...Graves' Disease The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves' disease. This is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid gland and triggers the release of high levels of thyroid hormones. One of the hallmarks of Graves' disease is a visible and uncomfortable swelling behind the eyes. Graves' Disease Graves' disease, which is caused by a generalized overactivity of the thyroid gland, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. In this condition, the thyroid gland usually is renegade, which means it has lost the ability to respond to the normal control by the pituitary gland via TSH. Graves' disease is hereditary and is up to five times more common among women than men. The triggers for Graves' disease include stress, smoking, radiation to the neck, medications, and infectious organisms such as viruses. Graves' disease can be diagnosed by a nuclear medicine thyroid scan and blood test. Graves' disease may be associated with eye disease (Graves' ophthalmopathy) and skin lesions (dermopathy). First described by Sir Robert Graves in the early 19th century, Graves' disease is one of the most common of all thyroid problems. It is also the leading cause of hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces excessive hormones. Understanding Graves' Disease Once the disorder has been correctly diagnosed, it is quite easy to treat. In some cases, Graves' disease goes into remission or disappears completely after several months or years. Left untreated,...
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...Thyroid Disease The thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, just below the voice box. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. The thyroid plays an important role in regulating the body's metabolism and calcium balance. The T4 and T3 hormones stimulate every tissue in the body to produce proteins and increase the amount of oxygen used by cells. These hormones are essential for life and have many effects on body metabolism, growth, and development. Several different types of thyroid problems may develop including an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), and growths on the thyroid that may be nodules or cancer. As mentioned in an article from Cleveland clinic, to control metabolism, the thyroid produces hormones, T4 and T3, which tell the body's cells how much energy to use. A properly functioning thyroid will maintain the right amount of hormones needed to keep the body's metabolism functioning at a satisfactory rate. As the hormones are used, the thyroid creates replacements. The quantity of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream is monitored and controlled by the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland, which is located in the center of the skull below the brain, senses either a lack of thyroid hormones or a high level of thyroid hormones, it will adjust Thyroid- stimulating hormones (TSH) and send it to...
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...Thyroid Disease The thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, just below the voice box. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. The thyroid plays an important role in regulating the body's metabolism and calcium balance. The T4 and T3 hormones stimulate every tissue in the body to produce proteins and increase the amount of oxygen used by cells. These hormones are essential for life and have many effects on body metabolism, growth, and development. Several different types of thyroid problems may develop including an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), and growths on the thyroid that may be nodules or cancer. As mentioned in an article from Cleveland clinic, to control metabolism, the thyroid produces hormones, T4 and T3, which tell the body's cells how much energy to use. A properly functioning thyroid will maintain the right amount of hormones needed to keep the body's metabolism functioning at a satisfactory rate. As the hormones are used, the thyroid creates replacements. The quantity of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream is monitored and controlled by the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland, which is located in the center of the skull below the brain, senses either a lack of thyroid hormones or a high level of thyroid hormones, it will adjust Thyroid- stimulating hormones (TSH) and send it to...
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...Thyroid Disease The thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, just below the voice box. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. The thyroid plays an important role in regulating the body's metabolism and calcium balance. The T4 and T3 hormones stimulate every tissue in the body to produce proteins and increase the amount of oxygen used by cells. These hormones are essential for life and have many effects on body metabolism, growth, and development. Several different types of thyroid problems may develop including an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), and growths on the thyroid that may be nodules or cancer. As mentioned in an article from Cleveland clinic, to control metabolism, the thyroid produces hormones, T4 and T3, which tell the body's cells how much energy to use. A properly functioning thyroid will maintain the right amount of hormones needed to keep the body's metabolism functioning at a satisfactory rate. As the hormones are used, the thyroid creates replacements. The quantity of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream is monitored and controlled by the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland, which is located in the center of the skull below the brain, senses either a lack of thyroid hormones or a high level of thyroid hormones, it will adjust Thyroid- stimulating hormones (TSH) and send it to...
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...Conditions Related to the Eye and Blindness Michael A. Allen Jackson State University Abstract Conditions related to the eye and blindness is very common. There are many disease of the eye. Many of these diseases can cause a lot of harm. There are five main points that will be discussed they are age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, retinopathy, visual impairment in higher learning, and social support for the visually impaired. Macular degeneration often damages central vision and is prevalent in people age 60 and over with rare cases of people fewer than 50. Retinitis Pigmentosa is common among families; it’s not always related to hereditary factors. Retinopathy is a common problem for people with diabetes where retinal blood vessels break down and affect vision. People with visual impairments who are in higher learning are very common now days and accommodations are set up for persons. Social support for people who are visually impaired is key factors to helping those individuals have a normal and productive life. Introduction There are many eye conditions. They are listed as followed. Lazy Eye or Amblyopia is a very common condition. Usually present early in childhood, lazy eye can be corrected if caught early. Learn what you can do to correct this eye condition before it becomes severe. Aphakia is a condition where the lens of the eye is missing. It can greatly decrease your vision acuity and cause other problems if not treated. Astigmatism...
