Jan. 18 update: the day after TODAY reported on the baffling case of 12 teenage girls at one school who mysteriously fell ill with Tourette’s-like symptoms of tics and verbal outbursts, a doctor who is treating some of the girls has come forward to offer an explanation. Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, a neurologist in Amherst, N.Y., says the diagnosis is “conversion disorder,” or mass hysteria.

“It’s happened before, all around the world, in different parts of the world. It’s a rare phenomena. Physicians are intrigued by it,” Mechtler told TODAY. “The bottom line is these teenagers will get better.”

Tuesday on the show, psychologist and TODAY contributor Dr. Gail Saltz noted that just because the girls’ symptoms are psychological in origin doesn’t make them any less real or painful.

“That’s not faking it. They’re real symptoms,” Saltz continued. “they need a psychiatric or psychological treatment. Treatment does work.’’

Officials from the LeRoy Junior-Senior High School in upstate new York, where all the girls attended when their symptoms began, have released environmental reports, conducted by an outside agency, showing no substances in any of the school buildings that could cause health problems.

Related: Click here to read the school district’s statement and full environmental reports

But some of the girls’ parents say they’re not satisfied with the explanations so far.

“Obviously we are all not just accepting that this is a stress thing,” Jim Dupont, father of one of the affected girls, told TODAY. “It’s heart wrenching, you fear your daughter’s not going to have a normal life.”

Read the original story, below.

By Scott Stump

High school cheerleader and art student Thera Sanchez  took a quick nap one day last October, and when she woke up, the life she had known was gone.

In its place, she was plagued by uncontrollable body movements, tics and verbal outbursts, similar to Tourette’s syndrome. It turned out Sanchez was not alone, as she is one of 12 girls from LeRoy Junior-Senior High School in upstate new York who has been exhibiting symptoms of a mysterious condition that has baffled doctors.

“I’m very angry,’’ Sanchez told TODAY’s Ann Curry during an interview Tuesday. “I’m very frustrated. No one’s giving me answers.’’

Sanchez appeared on TODAY alongside her mother, Melisa Phillips, as well as another one of the girls experiencing the symptoms, Katie Krautwurst, and her mother, Elizabeth Miller.

The mothers of the two girls are fighting for answers after state health officials determined that nothing at the high school itself could have triggered the mass illness. each girl has been examined by a private doctor and given a diagnosis. after a three-and-a-half month investigation, health officials ruled out carbon monoxide, illegal drugs and other factors as potential causes.  Officials say no one at the school is in any danger.

Related: Click here to read the school district’s statement and full environmental reports

“We have conclusively ruled out any form of infection or communicable disease and there’s no evidence of any environmental factor,’’ Dr. Gregory Young of the new York Department of Health told NBC News.

“Where’s the proof?’’ Phillips asked on TODAY. “Where’s the data? Where’s the testing? when has this been done? Nothing’s been collectively done for our daughters. Everything has been done individually. Testing they say that all the girls have had, they have not had. the facts that they’re stating just aren’t true.’’

The girls did not say what diagnosis they have been given, only that doctors have told them the onset of their symptoms was stress-related.

Sanchez, a 17-year-old senior and former cheerleader, displayed uncontrollable movements and verbal tics during the interview, while the symptoms of Krautwurst, a high school junior, were not as pronounced.  

“Mine’s more advanced, I think, because I’ve had it longer, but it’s definitely gotten better,’’ said Krautwurst.  Meanwhile, Sanchez said her own condition is getting worse.

On Oct. 7, Sanchez took a power nap, and when she woke up, she started stuttering uncontrollably and has been exhibiting her symptoms ever since, according to her mother. Since then, she has quit cheerleading and regularly attending her beloved art classes.

“mostly that it’s stress-induced,’’ Sanchez said about what doctors told her. “I was fine. I was perfectly fine. There was nothing going on, and then I just woke up, and that’s when the stuttering started.”

“I can’t explain it,’’ Krautwurst said. “they told us it was traumatic, but I really don’t think any of us had that traumatic of a life before.’’

Psychologist and TODAY contributor Gail Saltz said she could not make any specific diagnosis having just met the girls, but she stressed that just because the cause may be psychological doesn’t mean the symptoms – or the pain the girls are experiencing – is fake.

“when you’ve ruled everything out and they’re saying to you it’s stress-related, then you might call it something called ‘conversion disorder’ or ‘psychosomatic illness,’ which means that symptoms have been converted from something psychological into something physical,’’ Saltz said. “It usually is predated by stress.”

