What Is This Disease?

What is Lupus?

2009-11-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease which causes long term inflammation in many parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. The disease is characterized by episodes of wellness and illness. Periods of illness are called 'flares'.

Lupus usually appears in one of two forms - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). SLE is the most common form of lupus, and it can can affect several parts of the body, while DLE involves inflammation of the skin only.

What causes lupus?

In an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks the person's own body, leading to inflammation. While the exact cause is unknown, a combination of hereditary, environmental and hormonal factors may play a part in triggering the illness. Other triggers include bacteria and viruses.

Who are at risk?

Women are 9 times more likely to get it than men. It is also more common in Asian, Black and Hispanic races. Having a close relative with lupus seems to increase your chances as well. It can show up for the first time during pregnancy or shortly after birth, and women with lupus can have flares around this time.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Lupus can be mild or severe, and there are times when there are no symptoms at all. Common signs and symptoms include:

Butterfly-shaped rash over the nose and cheeks, neck or chest.
Skin becomes more sensitive to the sun.
Mouth ulcers
Joint pains affecting the knees, wrists, hands and fingers.
Kidney problems (may lead to high blood pressure and ankle swelling).
Others: headaches, seizures, dizziness, eye problems and behavioral changes.
During flares, people feel very tired and may have a fever.

How is it diagnosed?

Usually diagnosed through medical history and physical examination, and presence of defining symptoms. However, the diagnosis can be difficult, as the disease varies from person to person, fluctuates with time, and affects many different parts of the body. Therefore it may not be diagnosed until the symptoms become more obvious. To help confirm the diagnosis, blood tests including a test for antinuclear antibody (ANA), may be done. If the ANA test is positive, it means that the immune system is being stimulated, which ties in with lupus.

What are the treatments?

The objective of treatment is to ease the symptoms and reduce long term complications. It also depends on which part of it is affected. Medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen), steroids and drugs to suppress the immune system. Anti-malarial drugs appear to be effective for the rashes, joint pain and internal inflammation. Patients may also be advised to rest, exercise, and avoid sun exposure.

What is Genital Herpes?

2009-11-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Genital herpes

It is a sexually transmitted infection that can't be cured.

What causes genital herpes?

It is caused by the herpes simplex virus. The Type 1 virus typically gives cold sores on the lips, while the Type 2 virus affects the genitals. With the increasing practice of oral sex, Type 1 is now also a common cause of genital herpes.

Who are at risk?

Anyone who has ever had sex (especially with someone who has it) is at risk. It can be spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and also by touching the infected area of the person who has it.

What are the signs and symptoms?

The disease can range from being totally without symptoms, and therefore unknown to the person carrying it, to mild itchy, tender red spots on the genitals, to excruciating blisters and sores of the genirals with fever and general unwellness. Other symptoms may include:

Headache
Shooting pains in the back and legs
Swollen groin glands
Difficulty passing urine

After the first attack, which may last up to 3 weeks, recurrences may occur, of which are often milder and shorter-lived. The recurrences may be frequent (e.g. monthly) or rare.

What are the complications?

You can spread it to others.
You have a higher risk for HIV infection.
If you are pregnant, your baby could get infected while being born.

How is it diagnosed?

A doctor specializing in the skin or in sexual infections will often make a diagnosis based on the patient's history and on examination. Swabs can be sent to the lab, which may be helpful in trying to confirming the diagnosis.

What are the treatments?

The goal of treatment for genital herpes is to provide relief from herpes sores and to shorten the time for the outbreak to heal. Treatment works best if it is started as soon as possible after the start of an outbreak.

Anti-viral drugs, such as aciclovir, famciclovir and valacyclovir, are recommended to treat first genital herpes outbreak. Most people find relief and recover more quickly (e.g. heal the sores) from the first attack by taking antiviral medicines. Antiviral medicines also helps prevent further outbreaks and reduces the risk of people passing the virus to their sex partner(s).

To reduce pain and fever from genital herpes, one may use non-prescription drugs such as ibuprofen or acetaminophencan.

Patients may need some counseling to come to terms with the infection, and to learn how to prevent transmission to sexual partners.

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?

2009-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

IBD encompasses two separate conditions - ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In both conditions, there is inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract, specifically the large intestines in ulcerative colitis, and mostly the small intestines in Crohn's. The inflammation causes swelling, redness, ulceration and bleeding.

What causes IBD?

Exact cause is not clear yet, but genetic factor plays a role. About 15-30% of people with IBD have a family member who also has the same problem. There are many changes in the immune system in IBD sufferers which are not fully understood.

Who are at risk?

IBD can affect any age, from young children to the elderly, but often affects young adults in their late teens or 20s. Women and men are equally affected.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Common signs and symptoms:

Abdominal pain and cramping
Bloating/distension
Blood in the stool
Loss of appetite
Mucus in the stool
Persistent diarrhea
Ulceration in the digestive tract

What are the complications?

