Have your Chronic Symptoms been Mis-diagnosed?

by Lydia Peru

Depressing, isnt it? You feel fatigued, and ache all over. These symptoms are difficult to diagnose with any form of measurement, and can be blamed on depression. Is it all in your head, or is there some other cause for your issues?

Diagnosing conditions and finding the proper treatment is not always easy. Many ailments have similar symptoms. Tests may show a rise in the body response to an infection, but cannot pinpoint the exact cause.

It seems logical that, when properly diagnosed, that an appropriate course of treatment will be given. In this perfect world scenario, we also would find these disabling conditions magically cured. Welcome to the real world.

There are many conditions with similar symptoms, and with some of these conditions, such as MS, or multiple sclerosis, the cause is not clear. How can you effectively treat a condition when you cannot identify its cause?

Other autoimmune diseases present themselves with similar symptoms and are often diagnosed through the elimination of other possible conditions rather than proof of the final diagnosis. These ailments include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lupus, and other autoimmune or neurodegenerative diseases. Even rheumatoid arthritis falls in this classification.

Lyme disease is another of those multi-symptom diseases that shares symptoms with other autoimmune disorders. Lyme is known to be caused by borrelia bacteria, which is commonly transmitted by ticks, and may be more common than we think.

It is admitted that the diagnosis of chronic pain and fatigue related conditions is difficult. Even with an accurate diagnosis, the treatment is not always effective. Over the years, the commonly used and over prescribed antibiotics have lead to resistance, making treatment more difficult. It has become more widely accepted to turn to the unconventional treatments to find solutions.

Learn more about (http://lymedisease.amireiki.com/) lyme disease, and the work in both traditional and alternative therapy to find a cure for this chronic condition. Can MMS, or (http://miraclemineralsupplement-mms.com) Miracle Mineral Solution help us heal the underlying cause of Lyme disease?

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Dealing With A Sick Child

Contributed by Carol Ann

Parents experience many emotional roller coaster rides as they raise their children, but one of the most stressful times is when they have to deal with a sick child. It is a helpless feeling in many ways because you often know there's not much you can do for them to ease their pain. If your child has suddenly become ill and you can't diagnose it, then get to a doctor right away. Obviously if it is a life threatening situation, then call the emergency number in your country with no hesitation.

If it is not a life or death crisis, then take a second to breathe and think. Most of the time our initial reaction to our child becoming ill or injured is to rush into action. This is fine if you are going to stop them from bleeding, or start CPR to keep them breathing.

However, when your child is ill you must think clearly. Many times a watch and wait approach is the best one. Initially, when a child becomes sick or injured, they may react as if they are dying; however, this will usually calm down within a few minutes and then you can just monitor them closely. Make note of their behaviors, eating, sleeping, and breathing. These will more than likely clue you in to whether or not you need to get them to a doctor.

No matter what, though, you should always trust your instincts. Parental instincts are rarely wrong. In those cases, do what you need to do and seek medical advice right away.

The head is a part of the body that tends to bleed a lot, so head injuries are likely to bleed freely for a few minutes before they stop. If the child is vomiting, it is important to keep him hydrated, so give him plenty of liquids, sippable through a straw if possible. Ginger ale can be an effective drink because of the calming effects on the stomach that the ginger provides.

It is important to remember to keep a clear head when your child gets sick. That way there will be no panic and the child will feel more comfortable too. And by all means, don't forget to follow your instincts.

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Symptoms of Drug Dependency and Abuse

contributed by David B Smith

Drug abuse becomes a dependency when a person has a compulsive need to use drugs without care or regard for the consequences that might occur either bodily or emotionally.

Although the symptoms of drug dependence can be masked by other problems in a user's life, there are a lot of tell-tale signs and symptoms to look for to tell if you or someone you love has a drug addiction.

The most evident sign, of course, is your treasured-one's inability to stop taking the drug. People who are reliant upon drugs feel they can't go on in life without the help of their drug. They go to great lengths to obtain the drug and use it on a habitual basis.

Addicts also begin to lose all interest in activities that they used to like to do. Their whole life is dictated by when and where they can find their next fix. They put aside hobbies, relatives, even work and school. Nothing else is as essential as taking their drug of choice.