“That’s not faking it. They’re real symptoms,” Saltz continued. “they need a psychiatric or psychological treatment. Treatment does work.’’

For Sanchez, all she wants is to know what is happening to her and why.

“I want an answer,’’ she said. “a straight answer.’’

 What’s your theory on this medical mystery? Discuss on our Facebook page.

05/30/2011

Biomarkers – mainly defined as surrogates serving as indicators for specific biological states – play an ever-increasing role in neuroscience and especially in the management of multiple sclerosis, scientists reported today at the 21st Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) in Lisbon. In analyzing gene expression patterns, immunological changes and imaging abnormalities, physicians are now able to detect complex nervous diseases at an early stage, to better discern them from other types with similar clinical manifestations, to better foresee the outcome and to evaluate whether or not a patient responds adequately to a specific therapy.

Biomarkers – surrogates which can be objectively measured and used as indicators for certain biological states, salutogenetic or pathogenetic processes or responses to pharmacological treatments – are of increasing importance in many areas of modern medicine, but especially so in neuroscience. Neurological diseases are most complex in nature, sometimes difficult to detect, and when relying only on clinical examinations, the effect or ineffectiveness of a therapy might become evident at a late stage. “especially in multiple sclerosis (MS) and some related disorders such as optic neuritis and neuromyelitis optica, a number of new biomarkers now greatly help us to quickly and non-invasively confirm or reject a diagnosis, to anticipate the outcome and to check whether or not the chosen therapy is effective in this particular patient,” Prof. Massimo Filippi said today at the 21st Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) in Lisbon. More than 3,200 neurological experts from around the world are currently discussing the latest developments in all areas of their specialty in the Portuguese capital. Massimo Filippi, Professor of Neurology, heads the Interdepartmental Research Programme “BrainMap” and the Neuroimaging Research Unit at the Scientific Institute and University “Vita-Salute”, Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, Italy. “These are big steps towards therapies that can be speedily customised to a specific patient’s situation in these most burdensome types of diseases.” 600.000 Europeans suffer from multiple sclerosis According to epidemiological studies, about 600.000 Europeans and 2.8 million persons worldwide suffer from MS, an inflammatory disease in which the myelin sheaths insulating the axons in the brain and the spinal cord are disintegrated, causing a wide array of clinical manifestations and leading to progressive physical and often cognitive disability. “The huge variability of symptoms, caused by the fact that MS can affect any part of the CNS, along with a lack of meaningful laboratory and paraclinical tests, led in the past to delayed or uncertain diagnoses,” Prof. Filippi added. “we are that much happier, therefore, that in recent years we could trace a remarkable number of biomarkers, allowing for an improved and quickened assessment of the disease and its progression.” Improved MS diagnosis and differential diagnosis Optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve potentially leading to a total loss of vision, can be an early sign for MS. “we now found out that the gene expression patterns in a whole blood analysis show significant differences in patients with optic neuritis compared to healthy controls, which can make an early detection of MS easier in the future,” Prof. Filippi said. Neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s disease) is characterised by inflammatory-demyelination and irreversible tissue loss concentrated in the spinal cord and the optic nerve. Seen by some as a subtype of “ordinary” MS and by others as a different, independent disease, it needs a different course of treatment than MS to achieve optimal results. “Neuromyelitis optica is characterised by an autoantibody profile distinct from that of MS, allowing for an improved differential diagnosis and an early start of the appropriate therapy,” Prof. Filippi added. Anticipating disease progression In MS, neurologists discern different phenotypes – including the relapsing-remitting, the primary progressive and the secondary progressive. Each of these has a different prognosis and may require different therapeutic approaches. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to define their pathophysiology. “some of our new biomarkers make this job much easier,” Prof. Filippi explains. “for example, in so-called black holes, lesions with irreversible tissue damage, the patterns of the microglia activation are different in progressive MS as compared to the relapsing subtype. MR measures could also help characterizing the heterogeneous clinical phenotypes of the disease. In particular, patients with progressive MS have an over-recruitment of the cervical cord on functional MRI scans, which is more pronounced in secondary progressive than in primary progressive MS. In relapsing-remitting MS patients, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) allows distinguishing the effects of specific tract damage on disability and cognitive impairment. Finally, in neuromyelitis optica, the presence of NMO-IgG (antibodies which destroy aquaporin-4, a protein serving as a water channel through the cell membrane) already in an early stage identifies patients with a worse prognosis.” Evaluating the response to treatment for MS Does an individual patient respond to treatment? This crucial question, too, can in many cases be answered with hitherto unknown efficacy due to new biomarkers and technology to measure them. “The longitudinal atrophy of the spinal cord, a potentially important indicator for disease evolution and treatment response, can now be evaluated more effortlessly by a new segmentation method,” Prof. Filippi continues. “Whether or not a patient responds to natalizumab, a synthetically created monoclonal antibody designed to block the destructive activity of white blood cells in MS, can be assessed by the amount of natalizumab binding to mononuclear cells found in peripheral blood. a marker for the chances that cladribine — a drug targeted to inhibit the immune system overactive in MS patients –will actually reduce disease activity is the amount of activity measured before treatment: the more relapses, the more active brain lesions and the more progression in disability, the more effective the drug will probably be. The effectiveness of an immunosuppressive treatment in neuromyelitis optica can in turn be measured by the NMO-IgG (aquaporin-4-antibody) level: the lower it is, the better the response to therapy; the higher it is, the more probable are relapses.” a new area in MS assessment “with these discoveries, and many more possible biomarkers still under investigation, we are embarking on nothing less than a new area of CNS disease assessment,” Prof Filippi concludes. “Instead of being in the dark for months and years, or dependent on very expensive and burdening diagnostic tools, we increasingly understand an easier-to-read bio-language of the body. It is leading us on relatively simple paths to the right diagnosis and letting us watch the development of disease and/or treatment. we expect this shift in diagnostic paradigms to continue and to yield even more exciting possibilities within the next few years.”  

