Although, it was day time, the woodpecker flew straight into a skyscraper and plummeted to the ground. The bird did not see the glass. A kind pedestrian found the dazed bird and watched over it, hoping that would revive. His hopes soon realized when the bird chirped, stood up, ruffled its feathers and flew away.
Sadly, not all the birds will survive such collisions unharmed. In fact, of those that fly into houses, half die. Studies indicates that in the United States alone, more than 100 million birds die annually after crashing into buildings of various kinds, say the Audubon Society. Some researchers believe that the future may be closer to a billion! Why, though, do birds fly into buildings? And can anything be done to make their life on the wing safer?
THE KILLER-GLASS and LIGHT.
Glass spells dangers for birds. When windows are clean and clear, birds often see only what is on the other side, which may include greenery and sky. As a result, unsuspecting birds sometimes fly straight into the glass at full speed. Also, they may see decorative plants inside glass lobbies or homes and try to land on them. Ornithologist and biology professor Dr. Daniel Klem, Jr., believes that more birds are killed by flying into windows than any other cause related to human activities, except perhaps habitat destruction.
Some birds are especially vulnerable to crashes. Most migratory songbirds, for instance, fly toward their destination at night and navigate at least in part, by the stars. As a result, they may become confuse by bright light on tall buildings. Indeed, some birds become so disoriented that they have flown around aimlessly until they dropped from exhaustion.
THE IMPACT ON BIRD POPULATION.
Just one tall building in Chicago Illinois, U.S.A., caused an average of about 1,480 deaths of one report. Thus, over a period of 14 consecutive years, that one building caused the death of some 20,700 birds. Of no doubt much higher.
Furthermore, in Australia in one recent year, glass killed about 30 swift parrots of which only 2,000 remains.
Of the birds that survive building strikes, many are injured or weakened. This can be especially hazardous for migratory birds. If they are hurt and come down within concentration of buildings, they may die of hunger or predation by other animals, some of which have learned to exploit this occasional food source.
CAN BUILDINGS BE MADE FRIENDLY?
For birds to avoid flying into glass, they need to see it and recognize it as a solid object. To that end, homeowners have to sacrifice their view somewhat by attaching decals, stickers, or other readily visible matter to the outside of windows subject to bird strikes.
Some measures may reduce the death toll by as much as 80 percent, saving millions of birds annually. But the basic problem likely will not go away, for people love lights and glass. Hence, organizations devoted to the welfare of birds, such as Audubon Society, are attempting to persuade architects and developers to be more sensitive to the needs of the natural world.
Friday, 12 June 2009
MOLD: A FRIEND and FOE!
Do you doubt that mold is all around us? Just leave a slice of bread lying around, even in the refrigerator. Before long, it will develop a fuzzy coat-mold!
WHAT IS MOLD?
Mold belongs to the Fungi kingdom, which boasts over 100,000 species, including mildews, mushrooms, plant rusts, and yeasts. Only about 100 funguses are known to cause diseases in humans and animals. Many others play a vital role in the food chain-decomposing dead organic matter and thereby recycling essential elements in a form that plants can use. Still others work in symbiotic relationships with plants, helping them absorb nutrients from the soil. And some are parasites.
Mold begins life as a microscopic spore carried by air currents. If the spore lands on a suitable food sources that has, among other things, the right temperature and moisture level, the spore will germinate, forming threadlike cells called ‘hyphae.’ When hyphae form a colony, the fluffy, tangled mass is called a “mycelium,” which is the visible mold.
Mold is a master at reproduction. In the common bread mold, Rhizopus stolonifer, the tiny black dots contains spore bodies. Just one dot contains upwards of 50,000 spores, each of which can produce hundreds of millions of new spores in a matter of days.
How do mold “eat’? Unlike animals and humans, who eat first and then absorb their food through digestion, mold often reverse the process. When organic molecules are too long or complex for molds to eat, they exude digestive enzymes that break down the molecules into more simple units, which then absorbs. Also, they do not move around to search for food, they must live in their food.
THE FRIENDLY FACE OF MOLD.
