Archive for the 'Diseases & Disorders' Category

Hypotonia : Causes & Symptoms

Hypotonia is a condition of abnormally low muscle tone (the amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle), often involving reduced muscle strength. Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders that affect motor nerve control by the brain or muscle strength. Recognizing hypotonia, even in early infancy, is usually relatively straightforward, but diagnosing the underlying cause can be difficult and often unsuccessful.

Hypotonia is a medical term used to describe decreased muscle tone (the amount of resistance to movement in a muscle). It is not the same as muscle weakness, although the two conditions can co-exist. Hypotonia may be caused by trauma, environmental factors, or by genetic, muscle, or central nervous system disorders, such as Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, Prader-Willi syndrome, myotonic dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs disease. Sometimes it may not be possible to find what causes hypotonia.

An infant with hypotonia exhibits a floppy quality or “rag doll” feeling when he or she is held. Infants with this problem lag behind in acquiring certain fine and gross motor developmental milestones that enable a baby to hold his or her head up when placed on the stomach, balance themselves or get into a sitting position and remain seated without falling over.

Symptoms of Hypotonia

The most common symptoms of hypotonia involve problems with mobility and posture, breathing and speech difficulties, lethargy, ligament and joint laxity, and poor reflexes.

Infants who are hypotonic will let their elbows and knees hang loosely instead of flexed as normal. The infant may have poor or no head control.

The extent and occurrence of specific objective manifestations depends upon the age of the patient, the severity of the hypotonia, the specific muscles affected, and sometimes the underlying cause. For instance, some hypotonics may experience constipation, while others have no bowel problems.

Twitching may occur in the tongue and in affected limbs. The patient may experience muscle pain and muscle cramps. Some patients experience more difficulty swallowing saliva and liquids than solid food.

Since hypotonia is most often diagnosed during infancy, it is also known as “floppy infant syndrome” or “infantile hypotonia.” Infants who suffer from hypotonia are often described as feeling and appearing as though they are “rag dolls” or a “sack of jello,” easily slipping through one’s hands.

Causes of Hypotonia

Hypotonia may be caused by trauma, environmental factors, or by genetic, muscle, or central nervous system disorders.

Down syndrome occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. This form of Down syndrome is called Trisomy 21. The extra chromosome causes problems with the way the body and brain develop.

Hypotonia can be caused by a variety of conditions including those that involve the central nervous system, muscle disorders and genetic disorders. Some common causes can include but are not limited to Down syndrome, Muscular dystrophy, Cerebral palsy, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Myotonic dystrophy, Marfan syndrome and Tay-Sachs disease.

A number of different genetic disorders are associated with hypotonia, and may affect the nerves, or the muscles only. Most genetic conditions are generalized and progressive. Some genetic conditions are hereditary.

Myasthenia gravis: a neuromuscular disorder characterized by variable weakness of voluntary muscles, which often improves with rest and worsens with activity. The condition is caused by an abnormal immune response.

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Consulting with Specialized Autism Doctors

Many parents react with disbelief when they hear their doctors say that their children are autistic. Autism is not always an easy diagnosis to make because of the variations in how it presents itself. It is not necessarily to get appointments with autism doctors to verify the original diagnosis. When doing their evaluations, these autism doctors will use special tests that can quickly verify whether or not your child’s doctor has made a correct diagnosis.

How Autism Doctors Make Diagnoses

Autism can be witnessed very early in your child’s development. If your child is getting regular medical care, your doctor will generally either diagnose autism or recommend further evaluation for autism by specialized autism doctors before your child is even three years old. The first symptom autism doctors usually look for is a delay in learning and recognition of speech. Another symptom is behavior that is inappropriate or odd when the child is in various social settings. Autism doctors will want to combine these symptoms with research of the family medical history and a physical examination.

Part of the physical examination may include testing your child’s hearing to see if this may be an explanation for the lacking social and communications skills. One type of hearing testing autism doctors do simply measures your child’s responses to various tones. The other type requires measurements of brain reaction to sound, but is not typically the first option. If the autism doctors suspect autism they may also test your child to see if Fragile X syndrome is present. Fragile X syndrome is commonly associated with autism. The autism doctors may also check blood and urine samples for other possible explanations of the symptoms.