Sinus Headache | Sinus Symptoms | TMJ Symptoms

Signs or symptoms for TMJ problems are many which enable it to badly affect one’s life. the temporomandibular joint is an extremely strong joint, however it’s complex and can cause health problems. a number of the health problems comprise jaw pain, clicking or popping in the jaw, lock jaw indications, persistent headaches, ringing in the ears, among others.

These signs of mouth problems absolutely interfere with one’s quality of life, and most physicians don’t have good answers for that problems. Working among sufferers for 18 years, I get impressive achievement from serving individuals resolve their jaw pains.

Strong thus it could possibly bite hard and chew food, the temporomandibular joint carefully works with jaw muscles, a disc, is affected by teeth. Whenever you bite down you are able to feel using your fingers the jaw joint moving and bulging, and when you tighten your teeth pretty firm, a lot of you experience the indications for TMJ, linked to the bite.

Clenching teeth at nighttime (bruxism) is mostly a very common reason for jaw problems. Most bruxism takes place in sleep, so individuals are not always aware that it is happening.

a dentist who makes a speciality of jaw problems can discover the signs of bruxism or grinding or gritting teeth in sleep. they vary from tooth enamel tiring out to persistent headaches. Symptoms for TMJ generally are red flags for the physician or dentist that the patient is gritting their teeth at night.

For instance, headaches that disappear for several days are usually not an indication of the jaw problems; however, if ever the head aches are persistent and regular and never much affected by pain pills, it is a good bet that they are on the teeth grinding.

a well-trained dentist be able to suggest a very good night guard to prevent bruxism and consequently the pains that come from your teeth grinding. Testimonials of varied accepted mouthguards can be found to read via internet, and they can give valuable information regarding which mouthguard is best intended for you.

There are a lot reasons of jaw problems. as we have mentioned, gritting teeth while sleeping is the most common reason. Following bruxism, spinal problems, muscle spasms, abnormal anatomy, strain, and parasites may be at mistake.

the best  means to focus on signs or symptoms for TMJ, and having a excellent mouth guard, one which is designed to suit well, stay put, and stop the teeth from grinding during sleep. To read a review of the most known, over-the-counter mouthguards to relieve your pains. just visit the TMJ treatment website for more information.

Newswise — Bethesda, Md., March 23, 2011 – according to findings from the new nationwide DISCUSS (Defining and Identifying GapS in CommUnication between GERD and/or Heartburn Sufferers and PhysicianS) Survey, many people surveyed report that their gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and/or persistent heartburn symptoms significantly disrupt their lives. Additionally, more than half say that currently they “occasionally” (39 percent) or “never” (19 percent) discuss GERD and/or heartburn symptoms with a health care provider (HCP). the survey was released today by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, inc. (Takeda).

