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Definition:
Parkinson's disease is a disease of the central nervous system causing problems with body motions including tremor, muscle stiffness and a slowed body movement. Nerve cells (neurons) in particular part of a brain (substantia nigra) normally produce dopamine. The death of these nerve cells leads to abnormally low levels of dopamine, which makes it difficult for a person with Parkinson's disease to control muscle tension and muscle movement, both at rest and during periods of activity.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
(Think of the late Pope)
Classical triads are:
Other symptoms include:
Treatment:
Prevention:
There are no current ways to prevent Parkinson's disease.
Definition:
Penicillium marneffei is a fungus first isolated in 1956 from the gut of a kind of rat in Vietnam. This fungus can cause a serious infection called "Penicilliosis" in patients with poor immune system, for example AIDS.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Treatment:
Prevention:
This fungal infection frequently relapses after successful treatment. Hence, recovered patients may still need to take prophylactic antifungal drugs for life.
Definition:
Phimosis is a condition that makes it difficult to pull the foreskin back from the head of the penis. Circumcision may be necessary to correct the problem. In a male who is not circumcised, the foreskin may be so tight that it can't be easily pulled back over the head of the penis. It is usually caused by infection and scarring but may be present at birth (congenital). It is common in young boys (up to 4 years old). As long as the child can pass urine, no treatment is needed right away. This condition should improve by itself, as he gets older.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
The foreskin may look swollen, red, and feel tender. There might be pus in the area. This may mean there is an infection. The patient may not be able to pass urine because of the tight foreskin.
Treatment:
Prevention:
Definition:
A person is suffering from phobia when he or she has an uncontrollable, persistent, and irrational fear of an object or a situation that's generally considered harmless. There is a strong desire to avoid the feared object or situation, to a certain extent it may affect the person's ability to perform in a job or lead a normal life.
Who is at risk?
Phobia is very common in children; especially fear about storms, wild animals, policemen and doctors. In adults, phobia is more common in women.
Symptoms:
The patient may experience the following symptoms when exposed to the object or situation:
Symptoms may appear just at the thought of the fearful object or situation.
Treatment:
Behaviour therapy
Doctors or therapist may guide you the correct ways to think about it and how to cope with your fear. Gradual, repeated exposures to the feared object or situation often help.
Medications
Beta blockers are drugs that block some of our body's physiological response to anxiety, such as increased heart rate, palpitation and tremor. Sedatives are very effective in the treatment of anxiety and phobias. However, they can be habit forming and should only be used under strict supervision. A relatively new class of antidepressants called SSRI's can work on serotonin, which is a chemical signal in the brain that affects mood, can also help many patients with phobia.
Prevention:
Childhood fears are common. Children may learn phobias by observing a family member's phobic reaction to an object or a situation. Most of the time, your child will outgrow these fears. Don't trivialize the problem or make fun of your child for having fears. Don't reinforce phobias, but let your child know that you're there to help. Talk to your child about his or her fears. Encourage positive attitudes and efforts to confront the fear.
Definition:
A painful condition of the foot caused by inflammation of the thick tough, fibrous band of tissue (fascia) connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes. The condition is usually self-limiting.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Pain in the foot or the heel is the most common symptom, though the pattern and severity of pain can vary:
Treatment:
Prevention:
Definition:
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Most types of pneumonias are caused by bacterial infections. The most common cause is the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae. Other bacteria such as Mycoplasma and Legionella as well as certain viruses, can also cause pneumonia. However, because these less common infections do not always cause all of the classic pneumonia symptoms, they often are called atypical pneumonias. Atypical pneumonias most commonly occur in people under the age of 40. Pneumonia that develops when someone is hospitalized for another illness tends to be more serious, because the organisms found in a hospital have become resistant to many antibiotics. Aspiration pneumonia develops when chemical irritants and bacteria from the mouth or stomach are inhaled into the lungs. It is more common in people who have had strokes and have difficulty controlling their swallowing reflexes or people who are unconscious as a result of alcohol or other drug overdoses.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Most pneumonias cause fever, cough with sputum (coughed-up mucus), shortness of breath and fatigue. In older patients, fatigue or confusion can be the only or most noticeable symptom. In atypical and viral pneumonias, a dry cough without sputum is more common.