In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming observed by accident the germicidal power of the green mold. Later identified as “Pencillium notatum, the mold proved to be lethal to bacteria but harmless to humans and animals. This finding led to the development of “penicillin,” termed “the single greatest lifesaver of modern medicine.” For their work, Fleming and fellow researchers such as Howard Florey and Ernst Chain were awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1945. Since then, mold has furnished a number of other medicinal substances, including drugs for treating blood clot, migraine headaches, and Parkinson’s disease.
Also, mold has been a blessing to the palate. Take cheese for instance, did you know that Brie, Camembert, Danish blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton owe their distinct flavors to certain species of mold penicillium? Likewise salami, soy sauce, and beer owe much to mold.
The same is true of wine. When certain grapes are harvested at the correct time and with a suitable measure of fungal growth of each bunch, they can be used to produce exquisite dessert wines. The mold Botrytis cinerea, or “notble rot,” acts on sugars in the grapes, enhancing the flavor. To paraphrase an adage of Hungarian winegrowers: ‘A noble mold spells a good wine.’
WHEN MOLD BECOMES A FOE.
The harmful traits of certain molds also have a long history. Way back in the sixth century B.C.E., the Assyrians use the mold Claviceps purpurea to poison the wells of their enemies-an ancient form of biological warfare. In the Middle Ages, this mold, which sometimes form an rye, painful burning sensation, gangrene, and hallucinations. Now called ergotism, the disease was dubbed St. Anthony’s fire because many victims, hoping for a miraculous cure, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony in France.
The strongest carcinogenic (cancer causing) substance known is aflatoxin-a toxin produced by molds. On one Asian country, 20,000 deaths a year are attributed to aflatoxin. This lethal compound has been used in modern biological weapons.
According to the California Department of Health Services in the United States, mold can cause the following symptoms: ‘Respiratory problems; nasal and sinus congestion; eye irritation (burning, watery, or reddened eyes); dry, placking cough; nose or throat irritation; skin rashes or irritation.’
MOLD AND BUILDING.
In some lands, it is common to hear schools being closed or people having to vacate homes or offices for mold remediation. Early in 2002, the newly opened Museum of Modern Arts in Stockholm, Sweden, had to be closed because of mold. Remediation cost approximately five million dollars! Why has this problem become more common recently?
The answer involves two main factors; building materials and design. In recent decades, construction materials have included products that are more susceptible to mold. An example is drywall, or gypsum board, which is often made of several layers of powder bonded to a hardened plaster core. The core holds moisture. So, if this material remains wet for extended periods, mold spores can germinate and grow, feeding on the paper in the wall.
Structural designs have also changed. Prior to the 1970’s, many buildings in the United States and in a number of other lands were less insulated and airtight than later designs. The changes resulted from a desire to make building more energy efficient in minimizing heat loss and gain and by reducing airflow. So now, when water gets in, it tends to stay longer, encouraging the growth of mold. Is there a solution to this problem?
“Moisture control is the key to mold control,” says one authority. Simple measures may spare you and your family from an encounter with the unfriendly face of mold. In some ways, mold is like fire. It can do harm, but is can also be extremely useful. Much depends on how we use and control it. Of course, we still have much to learn about mold.
WHAT IS MOLD?
Mold belongs to the Fungi kingdom, which boasts over 100,000 species, including mildews, mushrooms, plant rusts, and yeasts. Only about 100 funguses are known to cause diseases in humans and animals. Many others play a vital role in the food chain-decomposing dead organic matter and thereby recycling essential elements in a form that plants can use. Still others work in symbiotic relationships with plants, helping them absorb nutrients from the soil. And some are parasites.
Mold begins life as a microscopic spore carried by air currents. If the spore lands on a suitable food sources that has, among other things, the right temperature and moisture level, the spore will germinate, forming threadlike cells called ‘hyphae.’ When hyphae form a colony, the fluffy, tangled mass is called a “mycelium,” which is the visible mold.
Mold is a master at reproduction. In the common bread mold, Rhizopus stolonifer, the tiny black dots contains spore bodies. Just one dot contains upwards of 50,000 spores, each of which can produce hundreds of millions of new spores in a matter of days.
How do mold “eat’? Unlike animals and humans, who eat first and then absorb their food through digestion, mold often reverse the process. When organic molecules are too long or complex for molds to eat, they exude digestive enzymes that break down the molecules into more simple units, which then absorbs. Also, they do not move around to search for food, they must live in their food.
