Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome – Definition, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

by soudip

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Definition

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a neurological disease that results as a side-effect of drugs used for curing psychological or neurological disorders. It affects the nerves of people and gives rise to a number of symptoms which include even death. This is a rarely known disease that has serious, life-threatening consequences for the affected person in the absence of treatment.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Symptoms

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome is characterized by several symptoms. These include

Fever

There can be no Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome without fever. People having this condition normally suffer from high temperatures that can impair daily activities and make him or her seek bed rest.

Sweating

Fever is accompanied by sweating. Sufferers of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome are often seen to perspire profusely due to systemic abnormalities.

Rigidity of Muscles

Muscular rigidity is one of the most widely known symptoms of this condition. The affected person experiences a sudden, unnatural firmness in muscles.

Tremors

Patients suffer from muscle tremors that create many difficulties in proper functioning. Simple activities like walking or talking can be affected.

Blood pressure Changes

Affected people also suffer from rapid changes in blood pressure which can be very discomforting. The blood pressure level shoots up causing patients to suffer delirium and even lose consciousness.

ANS Abnormality

The person also suffers from instability of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). This gives rise to abnormalities like poor secretion of tears, numbness from pain and frequent attacks of bronchial pneumonia.

Delirium

The sufferer also experiences mental confusion that is often accompanied by hallucinations.

Increased WBC

The white blood cell (WBC) count of the suffering persons shows a rapid increase.

Increase of Creatine Kinase

The patient also suffers from an increase in Creatine Kinase (CK), an enzyme that is found in brain, heart and skeletal muscle. A rise in Creatine Kinase leads to muscular and kidney damage bringing on serious complications. If there is a rapid increase of Creatine Photokinase in sufferers of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome kidney failure is also very likely. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Onychogryphosis – Definitions, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

by soudip

Are your fingernails or toenails getting abnormally thickened and curved? If they are, you may be suffering from a condition called Onychogryphosis. Read on to know what is Onychogryphosis, causes for Onychogryphosis, treatment for Onychogryphosis and more.

Onychogryphosis Definition

Doctors and medical experts normally define Onychogryphosis as an abnormal disorder of the nails. It is characterized by thickening and curving of the nails in the finger or toe due to injuries or infection. The term Onychogryphosis has been in use since the 19th century.

Where Is Onychogryphosis Found?

Onychogryphosis generally affects the nails in the fingers or the toe. In most people, it usually affects the nail of the big toe.

Onychogryphosis Names

The condition is also known by other names like “Claw Nail” and “Ram’s Horn Nails”. This is because the disease causes the nails to curve and resemble the shape of a claw or the horn of a ram.

Onychogryphosis Symptoms

Onychogryphosis is marked by

Nail Thickening

The nails of the fingers or the toe get unusually thickened and become difficult to trim properly.

Nail Curving

One or more nails may get curved to appear like a claw-like appearance. In severe cases, these can take a curved hook shape to look just like black horns of a ram.

Onychogryphosis Causes

A number of factors can act as causes of Onychogryphosis. These are

Injuries

Injuries in the area surrounding the fingers can give rise to Onychogryphosis. Frequently, dropping heavy objects over the toe or striking the toe with a hard surface leads to this problem. Footballers are at high risk from the condition.

Intense Pressure

Very tight footwear can bring the fingers together and constrict them. Ill-fitting or compact shoes can give rise to this problem.

Poor Posture

Unusual position of foot for a long time may also give rise to structural abnormalities and lead to the development of this disease.

Infection

Fungal infection of the foot can be a cause of Onychogryphosis in some individuals.

Diabetes

Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus are often seen to suffer from this disorder.

Poor Circulation

The disease can also affect people who suffer from inadequate supply of blood to the hands or feet.

Poor Nutrition

Lack of proper nutrition resulting from a faulty diet can also be a reason for this condition.

Onychogryphosis can also result from other conditions like Psoriasis, Epidermal Dysplasia and Ichthyosis Hystrix.

Onychogryphosis Diagnosis

Onychogryphosis is usually detected by physical observation. The sight of a thickened, claw-shaped curved nail is generally enough for a medical professional to diagnose the condition.

In some cases, Histopathology or microscopic study of tissues is required. This is usually done by biopsy of skin around the nails or amputation of the third bone of the finger or the toe. A Glucose Tolerance Test may also be carried out to check whether the sufferer is having Diabetes Mellitus.