The DISCUSS Survey, fielded by Braun Research, inc., surveyed 1,004 American adults who identified themselves as having GERD, also known as acid reflux disease, and/or frequent and persistent heartburn and who said they experience GERD and/or heartburn symptoms two or more times per week when not treating the condition (“sufferers”). Approximately three out of four sufferers (77 percent) describe their GERD and/or heartburn symptoms as moderate to severe, and one-third (33 percent) have had to cancel social activities or leave a social event early because of their symptoms. Also, GERD and/or heartburn symptoms have caused 31 percent of respondents to limit their physical activity, with approximately two-thirds (205/309) of those who report limits on physical activity being women. currently, nearly one in five sufferers never discusses symptoms with an HCP. These findings highlight the importance of active, ongoing conversations about the symptoms and triggers of GERD and/or heartburn between sufferers and HCPs and suggest that resources to help open and improve the lines of communications should be made available.

GERD is a chronic condition that affects nearly 19 million Americans and is often characterized by persistent heartburn that occurs two or more days a week despite treatment and diet changes. Additional symptoms can include regurgitation (a sensation of food coming back into the mouth, accompanied by an acidic or bitter taste), sore throat, hoarseness, and a feeling of a lump in the throat. GERD affects both men and women and may be associated with serious complications over time.

“Recognizing and understanding the intensity and frequency of GERD symptoms is a key element in being able to diagnose and determine appropriate management and treatment strategies,” says Prateek Sharma, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo. “Some of these findings suggest that many patients trivialize their symptoms and thus don’t talk to their health care provider about the impact GERD is having on their lives. I encourage my patients to be open and descriptive about what they’re experiencing. then, together we can work to determine a plan of action to address their specific needs.”

Findings Highlight Need to Make GERD and/or Heartburn Dialogue a Priority • One-third (34 percent) of sufferers report waiting 12 months or more after first experiencing symptoms to visit their HCP.• Forty percent of respondents have not discussed symptoms with their HCP in the past 12 months.• Approximately one in five sufferers (22 percent, n=796) does not discuss their symptoms until the end of the appointment when the doctor is leaving or only if the doctor asks. • Seventy-four percent (n=919) of those who have spoken to their HCP about their GERD and/or heartburn symptoms discuss the severity of their symptoms. • One in five reports (n=919) having trouble getting their HCP to understand the severity of their symptoms. • Most sufferers report that food triggers their symptoms, specifically eating spicy foods (74 percent), foods containing tomatoes (73 percent), or fried or fatty foods (69 percent). in addition, sufferers report that eating a large meal (70 percent) or eating too close to bedtime (70 percent) triggers their symptoms. • Many sufferers are interested in tools to help better communicate with their HCP about their GERD and/or heartburn, such as a symptom checklist to be filled out prior to their appointment (52 percent) and/or a list of questions to ask their HCP (50 percent).

In response to the survey, the AGA and Takeda have created a new tool to help facilitate patient-HCP communication about GERD symptoms. this new tool, and other information about GERD, is available at gastro.org/GERDtracker.

About Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)People experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a variety of ways. Persistent heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD and usually feels like a burning pain that starts behind the breastbone and radiates upward to the neck. GERD occurs when the muscle located between the esophagus and stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter, opens when it should be closed, allowing for acid or other stomach contents back up into the esophagus. GERD is often triggered by certain foods, pressure on the abdomen, and/or being overweight, and may be associated with serious complications over time, such as esophageal strictures and Barrett’s esophagus.

About the DISCUSS Survey the DISCUSS Survey (Defining and Identifying GapS in CommUnication between GERD and/or Heartburn Sufferers and PhysicianS) was developed by the American Gastroenterological Association in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, inc., and fielded by Braun Research, inc. the survey was conducted in the United States from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4, 2010, via telephone among a nationally representative sample of adults who reported having persistent heartburn and/or GERD (also known as acid reflux disease) in the last 12 months and who said they experience symptoms two or more times per week without treatment. Respondents had not been pregnant in the last 12 months. Results of the survey of this size are projectable to the larger population with a confidence interval of 95 percent. the margin of error for findings is +/-3.1 percentage points.

About Braun Research, inc. (BRI) Braun Research, inc. (BRI) is a well respected and internationally recognized firm which employs techniques and standards approved by leading survey research academic organizations in the world. BRI is an active member in a number of respected organizations throughout the industry, including AAPOR (The American Association for Public Opinion Research), CMOR (Council on Marketing and Opinion Research) and CASRO (Council on American Survey Research Organizations).

About the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. the AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. For more information on the AGA, visit gastro.org.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, inc., and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, inc. Based in Deerfield, Ill., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, inc. and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, inc. are subsidiaries of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan. the respective companies currently market oral diabetes, insomnia, rheumatology and gastroenterology treatments and seek to bring innovative products to patients through a pipeline that includes compounds in development for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, neurology and other conditions. to learn more about these Takeda companies, visit tpna.com.