THE FRIENDLY FACE OF MOLD.
In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming observed by accident the germicidal power of the green mold. Later identified as “Pencillium notatum, the mold proved to be lethal to bacteria but harmless to humans and animals. This finding led to the development of “penicillin,” termed “the single greatest lifesaver of modern medicine.” For their work, Fleming and fellow researchers such as Howard Florey and Ernst Chain were awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1945. Since then, mold has furnished a number of other medicinal substances, including drugs for treating blood clot, migraine headaches, and Parkinson’s disease.
Also, mold has been a blessing to the palate. Take cheese for instance, did you know that Brie, Camembert, Danish blue, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton owe their distinct flavors to certain species of mold penicillium? Likewise salami, soy sauce, and beer owe much to mold.
The same is true of wine. When certain grapes are harvested at the correct time and with a suitable measure of fungal growth of each bunch, they can be used to produce exquisite dessert wines. The mold Botrytis cinerea, or “notble rot,” acts on sugars in the grapes, enhancing the flavor. To paraphrase an adage of Hungarian winegrowers: ‘A noble mold spells a good wine.’
WHEN MOLD BECOMES A FOE.
The harmful traits of certain molds also have a long history. Way back in the sixth century B.C.E., the Assyrians use the mold Claviceps purpurea to poison the wells of their enemies-an ancient form of biological warfare. In the Middle Ages, this mold, which sometimes form an rye, painful burning sensation, gangrene, and hallucinations. Now called ergotism, the disease was dubbed St. Anthony’s fire because many victims, hoping for a miraculous cure, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony in France.
The strongest carcinogenic (cancer causing) substance known is aflatoxin-a toxin produced by molds. On one Asian country, 20,000 deaths a year are attributed to aflatoxin. This lethal compound has been used in modern biological weapons.
According to the California Department of Health Services in the United States, mold can cause the following symptoms: ‘Respiratory problems; nasal and sinus congestion; eye irritation (burning, watery, or reddened eyes); dry, placking cough; nose or throat irritation; skin rashes or irritation.’
MOLD AND BUILDING.
In some lands, it is common to hear schools being closed or people having to vacate homes or offices for mold remediation. Early in 2002, the newly opened Museum of Modern Arts in Stockholm, Sweden, had to be closed because of mold. Remediation cost approximately five million dollars! Why has this problem become more common recently?
The answer involves two main factors; building materials and design. In recent decades, construction materials have included products that are more susceptible to mold. An example is drywall, or gypsum board, which is often made of several layers of powder bonded to a hardened plaster core. The core holds moisture. So, if this material remains wet for extended periods, mold spores can germinate and grow, feeding on the paper in the wall.
Structural designs have also changed. Prior to the 1970’s, many buildings in the United States and in a number of other lands were less insulated and airtight than later designs. The changes resulted from a desire to make building more energy efficient in minimizing heat loss and gain and by reducing airflow. So now, when water gets in, it tends to stay longer, encouraging the growth of mold. Is there a solution to this problem?
“Moisture control is the key to mold control,” says one authority. Simple measures may spare you and your family from an encounter with the unfriendly face of mold. In some ways, mold is like fire. It can do harm, but is can also be extremely useful. Much depends on how we use and control it. Of course, we still have much to learn about mold.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
LEMON: IT’S ENORMOUS HEALTH BENEFITS
Lemon is widely grown all over the world today. It grows in abundance in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico and West Indies. Unripe lemons are green in color. When they are matured, the color is changed into yellow. Lemon is a must in the kitchen. It is a universally favorite fruits.
BENEFITS, QUALITIES AND USES OF LEMON
The Ayurveda has regarded lemon as a valuable fruits and admired properties. Lemon is sour, warm, promotes gastric fire, light, good for vision, pungent, and astringent.
In considering the benefits/uses of lemon:
•It checks the excessive flows of bile and cleanses the mouth. It dislodges phlegm (cough) and expels wind from the digestive tract. It helps in digestion and removes constipation.
•It prevents vomiting, throat trouble, acidity, and rheumatism. It destroys intestinal worms.
