Acoustic neuroma is the development of noncancerous and slow-growing tumors on the main, vestibular nerve that travels from the inner ear to the brain, connecting the two organs. They are also known as vestibular schwannoma, as it arises from Schwann cells covering the vestibular nerve. It rarely grows rapidly or attains a large enough size that can press against the brain and interfere with the vital functions of the brain. Since the tumor is benign, the patient can be assured that it won t spread to the other parts of the body; however, they can grow large enough to disrupt the normal function of the body.

The pressure from the acoustic neuroma on the main nerve can cause loss of hearing, a constant ringing in the ear and unsteadiness. As per a report published by the Acoustic Neuroma Association, 1 out of every 50,000 people suffers from this condition.

Risk factors for acoustic neuroma
Acoustic neuroma does not have quite as many risk factors. The only established risk factor for acoustic neuroma is having a parent who suffers from the rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2). However, having said that, neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) accounts for only 5 percent of the reported cases. In most of the cases, it has been found that the tumors appear spontaneously without any indication of a family member having this disease or any medical history of the same.

The development of noncancerous tumors on the ear nerves as well as other nerves in the body is scientifically supported as a characteristic indication of neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2). Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) is also termed as an autosomal dominant disorder, which indicates that the mutated gene can pass from just one parent. Each of the children has a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting the disease.

However, scientists and doctors have failed to identify why specific people get these tumors. They have reached a generic conclusion about the risk factors, which may include:

Loud noises near the ear.
A parathyroid neuroma, which is a similar benign tumor of the thyroid.
A chance of exposure to low levels of radiation in the childhood.
How to diagnose the risk factors for acoustic neuroma?
If you are experiencing loss of hearing or other neurological symptoms, try to keep track of them. Later on, mention them to your doctor for a proper diagnosis. A detailed history of the symptoms will help your doctor. Your doctor will perform a hearing test to check whether you have an acoustic neuroma. Then the doctor may perform a brainstem auditory evoked response tests along with an electronystagmography to detect any changes in eye movement, caused due to the inner ear. MRI and CT scans are also quite common diagnoses methods for acoustic neuroma.

Acoustic Neuroma - What Are The Risk Factors?

Neurodevelopmental disorders refer to any impairment and disorder of the brain and nervous system growth and development. Disorder in the brain and nervous system can affect the emotional, physiological, psychological ability and overall timely development of a child. With advanced technology and continuous study in the medical field, one can now assess the neurodevelopment of his/her children. Neurodevelopmental Assessment concentrates on the overall growth and development of a child including his/her weaknesses and strengths. A complete developmental profile is generated with the help of various tests and examinations. This assessment is used to analyse the various developmental factors including social and communication skills, functional and motor skills, cognition and learning abilities, and language and speech development. Neurodevelopmental Assessment involves a team of child s close people including parents, guardians, and family members who help to understand the medical history if any. It helps doctors to provide appropriate ways to assist the child in his/ her growth and development.

Tests and Examinations

Tests for the Neurodevelopmental Assessment may vary from child to child depending upon their condition. But, there are usually some tests that are done to understand the overall development of the child. These tests may include speech tests, hearing tests, blood tests, physical examinations, and questionnaires, which may be given before or during the assessment process.

Assessment

The assessment processes and sessions may vary depending upon the need of the child. However, usually, there are three major sessions that help the pediatrician understand the concerns of the family and parents. These sessions include consulting about the detailed medical history of the child, understanding the problem and its possible cause, and providing proper ways and treatment options for the patient. 

In the first session, parents and guardians are asked about any medical concern they have and the medical examination of the child is carried out accordingly. A standardized assessment with the child will be carried out by a clinical psychologist and the parents and guardians are asked to complete a questionnaire for the assessment. Depending upon the age, questionnaire may be sent to school for teacher/s to complete.

The next session is usually led by language and speech therapist to discuss and understand the current language and speech concerns of the child. Previous assessments and medical examinations are taken into account to carry out further assessments. An occupational therapist will assess the child s ability to perform self-care activities and other tasks according to his/her age. The session may include the assessment of a child s motor skills and abilities and reflection on any probable sensory-based problems that may be affecting the child s occupational performance.

The last session mainly includes the discussion with the parents and guardians to help them understand the problem, its causes, and treatment options. If the child requires any further assessment or/and recommendations, then the parents are told about that too.

Takeaway
Neurodevelopmental Assessment of children is often performed on kids who do not show the developmental signs according to their age. Parents and guardians should not hesitate to consult their children to clinical psychologist and therapist as the early intervention and assessment can help in the timely growth and development of the children.

Neurodevelopmental Assessment (0-5 Years)  - What Should You Know?

Leading a life with peripheral neuropathy is quite similar to riding a roller coaster. Managing the pain can be frustrating at one time and overwhelming on the other as patients can experience alternating symptoms with debilitating pain. So you should learn about the various treatment options as they can help you go a long way in managing the pain.

The peripheral nerves are considered the longest in the body which extend from the hands to feet. When these nerves are damaged, you may feel some sort of pain, tingling in the hands and feet and even numbness, and these symptoms can even get worse and you may experience stabbing pain with increasing weakness. 

There are many things that you should know about peripheral neuropathy as they would help you to manage the condition much more effectively.

