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How to Identify the Symptoms of Huntington’s Disease
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How to Identify the Symptoms of Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder of the brain. This disease is untreatable and fatal due to cell damage of the nerves in the brain. The damage is usually severe and causes the nerves to dysfunction. In most cases of Huntington’s disease, the onset of the disease happens when the patient is in their thirties or forties. In some rare cases, symptoms are noticed in children as well. While there is no cure for Huntington’s disease, identifying Huntington’s disease symptoms early will help in the management of the disease. Here are the symptoms of Huntington’s disease. Early Symptoms The early symptoms of Huntington’s disease involve motor skills. These may include the following: Change in handwriting Difficulty in everyday physical activities Restlessness Clumsiness Mild twitching of fingers, toes, and even of the face Apart from these physical symptoms, there are also some subtle emotional and intellectual symptoms. Impulsiveness Short-term memory loss Bouts of depression and irritability Inability to manage new changes and schedules These symptoms are very generic and hard to diagnose as they can be mistaken for any other disease. There are many tests involved in the diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. Have a look at a few. Neurological Testing Reflex tests Muscle strength Co-ordination Balance Sense of touch Eye movement Hearing Neurophysiological Testing Memory Language function Mental agility Reasoning Spatial understanding Psychiatric Evaluation Behavioural patterns Judgement quality Substance abuse Coping skills Thought patterns Brain Imaging and Function Tests such as MRI and CT scans can be used to look for any structural changes in the brain. While these tests may not reveal much in the early stages of Huntington’s disease, it can be used to eliminate any other conditions that could be responsible for the symptoms. Genetic Testing If you do not have a family history of Huntington’s disease, then genetic testing is the most reliable option.
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Everything You Need to Know about the Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Everything You Need to Know about the Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that can affect your mobility and your lifestyle. This autoimmune disorder begins with little signs that progress rapidly. It is essential to detect the early warning Rheumatoid arthritis signs and consult your doctor as soon as possible. Rheumatoid Arthritis RA is an autoimmune disorder which occurs when the body’s defense mechanism—the immune system starts to malfunction. The immune system, which is supposed to defend the body against foreign organisms, turns against the body itself. It begins to see certain healthy body cells and tissues as invasive substances and begins to destroy them. In Rheumatoid arthritis, the problem begins when the immune system begins to attack the synovium. The synovium is a lining of soft tissue, which protects the joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. The synovial membrane covers the entire inner surface of the joints, except where the cartridge provides a lining. In RA, the immune system perceives the synovial cells as an enemy and initiates inflammation in these tissues. This results in inflammation of the joints, redness, tenderness, and pain. The synovium thickens and eventually, affects the surrounding bones and cartilage, destroying them too. As the condition progresses, the strain put on the ligaments and tendons weakens them. They stretch and bend, and the joints also become misaligned and deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the patients in bouts. There are periods when the disease is very much obvious with pain, swelling, and stiffness. These active periods are called flares. Then the disease enters a period of quiet inactivity when there is no obvious swelling, and there is less pain, and discomfort. This period is known as remissions. Rheumatoid Arthritis Signs You can detect several early signs of the disease. Though many of these are common to other forms of arthritis, and other diseases, if you detect the Rheumatoid arthritis signs, go for a medical checkup at once.
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Everything You Need to Know about Urinary Tract Infections
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Everything You Need to Know about Urinary Tract Infections

Most people would have experienced a bladder infection at some point in their life. Bladder infections are quite common, and so you should watch out for the signs of bladder infections. Bladder infections are also called urinary tract infections (UTIs). Urinary tract infections can affect any part of the urinary system. Infections that affect the lower part of the urinary system are called bladder infections, whereas those that affect the upper portion of the urinary system are called kidney infections. Bladder infections occur when bacteria enters the urinary system. These infections are more common in women but can affect anyone and at any age. The bacteria enter via the urethra which is a tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body. Urinary tract infections can be cured with a combination of medications and home remedies. To prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, certain precautions need to be taken, like—drinking enough water and maintaining personal hygiene. A popular home remedy is cranberry juice for bladder infections. In a given year, up to 10% of women, will experience a urinary tract infection. These infections are most common in the ages of 16 to 35, and recurrent cases are common. Symptoms Of Urinary Tract Infections The most common symptom of a urinary tract infection is pain or a burning sensation during urination. Other symptoms include frequent urination, an urge to urinate even with an empty bladder, and passing small amounts of urine. A kidney infection will also have pain along the flank, and cause fever. There may be changes in the color of the urine. Urine may be cloudy, instead of clear. The color may be pink, red, or brownish, which can indicate the presence of blood in the urine. In some cases, if the infection becomes severe, there may be pus in the urine.