•Though lemon is acidic to the taste, it leaves off alkaline residues in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis,
•Lemon-juice is a powerful anti-bacterial. It has been proved by experiments that bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid, and other badly diseases are destroyed by lemon-juice.
•Lemon-juice retrains influenza, malaria, and cold.
•Lemon-juice gives good relief in fever. When mixed with water, it is useful in quenching the thirst of patient suffering from diabetes. It also gives relief inn abdominal disorders.
•Lemon acts as a sedative for the nerves and the heart and allays troublesome palpitation.
•Lemon is especially appreciated for its Vitamin C value. When Vasco da Gama made his voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, nearly two-thirds of his crew died of scurvy. But at present, the recurrence of such a disaster is no longer possible owing to the widespread use of lemon.
•Lemon is very much useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and bones. The vitamin C content of lemon helps considerably in calcium metabolism.
Conclusively, lemon has proved to be a blessing over the years and a lot o people are yet to tap into its enormous benefits accrued to lemon. No wonder Edmund Hillary, the first man to put his foot on the top of Mt. Everest, has attributed that his victory over Mt. Everest was greatly due to lemon.
BENEFITS, QUALITIES AND USES OF LEMON
The Ayurveda has regarded lemon as a valuable fruits and admired properties. Lemon is sour, warm, promotes gastric fire, light, good for vision, pungent, and astringent.
In considering the benefits/uses of lemon:
•It checks the excessive flows of bile and cleanses the mouth. It dislodges phlegm (cough) and expels wind from the digestive tract. It helps in digestion and removes constipation.
•It prevents vomiting, throat trouble, acidity, and rheumatism. It destroys intestinal worms.
•Though lemon is acidic to the taste, it leaves off alkaline residues in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis,
•Lemon-juice is a powerful anti-bacterial. It has been proved by experiments that bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid, and other badly diseases are destroyed by lemon-juice.
•Lemon-juice retrains influenza, malaria, and cold.
•Lemon-juice gives good relief in fever. When mixed with water, it is useful in quenching the thirst of patient suffering from diabetes. It also gives relief inn abdominal disorders.
•Lemon acts as a sedative for the nerves and the heart and allays troublesome palpitation.
•Lemon is especially appreciated for its Vitamin C value. When Vasco da Gama made his voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, nearly two-thirds of his crew died of scurvy. But at present, the recurrence of such a disaster is no longer possible owing to the widespread use of lemon.
•Lemon is very much useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and bones. The vitamin C content of lemon helps considerably in calcium metabolism.
Conclusively, lemon has proved to be a blessing over the years and a lot o people are yet to tap into its enormous benefits accrued to lemon. No wonder Edmund Hillary, the first man to put his foot on the top of Mt. Everest, has attributed that his victory over Mt. Everest was greatly due to lemon.
STRESS: DEFINITION, CAUSES, AND WAYS TO BEAT STRESS.
Our body has a natural response to threats. If something dangerous is happening, our bodies will produce a reaction to let us know that we need to run away-this has been labeled the “stress response,” or the “flight or fight” reaction in the past, and today is also frequently referred to as “pressure.” In context of imminent danger, this acts as a protection mechanism and is not a bad thing.
A small amount of pressure is also not bad thing in everyday life. We all need that feeling of urgency that helps us to get out of bed each morning to go to work, or the slight feeling of alarm which helps us to cross the road quickly when we see a car coming. However, too much pressure can lead to stress, which serves no useful purpose whatsoever, and can cause physical and emotional harm. Far from helping us to function better and keeping us safe, stress can make us more efficient, by stopping us from sleeping, making us feel overly tense all the time, along with a host of other adverse effects.
A DEFINITION OF STRESS
There are various definitions of unhealthy stress, according to which authority you consult. Medical organizations, stress management consultants, and your boss at work would probably define stress in a slightly different way, depending on their perspective and experience. The UK Healthy and Safety Executive define stress in the following ways, “the adverse reaction people have to execute pressure or other types of demand placed on them.
If you can feel that you’re suffering from high and unacceptable levels of stress, and that this is having a serious impact on your general state of health, you may speak to a doctor. However, if you are in good health, this article can give you new ideas and resources for managing and preventing day-to-day stress, and help to improve your quality of life.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS?
