WASHINGTON –  A 24-year-old American soldier died of rabies after being bitten by a dog last year in Afghanistan, US health officials said Thursday following an investigation into the rare case.

The otherwise healthy soldier started experiencing symptoms of shoulder and neck pain and tingling sensations in his hands soon after arriving at Fort Drum, N.Y., in mid-August 2011.

His condition escalated to include nausea, vomiting, anxiety and trouble swallowing. By the time he was admitted to an emergency room, he was dehydrated and hydrophobic, meaning he developed an intense fear of drinking liquids because of the painful muscle spasms he experienced while swallowing.

“He was lucid and described having received a dog bite on the right hand during January 2011 while deployed to Afghanistan,” said the report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The soldier tested positive for a strain of rabies associated with dogs in Afghanistan and doctors attempted an experimental treatment to save him from certain death.

But within days, the patient was suffering from severe brain hemorrhaging and his family decided to take him off life support. He was the first US service member to die of rabies since 1974.

At the time of the bite, the soldier told family members and close friends that he had been bitten by a feral dog in Afghanistan and had sought medical treatment, “which he described as wound cleansing and injections,” the report said.

But an investigation by the US Army turned up no documentation of a reported bite wound or treatment, nor any record of a dog tested for rabies, according to the report.

The soldier’s case prompted a scare that he may have spread the disease other people and a CDC investigation tracked down about 190 individuals he interacted with while potentially infectious.

At least 22 of them received treatment as a preventive measure.

Rabies can spread through saliva, tears, spinal fluid or brain tissue that enters the body through a bite a broken skin. With the exception of transplantation, the CDC said “human-to-human rabies transmission has not been laboratory-documented.”

January 4, 2012, 7:39 pm

by Dr. R. A. R. Perera M.B.B.S. (Cey) M.Sc. Psych (Col) F.R.C.G.P.A. (Aus) Consultant Psychologist O.A.C.C.P.P.(C) Canada CPsych (Canada) C.Ht (USA)

Depression is such common experience that everyone encounters it at some time in his or her lives. Its relationship to anxiety is close and anxiety tends to proceed to depression to follow an unpleasant experience. Sometimes the depression is clearly outside the limits of normality and we regard it as an illness.

There are two main depressive illnesses.

Neurotic or reactive depression in which the gloominess or sadness described by the person follows some significant event but the misery and grief are out of proportion to it in intensity and duration.

This second is endogenous depression, which is more severe. it occurs more in females (3.2) and is genetically determined. the term ‘masked depression’ is sometimes used when somatic features predominate; the patient sometimes denies depression although careful questioning reveals the true state. Such cases are frequently misdiagnosed and subjected to intense and unnecessary investigations and surgery.

Neurotic depression usually comes on abruptly in relation to an unpleasant occurrence. it could be explained as a loss event experienced by the patient and his sensitivity to minor stress and other evidence of a predisposed neurotic personality. the first episode usually occurs in early adult life. the patient feels miserable and unhappy and expresses self-pity, often displaying as much anxiety as depression. the symptoms fluctuate in response to daily events. often tending to become worse towards evening, the patient becomes tearful, feeling helpless and hopeless, clearly expecting sympathy for a condition, which is beyond his control and for which he is not responsible. Concentration is impaired and the patient easily becomes fatigued. A wide variety of symptoms like headache, stomach problems, reduced appetite and weight loss could be present. Sleep disturbance is usual, typically waking up early in the morning (e.g.2-3 a.m.) and inability to fall asleep after that. Suicidal ideas and attempts are common. many cases of neurotic depression last only days or weeks. the nature of provocative event is important. If for example this is some insoluble interpersonal conflict the illness may persist indefinitely. the final outcome depends on whether the precipitating problem can be resolved and on the nature of the patient’s personality.