Diabetes is the leading cause of neuropathy: More than 70% of diabetics develop symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. So you should keep your blood sugar within optimum levels as a means of reversing diabetic neuropathy.
A melange of causes behind neuropathy: Though diabetes is the number 1 cause of peripheral neuropathy, other causes include deficiency of vitamin B12, alcoholism, traumatic injury, chemotherapy and exposure to toxic substances. Physicians may find it difficult to pin-point the cause and when this happens. This is often termed as  idiopathic neuropathy .
Medications causing neuropathy: If you are suffering from diabetes and being treated with the drug named metformin, you may develop peripheral neuropathy.
Preventing neuropathy is the most recommended way: While it is the fact that some nerves may potentially get damaged from certain surgeries or injury, peripheral neuropathy can be potentially prevented or sometimes stopped from spreading. As diabetes is a major cause of diabetes, being watchful about your diet and exercising regularly can help you go a long way to prevent diabetes as well as neuropathy.
Pain is not simply confined to a tingling sensation: Though pain and a tingling sensation is the commonest and easiest way of recognising the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, each of your sensory, motor and autonomic nerves can show different set of symptoms that you should be watchful of.
A diet may make the symptoms even worse: You can either help or hurt your nerves with your choice of foods. For improving symptoms, you should avoid food with excessive sugar, refined grains and artificial sweeteners as they may strain your nerves and irritate them further.
Whether you are recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy or living with it for many years, understanding a few conditions would help you make informed decisions about your well-being.

Peripheral Neuropathy - 6 Things You Should Know!

The term haemorrhage refers to the escape of blood from the vessels through which it runs and the discharge can be either into the internal cavities or in the external regions. Profuse as well as long drawn haemmorrhages can be dangerous and lead to serious outcomes. In some individuals there exists a predisposition which can either be acquired or hereditary and comprises defective contractility of affected arteries. The common haemorrhages can be of three types namely arterial, venous and capillary, and the special types are accidental, antepartum, cerebral, concealed, contrecoup, extradural and intradural haemorrhage. Regardless of the haemorrhage you are suffering from, homeopathy can offer you a solution to your ailment.

What are the symptoms of internal haemorrhage?
Internal bleeding is quite difficult to detect and in some cases it may not be identified for many hours after it starts. Symptoms may only take place when there is severe loss of blood and when the blood clot is big enough for compressing any organ, leading to its inability to function properly. Some people are affected with inborn and genetic errors of blood clotting and in such cases minor injuries can cause a heavy bleeding. Von 

Willebrand s disease and haemophilia are two instances of hereditary clotting disease.
There are several homeopathic medications, including secale, trilium, ipecac, hammelis and cinchona, along with various others that can be used for the treatment of haemorrage. However, it is best to consult an expert for availing medicines that are ideal to treat your individualistic health complication.

How can homeopathy treat haemorrahage?
Homeopathy aims to treat an individual as a whole instead of focusing on the affected area or the concerned ailment only. So when you are suffering from haemorrahage, your doctor will evaluate all the relevant aspects of your health that include assessment of the physical and mental conditions, present symptoms, underlying pathological conditions as well as possible causative factors. Some people have a tendency to choose medications on their own and administer them, but it is advisable to not take things into your own hands as a haemorrhage is a broad aspect and shouldn t be experimented with.

It is important to check whether you are susceptible to any kind of haemorrhage and get proper homeopathic medication. It is important to maintain a low blood pressure and stay away from all kinds of activities that can induce heavy gravitational force and stay as stress free as possible.




Haemorrhage - Can It Be Treated With Homeopathy?

Polio is a virus that has the potential to infect any parts of the body including, but not limited to nerves and muscles. Primarily there are 3 types of polio namely, non-paralytic, spinal paralytic and bulbar. This disease shows minimal to no symptoms in more than 90 percent of the cases. 5 percent of the cases can show symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throat and abdominal pain. Polio is a communicable disease and can cause massive damage if a proper dosage is not taken. It can spread through air, physical contact with an infected person, coughs etc.

Polio can cause paralysis: Polio has a far-reaching permanent effect on the body. It can cause paralysis on any of the limbs leading to permanent disability. This severely alters a child s life. The far-reaching consequences of the virus can only be negated through vaccination.
Weak muscle: Polio can result in weak muscles, respiratory problems and loss of reflex. If the breathing muscle collapses, it can result in the death of a person. Any of the above-mentioned symptoms can lead to weak body development altering the fate of a child.
It can spread fast and quick: Polio spreads very fast through the air, physical contact, saliva and water. It not only affects a single life but put millions at risk of the disease. A 1916 outbreak of the disease killed 6000 people in the United States and left several thousands of people disabled.
It reduces the risk of infection: 3 dosages Polio vaccination under the age of 6 can save a baby from getting polio in future. The body successfully creates polio antibodies from the vaccines and gets enough ammunition to fight it if the virus attacks it in future.
Social responsibility: Massive amount of awareness campaigns have been run by countries all over the world to permanently eradicate polio from the face of the earth. As per the latest reports, only 3 countries are reported to have babies affected with polio; Afghanistan, Pakistan and Congo. It is, therefore, a social responsibility to take part in the mission of removing polio from the face of the earth once and for all.
Save future generation: Although polio is not known to be a disease which passes through heredity, there still lies a chance for the future generation to get this disease. In order to negate that from happening, it makes sense to get the vaccines on time.
Give your kid a head start: Every kid deserves to have an equal amount of privileges like others. One small mistake on part of the parents can heavily cost a child s future. In order to make sure your kids grow up with any apprehension of polio, it is very important to treat them with polio vaccines.

Polio Vaccination - Why Is It so Important?

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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