Is stress all in the mind? No-it is very real. But different things trigger stress in different peoples and this can be:
•Time pressure
•Deadlines
•Volume of work
•Having to a certain demanding or unpleasant task.
But this varies from individual to individuals and it is the amount of pressure that counts too.
Let’s consider pressure in terms of units. A person may be able to cope with 20 units of pressure; they can function quite effectively with this level of pressure, but add more units and they reach their personal “tripping point,” where the pressure becomes too much and tips over into stress. Someone else may perfectly, comfortable with 80 units, but above and beyond that they become stressed. The point is that everyone can handle a different amount of pressure and has different stress triggers.
WAYS TO BEAT STRESS.
The following are proven practical things that you can do to beat stress:
•Exercise-In ancient times, people dealt with stress by running or fighting, and this exercise would burn off a lot of the excess energy created by the stress response. The same holds true today considering what happens at work and home that creates units of pressure. Think of exercise as a kind of valve that helps to release that pressure in a positive way that is good for your health.
•Make A List Of Long & Short Term Goals-List the different areas of your life. For instance, work and home, and then break them down into categories. Think about what you want to achieve in the immediate future, but also in the medium and long-term.
•Relaxation And Visualization-After listing your goals, use your imagination to create a powerful vision of what life will be like when you have reached your goals. Having well defined goals and a belief in your ability to achieve them will already start to help you beat stress.
Conclusively, in your everyday life, stress is one inevitable factor and the way and manner to beat stress and enjoy a stress-free life depends on us and the medium adopted to beat stress.
A small amount of pressure is also not bad thing in everyday life. We all need that feeling of urgency that helps us to get out of bed each morning to go to work, or the slight feeling of alarm which helps us to cross the road quickly when we see a car coming. However, too much pressure can lead to stress, which serves no useful purpose whatsoever, and can cause physical and emotional harm. Far from helping us to function better and keeping us safe, stress can make us more efficient, by stopping us from sleeping, making us feel overly tense all the time, along with a host of other adverse effects.
A DEFINITION OF STRESS
There are various definitions of unhealthy stress, according to which authority you consult. Medical organizations, stress management consultants, and your boss at work would probably define stress in a slightly different way, depending on their perspective and experience. The UK Healthy and Safety Executive define stress in the following ways, “the adverse reaction people have to execute pressure or other types of demand placed on them.
If you can feel that you’re suffering from high and unacceptable levels of stress, and that this is having a serious impact on your general state of health, you may speak to a doctor. However, if you are in good health, this article can give you new ideas and resources for managing and preventing day-to-day stress, and help to improve your quality of life.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS?
Is stress all in the mind? No-it is very real. But different things trigger stress in different peoples and this can be:
•Time pressure
•Deadlines
•Volume of work
•Having to a certain demanding or unpleasant task.
But this varies from individual to individuals and it is the amount of pressure that counts too.
Let’s consider pressure in terms of units. A person may be able to cope with 20 units of pressure; they can function quite effectively with this level of pressure, but add more units and they reach their personal “tripping point,” where the pressure becomes too much and tips over into stress. Someone else may perfectly, comfortable with 80 units, but above and beyond that they become stressed. The point is that everyone can handle a different amount of pressure and has different stress triggers.
WAYS TO BEAT STRESS.
The following are proven practical things that you can do to beat stress:
•Exercise-In ancient times, people dealt with stress by running or fighting, and this exercise would burn off a lot of the excess energy created by the stress response. The same holds true today considering what happens at work and home that creates units of pressure. Think of exercise as a kind of valve that helps to release that pressure in a positive way that is good for your health.
•Make A List Of Long & Short Term Goals-List the different areas of your life. For instance, work and home, and then break them down into categories. Think about what you want to achieve in the immediate future, but also in the medium and long-term.
•Relaxation And Visualization-After listing your goals, use your imagination to create a powerful vision of what life will be like when you have reached your goals. Having well defined goals and a belief in your ability to achieve them will already start to help you beat stress.
Conclusively, in your everyday life, stress is one inevitable factor and the way and manner to beat stress and enjoy a stress-free life depends on us and the medium adopted to beat stress.