Onychogryphosis Medical Treatment

Onychogryphosis treatment usually involves correcting the abnormal condition of the affected nail. This can be done either by cutting or filing the nail or removing it in entirety by surgical means and local analgesic. This can be quite disheartening for some people. But applying polish on the nail bed can make it look normal from a distance. Unless it is seen closely, no one will be able to tell the difference.

The germinal matrix needs to be completely destroyed to prevent the regeneration of the damaged nail. Non-removal of the nail bed will make small spikes or growing nail pop out across the old nail surface. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Bacillary Angiomatosis – Pictures, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

by soudip

Having red papules on your skin surface? Are you suffering from fever and stomach ailments? It may be a case of Bacillary Angiomatosis that you are having. Read on to know all about Bacillary Angiomatosis, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and cure.

What Is Bacillary Angiomatosis?

Bacillary Angiomatosis is a type of Angiomatosis that affects the entire body system. It is an infectious disease that causes rapid multiplication of the small blood vessels of the skin. This is a rare illness but is potentially risky to sufferers.

Who Gets Bacillary Angiomatosis?

It affects only a small percentage of people around the world. The condition shows a preference for white race followed by people of black and Hispanic background. It also mostly affects men. About 90% of sufferers in the US are found to be people belonging to male sex. The disease affects kids very rarely.

Bacillary Angiomatosis Symptoms

Bacillary Angiomatosis is mainly characterized by the appearance of lesions or nodules of varying sizes all over the skin. The lesions are typically very small but can grow up to about 4 cm in diameter. These usually arise in groups. You can find as many as 50 papules at one time. These can vary in color and are generally bright red or almost black in appearance.

The nodules continue to grow in size and often rupture to bleed from time to time. These are accompanied by several other symptoms like fever, body aches, dyspepsia and inflammation of glands.

What Causes Bacillary Angiomatosis?

Bacillary Angiomatosis is caused by bacterial infection resulting from exposure to Bartonella Henselae and Bartonella Quintana. Humans generally get infected by Bartonella Henselae due to cat bite or cat scratch. Bartonella Quintana is typically transmitted by lice.

Bacillary Angiomatosis Bartonella Infection also affects people with compromised immunity as in AIDS sufferers. It rarely arises in people with strong immune systems. The disease is mostly seen in HIV sufferers. It is only in rare instances that a non-HIV sufferers also get this condition.

The condition also arises in sufferers of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Cytotoxic Chemotherapy. People who have organ transplants recently are also at risk of having Bacillary Angiomatosis.

Bacillary Angiomatosis of Liver

In people with Bacillary Angiomatosis liver often gets enlarged and inflamed. Bacillary Angiomatosis may also be accompanied by peliosis hepatis, a condition that forms blood-filled cavities in the liver.

Bacillary Angiomatosis of Spleen

In sufferers of Bacillary Angiomatosis spleen is another of the internal body regions where nodules appear. This usually occurs in people with Splenic Bacillary Angiomatosis.

Bacillary Epithelioid Angiomatosis

Bacillary Epithelioid Angiomatosis is a bacterial infection of lymph nodes in a localized region of the body. It is caused by infection from exposure to gram-negative bacterium AFIPIA felis. The disease mainly occurs after a scratch from a cat. The first symptom of this disease is the appearance of elevated nodules over the location of scratch. This is a self-limiting condition, meaning it resolves itself after a point of time. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Myiasis – Symptoms, Pictures, Prevention and Treatment

by mark

Are you suffering from boils and painful swellings on your skin surface? Have you been experiencing vomiting sensations lately? You may be having a condition called Myiasis.

What Is Myiasis Disease?

Myiasis is a disease caused by parasitic infection. The disease appears when parasitic dipterous fly larvae start feeding on the dead or living tissues of the host, which can be a human or an animal. Myiasis worm typically affects the eyes, ears, nose and the skin on any part of the body.

Myiasis Definition

Famous Entomologist Fritz Zumpt of Germany while talking about Myiasis defined it as the infestation of vertebrate animals and humans with larvae of the Diptera variety. The larvae feed on the consumed food, body fluids or living and dead tissues of the host for a time period.

Myiasis is correctly pronounced as “My-ah-siz”.

Myiasis Flies

Flies of Diptera genus cause Myiasis. There are about 100 kinds of Myiasis causing flies, such as human botfly, tumbu fly and sheep botfly that give rise to Myiasis in humans and animals. A Myiasis fly enters the human body through consumption of infected meat products, open wounds and even infection of apparently intact skin surface.

Myiasis Geography

Myiasis prevalence is mainly in the developing and underdeveloped nations and also tropical and subtropical regions such as Central America, South America, tropical Mexico, sub-Saharan Africa and Trinidad.

