Mental Health Alliance

Archive for the ‘Medical Symptoms’ Category

Panic symptoms were all important thousands of years ago when mankind lived in primitive settlements, having anxiety was all important as it increased adrenalin levels and aided in basic survival. When anxiety stress is present, the human body reacts by increasing the speed of the heart beat and raises blood pressure which helps the survival response. Unfortunately, in modern society these responses are unwelcome.

Panic symptoms develop in two quite separate areas of the brain – the amygdala and the hippocampus.  If stress is at reasonable levels then the body is said to be in a normal state and this state does not have adverse effects on the body in a modern society. The problem arises when panic symptoms become excessive which then leads to health issues.

The first stage of panic symptoms can be simple depression. This can develop in two main forms. The first is called agitated depression which is the most common form which has noticeable panic symptoms. The second is called akathitic depression which does not have any noticeable panic symptoms. These conditions usually start with a person having a phobia. An irrational view of everyday objects or events can lead to a raised level of irrational fear.  

Some key indicators of agitated depression include irregular sleep patterns, breathing problems, dizziness, and a more definite sense of doom and a fear of death.  The common treatment among modern medical science is to prescribe antidepressants but they can have negative effects and a natural or holistic way should be preferred wherever possible. Treatment greatly helps to find the root causes of the problem and eventually leads to finding a way of dealing with them.

Depression is certainly a complex condition, but it has been demonstrated that panic symptoms are a key factor in a lot of cases. It is therefore important to bear the connection between depression and panic symptoms in mind when deciding on treatment.

Further information about Weight symptoms is below, or review more specific information about these types of Weight symptoms: weight loss, weight gain, weight change, Low birth weight, Obesity, Failure to thrive, Thinness or other types.

A person’s weight can be a useful guide to medical problems. Changes in weight such as weight loss or weight gain can herald medical conditions, although there are also possible non-medical explanations of these changes. Any weight change or abnormality needs medical attention for medical investigation and diagnosis.

Conditions listing symptoms: Weight symptoms:

Actinymycosis … weight loss

cute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis … weight loss

Addison’s Disease … weight loss

Alcoholism … weight loss

Alveolar Hydatid Disease … weight loss

Stimulants: Hyperactivity; euphoria; irritability; anxiety; excessive talking followed by depression or excessive sleeping at odd times; may go long periods of time without eating or sleeping; dilated pupils; weight loss; dry mouth and nose.

Inhalants: (Glues, aerosols, and vapors ) Watery eyes; impaired vision, memory and thought; secretions from the nose or rashes around the nose and mouth; headaches and nausea; appearance of intoxication; drowsiness; poor muscle control; changes in appetite; anxiety; irritability; an unusual number of spray cans in the trash.

Changing your sleeping position can affect nighttime breathing and sleep apnea symptoms. Sleeping on your back can worsen sleep apnea, as gravity forces your tongue and soft palate back into your throat, impairing breathing. Sleeping on your side prevents this and reduces sleep apnea symptoms.

Changing long-established sleeping positions isn’t easy: your body feels most comfortable with the sleeping position it’s most used to. The key word here is comfortable. Sew a tennis ball into the back of your pajama top, and sleeping on your back suddenly isn’t comfortable at all!

Being aware of the signs of a heart attack is only one small way to protect yourself. Excess weight and other factors can affect your heart’s health. Taking preventative measures to improve your heart’s health could save your life.

Store your gallstones symptoms control medication or capsule controling symptoms of nausea, FDA-tested diabetes reducing capsules or any other drug away from light. Additionally, store your gallstones symptoms control medication or any other medicinal drug in a cool place, away from the light. Never store your gallstones symptoms control medication or backache symptoms prevention FDA-approved pills in the bathroom. Last but not least, if young children are present, place gallstones symptoms control medication or herpes simplex – genital symptoms control FDA-tested creams, FDA-approved capsule curing symptoms of insomnia or any other medicine out of their reach and lock them up. Generally speaking about medicaments, never administer medicines prescribed for someone else. Moreover, for your convenience, make a list of names of your drugs. And finally, look for puncture holes or damaged wrappings on the product’s package. All of us wish you good health using gallstones symptoms control medication.

Weight loss in old age is common and may be related to various diseases, according to background information in the article. “It has long been observed that weight loss is common in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but this has been documented in people who already have dementia.