Endogenous depression differs from neurotic depression qualitatively. In practice the distinction is often difficult to make because the person may react, as to other life disturbing event. If the depression is mild, the person may not appreciate that he is ill and may not seek medical help, but observant friends and family members will notice the difference. Patients with moderately severe depression are more likely to seek medical help. the illness usually develops gradually over a few days or weeks. His interests become restricted or lost, concentration is impaired and his thoughts are often dominated by feelings of guilt and unworthiness. In some patients he is concerned that he may have some serious physical ailment, particularly cancer or heart disease. the face will show a sad expression but may still smile deceptively so that the correct diagnosis is not made. Fatigue and loss of energy are marked and in many cases sleep is disturbed with restless and early wakening. Weight loss up to 5 kg, suicidal thoughts varying in intensity from the feeling that if by chance one died it would not matter, to the conviction that death is the only way to obtain relief. Sexual desire is reduced, constipation is frequent and menstruation becomes irregular. In severe cases the patient becomes immobile, mute, and will refuse to eat. This endogenous depression may last for 6-8 months to many years.

Many drugs, which are taken for high blood pressure and contraceptive pills, can cause depression. some levers infective hepatitis and some cancers (cancer of the pancreas) can cause depression. some times dementia (forgetfulness) can show as a depression.

The majority of depressed patients can be treated as an outpatient Admission as advisable if the depression is severe if suicide is likely or if an organic illness is suspected. A patient living alone requires admission for a milder illness than one who has a supportive and sensible family. If he is able to continue working he should be encouraged to do so. Although it is important to reassure him that he will get better, it is vital that this should be done sensibly. He should certainly not be told that all he needs is a quite holiday. This may well have an adverse effect, causing him to loose faith in his caregiver and to conclude that suicide is the only answer.

Psychotherapy and antidepressant medications are the most useful methods to treat depression. In many cases social problems and environmental difficulties should be corrected and a social health worker is most helpful in these circumstances. ECT or Electro Convulsive Therapy is used if the depression is severe and if it endangers the life of the patient. This is an effective and fast acting treatment. following ECT, patients may experience headache and muscle pain, but they are mild and short lived.

YOU MAY be thinking of falling pregnant, are pregnant, or know someone special who is pregnant. this is an extremely exciting period during which the body undergoes major changes, nurtures a precious life and prepares for a healthy delivery of a baby. Research has shown that Acupuncture can be very beneficial during pregnancy and labour. according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Acupuncture has been found useful for nausea, vomiting and significantly reduces the duration of labour and labour pains. There is also strong evidence that Acupuncture can help with a breached birth. the most common complaints pregnant women present to our clinic are: -    Morning sickness            – Recurrent miscarriage -    Heartburn                – Threatened miscarriage -    Haemorrhoids                – Oedema (fluid retention) -    Sinus and mucosal congestion    – Hypertension -    Anxiety, depression            – Insomnia -    Musculoskeletal conditions        – Constipation -    Low back pain, sciatica, pubic symphysis pain etc. ACUPUNCTURE DURING PREGNANCY During the first trimester, the focus of the treatment is to reduce the likelihood of miscarriage and address any early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, morning sickness and fatigue. Acupuncture during the second semester aims to maintain the balance and address many of the common complaints of pregnancy mentioned above. Acupuncture during the third trimester prepares the body for labour and delivery by relaxing and softening ligaments, aiding cervical dilation, nourishing the body’s ‘’Qi’’ and blood, as well as relieving any muscular pain or discomfort. this is also the time where Acupuncture is used to turn breach babies. it is recommended to start this treatment as soon as you learn that the baby is in breach position (around 33-36 weeks) During the whole pregnancy, special attention will be given at diet and lifestyle. ACUPUNCTURE FOR LABOUR INDUCTION Treatment for labour induction can be given any time after 39 weeks if there are no complications with the pregnancy. Acupuncture for delayed labour has been used in China for at least 2,300 years, but Acupuncture for labour pain was rarely used because, according to Chinese culture and oriental tradition, women were expected to experience the pain of childbirth! the first occurrence in Chinese medical literature was in 1970 in ‘a barefoot doctor’s manual’ (my first book on Acupuncture), the manual drew on the practical expertise of local health workers, often self-taught, who went from house to house to administer medical attention in the form of Acupuncture and herbal medicine. it was around the same time the interest in Acupuncture Analgesia became the focus of much research in Europe and the western world in general. In 1972 Christian Ehrstroem performed the first Acupuncture delivery in the west in Stockholm. In 1974 Darras in France reported 20 electro-acupuncture deliveries by primiparea and multiparea.  Since then, Acupuncture has rapidly become more popular for women in childbirth, mainly because it is a natural pain-reliever with no harmful side effects for mother or baby. moreover, women like to feel in control during their labour and delivery, a feeling of which they may be deprived by some of the more potent conventional analgesic techniques used in today’s maternity units. ACUPUNCTURE FOR DIFFICULT LABOUR Acupuncture is also used in ‘difficult’ labour. Difficult labour can result from abnormality of the uterine contractions, cephalo-pelvic disproportion (that is imbalance between the size of the maternal pelvis and the baby’s head), or malposition and malpresentation of the baby.

