Rheumatoid Arthritis

An Overview of Rheumatoid Arthritis
...And Some Controversial Theory



Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that affects the joints of the body, and that can profoundly affect an individual's ability to function at normal level. The effects of this bone problem can be traced to inflammation caused by the body's normal response to infections, injury, wounds, or foreign objects in the body.

Those who suffer from this bone diesease are commonly affected by feelings of pain, joint stiffness, swelling, and other symptoms. Moreover, many patients may suffer from complications associated with arthritis, as the inflammation associated with it can affect patient's internal organs and other systems of the body. Treatment generally consists of controlling inflammation to prevent damage to joints or tissues.

What separates rheumatoid from other forms of arthritis? It is unique because it is classified as an autoimmune disease. In other words, the bodies own immune system is responsible for attacking and damaging its own cells and tissues that it normally protects.

This happens when an individual's immune system produces unique chemicals and cells that are released into the blood stream. These cells then begin to attack body tissues, many times causing irreversible damage. When the body's tissues are attacked, the body responds by producing inflammation and abnormal growth in the synovium.

The synovium is the special membrane that lines each joint. The process whereby the synovium becomes inflamed is referred to as synovitis. Synovitius is one of the primary distinguishing features of rheumatoid-arthritis. Synovitis is responsible for many of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

When synovitis continues to expand around the joint, it can threaten the integrity of the surrounding tissues, joint, and cartilage. Ligaments, nerves, tendons, and blood vessels may all be adversely affected.

The joints that are most commonly affected by rheumatoid- arthritis include some of the body's smaller joints, including those of the writs, hands, feet, ankles, knees, and elbows. As can be imagined, rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers experience a variety of symptoms that can lead to severe discomfort and even debilitating.

Normal, routine activities such as walking, washing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, working, and even using the restroom can become difficult to achieve. As the condition worsens, many individuals with rheumatoid-arthritis find that they are no longer to work. Many times, this occurs as early as ten years after the initial diagnosis.

Perhaps not surprisingly, people diagnosed with rheumatoid-arthritis experience a shorter life expectancy than the general public. Of course, many people with rheumatoid-arthritis live long lives, since the disease is not inherently fatal. However, severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis can be the cause for several life-threatening diseases. Since rheumatoid-arthritis is essentially an autoimmune disease, many vital tissues or organs can be affected throughout the course of the disease.

Rheumatoid-arthritis is a disease of the whole body. It is systematic, meaning that it can affect not just the joints, but other parts of the body as well. This can make rheumatoid arthritis difficult to treat. Fortunately, new treatments are being developed that can help rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers cope on a day-to-day basis.

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Alzheimers Disease

When it comes out to causes of alzheimers disease, in fact, throughout the years, various studies have been carried out in a bid to find it out, and some of them are discussed below:

• In old age, patients suffer from many diseases because the immune system ceases to be as efficient as it once was. A properly functioning immune system is one which can recognise and kill alien viruses, cells and bacteria.
  
• To date there appears to be some evidence that Alzheimers may result from having some sort of immune system malfunction which then results in creating the protein which is responsible for destroying the brain tissues and cells of those afflicted with this condition.
  
• One of the more controversial theories about causes of alzheimers disease is that eating meat could result in Alzheimers Disease. This has been rejected by the vast majority of doctors and researchers on the basis that the disease does not afflict only meat eaters.
  
• Another controversial theory is that there is a link between Aluminium and Alzheimer. This theory came about due to many post mortem findings excessive amounts of aluminium in the brain. However, some studies have shown that aluminium has a propensity to collect in the brains of older people - regardless of whether or not they go on to develop Alzheimers disease.
  
• Further, nearly all of us are exposed to this metal because there are vast quantities of it in nature. But studies are unable to show why this would cause a problem in some people's' brains.
  

Alzheimers disease tends to affect mainly people who are older, usually over 60 years of age. However, there have been rare cases where it can affect people decades earlier, in their 30s, 40s and 50s.


There do not appear to be any warning signs which would tell the sufferer or his friends and family, that Alzheimers disease is about to strike. Alzheimers can descend without warning and may deteriorate rapidly or slowly - the sufferer has no control over this.

One of the sad facts about Alzheimers is that it causes memory loss which is permanent - denying its victim their cache of memories from an earlier life. In fact, there are many similar types of dementias which can afflict people in their old age - and often some of these can be mistaken for Alzheimers.

