Medical condition Alpha Sclerosis. What is it?
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Could you be referring to Atherosclerosis? This is what the public thinks of as "hardening of the arteries", which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Is is the result of plaque deposits that decrease blood flow through the effected area, and can eventually lead to complete blockage.
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In relation to what type of medical disorder or behavior?\n\n Knowledge about the balance between heritable and nonheritable risk in multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on twin studies in high-prevalence areas. In a study that avoided ascertainment limitations and directly compared continental Italy (medium-prevalence) and Sardinia (high-prevalence), we ascertained 216 pairs from 34,549 patients. This gives a twinning rate of 0.62% among MS patients, significantly less than that of the general population.      In continental Italy, probandwise concordance was 14.5% (95% confidence interval, 5.1-23.8) for monozygotic and 4.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.8-7.1) for dizygotic twins. Results in Sardinia resemble those in northern populations but in limited numbers. Monozygotic concordance was 22.2% (95% confidence interval, 0-49.3) probandwise, but no concordant dizygotic pairs were identified.
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I do.  Hi, nice to meet another chiarian. How is life for you?  I have been diagnosed with ACM since 1999.
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Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an inherited, progressive nervous system disorder causing loss of balance and coordination.\n\nThe rate of progression of FA is highly variable. Most patients lose the ability to walk within 15 years of symptom onset, and 95% require a wheelchair for mobility by age 45. Reduction in lifespan from FA complications is also quite variable.  but may be as late as the mid-sixties.  the particular length of the triple repeat has not been correlated strongly enough with disease progression to allow prediction of the course of the disease on this basis.it is not catching .\nThe gene for FA codes for a protein called frataxin. Normal frataxin is found in the cellular energy structures known as mitochondria, where it is thought to be involved in regulating the transport of iron. In FA, the frataxin gene on chromosome 9 is expanded with nonsense information known as a "triple repeat." This extra DNA interferes with normal production of frataxin, thereby impairing iron transport. Normally, there are 10-21 repeats of the frataxin gene. In FA, this sequence may be repeated between 200-900 times. The types of symptoms and severity of FA seems to be associated with the number of repetitions. Patients with more copies have more severe symptomatology. Researchers are still wrestling with how frataxin and the repeats on chromosome 9 are involved in causing FA. One theory suggests that FA develops in part because defects in iron transport prevent efficient use of cellular energy supplies.\n\nThe nerve cells most affected by FA are those in the spinal cord involved in relaying information between muscles and the brain. Tight control of movement requires complex feedback between the muscles promoting a movement, those restraining it, and the brain. Without this control, movements become uncoordinated, jerky, and inappropriate to the desired action.\n\nits inherted in the genes.
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I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 1999.  Since that time, I have done extensive research on the disease.  I could answer almost any question someone would want to know.  Please contact me at blackfootj@cableone.net.
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Excellent question.\n\nLupus is what is called an Autoimmune Disease.  Basically, what this means is that Lupus is a category of "conditions" wherein the person's own body - white blood cells - attack the body, and interfere with the body's "normal" functioning.\n\nThe problem with this type of "condition" - like other Autoimmune Diseases like Multiple Sclerosis - is that NO TWO PEOPLE have the same TYPE of symptoms, nor do their symptoms last the same amount of time!!\n\nThe absolute best way to learn about LUPUS and whether or not it is your own "specific" condition, or whether or not you have something similar, is to DOCUMENT ALL YOUR SYMPTOMS AND how they impact your normal daily living - both at home and work. THEN, go to the following website:  http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com \n\nThis is the ABSOLUTE best website for those who have, or want to know more about, Autoimmune Diseases (AI)!!!  It was started a little over 2 years ago by a lady who has Lupus for the rest of us with AI diseases.  It is a virtual village wherein we can find out information about our various diseases - like MS and Lupus - and general topics like life and every day living!!  I personally am the Moderator for the MS, Social Security, Work Related, and Baby Boomer Forums!!\n\nNow, my qualifications for providing you this answer:\n\n1) I've successfully managed the symptoms of MS for over 45 years.\n2) I was an HR Executive for over 30+ years, and combined my professional and personal expertise in creating a website dedicated to assisting folks with "chronic disease symptoms" better document, communicate, corroborate, and manage their symptoms and the resulting impairments to become expert patients; chronic disease self-managers; and, partner with their doctors to practice patient-centered health care.\n\nhttp://www.disabilitykey.com\n\nMy website contains tons of information in 2 blogs, downloadable free articles and self-help ebooklets, and the Disabilitykey Workbook which contains over 100 pages of how to processes and actual forms - blank and completed examples - to assist folks. This workbook is available for a very small price (under $10).\n\nSo, here are some suggestions:\n\n1) Document your symptoms and their impairments.\n\n2) Go to http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com and check out the disease-specific forums and see which one best matches your symptoms.\n\n3) Then, go to see your doctor, better prepared to partner with him/her in getting you a diagnosis not only for your "condition", but for medications and/or other suggestions for "managing" your symptoms.\n\nFinally, please feel free to contact me by clicking onto my Yahoo name and email me or im me with additional questions along your process of discovery.\n\nBest wishes.
