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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Definition Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that breaks down tissues in the nervous system (a neurodegenerative disease) of unknown cause that affects the nerves responsible for movement. It is also known as motor neuron disease and Lou Gehrig's disease, after the baseball player whose career it ended. Description ALS is a disease of the motor neurons, those nerve cells reaching from the brain to the spinal cord (upper motor neurons) and the spinal cord to the peripheral nerves (lower motor neurons) that control muscle movement. In ALS, for unknown reasons, these neurons die, leading to a progressive loss of the ability to move virtually any of the muscles in the body. ALS affects "voluntary" muscles, those controlled by conscious thought, such as the arm, leg, and trunk muscles. ALS, in and of itself, does not affect sensation, thought processes, the heart muscle, or the "smooth" muscle of the d...

A myotrophic l ateral s clerosis(ALS), also referred to as motor neurone disease ( MND ),often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," and rarely as  Charcot disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment–"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes ...

Not all mosquitoes bite There are about 170 different mosquito species in North America (and 3,500 worldwide), Parada said, but not all of them bite humans. Of those that do, it’s only the females who are bloodsuckers—they use the protein to produce eggs. There are two species responsible for spreading disease in the United States: the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus, the latter of which is commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito because of its black and white stripes. It’s unclear whether the bugs are attracted to blood type “Studies have claimed that people with Type O blood get bitten more than people with Type A or Type B, but these findings have been disputed,” Parada said. There’s also little evidence that wearing dark clothing attracts more mosquitoes, as is commonly believed. …But we know they like CO2 More likely, mosquitoes are drawn toward people who exhale higher levels of carbon dioxide—like pregnant women or beer drinkers, as some studies have s...

Did you know that 16 percent of children and teens’ daily calories come from added sugar? Ice cream, birthday cake and cookies are typical treats in our kids’It’s no surprise that too much sugar can cause tooth decay, hyperactivity and increase the risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sugar can also cause other chronic— albeit avoidable —health problems. Cold, cough and allergies One of the most common effects sugar can have on children are cold-like symptoms, said Dr. Julie L. Wei, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Fla. Wei said many of her patients complain of chronic runny noses, excessive mucus, cough and symptoms of sinus infections. Some kids are even diagnosed with allergies, without having any formal testing. They’re prescribed medication but their symptoms may actually be due to too much sugar. “If we get rid of the symptoms, kids won’t need the medicine,” Wei said. Croup and acid reflux Some children even have recu...

For women with regular periods, abnormally heavy bleeding may be a sign of blood cancer, and although this symptom is rare, it shouldn't be missed, a new study says. Researchers reviewed information from about 2,000 young and middle-age women with leukemia who were diagnosed between 2002 and 2011. About 200 had abnormal vaginal bleeding, and for 19 of these women, this bleeding was what brought them to the doctor, and led to their cancer diagnosis. Typical symptoms of blood cancer, or leukemia, include fatigue, easy bruising or tiny red spots under the skin. But doctors usually do not think of vaginal bleeding as a sign of the condition, said study researcher Dr. Denise Nebgen, a gynecologist  and associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. For this reason, doctors and patients may overlook heavy bleeding, mistaking it for a heavy period, Nebgen said. Many of the 205 women with uterine bleeding experienced heavy bleeding in the month o...

Ebola virus disease(EVD) or Ebola Heamorrhagic fever(EHF) Is a rare but deadly virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. The virus spreads through the body damaging the immune system and organs such as liver and kidney. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding. Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pains, and headaches. Typically nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point, some people begin to have bleeding problems. How do you get Ebola?   The virus may be acquired upon contact with body, blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal (commonly monkeys or fruit bats)and man. Spread through the air has not been documented in the natural environment. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the virus without being affected. Once human infecti...

Lifestyle changes often can help relieve acute (short-term) insomnia. These changes might make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. A type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help relieve the anxiety linked to chronic (ongoing) insomnia. Anxiety tends to prolong insomnia. Several medicines also can help relieve insomnia and re-establish a regular sleep schedule. However, if your insomnia is the symptom or side effect of another problem, it's important to treat the underlying cause (if possible). Lifestyle Changes If you have insomnia, avoid substances that make it worse, such as: Caffeine, tobacco, and other stimulants. The effects of these substances can last as long as 8 hours. Certain over-the-counter and prescription medicines that can disrupt sleep (for example, some cold and allergy medicines). Talk with your doctor about which medicines won't disrupt your sleep. Alcohol. An alcoholic drink before bedtime might make it easi...