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...The first incidence of Septo-Optic dysplasia was reported in 1941 by David Reeves after having examined a 4 month old baby with an optic nerve irregularity i.e. the absence of the septum pellucidum. After this discovery, the disease would then take another thirty years to become properly reconnoitered and linked to pituitary hormone deficiencies by de Morsier and Kaplan et al respectively which are the primary causative factors of the disease. What then, is septo optic dysplasia and why did it take so long for the illness be to investigated? The answer is simple, the disease is as rare as hen’s teeth. Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk, pituitary deficiencies, and often (absence) of the septum pellucidum (the part of the brain that separates the anterior horns or the lateral ventricles of the brain). The development of the forebrain which occurs at the early stages of embryogenesis, between 4 to 6 weeks of gestation in humans could account for the presentation of SOD/ Morsier’s syndrome....
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...inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Often the eye in the affected side cannot be closed. The eye must be protected from drying up, or the cornea may be permanently damaged, resulting in impaired vision. In some cases denture wearers experience some discomfort. The common presentation of this condition is a rapid onset of partial or complete paralysis that often occurs overnight. In rare cases, it can occur on both sides resulting in total facial paralysis. Bell’s palsy is defined as a one-sided facial nerve paralysis of unknown cause. Several other conditions can also cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, myasthenia gravis, and Lyme disease; however, if no specific cause can be identified, the condition is known as Bell's palsy. It is thought that an inflammatory condition leads to swelling of the facial nerve. The nerve travels through the skull in a narrow bone canal beneath the ear. Nerve swelling and compression in the narrow bone canal are thought to lead to nerve inhibition or damage. Usually it gets better on its own with most people achieving normal or near-normal function. Corticosteroids have been found to improve outcomes, when used early, while anti-viral drugs have not.[3][4] Many show signs of improvement as early as 10 days after the onset, even without treatment. Bell's palsy is the most common acute disease involving a single nerve and is the most common cause of acute facial nerve paralysis (>80%). It is named after...
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...Chapter I INTRODUCTION Background of the Study One of the major sources of protein in human diet is fish. In fact, marine animals were assumed by ancient writers to be symbols of good health. However, nowadays, marine animals are far from being representatives of good health. They are subjected to diseases just as much as their terrestrial counterparts. Disease, in fishes, is closely linked to environmental stress. In the wild, they generally have some degree of freedom to modify their environment. They can move to more suitable conditions if faced with a negative environmental change such as a reduction in oxygen level. In culture conditions, on the other hand, they have limited opportunity to choose their external environmental conditions. Most individual fish, may it be in wild or cultivated populations are infected with parasites. The number of parasites necessary to cause harm to the fish varies considerably with the species and size of the host and its health status. Many parasite species are host-specific to at least some degree and are capable of infecting one or only a limited number of host species. Parasites disease of fish (and livestock) reduces the amount of food available to people around the globe. This is why many researchers mention that it is imperative to investigate the relationship between the environmental factors which affects the parasites that affect production and quality. Even today, it remains difficult to convince governments and...
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...However, these problems are minor irritations compared to the loss of vision caused by a common agerelated disorder. Painlessly and insidiously, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects an estimated 10 million Americans.' It's the most common cause of vision loss and blindness in people over 65, and it can affect people at younger ages as well.' The risk of developing AMD steadily increases with age. People in their 50s bave about a 2% chance of developing it, while the risk rises to nearly 30% in those over age 75.^ Every three minutes, another case of AMD is diagnosed in the US.^ Each year, 200,000 people with AMD lose all central vision in one or both eyes.' More people than ever before will be forced to live with AMD as the baby boomer generation continues to grow older. This article reviews the anatomy and function of the normal retina. It also identifies tbe risk factors for AMD and its causes, as well as its diagnosis and treatment. A diagnosis of AMD means a significant decrease in vision, and, in some cases, complete blindness. Because patients face important concerns related to their everyday activities, methods of addressing those issues will be discussed. Normal Vision For a person to see properly, light must pass through the cornea, pupil, and the lens. Then it must be focused onto the retina, the innermost layer of tissue at the back of the eye. The surface of the retina must he flat and smooth to produce a good visual image. The retina...
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...because they take advantage of the opportunity offered by a weakened immune system. A partial list of the world's most common HIV-related opportunistic infections and diseases includes: Bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, MAC, bacterial pneumonia and septicaemia (blood poisoning) Protozoal diseases such as toxoplasmosis, microsporidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, isopsoriasis and leishmaniasis Fungal diseases such as PCP, candidiasis, cryptococcosis and penicilliosis Viral diseases such as those caused by cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and herpes zoster virus HIV-associated malignancies such as Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Different conditions typically occur at different stages of HIV infection. In early HIV disease people can develop tuberculosis, malaria, bacterial pneumonia, herpes zoster, staphylococcal skin infections and septicaemia. These are diseases that people with normal immune systems can also get, but with HIV they occur at a much higher rate. It also takes longer for a person with HIV to recover than it takes for someone with a healthy immune system. When the immune system is very weak due to advanced HIV disease or AIDS, opportunistic infections such as PCP, toxoplasmosis and cryptococcosis develop. Some infections can spread to a number of different organs, which is known as 'disseminated' or 'systemic' disease. Many of the opportunistic infections that occur at this late stage can be fatal. 1 back to top Why is there still...