Types of Myiasis

Myiasis in humans is generally of four types. Myiasis forms actually depend on the site of the human body that is being infected.

Cutaneous Myiasis

This arises when Myiasis larvae affects the living or dead tissues in the skin surface. The condition results in long-lasting, painful sores or ulcers over the skin surface. The larvae usually enter the skin surface through a cut, lesion or an open wound though even unbroken skin may be affected.

Nasal Myiasis

The condition develops from parasitic infection of the nasal passage. This may give rise to severe irritation, nasal obstruction, facial edema, vomiting and even fever. If left untreated, it may also cause death in some cases.

Aural Myiasis

This particular variation of Myiasis results from parasitic infection of the ear. The patient hears buzzing sounds and suffers from smelly discharge from the ear from time to time. If the site of infection is the middle ear, the larvae may reach the brain and infect it causing Cerebral Myiasis that may lead to serious complications.

Opthalmomyiasis

This is a common variation of Myiasis and affects the eyes. It gives rise to irritation and pain in the eye and can also result in edema in serious circumstances. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Electronic Cigarette Dangers

by mark

An electronic cigarette is a product which is powered by battery and is used to provide nicotine dose or non-nicotine vaporized solution. It is also known as e-cigarette or vaporized cigarette. The product contains cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals which are converted in vapor. E-cigarettes are available in various flavors in the market such as chocolate and mint. There are certain dangers associated with them and in this article we will highlight some of the key electronic cigarette dangers.

Electronic Cigarette Dangers

Though FDA, a US Department Of Health and Human Services has found that the liquid in the electronic cigarettes are fit for human intake via inhalation yet it has not completely given thumbs up to e-cigarettes as an alternative to their traditional counterparts. Some of the dangers associated with electronic cigarette intake include are dizziness, mouth ulcer, sore throat, indistinct speech, heartburn, coughing etc.

Electronic Cigarette pictures
Picture 1 – Electronic Cigarette
Source - webshopapp

A study undertaken by the University of California has found that one needs to suck an electronic cigarette much harder than traditional cigarette. This may result in intake of more nicotine thereby having adverse effect on health.

The researchers also found that users have to exert greater inhalation pressure while smoking electronic cigarette which might result in deeper penetration of aerosol in the lungs of the smoker. At the same time users of e-cigarettes need to smoke more puffs in order to receive the amount of nicotine content they need to satisfy their desire. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Daith Piercing – Pain, Pictures, Infection, Healing and Aftercare

by mark

Thinking about piercing your ear and sporting barbells similar to the ones you saw on your buddy? Read on to know all about Daith Piercing before you actually go for it.

What is a Daith Piercing?

Daith Piercings
Picture 1 – Daith Piercing
Source – justpiercings

Daith Piercing is the process of perforating the Daith, an inner section of the ear that consists entirely of cartilage. It is the outer rim of ear cartilage located closest to the head. The perforation is mainly done for wearing a piece of jewellery.

Daith Piercing Experience

Daith Piercing has become popular only recently.  Naturally, it is carried out only in a few select body piercing salons. If you are interested in getting a Daith Piercing, you should find out if any local salon in your area is offering such services. Try to find out if the place is dependable, abides by safety standards and comprises of expert piercers.

If you are satisfied with the quality of the studio, fix up an appointment. An appointment will help you avoid get timely service.

Buy a piece of jewelry to place at the site of your Daith Piercing. Many piercees usually go for a small barbell or ring.

Take along some over-the-counter painkillers like Acetaminophen, Aspirin or Ibuprofen. These will help if you have a low threshold for pain. You may pop these sometime before the session begins to reduce pain during piercing.

Turn on the appointed day at the exact hour. A delay can cause the experts to get engaged with other clients.

You may have to show your identity proof and also sign some papers expressing your consent to undergo the piercing. Once these formalities are completed, you will be admitted to the piercing chamber.

When the piercer appears, show the exact spot where you want to wear your barbell. The professional will probably mark the spot with a surgical pen and then start cleaning the area. The area is cleaned with a disinfectant containing alcohol and antiseptic lotions. Some people have hair coming out of their ear. In such cases, the piercer may shave the area to carry out a minor hair removal.

Daith Piercing consists of perforating the specified part of inner cartilage using a curved surgical needle. After piercing, the area is cleaned to remove all traces of blood. In experienced hands, Daith Piercing bleeding is minimal. [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

In need of drug rehabilitation? Don't wait another day to get help.