Sunday, 24 May 2009
RED BLOOD CELLS: MARVELOUS ASPECT OF CREATION
The most common cell in your bloodstream gives blood its red color and is thus called a red blood cell. Just one drop of your blood contains hundreds of millions of such cells. When viewed through a microscope, they look like doughnuts with a depressed center instead of a hole. Each cell is packed with hundreds of millions of hemoglobin molecules. Each hemoglobin is, in turn, a beautiful spherical structure made up of about 10,000 hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur atoms, plus four heavier atoms of iron, which gives blood its oxygen- carrying ability. Hemoglobin facilitates the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs, where it is exhaled.
Another vital part of your red blood cells is their skin, called membrane. This marvelous covering enables the cells to stretch into thin shapes so as to pass through your thinnest blood vessels and thus sustain every part of your body.
Manufacturing of the red blood cell is done in the bone marrow. Once a new one is created, it enters your blood stream; it may circulate through your heart and body more than 100,000 times. Unlike the other cells, the red blood cells have no nucleus. This gives them more space to carry oxygen and makes it lighter, which helps your heart to pump millions of red blood cells throughout your body. However, lack of a nucleus results to inability to renew their internal parts. Thus, after 120 days, your red blood cell begins to deteriorate and lose their elasticity.
The large white blood cell called phagocytes consumes these worn-out cells and spit out the iron atoms. The scarce iron atoms attach themselves to transport molecules that take them to your bone marrow to be used in the manufacture of new red cells. Every second, your bone marrow releases two to three million new red blood cells into your bloodstream!
If your trillions of red blood cells were suddenly to stop functioning, that entails death within minutes. No doubt, you will agree with me, the essence of this marvelous creation.
Another vital part of your red blood cells is their skin, called membrane. This marvelous covering enables the cells to stretch into thin shapes so as to pass through your thinnest blood vessels and thus sustain every part of your body.
Manufacturing of the red blood cell is done in the bone marrow. Once a new one is created, it enters your blood stream; it may circulate through your heart and body more than 100,000 times. Unlike the other cells, the red blood cells have no nucleus. This gives them more space to carry oxygen and makes it lighter, which helps your heart to pump millions of red blood cells throughout your body. However, lack of a nucleus results to inability to renew their internal parts. Thus, after 120 days, your red blood cell begins to deteriorate and lose their elasticity.
The large white blood cell called phagocytes consumes these worn-out cells and spit out the iron atoms. The scarce iron atoms attach themselves to transport molecules that take them to your bone marrow to be used in the manufacture of new red cells. Every second, your bone marrow releases two to three million new red blood cells into your bloodstream!
If your trillions of red blood cells were suddenly to stop functioning, that entails death within minutes. No doubt, you will agree with me, the essence of this marvelous creation.
FACTS ABOUT AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS).
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease that progress rapidly and attacks the motor neurons (nerve cells) in the spinal cord and lower brain. The motor neurons are responsible for transmitting messages from the brain to the voluntary muscles throughout the body.
WHY ALS IS ALSO CALLED LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE?
Lou Gehrig was a famous American baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 and died in 1941 at 38 years of age. ALS is sometimes referred as Charcot’s disease, after Jean-Martin Charcot, the French neurologist who first described it in 1986.
WHAT CAUSES ALS?
Causes of ALS are not known. According to researchers, the suspected cause includes virus’s proteins deficiencies, genetic defects, heavy metals, neurotoxins, immune-system abnormalities, and enzymes abnormalities.
WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS?
As the disease progress, muscle weakness and atrophy spread throughout the respiratory system and eventually patients must depend on a ventilator. Since the disease affects the motor neurons, it does not impair the patient’s mind, personality, intelligence, or memory. Neither does it impair the senses-patients are able to see, smell, taste, hear, and recognize touch. ALS usually proves fatal within three to five years of the onset of symptoms, but up to 10 percent of patients may survive for ten years or more.
WHAT IS DONE TO TREAT THE DISEASE?
There is no known cure for ALS. A doctor may prescribe medications to help reduce the discomforts associated with certain symptoms. Depending on the symptoms and the stage of the disease, the patient may benefit from certain rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, and various assistive devices.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease that progress rapidly and attacks the motor neurons (nerve cells) in the spinal cord and lower brain. The motor neurons are responsible for transmitting messages from the brain to the voluntary muscles throughout the body.