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...Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) Dustin M. Sumner ITT- Technical Institute of Technology Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away. “Lateral” identifies the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening (“sclerosis”) in the region. ALS is a disorder that affects the function of nerves and muscles. Based on U.S. population studies, a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. (That’s 15 new cases a day.) It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. According to the ALS Care Database, 60% of the people with ALS in the Database are men and 93% of patients in the Database are Caucasian. Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in persons in their twenties and thirties. Generally though, ALS occurs in greater percentages as men and women grow older. ALS is 20% more common in men than in women. There are several research studies – past and present –investigating possible risk factors that may be associated with ALS. More work is needed to conclusively...
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...[pic] Resolution of the World Health Organization After meeting in Geneva in May 2003 for the Fifty-Sixth World Health Assembly, the WHO outlined its Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness, or VISION 2020 plan. The WHO urges national governments to: • Set up, not later than 2005, a national VISION 2020 plan, in partnership with the WHO and in collaboration with NGOs and the private sector. • Establish a national coordinating committee for VISION 2020 or a national blindness prevention committee, which may include consumer or patient groups, to develop and implement the plan. • Commence implementation of such plans by 2007 at the latest. • Include effective information systems with standardized indicators and periodic monitoring and evaluation, with the aim of showing a reduction in the magnitude of avoidable blindness by 2010. • Mobilize resources for eliminating avoidable blindness. In turn, the WHO agrees to: • Maintain and strengthen the WHO’s collaboration with governments and all partners of the initiative. • Ensure coordination of the implementation of the VISION 2020 plan, by setting up a monitoring committee grouping all those involved, including national government representatives. • Provide support for strengthening national capability, especially through development of human resources, to coordinate, assess, and prevent avoidable blindness...
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...Introduction A patient arrives in the dental hygiene clinic; his general appraisal was “patient appears weak, and his head is drooping”. After talking with the patient he states he is having trouble literally holding his head up. He also stated that he had to refrain from working due to his onset of weakness. The dental hygienist also notices while the patient is talking, that he has a slurring of his words. The patients also stated he has an appointment with his primary care provider later on this week. What could be causing the symptoms thispatient is experiencing? Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired, autoimmune-neuromuscular disease that has many signs, symptoms and some treatment options, dental professionals will need to alter their treatment to accommodate these patients. Pathophysiology Myasthenia gravis is pronounced ( my- as-thenia -grav- is). MG is...
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...Diabetes Case Study NUR/427 January 13, 2011 Diabetes Case Study Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that affects millions of people across the nation. According to LeMone and Burke (2008), “Approximately 1.3 million new cases of DM are diagnosed each year in the United States” (pg 563). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 23.6 million people in the United States have DM. Collectively 17.9 million people were diagnosed and 5.7 million people were undiagnosed with DM in the year 2007. Of all the documented cases 90-95 percent have type II DM and the remaining 5-10 percent have type I DM (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). In the United States DM is the sixth most leading cause of death by a disease. Deaths are commonly caused by the cardiovascular effects associated with DM that result in coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. People diagnosed with DM are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or have a stroke than people who are not diabetic. DM is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States. DM is also the most common cause of nontraumatic amputations and newly diagnosed blindness (LeMone & Burke, 2008). Signs and Symptoms Before someone is diagnosed with DM he or she usually experiences common signs and symptoms of the disease that leads him or her to see a physician. In type I DM the signs and symptoms that commonly present are the result of hyperglycemia. According...
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...The Effects of Zoonotic Diseases Case Study #13 April 17, 2011 Zoonosis refers to an infectious disease in animals that can be transmitted to people. An animal serves as the natural reservoir for such an infectious agent, ("MedTerms," 2001). Many zoonoses, which is simply the plural meaning of zoonosis, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites can be transmitted to humans by various routes. Some of these routes consist of animal bites, vectors (i.e., insects), and animal-to-human contact (i.e., inhalation of respiratory droplets or skin-to-skin contact), (Bauman 613-14) & ("Infectious Diseases," 2009). Most emerging infections that have occurred world wide are said to be a zoonotic disease. Many of these diseases are fatal or have the potential to be fatal if not treated quickly and properly identified. An example of a zoonosis case that has the potential to arise annually is listed below: Case Study#13 “You work in a small family practice in rural VA. A man in his early 50’s comes in with a complaint of intermittent fever (102-103°F) and headache for the past two weeks. The physician examines him and takes a history. The only clinical finding is a wound about the size of a quarter on his right thumb. Axillary lymph nodes are swollen and tender. The man says he cut himself while skinning a rabbit three days ago. On the basis of these observations the physician prescribes streptomycin and asks the man to call if his symptoms don’t...
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