Adrenal fatigue is described as a deficiency within the performance with the adrenals. It is actually the non-Addison’s form of adrenal disorder sub-clinically. It carries a wide-ranging array of non-specific, nonetheless often fatiguing symptoms.

Given that the indications of adrenal exhaustion are usually broad, it can make it simple for physicians to miss. Adrenal fatigue is really a serious health-related dilemma, despite the fact that signs and symptoms might be obscure and not related towards a precise condition.

Adrenal fatigue is an ailment in which your adrenal glands perform at sub optimum thresholds. It is an ailment in which the adrenals under create very important hormones vital with regard to optimal well being. It is caused by significantly taxed adrenal glands. It’s a set of signs or symptoms which result as soon as the adrenal glands operate under the important level.

Adrenal exhaustion has a broad range of indicators all considered to stem from one typical component, the adrenal glands. It could be an vital factor in describing the seriousness of menopausal indicators. It truly is generally mis-diagnosed as fibromyalgia syndrome, chronic and fatigue syndrome. It is produced when our own adrenals are not able to effectively meet the demands of stress. Adrenal exhaustion is a result of constant over activation of the adrenals from frequent anxiety.

Adrenal fatigue is usually precipitated by recurring rounds of bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, sinusitis, or any other respiratory bacterial infections. It is also generally known as non-Addison’s hypoadrenia, hypoadrenalism, sub-clinical hypoadrenia and also neurasthenia. It’s typically together with clinical or perhaps sub-clinical hypothyroidism, as proved by a lower human body temperature. Adrenal exhaustion is an crucial widespread and usually forgotten cause of supplementary clinical or perhaps sub-clinical hypothyroidism.

Adrenal fatigue is not a disorder that may very well be tested in medical laboratories or proven clinically by way of healthcare doctor. It can be shown as a subclinical Addison’s condition. It is additionally talked about in Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. It can be typically linked to reduced cortisol output, while Conn’s syndrome is associated with extreme aldosterone output. Adrenal fatigue is typically cared for with nutrients, as well as B and C vitamin supplements.

Adrenal fatigue can be evaluated and also treated, frequently without medication. It was first clinically determined more than a hundred years ago and it has been productively handled for years. It is degenerative fatigue, setting the stage for all degenerative illnesses.

Adrenal fatigue is something that you like to prevent. If you eat very well and train and lower stress regularly, you’ll build up your possibility of avoiding adrenal fatigue all together.

For even more good health secrets please click Home Cardio Workout and Top-ranking Work Outs

VN:F [1.9.7_1111]VN:F [1.9.7_1111] By Article Snacks author  to change this standard text, you have to enter some information about your self in the Dashboard -> Users -> Your Profile box.

Are you always looking for the nearest restroom?

Karen Davis knows the feeling.

"it was starting to be a little bit of a problem," she said.

"you can think of overactive bladder as an overactive muscle sending this constant signal to your brain, "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go," explains Dr. Lora Plaskon.

Karen wasn’t convinced drugs were the right solution for her.

"I didn’t want to try the medications because they can affect the liver and I don’t want to do that," she said.

But the pills also have other side effects.

"Dry mouth, constipation, blurry vision, confusion, memory changes..I mean the list can go on… and so as physicians, it’s difficult because you  often end up treating the side effects as well as the desired benefit you’re trying to achieve," said Dr.  Plaskon.

Instead Karen is having a treatment called Urgent PC. it involves a hair-thin electrode inserted at the ankle, which sends a mild electrical current up the leg to gently zap the nerves that control bladder function.

Karen says it’s not painful.

"I can feel it for a little while. but then it kind of goes away and I sit there for a half an hour and then that’s it," she said.

Patients get a dozen treatments, spaced a week apart and then go on maintenance treatments, as needed.

"It’s usually about after session four or five that folks will really start to notice a significant improvement," said Dr. Plaskon.

Karen says those constant urges have calmed down.

"they have gotten a lot better, yes. I definitely  feel I have a better life because of it," she said.

Patients are warned not to ignore their symptoms, because overactive bladder is more than just a nuisance.

"these urinary problems are closely linked with long-term health issues like obesity, diabetes,  heart disease, so it may seem like a little problem at first, but it’s often one of the first dominoes to fall in a series of long-term health issues," said Dr. Plaskon.

Men can also benefit from the treatment.

