent seizures. An unexpected rush of electrical activity inside the brain leads to a seizure. Brain activity becomes abnormal and leads to periods of unusual behaviour with loss of awareness at times.

Seizures do not always include unusual muscle movements or convulsions. Untreated seizures can seriously affect the lives of children having them. Epilepsy affects both men and women regardless of their ethnic background and age.

Signs of Epilepsy:

A staring spell
Momentary bewilderment
Loss of consciousness
Jerking movements of arms and legs.
Panic or anxiety
Kinds of Seizures:
Seizures are normally classified as focal or generalized depending on the commencement of abnormal brain activity.

Focal (partial) seizures result from abnormal activity in a particular area of the person's brain. Simple partial seizures may change emotions or the way things smell, appear, feel, sound or taste. It is characterized by tingling and dizziness.
Complex partial seizures or focal seizures with impaired awareness entail a modification of or loss of awareness and consciousness. Repetitive movements are performed during such seizures such as hand rubbing, walking in circles or swallowing.
Thorough testing is needed to differentiate epilepsy from other neurological disorders such as narcolepsy, migraine or mental illness.

Generalized seizures normally affect all areas of the brain and consist of:

Tonic seizures lead to muscle stiffness and normally affects muscles in the person's back, legs and arms.
Atonic seizures or drop seizures lead to a loss of muscle control which makes a person abruptly collapse or fall down.
Myoclonic seizures are visible as short jerks or twitches of a person's arms and legs.
Clonic seizures are characterized by repetitive or rhythmic jerking muscle movements.
Tonic-clonic seizures cause sudden loss of consciousness, quivering and body stiffening.
Absence seizures might take place in clusters and lead to momentary loss of awareness.
Symptoms of Epilepsy:
The main symptoms of epilepsy are seizures and it differs from one person to another.

Symptoms of Focal (partial) seizures include:

Dizziness
Change or modification in the sense of smell, taste, hearing, sight or touch.
Twitching and tingling of limbs.
Symptoms of Complex partial seizures include:

Unresponsiveness
Staring blankly
Performing repetitive movements
Loss of awareness or consciousness
Genetics may provide a person with a natural seizure threshold as a person who is susceptible to seizure triggers is said to have inherited a low seizure threshold. A higher threshold conversely makes a person less liable to have seizures.

Epilepsy is a comparatively common neurological disorder that affects innumerable people worldwide and treatments range from medication to surgery.

Epilepsy - Signs and Symptoms You Must Know!

Recurrent miscarriage is a condition when there has been three or more successive pregnancy losses. It is different from infertility as, infertility is the inability to conceive. For many cases, the cause of a recurrent miscarriage has not always been found. A number of factors can cause recurrent miscarriages of which some are treatable.It may not always be possible to identify a cause for recurrent miscarriage in a couple, even after extensive research and treatment procedures. Some of the common causes of recurrent miscarriage are described below:
1. Chromosomal abnormalities: Incompatible chromosomes can result into pregnancy losses. When an egg and a sperm meet, of which one of them is faulty, they can't line up properly resulting into chromosomal abnormality. Such conditions lead to miscarriages.
2. Uterine abnormalities or Incompetent cervixes: Miscarriages occur if the uterus is abnormally shaped since the embryo is not properly implanted or even if it gets implanted, it may not get sufficient nourishment to survive. If the woman has a weak cervix, it cannot hold the developing embryo, leading to miscarriage.
3.  Immunologic disorders: Under rare cases, the embryo itself is not accepted by the body. Antiphospholipid antibodies are those, which attack self tissues, such as embryos and prevent them from building up. This leads to recurrent miscarriage.
4. Untreated thyroid problems: Conditions such as thyroid or uncontrolled diabetes result in uterine conditions which make it tough for the embryos to survive.
5. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome tend to have high levels of male hormones which, result in irregular menstruation and ovulation. This can prevent the lining of the endometrium from maturing that is required for holding the embryo.
6. Bacterial infections: There may be presence of a number of microorganisms inside the reproductive tract that may be harmless for the person. But there may be certain bacteria lined up in the reproductive tract, which can prevent development of embryo, thus leading to miscarriages.
7.  Lifestyle: Smoking and drinking are harmful lifestyle habits, which may increase the chance of miscarriage to a great extent. It is always advised to avoid smoking or drinking when you wish to conceive. Other lifestyle conditions, such as working in certain environments like hospital environments, farms, laboratories, etc, may lead to miscarriages; however, the exact reason has not been identified yet.

