Health Articles

This article looks closely at five peculiar or common signs of classic autism, which distinguishes it from other pervasive developmental disorders. Take the time to read it and you will surely learn a thing or two that you previously didn’t, about autism.

1.  When your child doesn’t show any signs of wanting to make friends with other people, even kids their age. As they grow up, in fact, they often never develop even the most basic relationships with their family and other loved ones.

2.  A lot of autistic patients tend to demonstrate a penchant for repetitive and stereotypical language. Often, they would even insist on using their pronouns the wrong way, however much you try to teach them otherwise; oftentimes using the second or third person to refer to himself or herself.

3.  If you already know that your child is autistic, you should not be surprised to find them absorbed, as it were, with certain specific objects or subjects within their vicinity. They could hold on to a toy for no apparent reason and refuse to let go, or they may just appreciate a special holiday in a way that you find hard to grasp.

4.  The strangest symptom you may see on an autistic child is when they tend to line things up. Usually they would pick up the toys you give them or something else and just line them up on the ground the same way they did yesterday and the same way they are likely to do tomorrow.

5.  If you ask me, the most remarkable symptom about a child who suffers from autism is their savant skills. They often display a mysterious and uncommon ability that you don’t find in a lot of other people, usually in the arts or sciences, making you wonder if there really is some super intelligence in there somewhere. There just might be.

There are many causes of hair loss. Both men and women can obtain it. It can be because of nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, stress, and diseases. But generally the most common cause of it is called adrogenetic alopecia. It is the medical term for hair loss or baldness. Adrogenetic refers to the influence of androgens (male hormones), and genetic predisposition to balding can be the reason of such a hair loss. Genetic is not that simple, and also the hair loss case. Just the presence of someone in your family of balding is not enough to predict that you will also become bald. It is really hard to predict who will go bald and how fast will it be.That is why planning for hair restoration will be very important for those people who gets alarmed about it. Normal man and women produce androgenic hormones. Dihydrotestosterone, androsteinedione, testosterone (DHT) is the most common.

For men, testicles and adrenals are the one to produce it. For women ovaries and adrenal glands are the one to produce it. These hormones are important for both sexes. But have different concentrations, and this is more predominant for males than females. This in part, differentiates the genders.

Exposure of hair follicles to DHT, in a susceptible person for a period of time leads to male and female pattern to baldness or the so-called adrogenetic alopecia. There is no exact age for balding occurrence. Balding is a process, simple; yet this fact is often ignored.

This process can be slow or rapid. It usually starts at late teens. Illnesses and medical conditions is one of the causes of hair loss. Such as thyroid disease and diabetes, can cause hair loss. Those people with liver and kidney diseases and lupus can also have baldness. Adult women and teen girls can have hair loss due to hormone imbalance in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Medications such as acne medicines cause hair loss. Amphetamines in diet pills can also cause hair loss. And the very known medication that causes hair loss is chemotherapy.

Alopecia areata is a skin disease than causes hair loss on the scalp and sometimes on the body. It is an autoimmune disease. The own immune system is the one to damage the hair follicles. Alopecia areata starts as small bald patches and can progress to total baldness. Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls his/her own hair that can also lead to hair loss. Hair treatments and styling the hair gives tension to scalp and hair becomes damaged and leads to hair loss. Nutrition is also one factor of baldness because of lack of protein, vitamins and minerals that sustains the hair. Disruption of hair cycle growth is also a problem. Like delivering a baby, getting anesthesia, or having surgery.

There are numerous books on the shelf of the local bookstore that are survival guides for parents of teens. And for good reason! For both parents and children, the teen years are the most trying. We’ve been there so we remember what it is like (though sometimes it seems as if we’ve forgotten). The changes we tend to focus most of our attention on are the outward ones but it is the inner changes that we all go through that can cause the most distress, regardless of the level of ability or disability. For parents, one of the hardest things to face is the lack of control over the situation. This is heightened for parents of teens with autism as many of these kids mature physically on schedule but clearly they are not emotionally equipped to deal with all that this can bring. This can indeed foster extreme reactions and parents need to be prepared.