WHY ALS IS ALSO CALLED LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE?
Lou Gehrig was a famous American baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 and died in 1941 at 38 years of age. ALS is sometimes referred as Charcot’s disease, after Jean-Martin Charcot, the French neurologist who first described it in 1986.
WHAT CAUSES ALS?
Causes of ALS are not known. According to researchers, the suspected cause includes virus’s proteins deficiencies, genetic defects, heavy metals, neurotoxins, immune-system abnormalities, and enzymes abnormalities.
WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS?
As the disease progress, muscle weakness and atrophy spread throughout the respiratory system and eventually patients must depend on a ventilator. Since the disease affects the motor neurons, it does not impair the patient’s mind, personality, intelligence, or memory. Neither does it impair the senses-patients are able to see, smell, taste, hear, and recognize touch. ALS usually proves fatal within three to five years of the onset of symptoms, but up to 10 percent of patients may survive for ten years or more.
WHAT IS DONE TO TREAT THE DISEASE?
There is no known cure for ALS. A doctor may prescribe medications to help reduce the discomforts associated with certain symptoms. Depending on the symptoms and the stage of the disease, the patient may benefit from certain rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, and various assistive devices.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Autism - Meaning, Causes and the Way Out
Autism (say: aw-tih-zum) causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.
They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism - so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.
Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.
A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean. It is doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her own thoughts.
Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.
If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.
What Do Doctors Do?
Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing problems might have trouble speaking, too.
Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism, but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain). Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.
Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.
What Do Doctors Do?
Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing problems might have trouble speaking, too.
Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism, but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain). Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.
Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.
How Is Autism Treated?
There is no cure for autism, but doctors, therapists, and special teachers can help kids with autism overcome or adjust to many difficulties. The earlier a kid starts treatment for autism, the better.
Different kids need different kinds of help, but learning how to communicate is always an important first step. Spoken language can be hard for kids with autism to learn. Most understand words better by seeing them, so therapists teach them how to communicate by pointing or using pictures or sign language. That makes learning other things easier, and eventually, many kids with autism learn to talk.
Therapists also help kids learn social skills, such as how to greet people, wait for a turn, and follow directions. Some kids need special help with living skills (like brushing teeth or making a bed). Others have trouble sitting still or controlling their tempers and need therapy to help them control their behavior. Some kids take medications to help their moods and behavior, but there's no medicine that will make a kid's autism go away.
Students with mild autism sometimes can go to regular school. But most kids with autism need calmer, more orderly surroundings. They also need teachers trained to understand the problems they have with communicating and learning. They may learn at home or in special classes at public or private schools.
Living With Autism
Some kids with mild autism will grow up and be able to live on their own. Those with more serious problems will always need some kind of help. But all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism - so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.
Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.
A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean. It is doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her own thoughts.
Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.
If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.
What Do Doctors Do?
Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing problems might have trouble speaking, too.
Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism, but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain). Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.
Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.
What Do Doctors Do?
Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing problems might have trouble speaking, too.
Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism, but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain). Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.
Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.
How Is Autism Treated?
There is no cure for autism, but doctors, therapists, and special teachers can help kids with autism overcome or adjust to many difficulties. The earlier a kid starts treatment for autism, the better.
Different kids need different kinds of help, but learning how to communicate is always an important first step. Spoken language can be hard for kids with autism to learn. Most understand words better by seeing them, so therapists teach them how to communicate by pointing or using pictures or sign language. That makes learning other things easier, and eventually, many kids with autism learn to talk.
Therapists also help kids learn social skills, such as how to greet people, wait for a turn, and follow directions. Some kids need special help with living skills (like brushing teeth or making a bed). Others have trouble sitting still or controlling their tempers and need therapy to help them control their behavior. Some kids take medications to help their moods and behavior, but there's no medicine that will make a kid's autism go away.
Students with mild autism sometimes can go to regular school. But most kids with autism need calmer, more orderly surroundings. They also need teachers trained to understand the problems they have with communicating and learning. They may learn at home or in special classes at public or private schools.
Living With Autism
Some kids with mild autism will grow up and be able to live on their own. Those with more serious problems will always need some kind of help. But all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
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