Parkinson s disease usually develops at a very slow rate and the early signs of this disease often go unnoticed. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more prominent. Parkinson s disease affects the nervous system and cannot be completely cured. However, with proper treatment, its rate of progression can be slowed and this condition can be managed. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the more effective treatment will be. Thus, it is important to be able to recognize the signs the symptoms of this disease.

The signs and symptoms of Parkinson s disease vary from person to person. In most cases, symptoms begin on one side of the body and are worse on that side even after it begins to be noticed on the other side. These symptoms can include:

Tremors
Involuntary shaking of a part of the body is usually the first sign of Parkinson s the hands are most affected by this symptom. These tremors can be felt while performing an activity or even when the hand is at rest. In some cases, it can even keep a person from performing normal tasks such as writing. Tremors caused by Parkinson s can also take the form of an uncontrollable back and forth rubbing movement between the thumb and forefinger.

Slow Movements
This is also known as bradykinesia. As the disease progresses, it can slow down movement and reduce the person s ability to move. Simple tasks such as walking can become more difficult and take much longer. The person s steps may become shorter and they may also drag their feet as they walk. Parkinson s patients may also find it difficult to get in and out of chairs.

Rigidity
Parkinson s can make muscles stiff and difficult to move. This can affect the muscles of any part of the body. This rigidity can limit the person s range of movement and make moving the affected muscles very painful.

Loss of certain movements
In addition to muscle rigidity, the person may not be able to make certain movements that we take for granted. For example, he or she may not be able to blink or smile. Swinging the arms while walking may also become more difficult.

Changes to speech
Parkinson s can make a person speak slower and reduce his or her natural volume. The person s speech may also sound slurred. In addition, they may find it difficult to speak with inflections due to which their speech may appear to be monotonic.

Imbalance
Parkinson s may affect a person s posture and balance. In many cases, Parkinson s patients develop a stoop. The loss of balance can make climbing stairs difficult and cause them to fall easily.

Parkinson's Disease - Signs And Symptoms You Should Know About It!

Epilepsy is a condition that starts in the brain and causes seizures in which the patient loses consciousness and has convulsions. He also jerks his arms and legs along with trembling and frothing from the mouth.
The lesser known fact about epilepsy is that there are many types of epileptic conditions-over 40 - and similarly, there are numerous drugs available to treat your epileptic disorder and prevent seizures. Your doctor will diagnose your type of epileptic disorder and prepare a treatment plan for it.

Types of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures are generally categorized as either partial or primary, generalized depending on where they originate in the brain. Partial seizures are less intense and they start in one section rather than the entire brain. If you have this type of seizure, you will be aware of what s happening to you. The other type of seizure affects a larger part of the brain. Here you may have difficulty understanding what's happening to you. Since these spread to the entire brain, you lose consciousness and start convulsing.

Having a seizure can put you at risk for serious injuries including head injuries.
So, if you close to you suffers from epilepsy, it's critical to your health and well being to educate yourself about your condition and have an action plan in place to tackle the seizures which can happen anywhere, and sometimes with no one to assist you or him actively.

Here is what you can do to manage epilepsy-

Educate yourself: You must know as much as possible about your condition. Know your symptoms and learn to recognize the symptoms preceding a seizure. Also, educate your friends and family about epilepsy so that they can support you during a seizure. Educate your family to do the right things when you have a seizure.
Make a seizure response plan: This plan should list the names and numbers of your doctors and two emergency contacts.
Other things you can do as an epileptic:
Antiepileptic drugs are quite successful in preventing seizures but they should be taken as prescribed. Don t change your dosage before talking to your doctor.
Sleep properly as lack of sleep can trigger seizures.
Exercising regularly can help keep you physically healthy and reduce depression and also help in managing seizures.
Manage your stress levels, limit alcohol and cigarettes.
On the other hand, if your family member or friend has epilepsy, this is what you can do:

Roll the person onto one side during a seizure.
Place something soft under the person s head.
Loosen tie and top buttons.
Don t put an object in an epileptic s mouth. It can hurt his/her teeth.
Don't try to restrain him during a seizure.
Clear away stones and other dangerous objects if the patient is thrashing around.
Time the seizures and be calm during them.
Don t leave the patient alone.