Acupuncture can be of help in the first of these, but not the others. it is important to note that ‘malposition’ of the baby should not be confused with ‘malpresentation’: the latter occurs when the baby’s bottom (breach); shoulder; face or brows present first as opposed to the head – as in normal cephalic presentation. ‘Malposition’ means incorrect positioning of the head, which includes occipito-posterior position and deflection of the head. Acupuncture can help in ‘malpresentation’, but not ‘malposition!’ If you like more information on this subject or Acupuncture in general please email me at: this e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for appointments call 660 032 862 Robert Vandevelde: Former president of Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine association (AACMA)   

Almost everything nowadays is digital or will be accessed through digital means.

So it is little surprise that, at the first mysterious twinge in the chest or shortness of breath, we self-diagnose by Googling our symptoms.

A growing body of research shows that many people are visiting ‘Dr Google’ first before seeing their usual doctor.

Many websites on the internet deal with online medical information, providing people with crucial tips about their health through the internet.

This includes providing possible illnesses when one provides symptoms.

Some studies show that as many as 60 per cent of internet users consult the internet to diagnose their aches and pains, rather than consult a real doctor, or before they see their doctor.

In some cases, however, self-diagnosis leads to anxiety mainly because of misdiagnosis.

Some, because of misdiagnosis, arrive at their health provider convinced they have some horrendous diseases like cancer when in fact it is something minor.

Although the internet can be a treasure trove of medical information, it can also lead to the creation of a condition called in IT circles as “cyberchondriacs”.

This happens where a person is inundated with information about every disease under the sun, they start to imagine they have them all, and hit the panic button.

In their minds, every mole is skin cancer.

A nosebleed is surely a sign of a tumour. Headache? must be skyrocketing blood pressure.

We’ve all done at least once. Whether it’s a dull ache in your chest or a persistent case of the hiccups, you turn to the internet to diagnose yourself with a minor symptom and end up convinced you’re suffering from cardiac arrest or neurological disorders.

Many people prefer searching for information about their health because some health problems are very personal and they find the internet a secure and anonymous way to get answers.

This shielding mechanism motivates patients to shoot questions that they would otherwise avoid if they visited the physician and had a face-to-face consultation.

im a guy and 18. my mood swings are getting worse. i get mad for no reason and then i will become happy for a day or two then i will get depressed and or angry/irritable. i get headaches and muscle aches, low and high sex drive off and on, loss of appetite, anxiety, ant–social behavior. i can't think of anything else but so i have a hormone imbalance? or does this sound normal for a teen ?

It sounds like your bi polar. I think if you were going through a lot of stress it might be normal for a guy but i would would be totally normal if you were a girl.

ipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior–from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other. more than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. And unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function.

During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards, or feel rested after sleeping two hours. during a depressive episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and in debt.

The causes of bipolar disorder aren’t completely understood, but it often runs in families. the first manic or depressive episode of bipolar disorder usually occurs in the teenage years or early adulthood. the symptoms can be subtle and confusing, so many people with bipolar disorder are overlooked or misdiagnosed–resulting in unnecessary suffering. But with proper treatment and support, you can lead a rich and fulfilling life.

best person to ask is your doctor as this could be anything from bipolar depression to a phsyical illness. it sounds like hormones to me but a severe form of it especially seeing as it is worrying you i would go to the doctors and they can help you with techniques to calm you or to control your mood as well as reccommend any medicines or perhaps herbal rememdies to keep you calm. just try focusing less on things that make you angry if you can. you could have a social disorder that needs treating though so do make an appointment as soon as you can x

Are you still growing? In that case it might be normal. What do other people say about your behavior? If no one else notices, it may be just ordinary moods.