This is a little known fact, but approximately one third of teens on the autism spectrum will experience the onset of seizures. Even if the teen has never had any kind of a seizure in his or her life, they can begin at this time of life. Thankfully, these usually end when puberty is over but is can be extremely scary during these years. Obviously, if you notice your child having even tremors you should consult a doctor to see if this might be seizure activity. If it is, there are drugs available to treat it and it should be treated as one result of seizures can be a loss in functioning. And, as we parents of autistic children know, it is devastating to go “backwards” when we have worked so hard to keep our child moving forward as much as possible.

One possible positive affect of these extra teenage hormones is that your autistic child might actually have a growth and development spurt. Again, don’t focus just on the outward changes of your child but keep track of how he or she is doing developmentally. You may even notice a new skill or interest appears when there had previously been nothing! Great – take advantage of it and give your child the opportunity to continue to grow and develop. Monitor any changes in your child and keep in close contact with the professionals in your child’s life so that you can ask questions and pass on information as needed.

If your child is not part of a social skills group before puberty, then this is definitely the time to get him or her involved. Here in San Diego CA we have a number of community resources for people with disabilities. Look around your community and you might be surprised at what you find! Remember to find that delicate balance between what is age appropriate and what your child can handle given their developmental level and experience. Getting suggestions from fellow parents of children with special needs, perhaps through support groups, is the best way to quickly find these opportunities and get involved.

Puberty and the teen years are difficult for anyone. When you have a disability it is even more so. Take advantage of people and resources in your community – reach out and give your child the benefit of what is in his or her own backyard. Focus on transitioning from child to young adult and consider what your child needs to learn to be safe. Be patient – this too will pass!
I am the parent of 3 wonderful kids – Sam (21), Lucy (19) and Mac (16). Sam has autism. He is quite high functioning, although the skills and abilities that are prominent today were not always so! Sam is indeed the product of countless hours of therapy, patience, diligence, stubbornness and love by numerous people in many varied settings. My experiences while learning to deal with many different agencies, support groups, professionals etc. led me to my current profession. I have been supporting families for nearly 16 years, 8 as a professional.

Tai Chi has many amazing health benefits and can be used to help alleviate the symptoms of such health conditions as Osteoporosis, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and more. There have even been reports of success with things like Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis although western science is just beginning to back up these reports with hard evidence.

Tai chi’s effects on arthritis are much better documented, and the art is beginning to become accepted as an effective treatment for many arthritis patients. When practiced for health it is done vary slowly and there is no impact too the joints like there is in many other activities like running or walking. This allows arthritis patients to exercise their joints through a wide range of motion without causing more damage or pain to the effected area.
Arthritis treatment
The movements will provide some benefits for arthritis patients but they are not enough to get the benefits that Tai Chi is known for with out a deeper understanding beyond the choreography. It is important for anyone who is considering this art as an alternative treatment for their arthritis to put in some extra time and research into finding someone who is a truly qualified teacher in the internal arts and Chi Kung. Unfortunately most of the YMCA and fitness center Tai Chi teacher’s in the US know very little beyond the basic choreography (even those with arthritis certifications) and will not be able to provide effective results for arthritis sufferers.

If you do not begin to see some results within a month of practice I highly recommend you find another teacher. Tai Chi has many amazing health benefits but in order to obtain any of them you need a much deeper understanding of the art than just knowing a few moves.

Some of this will be blatantly obvious to you because you find that your clothes feel a little bit tight and your body is starting to bulge in places that never did previously. By simply looking in the mirror you would be able to see any excess weight you have on your body. When you go for a walk you feel like you are jiggling as you go.

There are a few definitions of overweight and it’s probably something that many people do not understand and need it clarified a little better. The following information is really just to give you an understanding and of course it’s always recommended that you consult your physician in order to be 100% sure.

Being overweight means that you are likely to be 10% to 20% more than your normal healthy weight. You can find many charts and information available on the Internet which will supply you with your ideal weight. If for example your healthy weight shouldn’t be 125 pounds and it turns out that you are touching between 140 and just over 150 pounds you are basically overweight.