Reasons For Recurrent Miscarriage

Varicose veins are a condition marked by enlarged or gnarled veins. This typically affects the veins in the feet and legs. In most cases, varicose veins are a mere cosmetic concern but in some cases, it can be quite uncomfortable and painful. If left untreated, it can also lead to further complications.

Varicose veins may be caused by a lack of elasticity in the veins causing blood to pool in them and flow back-wards. This blood is deoxygenated and hence the veins appear blue. Women have a higher risk of suffering from varicose veins as compared to men. This risk also increases with age and weight. Pregnancy can also cause varicose veins. The most common symptoms of this condition are:

visible veins just under the surface of the skin
veins that appear blue and gnarled
a dull ache in the legs
throbbing or burning sensation in the calves
pain in the legs that worsens after standing or sitting in the same position for a long time
itching around the veins
bleeding veins
inflammation of the skin or ulcers around the ankles
red or blue spider veins
Varicose veins can be treated with simple home remedies. Keeping the legs raised or wearing compression stockings can relieve the pain associated with varicose veins and prevent the condition from worsening. Exercise can also help improve blood circulation. If these home remedies are not effective, the patient may need to consult a doctor.

Varicose veins cannot be completely prevented. However, an individual can reduce the risk of suffering from this condition. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to do this as being overweight can increase the pressure on the legs and hence aggravate varicose veins. Women with a family history of varicose veins should also avoid wearing high heels and tight stockings.

Complications caused by varicose veins are rare. However, some people may experience bleeding on the surface of the skin. There are chances that the veins deep inside the muscle may get twisted which may lead to the swelling of the calf muscles. Varicose veins may also cause painful ulcers around the ankles and is a result of the buildup of fluid around the ankles.

All the complication must be reported to the doctor at the earliest to prevent the condition from worsening.

Varicose Veins - The Most Common Symptoms Your Should Know!

Tennis toe is also known as runner s toe since athletes are mostly runners; skiers and tennis players also get this injury often. Due to its ugly appearance, tennis toe is also known as a black toenail. This injury causes bleeding under the toe along with moderate to heavy pain. Although it is not considered to be type 1 serious injury, it can still force an athlete to abstain from participating in any events. The blood from the toenail might take its own sweet time to get out of the way. As a result, the recovery time for this injury can last for weeks together. This, unfortunately, is also an ideal condition for infection to set in.

How does it happen?
This condition may arise because of the friction between the toenail and the running shoes or constant downward pressure on the toe. In case if the shoe is tighter than normal, it can damage the toenail. If on the other hand, the shoe is very loose, it can result in similar condition due to heavy pressure on the nail. Tennis toe can also arise in a situation, if the toe constantly bangs the shoe from inside. Extreme hot weather may also result in toe swelling. Finally, one may encounter tennis toe if a blow is faced on the toe. Irrespective of the cause, the blood clots inside the nail resulting in swelling and pain. Too much damage might result in falling off of the toenail altogether.

Treatment plan:
1. If the tennis toe is minor, the injury resolves all by itself
2. The toenail should be clipped together to ensure that it does not result in any friction with the shoe.
3. During the injury, it is advised that a person wears bigger size shoes with wider toe space so that it does not result in any further irritation.
4. If the toenail is torn, make sure to tap it up so that adequate protection is there from outside forces.
5. In case the injury is serious a doctor might have to intervene and drain the blood with a surgical instrument.
6. Another medical solution is to remove the toenail surgically, drain the blood and tape it up for a good one week until new nail formation takes place.

Precautionary measure:
1. Running shoes should be at least half a size bigger than the normal size.
2. Toenails should be regularly trimmed in order to avoid any injury.
3. If a person has a tendency of sweating too much, it makes sense to wear a pair of socks at all times.
4. While running, shoe laces should be tightened to avoid sudden friction between the toe and the shoe resulting into tennis toe.

Tennis Toe - How it Should be Treated?

Study of the brain has fascinated specialists all over the globe since time immemorial. The brain being the most vital organ for survival and coordination is perhaps the most complex of them all too. This has led to a limited understanding of its working in spite of the available advanced technology. However, with the advent of techniques for diagnosis and treatment, therapeutic strategies are evolving. This is a major step towards rendering Neurosurgery safer than ever in the history of mankind.

Neurosurgery through the 20th Century-

During the beginning of the 20th century, Neurosurgery was considered as a specialty. The clinical-neurologist would draw conclusions related to lesions in the brain through neurological examination and clinical history. It enabled diagnosis of vascular lesions, spinal disorders, and brain tumors. During the second and third decades of the 20th century, vascular pathologies and brain tumors could be diagnosed indirectly through techniques like angiography, ventriculography, and pneumoencephalography. But since the operative techniques were too crude and the lack of skilled professionals were rampant, there were high rates of morbidity and mortality due to neurological conditions. Generally, after diagnosing the nature of brain lesion and its site, surgery was performed with inadequate maintenance and control of intracranial pressure and through not too sophisticated surgical instruments.

During the fifth and sixth decades of the 20th century, chemotherapy and radiation treatment came into the picture for treating malignant brain tumors, thereby reducing mortality to a good extent.

During the seventh decade of the 20th century, Computed Tomography (CT) scan provided a better understanding of the location of lesions in the brain which slightly substantiated the earlier techniques. Then, the procedures for cerebrospinal fluid diversion significantly improved management of intracranial pressure during surgery.

It was only during the last decade of the 20th century that the Neurology saw a giant progressive leap through the introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and powerful high magnification microscopes. Combined with Neuroanesthesia and Intracranial Pressure Management, this aided surgeons to work on a relaxed brain. This promoted safe removal of the brain tumor and better management of vascular lesions. Moreover, the understanding of micro-surgical anatomy improved drastically, leading to a boost in confidence levels of the micro-neurosurgeons performing the operation.

Neurosurgery in the 21st Century-

The 21st century is actually a revolutionary era that uses powerful computers in almost all the fields possible. Computer-based applications such as Neuro-imaging, Neuronavigation, Intra-operative Neuro-monitoring, and Neuro-modulation are now used in standard neurosurgical practice as a part of the routine. Extremely powerful CT scans and MRIs are used for diagnosis before surgery. The advent of nanotechnology and its application in Neurosurgery is doing great and has a promising future ahead based on the current study of scenarios. Moreover, there is a possibility of most of the Neurosurgical procedures becoming minimally invasive. Frameless Stereotaxy is another technique that helps in locating the exact position of the tumor, which further helps the neurosurgeon in navigating with great precision the very sensitive, high-risk areas of the brain. Such techniques, to a great extent, have lowered mortality and morbidity, lessened the rate of recovery, and chances of infection related to Neurosurgery.

Take Away-

A number of techniques for diagnosis and precise location of the tumor in the brain have made Neurosurgery much safer today, due to advancement in science and technology, than it ever had been in the history of mankind.

Advancements In Neurosurgery - Know How Safe It Is!

When there are vibrations in the top airways of the respiratory system because of obstruction to the air movement during the time of sleep, it leads to the sound of snoring. When a child gently squeaks or snores at night, it could be a warning sign of an underlying sleep disorder. 

Common Reasons for Snoring in Children 

  Infection in the Respiratory System- If the child suffers from a stuffy nose or from chronic allergies or cold then there is a chance that the snoring is brought on about by a blockage to the sinuses. The blockage to the nasal canal makes it difficult for the child to breathe normally and instead has to breathe through the mouth leading to the sound of snoring. 

  Inflamed Tonsils- Enlarged adenoids, as well as tonsils, are the primary reasons for snoring in children. It is also a strong indicator of sleep apnea. The inflamed glands block the airways and the child finds it difficult to breathe during the night. 

  Diverged Septum- When the airway of the nostrils is offset, it leads to the condition of a diverged or deviated septum. This again makes breathing through the nose quite a difficult job. This is because the passage is smaller as compared to others, lowering the quantity of airflow. 

  Obstructive Sleep Apnea- Obstructive sleep apnea is a severe condition where the airflow becomes obstructed completely via the respiratory system. This makes breathing difficult through the nose and can lead to other associated health issues. 

Symptoms of Various Snoring Problems in Children 

Each of the disorders stated above is characterized by a number of symptoms that lead to the problem of snoring in children. These may include-

  The child continues to snore almost regularly 

  The breathing is brought to a halt by snorts, gasps or pauses that extend longer than ten seconds 

  The child suffers from restless sleep or tends to sleep in awkward positions especially with the head tipped backwards. Remedies After observing your child s symptoms there are a few remedies you can try on the recommendation of your paediatrician. 

  Give the child some medications for allergy or congestion 

  You can put your child s head up with the help of a pillow. 

This can clear up the blocked nasal passage and bring the child some relief. Aside from these, your paediatrician might feel that you take your child and go see either an ENT specialist or a sleep specialist to figure out if the child suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. 

Snoring Problem In Children - What Causes It?

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