Treatment:
Prevention:
Definition:
A pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, occurs when air leaks into the space between the lungs and chest wall, creating pressure against the lung. Depending on the cause of the pneumothorax, the lung may only partially collapse, or it may collapse completely. A collapsed lung can be caused by physical injury, certain medical procedures involving the lung, lung disease, or sometimes for no obvious reason. Acupucture carried in the neck and chest may also cause pneumothorax.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Depending on the severity of the collapsed lung, there will be varying degrees of these symptoms.
Treatment:
Treatment for pneumothorax aims to relieve the pressure on the lung, allowing it to re-expand. The type of treatment required depends on the severity of the pneumothorax, as well as the patient's overall health. If the lung is less than 20 percent collapsed, typically the doctor will simply monitor the condition via chest X-rays, until the air is completely absorbed and the lung has re-expanded. However, since a collapsed lung may take time to heal on its own, some doctors may recommend putting a needle or chest tube into the chest to remove the air between the the lung and the chest wall.
Prevention:
Definition:
Many women have mood swings about 3 to 4 days after giving birth to a baby. The so called "baby blues" are common and last only for a few days. When symptoms are unusually severe and prolonged, so much that the woman's well being is affected, the condition is called "postpartum depression."
Who is at risk?
Postpartum depression is more likely in the following situations:
Symptoms:
Postpartum depression can happen anytime within the first year after childbirth. A woman feels worthless and hopeless. She has no energy to do anything. She may lose interest in what she uses to enjoy, and is often irritable, restless and anxious about minor things. She has lost her appetite and may have hard time falling asleep or wakes up in the middle of the night. She has intense feelings of guilt. She is often in tears for no reason, and may have thoughts about hurting herself or her baby.
Treatment:
A mother's depression can affect her baby's development and wellbeing, so getting treatment is important for both mother and baby. Postpartum depression can be treated with counseling, therapy, support networks and drugs, including antidepressants. Consult with your doctor if you could continue breastfeeding.
Prevention:
Find someone to talk to. Seek help in taking care of your child and the household. Childbirth brings many changes, and parenting is a challenging task. No matter how demanding your baby is, save an hour for yourself only-taking a walk, sing some songs, or do anything that amuses you. Don't be afraid to seek help. Talk with your doctor about how you feel.
Definition:
Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor of the prostate gland. Very early prostate cancer is contained within the prostate gland and called localized cancers. These early cancers do not usually produce symptoms and may not develop into a serious cancer. Such cancers may not require treatment. However, some prostate cancers grow within the prostate gland and spread to the surrounding tissues. This is called invasive prostate cancer. Cancer that develops in the prostate may spread (or metastasize) via the lymphatic system or bloodstream to other parts of the body, such as the bones.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Most men with prostate cancer have no symptoms. This is particularly true of early prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers are discovered incidentally when a digital rectal exam is performed. Symptoms usually appear when the tumor causes some degree of urinary blockage at the bladder neck or the urethra such as:
Treatment:
Surgery: Radical prostatectomy (removal of prostate gland) is often recommended. Orchiectomy alters the testosterone hormone production and may be recommended for metastatic cancer.
Radiation therapy: Often the alternative in patients whose health status would not tolerate the risk of surgery or with bone pain due to spreading of cancer. It may be performed by external beam radiation therapy or by implanting small pellets of radioactive iodine or gold directly into the prostate tissue via a small incision.
Medication:
Chemotherapy: Often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments.
Lifestyles changes: Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal manipulation all have the potential to disrupt sexual desire in a temporary or permanent basis. Discussion with doctor regarding this concern is adamant.
Monitoring post treatment:
Prevention:
Definition:
Psychosis is a symptom of severe mental illness, but not a diagnosis in itself. Traditionally, the term applies to those mental diseases that result in a patient losing insight into his illness and has "lost of contact with reality". The word, however, has been used loosely in the past, and modern disease classification is replacing the term with specific disease categories.
Who is at risk?
Psychosis is most commonly caused by schizophrenia, but patients suffering from severe depression and related disorders can also present with psychosis. Patients can also present as psychosis when their command centres in the brain are affected by diseases such as tumours and infections, or are poisoned with drugs or chemicals.