When it comes to somebody who is obese is slightly different because they will weigh 20% more then what they should. Then we get into the realms of morbidly obese, which is not a place you want to be and I guarantee anybody who is at this stage needs a lot of help. Basically somebody who is this heavy will be 50 to 100 percent of both their recommended healthy weight. This can be a serious health problem and something that needs attention and advice from a dietitian and physician.

Many of us as we get older will put on a little bit of weight because we may not be as active as we where. It’s important to try to keep a little bit of physical exercise in your life whether this is simply walking or taking a trip to the gym a couple times a week. Things like swimming and yoga can also help you do not need to overexert it is just the constant keeping yourself healthy and fit is what really pays off in the long run.

Rheumatic heart disease is a specific cardiac condition that is caused when bacterial infections damage the heart valves. Genus Streptococcus is the bacterium responsible for such infections. It is the same bacterium that causes tonsillitis (commonly known as strep throat). When the condition of tonsillitis is left untreated, it may result in bacterial spread, which may have very serious consequences. The bacteria may travel to the heart and cause inflammation, eventually damaging the tissues in heart valves.

Signs And Symptoms:
As it is quite clear now, strep throat can be a big alert sign, especially if you are experiencing it for over a couple of weeks. However, in some cases, it appears that strep throat has been thoroughly treated, but in fact, the infection still remains there and it keeps on spreading in different parts of your body. It is very much likely that such bacterial infection will silently reach your heart and cause rheumatic heart disease. Therefore, strep throat infections must be taken very seriously. Even if your throat seems to be working fine, you should keep taking the medicine to completely remove the infection. Some common symptoms that you may experience when you have such heart infections include jerky movements in the muscles, extreme fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, and rash with rheumatic fever.

Risk Factors:
There are several risk factors that may be responsible for increasing the speed of bacterial infection. For example, those with prosthetic valves are highly susceptible to have such problems. Likewise, bacterial infection is more likely to cause heart valve complications in those who are already suffering from congenital heart problems. What is more, there are many underdeveloped countries where no proper treatment is available for strep throat. Therefore, the condition of not treating throat infection is also a major risk factor for rheumatic heart disease in various parts of the world.

Can It Be Prevented?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent such problems, but still, you can do plenty of things to substantially reduce the chance of such bacterial infection and the subsequent rheumatic complications. For example, Personal hygiene can play a very important role in this regard. The basic idea is to eliminate the chance of getting affected with a strep throat. Besides that, if strep throat still occurs, you must seek immediate medical help from experts. Any delay in treatment can be very dangerous for your heart health.

There are several antibiotics online that can be used to treat rheumatic heart disease. You may have to take these antibiotics for up to six weeks. However, in case of severe reactions and damage, the doctor may suggest you to go for surgical treatment. But such severe conditions occur only after several years of deterioration of the heart valves. If you take proper care regularly, the condition may not reach that severity level.

If you have an injury, neuromuscular disability, arthritis, stroke or carpal tunnel syndrome, you are among the tens of thousands of people living in North America with diminished hand strength and dexterity. The main problem with diminished strength and dexterity in your hands is the lack of grip strength. There are many great products on the market which you can buy to help with your grip -grip gloves, braces, powders, grip sprays etc. all designed with getting a better grip in mind. All of these products are certified and guaranteed by their respective companies to do what they were designed for. However, there seems to be an area where people have to be more creative in finding grip aids – personal grooming. Most find tips and tricks over the internet or talking to their physiotherapists. These tips and tricks could save you time, energy and money, all things which are very important to anyone’s life, not only the disabled.

Tip # 1- Grip sleeves for tools are about $3-$4 each. It can really add up if you consider everything which you consider a tool. They are helpful and function well, however they can be bulky causing fatigue and cramping over time. A simpler idea would be to use foam rubber shelf paper, available everywhere including dollar stores. It is used by physiotherapists as an inexpensive method of adapting everyday items into an easy to grip item. Just cut out a piece of foam the size of the tool, wrap it around the handle, and secure it with rubber bands. The rubber adds an extra dimension for gripping without slipping, and will cut down on nasty vibrations.

Tip # 2 – Squeezing is an area which grip can be painful. Buy toothpaste and other products which are available in ‘pump’ dispensers. It may be more expensive (around a dollar more) but it will be worth every penny. You can also buy pump dispensers from your local pharmacy and transfer your favorite products into them. If pumps are still painful, try blocks of soap and shampoo. They can be bought at most ‘natural’ shops like The Body Shop or Lush. These products also work for people with chemical sensitivity problems.