Urgent PC is FDA approved and covered by many insurance companies. the downside is that it is time-intensive so may not be practical for every patient.

In an effort to combat a persistently high level of pertussis or whooping cough, state and federal health officials are urging physicians and their patients to make wider use of a pertussis booster vaccine called Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis). despite the availability of Tdap, a vaccine designed as a booster for adolescents and adults, pertussis cases have been increasing in Minnesota as in other parts of the country, such as California. Minnesota is in its third year of a peak pertussis wave, with more than 1,000 cases reported each year in 2008 to 2010. This is about 20 cases per 100,000 people in Minnesota. new recommendations published Jan. 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are designed to remove some of the barriers to Tdap?s use and to address specific issues contributing to the high rate of pertussis. Tdap vaccine has been available since 2005 and has been recommended for children entering seventh grade and adults needing a tetanus booster. Tdap was instituted after health officials found that the effectiveness of the primary series of DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis), typically given to infants and children under seven, wears off as children approach adolescence. However, health officials suspect the Tdap booster is not being used as widely as it should be. ?We want all Minnesotans to be aware that the pertussis booster vaccine can help protect them and others from this disease, which can be most serious for young children and infants,? said Kristen Ehresmann, director of infectious disease for the Minnesota Department of Health. Patients should be asking their health care provider to give them the pertussis-containing tetanus-diphtheria shot, if needed, at their next clinic visit. According to the new recommendations: 1. Adults and adolescents may be given Tdap regardless of when the last tetanus-diphtheria (Td) shot was given. Previously, a minimum interval of five years was recommended between the last Td and a Tdap. recent data indicates that it is safe to give the Tdap sooner than two years after the tetanus shot. No waiting is necessary to get a pertussis shot. 2. Tdap may be given to children 7 to 10 years of age who have not completed the recommended DTaP series or who have never received a primary series of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. This recommendation closes a gap in coverage for children of that age group with those factors. 3. Seniors who work with young children should get Tdap. Tdap should be given to adults 65 years of age and older who have contact with infants younger than 12 months, and Tdap may be given to adults 65 and older needing a tetanus booster if they haven?t already received the Tdap. MDH staff has sent information on pertussis and the new recommendations to local public health agencies and health care providers in the state. Pertussis is a disease that affects the lungs. Pertussis bacteria are spread from person to person through droplets in the air. A person with pertussis develops a severe cough that usually lasts four to six weeks or longer. Pertussis can be very serious, especially in infants. The first symptoms of pertussis are similar to a cold: sneezing, a runny nose, possibly a low-grade fever and a cough. After one or two weeks, the cough becomes severe, as noted by the following: ?The cough occurs in sudden, uncontrollable bursts where one cough follows the next without a break for breath. ?Many children will make a high-pitched whooping sound when breathing in after a coughing episode. Whooping is less common in infants and adults. ?During a coughing spell, the person may vomit. ?The person?s face or lips may look blue from lack of oxygen. ?The cough is often worse at night. ?Between coughing spells, the person seems well, but the illness is exhausting over time. ?Coughing episodes gradually become less frequent, but may continue for several weeks or months until the lungs heal. Pertussis in infants is often severe, and infants are more likely than older children or adults to develop complications. The most common complication of pertussis is bacterial pneumonia. Rare complications include seizures, inflammation of the brain and death. People with pertussis can spread it to others in the first three weeks of coughing if not treated with antibiotics. After a person with pertussis has taken antibiotics for five days, he or she can no longer spread the disease. Antibiotics are sometimes recommended and prescribed to prevent development of the disease in people who have had close contact with someone who has pertussis. ?The best way to prevent pertussis is to vaccinate all children on time and to use the booster vaccine as recommended,? Ehresmann said. in addition, everyone should: ?Avoid close contact with others who are coughing or otherwise ill. ?Wash their hands often. ?Stay at home if ill. ?Cover their cough with a tissue or cough into their sleeve. ?Seek medical attention if they develop pertussis-like symptoms or have been exposed to someone with pertussis. more information on pertussis can be found at health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/pertussis/index.html.

By Jenifer GoodwinHealthDay Reporter Latest Neurology News

TUESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) — Preliminary research and reports from patients suggest that a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis can help relieve fatigue and other symptoms, but many physicians remain highly skeptical of the claims.

The debate started in 2009, when Dr. Paolo Zamboni, a vascular surgeon from Italy, published an intriguing study that suggested that a blockage in the veins that drain blood from the brain and spinal cord and return it to the heart might contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS).