Symptoms:
Psychotics may experience hallucinations. Hearing voices is one of the most common. They hold beliefs that cannot be rationally explained, and which are often paranoid in nature. Personality change is common and their thoughts are disorganized. They have no insight in their diseases as well as in the social situation, and perform bizarre behaviours. A psychotic individual may be able to perform actions that require a high level of intellectual effort in clear consciousness.
Treatment:
A psychotic episode, if violent, may require physical restrain and powerful sedative in order to prevent the patients from harming themselves and the others. Specific treatment would then depend on the underlying cause.
Prevention:
Drug abuse is an increasingly common, yet the most preventable, cause of acute psychosis.
Definition:
Ptosis means drooping of the upper eyelid. During normal vision, our upper eyelid is maintained in the opening position by a tiny piece of muscle. Weakness of this muscle or nerve damage causing its paralysis can result in ptosis.
Who is at risk?
Some children are born with drooping eyelids. When there is no other associated abnormality, the condition is called congenital ptosis. Ptosis can be the early symptom of a disease affecting muscles, such as myasthenia gravis (a chronic disease characterized by fatigue and muscular weakness). Brain tumors can cause ptosis when they are compressing on the cranial nerve supplying the upper eyelid. Ptosis is common in stroke or diabetic patients. Elderly people are also more prone to ptosis.
Symptoms:
When only one eye is affected, the facial asymmetry is characteristic. One eye is open while the other eye half open or closed. The drooping eyelid can block clear vision. There is also increased tearing because blinking is ineffective.
Treatment:
Doctors must first find out if there is any treatable primary cause for the ptosis. Surgical repair is usually very successful in restoring appearance and function.
Prevention:
Children with ptosis that causes impaired vision must be treated early so as to prevent amblyopia. New or rapidly changing ptosis in adults requires prompt evaluation by an ophthalmologist or neurologist.
Definition:
Inflammation around the nail fold, usually caused by bacterial or fungal infections. The condition can be acute or chronic, each with different clinical features. Acute paronychia is more common. Chronic paronychia is usually encountered by dishwashers or bartenders who often need to work with hands wet.
Who is at risk?
Symptoms:
Patients with paronychia may report localized pain and tenderness in the nail bed, usually on one side. The area around the affected nail bed is red and swollen and is tender to touch. The nail may appear discolored or even distorted in shape. If left untreated, the condition can develop into an abscess. The affected finger becomes acutely painful as the nail bed is distended with white or yellowish fluid.
Treatment:
Mild cases may resolve spontaneously without treatment. Soaking in warm water may help relief pain and discomfort. Acute paronychia is often caused by germs normally live on the skin surface such as staphylococcus. An appropriate antibiotic is often necessary if symptoms are severe. When an abscess has developed, the doctor may need to perform a minor surgery to drain the pus. Sometimes part of or the whole fingernail has to be removed.
Prevention:
Definition:
Patients with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS) suffer from prolonged anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares, and concentration problems after a traumatic / disastrous event. As a result, they sometimes prefer not to see people and things again which make them recall the incident.
Who is at risk?
PTSS is more common in people with underlying emotional problems. Patients with underlying psychiatric or personality problems have a higher incidence of PTSS. The condition is also more common in females, children, and adolescents, especially those with learning disabilities, those who have experienced violence in the home, and those with poor social support. The longer the duration of exposure and the more stressful the traumatic experience, the higher someone is the risk.
Symptoms:
After a traumatic event in which the patient experiences intense fear, horror or helplessness, the patient develops:
The symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Treatment:
Medications:
The class of antidepressants called serotonergic antidepressants (SSRIs) is an FDA approved treatment for PTSS. The medication takes weeks to months to work. Doctors may therefore also prescribe other drugs to relieve symptoms, such as tranquilizers for anxiety or hypnotics to help aid sleep.
Psychotherapy:
A doctor or psychotherapist can help by providing more information about the illness and encourage the patient to talk about his/her experience directly and release negative feelings. The patient may also be taught how to manage symptoms, such as anger and anxiety as well as sleep problems.
Prevention:
Debriefing sessions offered to vulnerable groups such as military personnel and victims of natural disasters soon after a traumatic incident, so that sufferers can verbalize their emotions and examine their reaction can minimize the incidence of PTSS, are vital in helping to mitigate the effects of the traumatic event. Screening exercises to identify more susceptible individuals for intensive counseling for early treatment can also help.