Epileptic Conditions - How To Deal With Them?

Sleep is the normal physiological process of our body which is as important as respiration and digestion. Sleep is vital for maintaining our physical and mental health. Normal adults require 8 hours of sleep every day, whereas it 14 to 15 hours of sleep is recommended for for infants and toddlers.

What are the different stages of Sleep

Every human has a natural circadian clock in their body, which is responsible for maintaining our sleep - wake homeostasis. The different stages of sleep include REM and NREM that is rapid eye movement sleep and non rapid eye movement sleep respectively. REM is the deep sleep stage in which it is very difficult to wake up the person as this stage includes the sensory inhibition and all voluntary muscles along with almost all interactions with the surroundings are inhibited. Therefore, a person s physical stress and tiredness also gets relieved during this stage of sleep. NREM sleep is the stage between REM and awakening and here the person may have sensory connection with his or her surroundings, but may not respond.

Sleep and its benefits
Sleep and stress have a very strong connection with each other. The best way to relieve stress and any other mental disturbance is sleep. It is essential to have knowledge about sleep psychiatry for almost all physicians as they face many sleep deprived patients in their day to day practice.

    Sleep is not only responsible for relieving mental stress and depression, but has other benefits as well
    Sleep is also essential for the normal physiological growth in early infancy and it is vital for development of normal alertness, attention and knowledge
    It also relaxes our voluntary muscles and thereby, relieves us from physical stress
    Sleep disturbance may also aggravate diseases in our body. Sleep is also the state of recovery and healing.

Sleep psychiatry also insist on meditation and ensures that people have normal pattern of sleep, in order to maintain the mental health of the person in a normal state.

Sleep Pyschiatry: Its Stages and Benefits

A stroke, also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult(CVI), or brain attack, occurs when a part of the brain is deprived of blood flow. When the brain cells are deprived of oxygen they begin to die. When brain cells die, the functions controlled by that part of the brain also stops, which results in different types of disabilities among stroke survivors.

There are two types of strokes

Hemorrhagic
Ischemic stroke
The first is caused when a brain aneurysm or a weak blood vessel bursts. Most of the time, this type of stroke leads to death. The second one happens when a clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Patients suffering from stroke suffer from various side-effects, the most common ones being paralysis or loss of feeling in a certain part of the body, problem in understanding or talking and loss of vision in one side. The side-effects start showing up regularly after a person has had a stroke.

In certain conditions, blood flow to a certain part of the brain stops for only some time and hence the body suffers stroke like symptoms which only last a couple of hours before disappearing. This is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Unfortunately, the effects of a stroke can be debilitating and also permanent. Hence its important to know the symptoms of a stroke and rush the patient to a doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes early treatment can save a lot of damage.

The primary symptoms of stroke are as follows:

Confusion and problems with talking and comprehension
Headache along with alteration of consciousness or vomiting
Numbness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body
Issue with seeing, in one or both eyes
Inability to walk with stability, including disrupted coordination
Problems with the bladder and bowel control
Acute depression
Body temperature fluctuates, and pain worsens with movement
Paralysis on one side of the body along with fatigue
Problem in expressing or controlling emotions
Risk Factors:

Hypertension
Diabetes
Increased Cholesterol
Smoking
Obesity
Sedentary Lifestyle
Diagnosis of stroke

Several tests are carried out to determine the type of stroke acquired. They are:

Physical examination, which involves observing the patient's overall condition.
Blood tests
CT scans
MRI scans
Cerebral angiogram
Echocardiograms
Stroke is a fatal brain disease and can cause permanent damage to your system so its best to check with your doctor to know how you can prevent it.

Brain Stroke - Factors That Can Lead To It!

Sleep disorder is a serious problem which a large number of people are facing due to multiple reasons. Almost every other person complains of having some sort of sleep disorder, irrespective of his/her age. Sleep disorders may come across as something which can be overlooked, but this shouldn t be the case, as when the problem aggravates it can take quite a scary turn. You need to be aware of the different kinds of sleep disorders which affect a vast number of people, on a daily basis. Given below are some of the most common ones which affect the majority of the crowd.