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Dry Eye Disease – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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Dry Eye Disease – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Chronic dry eye disease is a condition in which the eyes do not produce adequate tears to facilitate lubrication in the eyes. This condition is also known as dry eye syndrome, chronic dry eye syndrome, and Keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure for the dry eye disease, but it can be treated. Symptoms of dry eye disease People develop one or more of the following symptoms, especially when their eyes are exposed to the computer screen for a long time or when they’re enclosed in an air-conditioned or an air compressed environment. In almost all cases, both eyes show up these symptoms. Stinging, burning, and scratching sensation in the eyes Watery eyes Sensitivity to light Redness in the eyes A sticky mucus formation in and around the eyes Blurred vision Hampered nighttime driving Difficulty in wearing contact lenses If the symptoms of dry eye disease persist, it’s best to get advice from an ophthalmologist at the earliest. Causes of dry eye disease Tears are a mix of water, fatty oils, and mucus. This mixture not only helps to keep the eye surface smooth but also keeps the eyes free from infection. The main cause for dry eye disease is usually a decrease in production, increased evaporation of tears, or imbalance in the composition of the tears. The cause varies from person to person. Decrease in tear production Medically referred to as Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, the common reasons for decreased tear production include: Aging Damage to the tear glands due to inflammation or exposure to radiation Medical conditions like diabetes, lupus, thyroid disorders, vitamin A deficiency, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Sjogren’s syndrome Medications like decongestants, antihistamines, antidepressants, and drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure, acne, and birth control pills Laser eye surgery can temporarily cause dry eyes Increased tear evaporation Your eyes may be producing adequate tears, but if the tear evaporation rate is high, dry eye syndrome can start manifesting.
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Signs and Symptoms of Pain in Shoulder Joints
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Signs and Symptoms of Pain in Shoulder Joints

Human shoulder is considered as one of the most mobile of all joints which can bend in all possible directions. As shoulder is flexible its muscles are also important for normal functioning, movements, and coordination. Shoulder pain is a condition which arises when our muscles are not strong enough or uncoordinated in proportion to our body. It’s a very common problem followed by an injury. The shoulder can move in various different planes. The shoulder pain causes pain and comfort as it restricts its free movement. It’s a ball-and-socket joint and one of the most flexible joint in our body. The shoulder consists of three bones namely humerus, clavicle and scapula. These bones have a covering of cartilage and consist of two main joints. The shoulder joint is basically ball-shaped and lies in between humerus bone and scapula respectively. Shoulders get their elasticity from rotator cuff which is made of tendons that connect muscles to bone. Shoulder pain or injury happens during vigorous exercise, manual labor, playing sports, lifting heavy items etc. Most of the times disease of neck, liver or gallbladder, run through the shoulder causing it to pain which makes it difficult to twist or bend. Pain also arises due to heart attack, spinal cord injury, arthritis or breaking a shoulder etc. Mostly pain in the front or outside of the shoulder is due to some problem in rotator cuff which can lead to difficulty in raising your arm. Shoulder pain is considered as a life-long problem if correct diagnosis and treatment are not taken. Treatments like popping painkillers, using ice packs, physiotherapy, injections of steroids, or surgery etc help to reduce inflammation or swelling and also relieve pain. Sometimes medical history of the patient, physical examination and few tests like X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, arthroscopy etc can help for better diagnosis of the pain and its treatment.
