Insomnia Insomnia is a chronic sleeping disorder in which it is very difficult to start and continue sleeping. One of the other symptoms of insomnia that is most recognized is waking up repeatedly in the middle of the night. Lack of sleep leads to two other things, daytime fatigue and restlessness. These are bad on…
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a germ (bacterium) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This germ primarily affects the lungs and may infect anyone at any age. In the United States, the number of TB cases steadily decreased until 1986 when an increase was noted; TB has continued to rise since. Today, ten million individuals…
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic disorders that cause inflammation or ulceration in the small and large intestines. Most often IBD is classified as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease but may be referred to as colitis, enteritis, ileitis, and proctitis. Ulcerative colitis causes ulceration and inflammation of the inner lining of a…
Does it hurt to move your arm? Is it tender and radiating pain to your neck and finger tips? Do you have a fever? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions then you may have typical joint injury called bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa that is easily prevented,…
Angina pectoris is a medical condition that literally means a choked chest. The victim feels acute pain in his chest for a few seconds, and then it goes away. This occurs when myocardium cells, the muscle portion of your heart, are temporarily denied oxygen. At this stage they do not die, but maybe weakened. If…
Beta-carotene is a member of the carotenoid family and has over 500 relatives. Carotenoids are yellow-to-red pigments found in all green plant tissues and in some species of algae. So far 21 different carotenoids have been found in human blood. The most abundant ones are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. A molecule of…
What is the Disease? ALS is an extremely deadly disease affecting the nerve cells that control the victim’s voluntary muscles. These nerves shrink and eventually die, leaving the muscles without stimulation. As these muscles go without stimulation, they too eventually shrink and die. The victim progressively weakens to the point of complete paralysis of all…
Origin At least 50% of all adults and children are exposed to a psychologically traumatic event (such as a life-threatening assault or accident, human made or natural disaster, or war). As many as 67% of trauma survivors experience lasting psychosocial impairment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); panic, phobic, or generalized anxiety disorders; depression; or substance…
Attention Deficit Disorder is a long and somewhat mysterious sounding name that tries to describe something you probably already call Hyperactivity. But, attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is much more that Hyperactivity. History of ADD In 1902 children who demonstrated many of the symptoms that are today part of attention deficit disorder would be described as…
The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the…
In 1991, Governor William Weld modified parole regulations and permitted women to seek commutation if they could present evidence indicating they suffered from battered women’s syndrome. A short while later, the Governor, citing spousal abuse as his impetus, released seven women convicted of killing their husbands, and the Great and General Court of Massachusetts enacted…
Clinical Characteristics DSM IV – for major (unipolar) depression, 5 of the following should occur nearly every day for at least 2 weeks: Emotional symptoms – sadness, depressed mood, loss of appetite, loss of motivation for usual activities. Somatic symptoms – insomnia/hyperinsomnia, weight loss/gain, tiredness. Cognitive symptoms – negative self-concept, low self esteem, apathy, self-blame,…
Anorexia Nervosa: A condition characterized by intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, as well as a distorted body image, leading to an excessive weight loss from restricting food intake and excessive exercise. Bulimia Nervosa: An eating disorder in which persistent over concern with the body weight and shape leads to repeat episodes of…
The mechanism of human memory recall is neither a parallel nor a sequential retrieval of previously learned events. Instead, it is a complex system that has elements of both sequential and parallel modalities, engaging all of the sensory faculties of the individual. On an everyday level, issues about memory and recall affect everyone. It has…
GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is a nutrient that is part of the metabolism process in mammalians. It can be found in every cell of the human body. The greatest quantities can be found in the kidney, heart, skeletal muscles, and brown fat tissues (Chin and Kreutzer, 1992). Chin and Kruetzer also believe it to be a…
The Encarta Encyclopedia defines hypnosis as, “altered state of consciousness and heightened responsiveness to suggestion; it may be induced by normal persons by a variety of methods and has been used occasionally in medical and psychiatric treatment. Most frequently brought about through actions of an operator, or “hypnotist”, who engages the attention of a subject…
Section I: Overview Jeffery Dahmer – Born on May 21, 1960, at Evangelical Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Jeffery Dahmer was found beaten by fellow inmates on the morning of November 28, 1994, as was pronounced dead at 9:11 a.m. Was given life imprisonment on 15 counts of murder committed in Wisconsin and one committed in…
Phrenology is basically the study of personality through the study of the shape of the skull. The basis of this theory is that the brain conforms to the shape of the head and its contours. This pseudoscience says that because we have isolated where different parts of personality come from we can tell how dominant…
Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. It is a disease that makes it difficult for a person to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses to other, and to behave normally in social situations. People with schizophrenia may also have difficulty in remembering, talking, and behaving…
Temper tantrums occur when a child is tired, hungry, uncomfortable, or not feeling well, too warm, or wearing scratchy or tight clothing. It’s best to try to find out what caused it so you can try to avoid the circumstances that might trigger another outburst. Temper tantrums are found to be most common among 3-5…