1. Insomnia
Insomnia, a worldwide epidemic, is the most common type of sleep disorder today. A number of factors can cause insomnia and affect even the healthiest being. From stress, anxiety or depression, substance and alcohol abuse to certain types of medication, a lot of factors can cause this issue. People who have insomnia have difficulty in sleeping and then maintaining that sleep. A cognitive behavioral therapy can help people suffering from this disorder. Often medications are also prescribed.

2. Sleep Apnea
If you have a partial or complete blockage of the throat then, you might be suffering from sleep apnea. This disorder is the second most prevailing sleep disorder in the world today. People who suffer from this disorder hardly realize it until someone informs them about having the trouble. Some of the common symptoms of Sleep apnea are morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and excessively loud snoring as well. People suffering from apnea may also face trouble breathing multiple times per night. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine is a common treatment for this disorder.

3. RLS or Restless Leg Syndrome
The real reason behind RLS is still not known by experts, however, most believe the real cause of the disorder is hereditary. Some medications can also be a cause of restless leg syndrome. In this disorder, an urge to move your legs and hands precedes the need to sleep. RLS usually occurs when the patient is resting. In order to treat the restless leg syndrome, one must reduce the consumption of alcohol and caffeine along with doing regular exercises. For more severe cases, often medications are prescribed. RLS is observed more in women than in men.

4. Narcolepsy
People with narcolepsy often complain about falling asleep during odd times and feeling weak quite often. An abnormality in the brain is usually the reason behind this sleep disorder. Patients of narcolepsy often develop cataplexy which is a condition where patients feel faintish as an emotional reaction to any situation. People suffering from narcolepsy are given medications as a treatment.


4 Most Common Sleep Disorders

Injuries are very common, especially head injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in adults. As per surveys conducted, 1.7 million people suffer from head injuries every year and this estimation is increasing day by day.

Head Injury is any trauma to head other than superficial injuries to face. It results in high morbidity & mortality. Head injuries are an important cause of loss of young people at their productive age.

Causes of Head Injury-

A head injury can occur due to many reasons. Some common causes of these head injuries are:

Vehicle accidents

Street fights

Fall from height

Child abuse

Symptoms of Head Injury-

A head injury is followed by various symptoms depending upon the intensity of the injury. Here is a list of the possible symptoms of brain injuries:  

Nausea and vomiting, fatigue or sleepiness, severe headache, confusion, amnesia,  loss of consciousness, seizures, loss of muscle control or paralysis in the part of the body controlled by the part of the brain that is affected, coma, dilation of the pupils and disturbance of vision, Cerebrospinal fluids might come out of the ears and nose, sometimes accompanied by blood, difficulty in breathing, low pulse rate, increase in blood pressure, difficulty in swallowing, loss of hearing, problems in cognitive functions.

Brain damage is a process, not an event. 80% are minor head injuries, 10% are moderate head injuries and 10% are major head injuries.

Management of Head Injury-

Diagnosis of a brain injury has to be detailed and very quick at the same time. It always comes under emergency cases. Some of the steps involved are:

Glasgow Coma Scale

Pupillary reaction to light

Brain stem reflex tests

Head to toe examination

CT scan of head is the initial study of choice. MRI Brain is helpful in cases of non-haemorrhagic contusions, diffuse axonal injury and deep lesions.

Surgical Indications

Head injuries with intracranial hematomas causing significant mass effect

Massive cerebral edema

Hydrocephalus

Infection

Precautions for Head Injury

Use Helmets- both riders

Use Seat Belts

Keep vehicle speed under control

Follow traffic rules

Take adequate precautions during trekking, diving

Take Away-

No head injury is minor enough to be neglected nor severe enough to be given up.

Head injuries take time to heal, but medical treatment along with neurosurgery can aid the process of recovery and also help a person to lead a healthy life in the future. Most young patients recover fully, while some older patients or patients with preexisting neurological conditions live with a degree of disability.



Head Injuries - All You Must Know!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Pituitary Surgeon online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Pituitary Surgeon - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES