Multiple sclerosis is a condition that affects the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord. it is caused due to degeneration of myelin, a substance that forms a protective covering on the nerves. This leads to impairment in conduction of signals between the body parts, resulting in problems related to walking, writing, memory, speech, and so on, depending on the part of the brain and nervous system that is affected. there are about 350,000 cases of multiple sclerosis in Unites States alone. it is generally diagnosed in people between the age of 20 and 50; however, children and older adults are also likely to develop this disorder.

There is no established cause of multiple sclerosis, where it has been attributed to autoimmune diseases by researchers and neurologists. an autoimmune disease prompts the immune system to act against the body’s own cells or organs, thinking them to be foreign. This may lead to the immune system acting against myelin, resulting in its depletion. Though the body may produce more myelin to compensate for the loss, more often the reduction of myelin is faster than the production, resulting in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis has been classified depending on the symptoms experienced by the patients. Some types of multiple sclerosis are mentioned below:

Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: This is the most common form of multiple sclerosis, characterized by a series of attacks, followed by partial or complete disappearance of symptoms. A person suffering from this type of multiple sclerosis has a relapse some weeks after the attack. This condition may continue for years together. This forms the initial stage of multiple sclerosis, where 70-80% patients report with the symptoms.

Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: This type of multiple sclerosis sets in gradually, where there is slow deterioration in the patient’s physical condition. in such cases there is no relapse, where the patient suffers from the disorder continuously from the time of its onset. Around 10-20% of multiple sclerosis cases come under this type.

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis include impairment in functioning of several parts of the body. Problems in vision such as blurred vision, sudden blindness or red-green distortion are one of the very first indicators of the disorder. Along with this a person may suffer from movement and balance problem combined with muscle weakness. The person may also feel dizzy, weak; feel tremors, have impaired speech and loss of sensation in different parts of the body. Around 50% patients suffer from mental disorders such as attention deficits, memory loss, decrease in concentration, depression, paranoia, and so on.

A neurologist diagnoses the disorders through a series of tests including MRI scan, electro-physiological test and examination of cerebro-spinal fluid. A neurologist considers many aspects while treating a patient with multiple sclerosis. The aim of the treatment is to reduce number of attacks and relapse, improving a person’s ability to recover from an attack, and slowing down further spread of the disorder. The treatment involves medication depending on the extent of the problem and medical history of the patient. Though multiple sclerosis cannot be completely treated it can be effectively managed through medication and therapy.

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Graves’ disease, also called hyperthyroidism, occurs when the thyroid gland at the base of the neck produces excessive hormones and speeds up the metabolism.

Graves’ is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. Women are seven times more likely to develop Graves’, which affects about 13 million people in the United States.

Patients with Graves’ disease can experience weight loss, bulging eyes, and increases in appetite, heart rate, blood pressure, trembling and perspiration. Other symptoms can include a goiter or swelling at the base of the neck.

In the United States, sufferers are most often treated with drugs or with radioactive iodine to destroy the thyroid. Surgical removal of the thyroid is generally done only after other options fail.

The study followed 58 patients who had either a total or partial thyroidectomy at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics between 1994 and 2008. Most of the patients had tried medical or radioactive iodine therapy, but those approaches failed to control the disease.

The researchers found that the total thyroidectomy had a very low complication rate and completely cured the Graves’ disease.

“Surgery is an under-utilized option for patients with Graves’,” says Dr. Rebecca Sippel, the lead author and assistant professor of surgery at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Historically, patients have not been offered the option of surgery due to concerns about complications. Our study shows that the rate of permanent complications is very low.”

Sippel suggests patients be offered the three options – medications, radioactive iodine, and surgery – and be educated about their pros and cons. Patients who undergo surgery need to find an experienced surgeon and must take thyroid hormone replacement medication for the rest of their lives.

“Surgery is not right for everyone, but I think if patients are presented with all the options, many would choose surgery as a first-line option,” Sippel says. “Surgery is the most rapid method for obtaining definitive control of their disease.”

Sippel’s co-authors were Dr. Herbert Chen, professor of surgery; Sarah Schaefer, nurse practitioner; and medical students Jing Liu and Anna Bargren. the study was published online in the Journal of Surgical Research.

yellowing of skin, the white's of your eye's,jaundice

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. many illnesses and conditions can cause inflammation of the liver, for example, drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and autoimmune diseases. many viruses, for example, the virus of mononucleosis and the cytomegalovirus can inflame the liver

Liver inflammation caused by viruses. Specific hepatitis viruses have been labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. while other viruses can also cause hepatitis, their primary target is not the liver.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. The clinical signs, prognosis, and treatment depend on the cause.

Symptoms include malaise, joint aches, abdominal pain, vomiting 2-3 times per day for the first 5 days, defecation, loss of appetite, dark urine, fever, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) and jaundice (icterus, yellowing of the eyes and skin). Some chronic forms of hepatitis show very few of these signs and are only present when the longstanding inflammation has led to the replacement of liver cells by connective tissue; this disease process is referred to as cirrhosis of the liver. Certain liver function tests can also indicate hepatitis.

Most cases of acute hepatitis are due to viral infections:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis B with D
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis F (discredited)
Hepatitis G
….all the best