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This is straight from memory from college days.  It is a nervous disorder that effects the myelin sheaths that cover your nerves.  Cases can be severe or mild and usually resolve on their own with little or no long term illness.  As with all illnesses, severe cases can cause long term damage.  Also, as with most nervous system disorders, there is no cure per se.  I honestly can not remember how you get it, but any medical website can tell you that.  I think it's usually a complication or secondary illness to something else.
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yes, I heard of it.  Its an autoimmune disease.  Your skin begins to tighten on your hand and face I think.  It becomes hard to eat too, they have throat problems.  A lot of people that have it also have Raynaulds and have cold fingers and toes.  There are several blood test that a specialist can do to see if you have it.  So instead of worrying, get the blood test.
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MS is a very serious neurological disease and can not be readily diagnosed... MRI to look for lesions, Evoked Potentials to determine to what extent the demylinating disease has on the extremities. there is numbness, pain... every patient is different - that's why it is so difficult to narrow down.\n\nSymptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from person to person and from time to time in the same person. For example, one person may experience abnormal fatigue, while another might have severe vision problems. A person with MS could have loss of balance and muscle coordination making walking difficult; another person with MS could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems. While some symptoms will come and go over the course of the disease, others may be more lasting.
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MS - Multiple Sclerosis\n\nNo one with MS suffer with the same symptoms which makes things really hard. Anxiety could be part of the emotions that you feel.\n\nHave a look at either the MS Society or MS Trust website
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Ataxia is a medical disturbance that is caused due to some damage to the nervous system. It causes a hindrance in the coordination of the voluntary muscles, leading to unsteady movement, wobbling, etc. of the limbs.
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Encephalopathy is a term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure.
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I too have this condition, along with my older brother, a son, a nephew , and my now deceased father .   All you may want to know about your condition can be found in the current issue of Consumer Reports issue of "onHealth" Volume18 Number 1 - page11. Learn to live with it as all of us have done except for my father.  Physicians did horrible things to him in search of a cure and he shook till he died at 80.