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Overactive Bladder Syndrome – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
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Overactive Bladder Syndrome – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Overactive bladder is a condition in which you experience involuntary contractions of the muscles in the bladder wall. It is a syndrome where the convulsions make you feel a urgent need to urinate, which is overwhelming and difficult to suppress, even when the bladder may contain only a small amount of urine. This condition is also known as urinary urgency. In a few cases, an overactive bladder leads to urinary leakage where you are unable to quash the impulse to pee, medically referred as to urgency urinary incontinence. A common type of urinary incontinence found is stress incontinence. Sometimes the pelvic floor muscles, which are essential in supporting the bladder surrounding the urethra, are weak and lead to urinary leakage when there’s stress/pressure on the abdomen or pelvic region. Symptoms of an overactive bladder With an overactive bladder, you: feel a sudden urge to pee that won’t go away have involuntary loss of urine following an urgent need to urinate have urine leakage during physical activity like coughing, sneezing, and lifting have to urinate frequently, usually eight or more times a day experience nocturia where you wake up 2-3 times in the night to make a trip to the bathroom Causes of an overactive bladder Involuntary contractions in the muscles of the urinary bladder may occur due to a dysfunction of the nervous system where the brain may send impulses to the urethra muscles, even though the volume of fluid in your bladder is low. Common reasons for this neural system abnormality are: Injury to the spinal cord Back problems Brain strokes Parkinson’s disease Multiple sclerosis Dementia Neuropathy caused by diabetes Other causes of overactive bladder syndrome include: Infections in the urinary tract Stones in the bladder Prostate enlargement (BPH) Bladder tumors Excess consumption of caffeine or alcohol Declining cognitive function due to aging Treatments for overactive bladder An overactive bladder may have adverse effects on your life, mostly relating to your social commitments and mental health.
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Diverticulitis – Causes, Symptoms, and Diet
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Diverticulitis – Causes, Symptoms, and Diet

Diverticulitis is an infection/inflammation that occurs in the intestine of the digestive tract. Small pouches called diverticula start developing along the walls of the intestine. Diverticulitis is a serious condition that may even require surgery. In this condition, there could be a small abscess in the pouches and go on to cause a severe infection or a massive perforation of the bowels. Symptoms Diverticulitis starts to manifest by causing cramps on the left side of the abdomen. The pain eases after you move the bowels or pass gas. Bright red blood in stool is another indication of this condition. Prolonged infection can lead to bowel obstruction, which can cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, thin stools, nausea, and vomiting. Delay in treatment will require surgery. The surgery would be needed to treat abscesses and fistulas. In case of severe bleeding, a blood transfusion would be required. Causes An improper dietary pattern can be one of the causes of diverticulitis. Obesity, low level of physical activity, and how frequently you smoke can also determine if you are prone to this digestive disease. Diverticulitis diet Antibiotics are the first course of treatment to contain the infection. Changing your diet pattern is a long-term strategy to control the symptoms. Studies have found that following a prescribed diet can help those suffering from diverticulitis. The aim of following the best diet for diverticulitis is to ease the strain on the digestive system and help in the healing process. By following the best diet for diverticulitis, it is possible to reduce the symptoms and prevent any flaring. Listed below are some of the best diet for diverticulitis. Liquid diet If you exhibit any of the symptoms, it is best to switch to a liquid diet. Water, vegetable/chicken broth, tea, coffee (without milk/cream), clear soups, fruit juices (without the pulp), and popsicles.