Drug addiction tends to show up in a user's mood. Are they often either exceedingly up or overly down? Mood swings are common with drug addiction as are violent explosions and irrational behavior.

People with a drug addiction will find themselves behaving in ways they ordinarily would not do without the drug.

Physically, the ravages of drug addiction will unavoidably show in the body over time. They may undergo a sudden weight loss and seem haggard or pale to others. They neglect to look after themselves, such as not showering on a routine basis or taking the time to comb their hair. They may have sores on their body, and their eyes may appear dull and disinterested, with a faraway look most of the time.

By the time addiction has really taken hold of a person, the body has become used to having the drug in its system. It develops a tolerance, and thus the user will need to take more of the drug in order to achieve the same result it had before.

The addicted user will predictably begin engaging in secretive or suspect behavior, such as withdrawing during gatherings or making many, pointless trips just to be by themselves. They can also become emotionally detached from those they were, until that time, close to. This estrangement makes it easier for them to use drugs without any influence from those around them.

Depression almost always accompanies drug addiction, so look for indicators of hopelessness, negative talk, and withdrawal from all activity. Sudden variations in work or education results can also be a sign of dependence.

Addicted persons may feel perpetually exhausted too, and not want to get out bed -- staying asleep for long periods of time. This can be a combination of both the effects of the drug and the accompanying depression.

Drug addiction is a very serious problem, so if you see these symptoms in yourself or someone you love, please seek help. The therapy has to begin somewhere, and when the symptoms appear, the time to get help is now!

About the Author

For more info on Indicators of Drug Use and Addiction visit David Smith's site at http://www.addictiontodrugs.org/symptoms_of_drug_addiction.php

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7 Medical Myths Exposed as Untrue

Modern medical myths:

• Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
• We use only 10% of our brains.
• Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
• Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
• Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser.
• Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
• Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy

Some claim drinking eight glasses of water a day leads to good health, while reading in dim light damages eyesight. Others believe we only use 10% of our brains or that shaving legs causes hair to grow back thicker.

But a review of evidence by US researchers surrounding seven commonly-held beliefs suggests they are actually medical myths. Some are utterly untrue, while others have no evidential proof, the British Medical Journal reports.

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis hunted medical literature for evidence on each claim. They found no evidence supporting the need to drink eight glasses of water a day. In fact, studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is often met by drinking juice, milk, and even caffeine-rich tea and coffee. Data also suggests drinking excessive amounts of water can be dangerous.

The belief that we only use 10% of our brains appears to be completely untrue. Studies of patients with brain damage suggest that damage to almost any area of the brain has specific and lasting effects on mental, vegetative, and behavioural capabilities. Brain imaging studies also show that no area of the brain is completely silent or inactive.

And the belief that hair and fingernails continue to grow after death may be an optical illusion caused by retraction of the skin after death. The actual growth of hair and nails requires a complex interplay of hormonal regulation not present after death.

Again, illusion may be to blame for the belief that shaving hair causes it to grow back faster, darker, and coarser, report author Rachel Vreeman told the British Medical Journal. The stubble resulting from shaving grows out without the finer taper seen at the ends of unshaven hair, giving the impression of thickness and coarseness.

Expert opinion is that reading in dim light does not damage your eyes. And there is little evidence to support the banning of mobile phones from hospitals on the basis of electromagnetic interference.

Finally, eating turkey - and the tryptophan amino acid it contains - does not make people especially drowsy. Indeed, turkey, chicken and minced beef contain similar amounts of tryptophan. The researchers explained: "Any large meal can induce sleepiness because blood flow and oxygenation to the brain decrease, and meals rich in protein or carbohydrate may cause drowsiness. Wine may also play a role."

Dr David Tovey, editor of Clinical Evidence journal, said: "The difficulty is it is often hard to disprove a theory. On the flip-side, absence of evidence does not necessarily mean absence of effect. Where reliable evidence becomes really important is in helping people make serious decisions about harms and risks. Many of these 'myths' are innocuous. However, we are still finding evidence that runs contrary to current practice and what we expect."

He gave the example of the relatively recent U-turn in advice over sleeping positions for babies to cut cot deaths.

Experts now recommend babies are positioned on their backs when sleeping to reduce the risk of sudden infant death.

source: BBC, 21 December 2007

For more information on health subjects, go to http://www.superior-health.info/

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