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Also known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
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Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). \nMultiple sclerosis (MS) usually affects woman more than men. The disorder most commonly begins between ages 20 and 40, but can strike at any age.\n\nThe exact cause is not known, but MS is believed to result from damage to the myelin sheath, the protective material which surrounds nerve cells. It is a progressive disease, meaning the damage gets worse over time. Inflammation destroys the myelin, leaving multiple areas of scar tissue (sclerosis). The inflammation occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system.\n\nThe inflammation causes nerve impulses to slow down or become blocked, leading to the symptoms of MS. Repeated episodes, or flare ups, of inflammation can occur along any area of the brain and spinal cord.\n\nSymptoms vary because the location and extent of each attack varies. Usually episodes that last days, weeks, or months alternate with times of reduced or no symptoms (remission).\n\nRecurrence (relapse) is common although non-stop progression without periods of remission may also occur.\n\nResearchers are not sure what triggers an attack. Patients with MS typically have a higher number of immune cells than a healthy person, which suggests that an immune response might play a role. The most common theories point to a virus or genetic defect, or a combination of both. There also appears to be a genetic link to the disease. MS is more likely to occur in northern Europe, the northern United States, southern Australia, and New Zealand than in other areas. Geographic studies indicate there may be an environmental factor involved.\n\nPeople with a family history of MS and those who live in a geographical area with a higher incidence rate for MS have a higher risk of the disease.\n\nCheck out this article with excellent illustrations:\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000737.htm
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MS is unpredictable. It varies from person to person and can result in a wide variety of symptoms, none of which are unique to MS. You may experience only a few symptoms and it is unlikely that you will develop them all. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict what will happen during the course of anyone's MS. \n\n\n\nSymptoms range from mild to severe, from brief to persistent. Some symptoms, such as walking difficulties, are obvious to other people; others, like pain or fatigue, are not. These are often referred to as hidden, invisible or silent symptoms, and can be more difficult for people unfamiliar with MS to understand.\n\nThe more common symptoms of MS include:\n\nFatigue: an overwhelming sense of tiredness making physical or mental activity hard and, for some, impossible. \nProblems with walking, balance and coordination. \nVisual problems, including blurred or double vision, temporary loss of sight in one eye, or both. \nNumbness or tingling in the hands or feet. \nDizziness. \nPain: sometimes mild, sometimes severe. \nLoss of muscle strength and movement. \nStiffness and spasms: a tightening or involuntary movement in particular muscle groups - especially in the legs. \nAnxiety, depression or mood swings. \nCognitive problems, such as difficulty with memory and concentration. \nSpeech problems, including slurring. \nContinence issues: a lack of control over bladder or bowel functions; an increased risk of urinary infection. \nSexual problems, such as lack of libido or erectile difficulties. (Though it should be noted that MS does not affect fertility.) \n\n\nIf you think you have any of these symptoms you should consult a healthcare professional. It is important not to overlook any problems, as most symptoms can be managed well.\n\nWhilst there is no cure for MS, research continues to try and find one. Even without a cure, there are many effective treatments that can help you manage the condition. You can discuss all the treatment options and any concerns with your neurologist, MS nurse or GP. \n\nIn recent decades, there has been a shift in how we think about MS. Whilst there are still many gaps in our knowledge, we now have a much better understanding of how MS affects the central nervous system and how symptoms develop. These advances have led to new approaches in treatment.\n\nThe National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guideline may be useful to people affected by MS as it sets out good practice for treatment and management of MS. The Guideline's recomendations are based on a review of the scientific and medical evidence available. \n\n\n\nDisease modifying drugs \nThe last few years have seen the development of drugs that can affect or modify the course of your MS. Known as disease modifying drugs, they are thought to regulate the immune response by suppressing production of certain molecules involved in myelin damage and inflammation. Although not a cure, these drugs can reduce the number of relapses people experience by about 30 percent.  Steroids for relapses \nWhen you experience a relapse, your doctor may recommend a course of steroids to help speed up recovery. However, doctors only tend to recommend steroids if your relapses are disabling, painful or distressing. Although they do not alter the course of the disease, steroids can reduce the inflammation that occurs in the central nervous system during a relapse and can shorten recovery time. They are administered intravenously (through a drip into the bloodstream) or orally, as soon as possible after the onset of the relapse. The treatment period usually lasts between three and five days and can require hospitalisation. Most neurologists try to limit the number of steroid treatments prescribed to you in any one year.   Multi-disciplinary Care \nAs well as your GP and neurologist, many other specialists may be involved in your treatment. These specialists are important as part of a multi-disciplinary team, because they can help care f
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MS is diagnosed with protein electrophoresis of lumbar punction spinal fluid - it yields stripes caused by monoclonal antibodies. It is an autoimmune disease, treated with immunosuppression, however slowly progressive in most cases. \n\nLyme disease is a bacterial infection by Borrelia burgdorferi. The diagnose is established after antibody detection tests are positive in blood / synovial fluid / spinal fluid according to the presentation. The treatment is generally easier in bacterial infections (antibiotics), however if left untreated for a long time, the neurological sequels of lyme disease can be unreparable. \n\nGreets