Tip # 3 – In the shower, always have a chair or stool to sit on. There are many different products on the market today to help but if you are frugal, you can use a stool or chair from a hardware store with rubber feet. Also, a rubber mat will help with slipping, and rails are always indispensable. Having a shelf next to, or in the shower will allow you to do more without bending or stretching. An adjustable shower head will be helpful for washing your hair or shaving your legs without the exhaustion. Some people have problems with heat or cold. Having the fan on while you shower or bathe will help with the heat and having a large towel next to the bath will help with cold. Try sewing the towel together to form a tube, this will be easier to keep it on, and help with drying your back without extra effort.

Tip # 4 – To style hair without pain or exhaustion, use a long handled brush or comb. Adding a long stick to the handle can elongate the brush or comb, once again wrap it in rubber for extra grip. Buying a stand up hairdryer will be the best purchase you may buy in your life. You can sit under it and read while the dryer does all the work.

Saving energy and avoiding pain from a lack of grip strength is very important for people who suffer from an injury, neuromuscular disability, arthritis, stroke or carpal tunnel syndrome. Finding products to help with everyday functions will make your life much easier and less stressful. There are many companies who provide these products for every special need. Check online and at your local pharmacy to find these products, and talk to your physiotherapist for more tips and tricks. There is a wealth of information you can access without exerting any energy at all.
Pat Munro

Depression and suicide are two things that tend to come hand in hand. Rarely would one kill themselves without being horrendously sad. Thoughts of death may sound sweet to those who are grieved with such an illness – Suicide Depression

Does depression lead to suicide? As a man am I less prone to become affected by suicide and depression? What can I do to prevent it? What should I do if I know someone who is feeling suicidal?

What causes depression is an imbalance of serotonin, a hormone, in the brain. It has been linked as a major contributor and a cause for someone deciding to kill themselves.
Treatment for depression
Suicide is one of the most leading causes of death in America. Some of the things that increase the risk of suicide are keeping a gun in your home and having a mental illness.

The number of people who are depressed and die from suicide is roughly fifth-teen percent. Men are four times as likely as women to die from an attempted self-killing, although women attempt it more frequently but with failure. The elderly have the highest rate of successful suicides with sixty four dieing from suicide for every one hundred thousand who die in general. The amounts of recorded suicides in the world have been steadily increasing for years now, along with the amount of people diagnosed with depression.
Autism information
If you or someone you know is suicidal you should seek professional help for them. No matter what the age or gender, it is not a healthy train of thought in the least. Do not see it as an attempt for attention and that they won’t try.

There is a clear link between the two. Depression is the door to suicide, although not everyone steps through. Whether or not someone is male, female, old, or young depression could happen. Just as that could happen, so could suicide.

In the western world, with obesity levels reaching all time highs, the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is growing at staggering rates. And unfortunately will only get worse. Even between 2001 to 2002 the diagnosis of diabetes rose from 5.5% to 6.5% in just one year!

Overall over 12 million US citizens have been diagnosed with diabetes and at least half that number have it but don’t know about it. And it’s estimated that another 12 million plus people are on the fast track to Type 2 Diabetes because of rising glucose levels.

Not knowing if you have this disease and the symptoms is the worst, because untreated the repercussions are terrible. These can include blindness, amputations, circulation problems and ultimately an earlier death! For most people type 2 diabetes is almost avoidable.

Doctors usually say eat better, eat less and do more exercise. The numbers show that this advice is being ignored as many Americans are overweight or obese. The statistics show that people are living for many years longer and this seems to be an upward trend. Unfortunately this will not continue if type 2 diabetes is not controlled.

Sadly, diabetes is not just a USA problem. It is spreading worldwide at epidemic rates.

So if you are currently suffering from the following symptoms;- excessive desire to drink, frequent need to urinate, increased lethargy and fatigue. Excessive hunger, severe irritation, itching, blurred vision and sudden weight loss. Take an hour out of your day and go see your doctor immediately.