Calling it chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI, Zamboni’s theory was that the blockages disrupt the flow of blood from the brain and spinal cord, causing blood to back up and damage the brain and the spinal cord.

Zamboni began surgically treating people with MS with balloon angioplasty to open their veins. Other CCSVI researchers have tried stents, in which a wire mesh is placed in the vein to prop it open.

The methods of Zamboni and the others set off a heated debate among physicians and patients. many MS physicians consider the claims utter hooey. but many people with MS, desperate for relief, pressed for research, and some, unwilling to wait, sought out physicians abroad who’d do the surgery.

Despite the skepticism, U.S. researchers began investigating venous blockage. in June, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced $2.4 million in funding for CCSVI studies, most of which are trying to answer the basic question of whether there is actually a link between venous blockages and MS.

Among those conducting CCSVI research is Dr. Michael Dake, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dake followed 30 people with MS who had stents implanted to open their veins. Two months after surgery, they reported feeling 50% less fatigued than before surgery, Dake said. they continued to be less fatigued at the one-year mark, even improving slightly from where they were two months after surgery, he said.

People who saw the most benefit were those with the relapsing-remitting form of MS, in which periods of remission, when the person feels relatively good, are followed by MS flares, Dake said.

People with more aggressive or more advanced forms of MS, including primary and secondary progressive MS, reported about a 40% drop in fatigue two months after the surgery, but the effect did not last at the one-year mark, Dake said.

MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks myelin, or the substance that insulates nerve fibers of the central nervous system. The damage disrupts nerve signals traveling to and from the brain, which can lead to numbness, movement difficulties and blurred vision. Other symptoms can include fatigue and cognitive problems, sometimes described by those with MS as being in a fog.

Vein opening is unlikely to help regenerate damaged myelin, which causes the movement difficulties, Dake said, but opening blocked veins looks like it may help alleviate fatigue, at least in people with relapsing-remitting MS.

“It’s a stretch to think opening up veins is going to deal with or reverse an injury that is due to demyelinating plaque, whereas the symptoms that are more general, such as fatigue and brain fog that are much more related to an obstruction in venous outflow from the brain — those could potentially be reversed,” he said.

Dake was scheduled to present his findings this week at the International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy in Miami Beach.

He cautioned that his research was not a randomized, controlled, clinical trial but rather a review of his clinical experience with 30 patients.

Therein lies the problem with CCSVI and its treatments, said Dr. Lily Jung, medical director of the neurology clinic at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle.

“There is no clear evidence that MS has anything to do with blocked veins, and to then jump to therapy for blocked veins is premature,” Jung said.

The research done on CCSVI has not consistently established that people with MS are more likely to have venous blockage than are healthy people or those with other neurological diseases, Jung said. nor is it known when venous blockage occurs during the course of the disease or why such a blockage, if it occurs, would cause symptoms of MS.

Until much more is learned, Jung warned people against seeking treatment for CCSVI because of the danger of complications. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a Canadian man with MS died after seeking angioplasty in Costa Rica, and another had to have emergency open heart surgery to retrieve a stent that dislodged.

“It is not ready for prime time,” Jung said. “We need to first establish how firm the basis for the theory is and, secondly, have a widely accepted agreement about how to diagnose CCSVI before you try treatment for it,” she said.

Dr. James Benenati, president of the Society of Interventional Radiologists, described MS as a heterogeneous disease — meaning that not every person with MS has venous blockages, and not every person with venous blockages has MS. And that, he said, makes the research more difficult.

Benenati said he plans to begin offering the treatment to MS patients at Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Miami as part of a research study.

“My feeling and the society’s feeling is we don’t have enough data yet to say 100% yes or no,” Benenati said. “But to basically condemn something because there isn’t good data at this time is premature — and not very scientifically sound, either. my own feeling is it is going to pan out to be something of great value.”

In the meantime, not everyone with MS seems willing to wait for the lengthy clinical trials to be completed. “We’re getting a huge number of calls on this,” Benenati said. “It can be overwhelming.”

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCES: Michael Dake, M.D., professor, cardiothoracic surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.; James Benenati, M.D., medical director, peripheral vascular laboratory, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Miami; Lily Jung, M.D., medical director, neurology clinic, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle; presentation, Jan. 17, 2011, International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy, Miami Beach

A NEW South East Asian survey of 506 people with fibromyalgia and 941 physicians shows that fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition, which negatively impacts people's quality of life. Lengthy diagnosis times is a particular issue for sufferers. Patients wait 3.3 to 15.4 months and have an average of two physician visits before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

The survey also reveals people with fibromyalgia experience serious financial consequences from the condition, including an inability to work. As such, the impact on their quality of life is immeasurable.