It's possible that it's bipolar, but you need a complete physical exam to rule out other causes.

Good luck.

healthmad.com/medicine/hormonal-b…

I suffer from weird mental symptoms of depression and anxiety due to problems i faced and still face since 3 yrs.. some of these symptoms are irrational thoughts and breathing problems.. what i want to know is that when i fix my problems and get out of depression, will these weird symptoms go?? Will i return normal? Please ppl who don't know don't answer thx I prefer answers from ppl who experienced these symptoms before.

You have put your problem in exact words. Thats very important. "Our Breathing Patern" is responsible for all anxiety related problems.

Once you correct the breathing by practice all your problems will vanish & its proven. For God's sake don't be addicted to medicines.

Hi,
It's hard to answer this, as you do not list all your symptoms, however I can only relate experiences, and breakthroughs.
Firstly, people are unique, and our emotional states are possibly a combination of our genetic make up, chemical make up, and environment growing up.
Behavior gurus debate this genetic/environment subject- Its a case by case thing.Life experiances can affect people in different ways, for many reasons.
As a child I had relatively mild agrophobia, and a lot of hidden anxieties- possibly stemming from abuse in the home. as an adult, overcompromising and avoiding confrontation turn this inner anger into explosive moments at work, and some extremely dark moments. as a parent, post natal depression set in, and it was hard to turn the mind off, and remain rational.
Fortunately, I could hide most of my symptoms, but as you proberbly know, the more you force the control negatively, the harder you are on yourself. and you repeat, and repeat.
Eventually it was Doctor time, something that finally gave relief was to actually talk to someone- even about the "weird" stuff. Immediately I was put on medication, and reccommended to find a proffessional I was comfortable with.
The person I chose helped me retrain my brain with rational processes, and coping mechanisms. Some of my phases were due to being "stuck" in a greiving pattern-Grieving over such things as lost childhood, bad parenting, etc. Also self esteem was at all time low.
The key to future health is to make a point of remaining positive, keeping your inner talk (what you say to youself) positive- For me this was extremely hard- especially if you are not used to hearing it.
using the processes learnt helped with breathing, keeping a positive inner voice makes you more resiliant.
It took a full year for me to become more rational and in short- happy.
Give yourself time to heal, learn new coping mechanisims from those who care, and get out in the sunshine and walk things out.try to excersise. look after youself- sometimes just sit up straight.
For a week, write down all negative and positive thoughts.
If the negative thoughts get to you, use the stop method- quite simply think STOP. take control.
Half the problem was trying not to cling to these symptoms and negative thoughts, because it was all that I knew.
It is your own mindshift that will move them. mine still pop up from time to time, but now I can cope a little better by stopping to sort feelings and symptoms out.you are not weird, you are human.
Ask for help until you find it, you are worthy.

Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.

Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There's this strange herb called "St John's Wort" – it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. in fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John's Wort works like prozac. other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.

The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced… you have that "learned behavior" in your mind. you need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. a technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction… There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to….

Extracted from Source.

I feel like I want to be pregnant so bad that I may be psyching myself out to think that I am having symptoms when really it may be anxiety causing all my symptoms. I had a negative test, but it was too early to test I think. any suggestions for how to get past this anxiety part of TTC?

just try to think of something else..i went through this myself..i though i could actually feel the baby moving i wanted to be pregnant so bad for my second child…..keep your mind busy and as soon as you do..it will happen..