The question of toxicity to the gonads: testes and ovaries is a point of concern for all those who work with infertility. This toxicity is determined by any chemical agent, physical or biological agent that can alter the endocrine system or spermatogenesis, causing changes in reproductive physiology. The interruption of the normal biological process may occur by direct action of the agent, or indirectly through their metabolites. In addition to these, factors such as stress, age and weight should be taken into account:
Health news
Testicular Trauma:
Patients who did not drop one or two testicles to the scrotum before birth usually have lower quality sperm, regardless of the realization early surgical correction. Other testicular factors that can determine a lower quality of semen testicular pain would be stronger in childhood related to episodes of testicular torsion, infection, venereal diseases or medication use. Situations that cause fever, such as systemic infections, can temporarily alter spermatogenesis.

Pathologies:
There are many causes of pathologies that can lead to a change in sperm quality. Infectious diseases (mumps, tuberculosis, leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases), chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, kidney failure, lupus erythematosus, hypertension, etc) Tumors such as pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma and others. Patients with thalassemia major develop infertility by the deposition of iron in the pituitary gland and testicles. Diabetes mellitus can cause damage neuropathic, leading to retrograde ejaculation (toward the bladder instead of the urethra).

Substances:
There are a large number of substances that are toxic to sperm production and function. Several types of medications (some antibiotics, chemotherapy, hormones and anabolic steroids), drugs (marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes, heroin, crack, etc) Occupational and environmental factors (heat, light, electromagnetic radiation, etc) Agents pollutants, industrial and environment have been related to changes in fertility, as well as stress. With respect to drugs and illicit drugs, one must be careful to identify those that are known to have negative effect on spermatogenesis.

Infectious diseases cause partial or total obstruction of the seminal track and / or gonad histological changes. Estrogens in the environment (pesticides and herbicides) and diet (plants, cereals, fruits, vegetables and oilseeds) have been widely studied, mainly due to higher incidence of malformations of the genital tract in the last 50 years, and suspicions of the decrease sperm count.

The increase in testicular temperature produces a decrease in quality and quantity of sperm and also dysfunction of the epididymis, as shown in occupational exposure to heat (bakers, confectioners, firefighters, welders, etc). The effect of prolonged exposure to heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, boron) can also lead to changes in spermatogenesis, testicular fibrosis, and hormonal changes.

Smoking can lead to decreased sperm production and worsening of their morphology and motility. Several pesticides have toxic effects on the testes changing fertility and sexual function. Anesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide and halothane, promote reduced production of spermatozoa and chromosomal aberrations.

Varicose:
A varicose veins in the testicles is the clinical condition most commonly found, accounting for 18% of cases, however, is only considered as a cause of infertility when combined with sperm abnormal patterns, which occurs in about 10% of the time . There are several theories that attempt to explain the seminal and testicular changes resulting from these veins, however it is unclear why some patients with varicose are fertile at all, or because 20 to 30% of patients undergoing treatment show no improvement in semen parameters.

Genetic modifications:
In many cases, the cause of infertility is not defined. Studies have shown a high incidence of structural and numerical changes of chromosomes in infertile men compared to fertile men. Most of the changes in sex chromosomes found in azoosperm patients (absence of sperm in the ejaculate). Ten to 15% of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia have deletions in their Y chromosome (absence of fragments on the Y chromosome).

The congenital absence of channels that communicate the testicle to the urethra and cystic fibrosis are other genetic causes that interrupt the transport of sperm to the urethra, without interfering with its production. These patients produce sperm, but they are not ejaculated.

Other Factors:
Situations that would impede the function of sperm, such as antibodies, are found in about 5% of men; however, the role of anti-sperm antibodies remains very controversial. The stress probably decreases fertility, but it is difficult to know how to measure and determine their level of participation.

There is no evidence that the man’s age, by itself, predisposes to infertility (as opposed to women), although other diseases that accompany aging may predispose to infertility, and there seems to be a decrease in semen volume and concentration sperm over the years. Chronic malnutrition causes hormonal changes and, along with protein deficiency interferes with fertility.

The excess body weight and fat distribution appear to be minor effects on men than on female fertility.
Adrianna Smith