As such it is vitally important to get a proper diagnosis and to pin down the exact problem. For example, depression and Alzheimer's may be indistinguishable in a patient. Depression does not tend to be long term whereas Alzheimers is.

The elderly can mistakenly be diagnosed as suffering from Alzheimers when really; the real cause of their problem is depression. If this error is made then the patient will not receive the correct treatment.

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Amnesia

What is Amnesia ?
Amnesia is a state of mind in which the person tends to suffer from partial or complete memory loss. There are varying types and degrees of amnesia that take place during old age. Talking about the amnesia symptoms, the persons suffering from this mental disorder forget words and names.
There is a distinctive uncommon form of amnesia in which the memory loss occurs to such an extent that the patient even forgets his own identity, as in his name, age, and family background. It is a stage in which the person fails to recollect anything of the past.

Symptoms of Amnesia
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Amnesia includes the 5 symptoms listed below:
Memory loss
Partial memory loss
Total memory loss
Temporary memory loss
Permanent memory loss
Diagnosis of Amnesia
There are no laboratory tests that are necessary to confirm amnesia nor are there any physical conditions that must be met. However, it is very important not to overlook a physical illness that might mimic or contribute to amnesia. If there is any doubt about a medical problem, the mental health professional should refer to a physician, who will perform a complete physical examination and request any necessary laboratory tests.
Very sophisticated psychological testing, called neuropsychological testing, can be very helpful in determining the presence of amnesia. Sometimes the diagnosis of amnesia can be aided by the use of brain scans such as the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

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Mesothelioma

What Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma, an extremely rare form of cancer, derives its name from mesothelium, which is the tissue infected by this cancer. Mesothelium is a membrane covering most of the body viscera. Factually speaking, mesothelium consists of two layers: one of the two forms an immediate cover of the organ; the other one leaves a space around the first layer and then forms a covering. A fluid released by mesothelium fills this sac-like space. Function of this fluid is lubrication, in other words, it allows convenient and frictionless motion of the internal body organs.Mesothelial tissue, if surrounds the lungs and chest cavity, is called pleura, it is called peritoneum if it surrounds the abdominal organs and pericardium if it surrounds heart. Mesothelial lining surrounding the male reproductive system is called tunica vaginalis testis, and the one surrounding internal female reproductive organs is called tunica serosa uteri.Mesothelioma is a disorder, in which uncontrollable division of cells of mesothelium leads to formation of a tumor in this tissue, which, in most of the cases is malignant. That is why, mesothelioma is also known as cancer of mesothelium. The cancerous cells of mesothelioma can metastasize to other body parts and can also damage nearby tissues. Most of the cases of mesothelioma begin in pleural cavity. Peritoneal and pericardial origin is less common. Rarely, mesothelioma may originate in groin and give a hernia-like appearance.
Types of Mesothelioma

Malignant Mesothelioma
A cancerous form of tumour, which is virtually always caused by sustained exposure to asbestos. The time period between first exposure to asbestos and appearance of first symptoms can be anywhere between 20-50 years. In some cases, it may stretch even beyond that. Besides the treatment methods mentioned forth, supportive treatment such as pain-relief and oxygen may also help in relieving the symptoms a bit. Even though. Prognosis depends upon the stage of cancer, and availability of effective treatment options, different studies indicate median period to be between 4 and 18 months.
Benign-fibrous Mesothelioma
A non-cancerous tumour of the pleura. This is a localized type of tumour, which, as studies suggest, affects men more frequently then women. The usual symptoms to appear are chronic cough and shortness of breath. The reason for appearance of these symptoms is, the tumour grows to a large size at times and compresses the lung, causing shortness of breath. During physical examination, the health care professional may observe a clubbed appearance of fingers. Pleural effusion is a complication of this disorder

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Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack

Chest pain or pressure is a common symptom of heart attack. Cardiac chest pain is often vague, or dull, and may be described as a pressure or band-like sensation, squeezing, heaviness, or other discomfort. Heart attacks frequently occur from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.due to higher adrenaline (a hormone that prepares the body for fight or flight) levels released by the adrenal glands during the morning hours. Interestingly, heart attacks do not usually happen during exercise, although exercise is commonly associated with angina (heart pain). Approximately 1/4th of all heart attacks are silent i.e. without associated chest pain. In diabetics, the incidence of “silent” heart attacks may be much higher.