Medical symptoms are our body’s reaction or response to underlying conditions that disrupt the normal functions of bodily systems. so if you are feeling severe abdominal pain most of the time and it is accompanied with vomiting and nausea, you should not ignore it. You should check if it pertains to any medical condition so that you can get the necessary treatment procedure.These days, you no longer need to go and see a doctor for whatever you are feeling. You can just sit down in front of your computer and check the symptoms online. all you need is to access a symptom checker. It is a tool you can use to know conditions related to the signs and symptoms you are currently feeling.so what is a symptom?It is any subjective evidence of illness or disease. It can be experienced by any individual. Experiencing symptoms is natural. Whether you have a bad cold or a serious condition, you will experience symptoms. Examples of symptoms are: lower back pain, fatigue, abdominal pain and anxiety among others. Simply put – symptoms pertain to the sensations which a patient can perceive.but what is a sign? how is it different from a symptom?a sign is any objective evidence of illness or disease. It can be detected by an individual that is other than the affected person. an example would be gross blood in the stool, a bloody nose and the like. These signs can be recognized by a doctor, nurse or another person.how do you use a symptom checker for your medical symptoms?You can determine you symptoms in two ways. first, you can use a symptom checker which is different for both men and women. Second, you can just encode the symptoms you are having in Google and wait what pops up.By checking your symptoms, you can evaluate it along with other signs you have. It is also important in monitoring the status of a diagnosed condition. this can also help doctors prescribe the necessary treatment as well as medications.It is important that when you use a symptom checker, you are only checking subjective evidence of an illness or disease. It cannot provide you with medical advice. It is only used for getting information regarding your medical symptoms. Professional medical advice is still important even if you’ve determined the condition/s you may have. Consult your doctor.

My lips turn white sometimes and when it is my heart is beating really fast. Everybody tells me that it is anxiety and I always want to do something I like but I can't. My heart is beating so fast I can't do anything I like. Its not that I don't want to do things its just that I can't do it even if I had to do it. My skin is not showing brown skin color and its white like my lips. this is strange because before it was normal and after masturbating it turned out to be like this and it doesn't happen to anybody else but me.

Posted on March 16th, 2011

Our basic neuroscience classes have long taught us that our brain communicates to our body through electrical impulses along our nervous system. We also understand the left and right hemispheres of our brain perform different functions and each side must also communicate to the opposite hemisphere.

Recent research has demonstrated that when the two sides of the brain mature at different rates, the electrical impulses go out of balance and communication is affected. Recent evidence this imbalance can lead to behavioral and learning disorders: autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety, depression, and others. The name of this imbalance of electrical activity between the hemispheres of the brain is Functional Disconnection Syndrome (FDS).

Much of the research comes from leading functional neurologists and chiropractors Dr. Ted Carrick and Dr. Robert Melillo. in his book Disconnected Kids, Dr. Melillo states:

“in order for the brain to function normally, the activities in the right and left hemispheres must work in harmony, much like a concert orchestra. when a certain function can’t stay in rhythm, it can throw the entire hemisphere off key so the other side tries to tune it out. this can cause disharmony to such a degree that the two sides can no longer effectively share and integrate information. The brain becomes functionally disconnected.”

The symptoms of FDS depend on which hemisphere has the dysfunction. for example, a child with a slow-developing right brain may develop autism, ADHD, or Asperger’s syndrome. a left brain dysfunction may result in an inability to read words or stay focused on reading. this imbalance, if left untreated, will continue into adulthood and may progress to other disorders.

Just how does this imbalance occur? it is important to understand how the brain develops from birth to infancy and adulthood.

Though the brain is reliant on the left and right hemisphere balance to function optimally, it doesn’t grow or develop at a balanced rate. in the womb and during the first years of life, brain growth is primarily in the right hemisphere. The right brain drives big muscle tasks, such as moving arms, legs or head.

Around the age of two, growth switches primarily to the left brain. this is the hemisphere where the first words are generated. from then on, development switches back and forth between the left and right brain until approximately age ten, when the brain reaches adult size.

If a child isn’t exposed to the proper stimulation (not too much or too little) of the sensory pathway, the brain’s growth patterns can get out of sequence and cause a delay in a key growth area. Meanwhile, the opposite side stays on track, leaving the other behind.

This delay in development most often occurs during the most crucial times of right brain development: birth through the first two years of life. The consequence of a right brain delay shows up later as ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, or other disorders.

The symptoms differ according to when the delay in development occurred, but the result is the same: Functional Disconnection Syndrome.

You may be wondering what causes the delay, how do we measure it, how can it be corrected? these and other questions about FDS will be reviewed in future blogs. make sure you don’t miss them by signing up to receive our posts by e-mail in the “subscribe” section above.