Poor nutrition, weight loss and anemia may result.

Crohn's disease can cause inflammation anywhere in the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, and can lead to tunnels, called fistulas, forming between the bowel and the skin or surrounding structures such as the bladder. These can get infected and become abscesses.

Ulcerative can lead to joint, eye, liver and skin problems, although it is not clear why. There is an increased risk of bowel cancer.

How is it diagnosed?

Apart from medical examination, stool samples and blood tests may be necessary. The bowels may also be investigated with colonoscopy (a flexible scope is put through the anus to visualize the lining of the bowels) or X-ray techniques.

What are the treatments?

Treatment for IBD is highly individualized depending on the type and severity of the symptoms. It is aimed at improving the nutrition of the sufferer and keeping them as well as possible. Treatment options for IBD include dietary changes, medications and sometimes surgery.

Drugs include mesalamine agents, antibiotics, corticosteroids, azathioprine and infliximab. Surgery is reserved for people who are very unwell, for whom drug options have failed, and to relieve emergencies such as bowel obstruction. Surgery may result in a temporary or permanent 'stoma', or opening of the bowel onto the abdomen. A bag has to be placed over this opening to collect waste material.

What is Migraine?

2009-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Migraine

It is more than just a bad headache. In fact, it is a debilitating condition that causes severe headache, visual disturbances and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

What causes it?

The exact cause of migraine is not fully understood, but it is believed to be related to changes in the trigeminal nerve system (a major pain pathway in the brain) and an imbalance of brain chemical, such as serotonin. Triggers include:

Hormones - women tend to suffer more around the time of their menstruation, or during pregnancy
Food, such as alcohol, cheese and chocolate
Stress
Insufficient or too much sleep

Who are at risk?

Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraine than men. 80% of people with migraine have a family member who is also affected. If one parent has migraine, their children have a 50% chance of having it too.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Severe headache - throbbing or pulsating - may affect one or both sides of the head
Headache gets worse with any active movement
There may be nausea and vomiting
Sufferer becomes very sensitive to light or sound
Symptoms can last from several hours to several days, and varies in frequency
Sufferers may get an 'aura' just before an attack, such as seeing flashing lights, zigzag lines or a spreading blind spot in their vision
May also experience tingling or weakness in one arm or leg and speech problems
May feel more energetic or elated, or become depressed, or have food cravings in the hours or days before an attack

How is it diagnosed?

Migraine can usually be diagnosed by the patient's list of symptoms and a medical examination. If further tests such as brain scans are needed, they are often to exclude other causes of headache.

What are the treatments?

For pain relief, strong painkillers such as ibuprofen can be useful. If these are not good enough, a group of drugs called triptans, designed specifically for migraine, work very well. Medicine may also be necessary for nausea. It is not fully understood, but some heart medicines seem to be able to prevent migraine. These include beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Anti-depressants and anti-epilepsy drugs are also useful.

Great names you don't want to have (III)

2009-11-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

Meniere's Disease

A disorder of the inner ear that mostly strikes those aged 50 and above, and which often results in total deafness. The person also experiences recurrent vertigo (dizziness) and tinnitus (ringing or hissing in the ear).

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Painful enlargement of the shin just below the knee usually due to repetitive exercise.

Paget's Disease

A common disease of the elderly where bones become weaker and prone to fracture. Parts affected are usually the pelvis, skull, collarbone, vertebrae and long bones of the leg, which may become deformed. The first signs of the disease are pain and bowlegs.

Peyronie's Disease

This disease causes the penis to bend at an angle during erection, making sex difficult and painful. This is due to a thickening of part of the sheath of fibrous connective tissue.

Sezary Syndrome

Proliferation of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) in the skin, liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Affecting mostly the elderly, it starts with a red scaly patch on the skin and spreads to form a severe, itchy and flaking rash.

Stokes-Adams Syndrome

Recurrent fainting episodes caused by insufficient blood flow from the heart to the brain. Occasionally a seizure may result due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain.

Still's Disease

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, affecting children as young as four years or less. Even if the disorder clears up, usually after a few years, the child's growth may be stunted.

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

A skin and brain disorder characterized by a large, purplish birthmark on one side of the face including the eye. It is caused by abnormal distribution of blood vessels. It can result in retardation, epilepsy and glaucoma leading to blindness.

Von Willebrand's Disease

Inherited bleeding disorder caused by a defective gene. Unlike the other bleeding disorder hemophillia, which affects only men, Von Willebrand's disease affects both sexes.

Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome

Associated with meningitis, or inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, and which results in bleeding of the adrenal glands. It is caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease

A disease of the nervous system affecting infants and marked by floppy limbs and paralysis. Eventually the muscles that control breathing and feeding are affected, resulting in early death.

Source: Where Health Begins, July/August 2004

Great names you don't want to have (II)

2009-11-13T02:09:00.000-08:00

Hashimoto's Thyroidism

A form of hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system develops antibodies against its own thyroid gland cells. Symptoms include tiredness, muscle weakness and weight gain.

Hodgkin's Disease/Lymphoma

Cancer of the lymphoid tissue (found mainly in the lymph nodes and spleen). Common signs include swelling in the neck, armpits or groin (these are site of lymph nodes). The person may feel generally unwell, and lose his appetite. As the disease progresses, the immune system is compromised so that even an ordinary infection can be life threatening.

Huntington's Chorea

Chorea is the term given to rapid, jerky involuntary movements such as grimaces and twitches. Huntington's Chorea is due to the degeneration of the basal ganglia, or nerve cells in the brain. Dementia (progressive mental impairment) can also result.

Hurler's Syndrome

Also known as gargoylism (a gargoyle is a squat, disfigured stone figure seen on the roofs of European Medieval churches). Those affected may be normal at birth, but between 6 months and 1 year they develop skeletal deformities that resulted in stunted growth. Other problems include enlarged tongue, liver and spleen, mental retardation and also heart defects. This disease is an inherited condition caused by a defect of an enzyme in the body.

Karposi's Syndrome

A condition characterized by malignant skin tumors. They spread from the feet up finally reaching the arms. Commonly seen in AIDS patients, who may also bear these tumors in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. They cause severe internal bleeding.

Klinefelter's Syndrome

Males affected with it display feminine characteristics. Their body shape is more female than male. They develop breasts at puberty and their testes remain small. They are usually infertile due to azoospermia (absence of sperm production).

Klumpke's Paralysis

Paralysis of the lower arm, with wasting of the small muscles in the hand and numbness of the fingers. It can result from injury to the spinal nerve, as in dislocation of the shoulder.

McArdel's Disease

A rare genetic disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency. This deficiency damages muscle cells, which can sometimes lead to kidney failure. Symptoms include muscular stiffness and painful cramps that get worse during and after exercise. Those affected are usually in their 20s and 30s and are otherwise healthy.

Marfan's Syndrome

A rare inherited disorder, precise cause unknown. Marfan's syndrome affects the connective tissues, which results in skeletal abnormalities - the person grows very tall and thin with long, spidery fingers and toes. The chest and spine may be deformed. The heart and eyes can also be severely affected.

Source: Where Health Begins, July/August 2004

Great names you don't want to have (I)

2009-11-13T01:50:00.000-08:00

Addison's Disease

A disorder of the adrenal glands (a type hormonal-secreting glands). The disease used to be fatal up to the 1950s until hormone treatment became available. Symptoms include tiredness, vague abdominal pain, weight loss, darkening of the skin in the palms and pressure areas of the body, particularly around the mouth.

Behcet's Syndrome

A rare, often chronic disorder. Symptoms include recurrent mouth ulcers and inflammation of the eyes, rashes and intestinal ulcers.

Bell's Palsy

Weakness of the facial muscles. Occurs for no reason and affects one side of the face.

Ewing's Sarcoma

A malignant bone cancer seen mostly in kids between 10-15 years old. It usually starts in a large bone, such as the pelvis or thigh bone (femur) before spreading to other parts.

Down's Syndrome

The result of a chromosomal abnormality - the person has 47 instead of 46 chromosomes. Down's syndrome people suffer mental retardation and have flattened features. The tongue may be large and protruding. Mothers over the age of 35 are at risk of bearing Down's syndrome babies.

Dressler's Syndrome

Also known as post-infarction syndrome. It may occur after a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or heart surgery, causing inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart and lungs. Symptoms are fever and chest pain.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

A collagen disorder. Those affected have loose, thin skin that bruises easily and is slow to heal. They also tend to bleed easily from the gums and digestive tract.

Friedreich's Ataxis

Degeneration nerve fibers in the spinal cord that causes ataxia (loss of coordinated movement and balance). This rare disease is the result of a genetic defect.

Grave's Disease

Toxic goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), which develops from an excessive production and thyroid hormones. The disease may cause eyeballs to bulge.

Guillan-Barre Syndrome

A form of paralysis believed to be caused by an allergic reaction to an (viral) infection. The disease may appear 2-3 weeks after the infection, usually of the upper respiratory tract, such as sore throat or the flu.

Hansen's Disease

Also known as leprosy. It's a chronic bacterial infection that damages the nerves in the limbs and facial area, and may also lead to skin damage. Untreated, it can lead to blindness and disfigurement.

Source: Where Health Begins, July/August 2004