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Here is What you Need to Know About Baby Gas Relief
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Here is What you Need to Know About Baby Gas Relief

Every new parent can understand the agony of their baby falling sick, or experiencing discomfort. In the first year of life, your baby could fall prey to a number of ailments. A bloated or gassy stomach is one such problem that many babies face. Most parents are terrified about their babies falling ill, and the first few months of parenting, can be a trying time. Babies commonly suffer from digestive and intestinal issues. This is because their gastrointestinal systems are still developing, meaning they’re more prone to bloating and gas. Nearly any food is new and alien to a baby’s digestive system. So, bloating, or gas, is not uncommon. Baby gas relief not only makes your baby more comfortable, but also reduces the stress on new parents. There are a lot of options that can be implemented, by the parents themselves, for giving their baby gas relief. However, always consult a pediatrician before you take it on yourself to give your baby gas relief. Symptoms of Gas in Babies Some common symptoms of babies suffering from gas, or bloating, are: Burping Burping is a natural response to excessive gas in the digestive system. It’s normal for babies to burp or belch after meals, but excessive burping may indicate that your baby is taking in too much air while feeding. Spitting up Most babies will spit up a little after meals. Spitting up is often accompanied by burping. There are many things apart from gas, that can cause spitting up. Some of these are particles in the breast milk, eating too much or too fast, or the type of formula the baby is being fed. Bloating Bloating is commonly associated with gas build up in babies. The abdomen will appear swollen or distended. This is often uncomfortable or painful for the baby, and may be accompanied by stomach cramps.
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Important Stage 3 Kidney Disease Symptoms to Know About
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Important Stage 3 Kidney Disease Symptoms to Know About

In stage 3 of kidney disease, there is extreme damage caused to the kidneys. The functional capacity of the kidneys declines to quite an extent at this stage. As a result, the body is unable to get rid of the waste products of your body. Hence, the contents of waste products rise in the blood. It is a condition known as ‘Uremia”. Often, the people suffering from stage 3 diseases develop other health problems, and ailments such as reduced red blood cell levels also called as anemia, which causes increased blood pressure and joint pain. This article will outline the vital stage 3 kidney disease symptoms that are often encountered by the patients. Stage 3 Kidney Disease Symptoms This is a condition that can be considered as quite grave because often, the ailment is never tracked or diagnosed in the early stages. Let us take a look at the different stage 3 kidney disease symptoms: Fatigue – One of the major stage 3 kidney disease symptoms is the feeling of extra tiredness or fatigue. A person who is suffering from stage 3 kidney problem will feel more tired and fatigued than normal. This sign could be very easily misread. However, if the symptom is accompanied by the following stage 3 kidney disease symptoms, then you must not delay your visit to the doctor. Puffiness – As mentioned earlier, in stage 3 of kidney problem, the functionality of the kidneys gets reduced. As a result, the body is unable to excrete the waste products of the body, and there is a lot of fluid retention in the body. Therefore, the person suffering from the disease experience swelling and puffiness in the body. This is something that is first noticed around the eyes. There will be pouches around your eyes. Additionally, there will be puffiness in the hands, feet and the joints of the body.
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A Detailed Discussion On Epilepsy Seizure Symptoms
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A Detailed Discussion On Epilepsy Seizure Symptoms

Epilepsy, which is commonly known as seizure disorder can be a serious cause of concern if not treated at an early stage. A chronic problem of the central nervous system, epilepsy is caused when there is a sudden disruption of nerve cells present in the brain. Though epilepsy is known to be the fourth common medical issues experienced by the people in the United States, many people still hesitate to visit a doctor. There are others, who fail to understand the symptoms of a seizure. If you are also among them, who are not quite familiar with the signs of epilepsy seizures, checking the list of common symptoms mentioned below can be helpful. Seizure The name of the disease says it all. Seizures or a sudden stroke f illness is the prime symptom of epilepsy. Seizures are experienced all of a sudden and paralyze the patient for a certain period. Depending on the type of attack, seizures are further classified into two different types, viz. focal seizures and generalized seizures. Focal seizures Also known as a partial seizure, this type of attack is felt in a restricted area of the body. For ease of treatment, focal seizures are further sub-divided into two categories. One is the simple partial seizure or focal seizure in a conscious state, and the other is complex partial seizure or focal dyscognitive seizure. Simple partial seizure or focal seizure in a conscious state As the name says, the person experiencing this type of seizure does not lose consciousness. They may experience some changes in their mental state or might also feel some difference in sound, taste, feel, smell or look. Many people affected with this type of seizure also get sensory symptoms like flashes of light, dizziness or tingling sensation. Sudden involuntary jerk in the arm, leg or any other part of the body is also an indication of focal seizure.
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