The Importance of Consulting Autism Doctors

Making an early and proper diagnosis of autism is extremely important because treatments are generally the most successful when they are started earlier in development. It is not an insult to the pediatrician for you to request that he or she check for autism. Nor is it an insult to the pediatrician to go and get a second and third opinion from specialized autism doctors. It is important to get the right diagnosis early so you can treat whatever symptoms you may be witnessing in your child. If you notice any strange behavior in your child, do not jump to conclusions; just make an appointment to get your child in to specialized autism doctors for an accurate diagnosis.

About the author: Learn more about autism doctors, autism symptoms and autism cures at this informative website: www.AutismRibbon.Net/autism-cures.html
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Natural Cures For People With Panic Attacks

You may be suffering from anxiety attacks and you are taking a lot of different anti anxiety medications. You may not like the way they make you feel. There is a more natural cure for anxiety attacks.

One of the most natural cures for anxiety attacks is drinking water. This may seem like a simple solution but when you consider how important water is for proper body functioning. Just about every body process uses water. When you are dehydrated, you put extra stress on your body. This stress can lead to anxiety attacks.

About seventy five percent of Americans do not consume enough water. In about thirty-seven percent of Americans,they mistake water pains for hunger pains.
Your metabolism can be slowed down by 3% due to improper water level in the body.

If you drink water, you can almost eliminate hunger cravings at night. The lack of proper hydration is the #1 cause of fatigue during the day.

An easy natural cure for anxiety attacks is making sure you drink at least eight glasses of water a day. This reduces the stress your body is under and reduces possible triggers to anxiety attacks.

In addition to food, what you eat is also another thing to consider as a natural cure for anxiety attacks. Joe Barry states that most people have an acidic diet. This type of diet can exacerbate your anxiety attacks. He suggests a more alkaline diet in order to balance your body. When your body is out of balance and acidic this can create stressors on your body. These stressors can increase your threshold to have an anxiety attack. The acidic foods he suggests you avoid as a natural cure for anxiety are dairy products, nuts, alcohol, sugar, grains, and salt. The following foods are alkaline and should be increased in your diet: fruits, vegetables, and juices.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, it is suggested that you get the proper amount of minerals in your diet as a natural cure for anxiety attacks. The improper balance of minerals can also lead to and acidic Ph in the body. Minerals buffer the body and helps maintain a more neutral Ph. Foods or vitamin supplements should be used daily to ensure the proper intake of minerals. Specifically the following nutrients should be consumed: B complex, flaxseed oil, colloidal minerals, adrenal concentrate,and desiccated liver. These nutrients help balance your adrenal glands and keep them functioning properly. It is adrenalin that causes anxiety attacks and so properly functioning adrenal glands are paramount in a natural cure diet.

Magnesium, potassium, and Sodium are micronutrients that are important in balancing Ph and the adrenal glands and proper amounts should be consumed daily to help keep the autonomic nervous system from going into high alert, which occurs during an anxiety attack.

There is a natural anxiety attack treatment that includes what is called the One Move.In it, you actually call for the anxiety attack to escalate during the attack, rather than trying to suppress it. This anxiety attack treatment may fly in the face of logic, but it works.

The One Move technique takes a very unique approach. Instead of trying to engage the anxiety attack, you allow it to use it energy to wear itself out. You sit as an observer first. You may begin with simple symptoms such as an increased heart rate or a tightening in the chest. As it progresses you do not seek to control it. Instead you sit back and observe.

As it peaks, you actually ask for more. You demand that you feel more of the anxiety attack. This treatment for an anxiety attack may not seem like it would work, but it does. As you deflect the blows of the anxiety attack and ask for more, its strength begins to diminish. The more you ask for, the less it will have to deliver.

Eventually the anxiety attack will have lost off its strength and it will retreat. As you go through this process, you will gain confidence and feel like you will have more control through noncontrolling means.

You should never stop taking medications without consulting your doctor first. The natural cures suggested here, used in tandem with medications can facilitate greater control over your anxiety attacks. In addition, over time they can reduce or even eliminate your need for anti anxiety medications entirely.

About the author: Ben is most known for his interviews with ex-sufferers where he delves into finding the secrets to their success. For more information on interviews with ex-anxiety sufferers click here and listen to a full interview uncovering successful startegies.
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