The Pfizer-underwritten Fibromyalgia Pain Management Alliance (FPMA) collated these findings in the SE Asia FACTS (South East Asia Fibromyalgia Awareness, Concerns and Trends Survey) report, which includes a focus on the impact of fibromyalgia on the lives of Malaysian patients.

The survey includes data from 941 physicians and 506 patients from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Data were collected from June through August 2009, with all interviews conducted face to face in English or in the local language.

To qualify, patients had to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a physician. Participating physicians, including general practitioners (GPs), rheumatologists, neurologists, pain specialists and psychiatrists, were randomly sampled and invited to participate in the survey.

In Malaysia, 102 fibromyalgia patients and 200 healthcare practitioners comprising of GPs and specialists participated in this first ever survey of its kind.

"Fibromyalgia is a debilitating and chronic pain condition that affects 2% to 5% of people, occurring more often in young to middle-aged females. It is characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, with fatigue and sleep disturbances being some of the more common symptoms experienced," explained Prof Ramani Vijayan, president of the Malaysian Association for the Study of Pain, who was speaking at the press conference organised by Pfizer to announce the results of the SEAFACT Survey.

"People with fibromyalgia suffer significant disability and reduced quality of life. The SE Asia FACTS sheds much needed light on this highly misunderstood illness, as the data gathered will help GPs and specialists alike to better diagnose and manage fibromyalgia," she said.

Fibromyalgia is a common and widespread pain condition, affecting approximately 40 million people worldwide. Updated scientific data support the concept of "neuronal hyper-excitability of both pain processing and emotional areas in the brain". This explains why fibromyalgia patients are more sensitive to pain, why their pain is more severe than in other people, why pain distribution is widespread, and why patients have a very poor response to stress.

According to the survey results, at least one in five Malaysian patients reported that the overall quality of their life and ability to participate in hobbies have been very strongly or strongly impacted by fibromyalgia. Four in 10 patients (38%) admit that fibromyalgia has caused the quality of their work to deteriorate.

"The majority of GPs and specialists in Malaysia who treat fibromyalgia patients recognise that it has a strong impact on the overall quality of patients' lives," shared Dr Mary Cardosa, consultant anaesthesiologist at Selayang Hospital.

"however, three quarters of GPs and almost all specialists surveyed agree that fibromyalgia is not well understood among many physicians. Education, training, and support for physicians is key to enabling them to help manage patients with the condition" she emphasised.

The treatment and management of fibromyalgia involves a multi-faceted approach, which includes exercise, behavioural management, and approved medication. Pregabalin was the first drug approved by the US FDA for the treatment of fibromyalgia and is effective in reducing symptoms of pain, disturbed sleep, and fatigue.

The efficacy and safety of the drug has been studied in more than 10,000 patients in clinical trials, and has provided rapid and sustained improvements in pain for patients (ref: Lyseng-Williamson &. Siddiqui: Pregabalin: A Review of its use in Fibromyalgia).

"We hope that this survey has managed to show that chronic pain in fibromyalgia is an unfamiliar topic not just to patients but to the healthcare providers who treat them. It is clear that Malaysian GPs and specialists do need more experience and training in managing patients with fibromyalgia. With proper treatment and education, we believe that fibromyalgia patients will be able to enjoy a better quality of life," said Dr Vicknesh Wellupillai, Pfizer's medical director.

Even with good therapeutic compliance, patients should be taught self-management of fibromyalgia. Patient self-management leads to a meaningful improvement in symptoms and daily function. Patients should be advised to, learn about the illness and physicians should provide educational materials and inform patients about reliable sources of patient information about the condition.

Neurological Case Histories (Oxford Case Histories)

This book is a collection of over 50 case histories of patients with predominantly acute neurological illness, with particular emphasis on conditions that present to physicians in both acute general (internal) medicine and neurology, including headache, encephalopathy and altered consciousness, behavioural disturbance, seizures and focal deficits. The majority of the cases have endocrine, vascular, infectious or metabolic aetiologies and include examples of common conditions presenting in unusual ways. The differential diagnosis in such cases is often broad but rapid diagnosis and treatment is often paramount. each case is outlined in brief and is followed by several questions on clinically important aspects of the diagnosis and management.

Price: $ 48.41

Find More Lyme Disease Products

Tags: Case, Histories, Neurological, Oxford

This entry was posted on Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 5:39 am and is filed under Lyme disease. you can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.