Tuesday 26 June 2012

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a major eating disorder. It mainly affects women and teenage girls, but also can also affect men and women of all ages.

Anorexia nervosa is often confused with bulimia nervosa, although the two disorders are different in their characterisations. In anorexia, patients will intentionally restrict their diet, whereas in bulimia patients will binge eat and then purge the food from their body through vomiting. Neither disorder is mutually exclusive from the other, and some sufferers may have both anorexia and bulimia.

It is estimated that around 1% of school girls meet the criteria for anorexia, although this is likely an underestimation due to a lack of reported cases where sufferers believe their behavior is normal based on social and peer observations.

Monday 4 June 2012

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease - also known as Alzheimer disease - is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive and degenerative disease that eventually leads to death, and there is currently no known cure. It is best known for its effect of causing a marked decline in the cognitive and memory functions of individuals.

Alzheimer's disease is most often diagnosed in people aged over 65 years of age, although early-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. It is predicted that by 2050, 1 in 85 people will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. There are concerns in many countries that current infrastructure will not be adequate enough to deal with increasing numbers of Alzheimer's sufferers.

Very little is known about the cause and progression of Alzheimer's disease, although it is believed that plagues and tangles in the brain may be partially responsible for the condition. Research is ongoing, and there are more than 1000 clinical trials that have been or are being conducted to find a way to treat the disease, but it is currently not known if any of the developer treatments will work.

Saturday 2 June 2012

Altitude Sickness

Altitude Sickness - also known as "acute mountain sickness" (AMS) or hypobaropathy - is a patholgical illness caused by high altitudes, commonly at heights greater than 8,000 feet. Presenting as a combination of nonspecific symptoms, it is often likened to flu or a hangover.

It is very difficult to determine who will be effected by altitude sickness as there are no specific factors that correlate with a susceptibility to the illness. It is, however, uncommon and most people will find they are capable of ascending to heights exceeding 8,000 feet without suffering any signs or symptoms.