>chest pressure,
>sweating,
>jaw pain,
>heartburn and/or indigestion,
>arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either),
>upper back pain,
>general malaise (vague feeling of illness),
>nausea,
>shortness of breath

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Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack

Chest pain or pressure is a common symptom of heart attack. Cardiac chest pain is often vague, or dull, and may be described as a pressure or band-like sensation, squeezing, heaviness, or other discomfort. Heart attacks frequently occur from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.due to higher adrenaline (a hormone that prepares the body for fight or flight) levels released by the adrenal glands during the morning hours. Interestingly, heart attacks do not usually happen during exercise, although exercise is commonly associated with angina (heart pain). Approximately 1/4th of all heart attacks are silent i.e. without associated chest pain. In diabetics, the incidence of “silent” heart attacks may be much higher.

>chest pressure,
>sweating,
>jaw pain,
>heartburn and/or indigestion,
>arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either),
>upper back pain,
>general malaise (vague feeling of illness),
>nausea,
>shortness of breath

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Heart Attack

What is the disease?

Myocardial or Cardiac infarction or Heart attack may be defined as infarction (death) of an area of the heart muscle, usually as a result of occlusion or blockage of a coronary artery (vessel supplying the heart with oxygen rich blood). Infarction occurs as a result of a sudden insufficiency of blood supply either due to some obstruction, pressure, clot or the artery twisting upon itself which in turn produces an area of necrosis (death of cells, tissue, or part of the organ). Death of the heart muscle often causes chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue resulting in a malfunction or sudden death.

Cause

A heart attack is caused by the formation of a blood clot on a cholesterol plaque located on the inner wall of an artery that supplies the heart (coronary artery). Cholesterol plaque is caused by deposits of cholesterol in the artery walls and is a process that begins as early as in the late teens. Over the period of time, the accumulation of cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and resultant narrowing of the arteries; a process called asatherosclerosis. Smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes can accelerate plaque formation. Ultimately, atherosclerosis causes significant narrowing of the coronary arteries to the extent that the blood supply to the heart muscle is compromised. During exercise or excitement, the narrowed coronary arteries cannot increase the blood supply to meet the increased oxygen demand of the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is thus deprived of blood oxygen, a condition called ischemia results. When the narrowing in the artery becomes critical, angina (heart pain) may result leading over time to a heart attack.Occasionally the surface of the cholesterol plaque in the artery may rupture (tear away), which leads to the formation of blood clot on the surface of the plaque, which then completely occludes blood flow in the vessel and results in a heart attack. The cause of this “plaque rupture is largely unknown, but contributing factors may include cigarette smoking, elevated cholesterol, elevated levels of blood catecholamines (adrenaline), high blood pressure, and other mechanical and biochemical forces.Unlike angina (heart pain), death of the heart muscle from a heart attack is permanent.

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Heart Attack

What is the disease?

Myocardial or Cardiac infarction or Heart attack may be defined as infarction (death) of an area of the heart muscle, usually as a result of occlusion or blockage of a coronary artery (vessel supplying the heart with oxygen rich blood). Infarction occurs as a result of a sudden insufficiency of blood supply either due to some obstruction, pressure, clot or the artery twisting upon itself which in turn produces an area of necrosis (death of cells, tissue, or part of the organ). Death of the heart muscle often causes chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue resulting in a malfunction or sudden death.

Cause

A heart attack is caused by the formation of a blood clot on a cholesterol plaque located on the inner wall of an artery that supplies the heart (coronary artery). Cholesterol plaque is caused by deposits of cholesterol in the artery walls and is a process that begins as early as in the late teens. Over the period of time, the accumulation of cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and resultant narrowing of the arteries; a process called asatherosclerosis. Smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes can accelerate plaque formation. Ultimately, atherosclerosis causes significant narrowing of the coronary arteries to the extent that the blood supply to the heart muscle is compromised. During exercise or excitement, the narrowed coronary arteries cannot increase the blood supply to meet the increased oxygen demand of the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is thus deprived of blood oxygen, a condition called ischemia results. When the narrowing in the artery becomes critical, angina (heart pain) may result leading over time to a heart attack.Occasionally the surface of the cholesterol plaque in the artery may rupture (tear away), which leads to the formation of blood clot on the surface of the plaque, which then completely occludes blood flow in the vessel and results in a heart attack. The cause of this “plaque rupture is largely unknown, but contributing factors may include cigarette smoking, elevated cholesterol, elevated levels of blood catecholamines (adrenaline), high blood pressure, and other mechanical and biochemical forces.Unlike angina (heart pain), death of the heart muscle from a heart attack is permanent.

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