Pros and Cons

Of ADHD Medication

On Children

 

 

 

 

 

By Mackenzie Quinn

 

 

June 1st 2009

           

Introduction

            As a parent of a child who has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) you are faced with deciding how to manage your child’s ADHD symptoms. One options for treating the symptoms of ADHD that is highly debated is medication; some people strongly believe it is the best options and other believe medication shouldn’t be used on children. Determining the best option for your child is an important decision that shouldn’t be made without sufficient information. Before you make this decision, you should know that there are pros and cons to ADHD medication and that medication may be right for one child but not another. This article may help you as a parent or caregiver decide if medication is the right treatment method for your child.

Cause of ADHD

            When treating ADHD, it is important to look at the cause. “Scientists now believe that the impulsivity, short attention span and other symptoms associated with ADHD are caused by a specific dysfunction in the brain that is often inherited” (Wilens, 2004, p10). ADHD is a medical diagnosis with a medical cause, and many times medication offers a “straight forward solution” (Wilsen, 2004, p12). Members of the medical community often compare the treatment of ADHD with medication to that of seizures or other health problems with a medical cause and believe that these medical symptoms can be managed with medication. 

Symptoms of ADHD

            The cause of ADHD is a dysfunction in the brain (Wilens, 2004) but parents and caregivers seek treatment to manage the hyperactivity, impulsivity, short attention span and other behaviors associated with ADHD. The symptoms of ADHD are behavioral and many think they should be treated in the same manner as other behavior problems. Stephen Flora writes in his book Taking America Off Drugs “ The best way to improve behavior is with behavior modification techniques” (Flora, 2007)

Overview of Treatment Options

            As mentioned earlier, one treatment method for ADHD symptoms is medication; these medications are prescribed to “diminish the inattention, distractibility, over activity, and impulsivity” caused by ADHD. These medications ideally allow students to perform to their fullest potential such as focus on their homework and listen to directions. For individuals who do not have ADHD and can focus on their work these medications may seen like performance enhancing drugs that are not necessary. As you know ADHD is more than just a little distractibility.

            Along with medication, there are other ways to treat ADHD symptoms such as behavior therapy. Behavior therapy is a form of psychological treatment method that stems from behaviorism and focuses on observable and measurable behaviors. When applying behavior therapy to students who have ADHD the family works with the counselor to increase the occurrence of positive behaviors through routines and a better understanding of what the student needs. Some students can be treated with behavior therapy but for many children their symptoms are severe enough that behavior therapy isn’t enough. Behavior therapy may not be enough because it treats the symptoms of ADHD not the cause of the problem. Students who have ADHD have aspects of their brains that are malfunctioning, these malfunctions cause the hyperactivity, inattention and other symptoms that behavior therapy attempts to control. For these students medication can help supplement the therapy or other forms of treatment being used.

Common Medications and Routines For Taking Medication

            There are a wide variety of medications that are prescribed for the treatment of ADHD symptoms and you should discuss the specifics with your health care provider. Briefly, three of the top brands of medication are Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall.

            Depending on the type of medication your child is taking they will have to take the medication anywhere from once a day to three or four times a day. Some medications are longer lasting and only need to be taken once a day while others are short term and must be taken more frequently. Both are safe and effective options.

Pros of Medication

            The most important pro to ADHD medication is the reduction or elimination of the behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD.  By reducing students hyperactivity and giving them the ability to focus, medication gives many students the ability to perform better in school, make friends and participate in extra curricular activities.

            Many parents worry that their children will become addicted to the ADHD medication. However, there is no physical way for children to become addicted to ADHD medication because addiction comes from a high or state of euphoria and the medications used to manage ADHD symptoms do not cause students to have a high.

            There have been numerous studies indicating that psychotropic drugs are safe, tolerable and useful for children. As of 2004 there have been “over 250 scientifically controlled studies of the stimulant medications for ADHD” (Wilen, 2004, p 91) These studies suggest that if children take the prescribed dosage indicated by their doctor, then the medication is safe and that the majority of the side effects are mild.

Cons of Medication

            Now that we have looked at some of the pros of ADHD medication lets examine some of the cons. One aspect of ADHD medication that should be of concern to parents is that there are very few studies done on the long-term affects of the medication. So, while we know that these medications are safe in the short term the prospect of giving students medication without knowing the long-term effects bring cause for hesitation.

            There are also mild side effects associated with many of the medications including loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep, dizziness, moodiness and growth problems. These side effects should be monitored but for the most part are easily managed. For specific side effects consult your health care provider.

            And even though students cannot become physically addicted to these forms of medication, they can form a psychological dependency. This dependency can develop when students feel they need medication for everything or when they are afraid to go off their medication.

Decision Making

            When deciding whether medication is right for your child there are 4 things to consider; side effects, the severity of your child’s symptoms, if your child’s symptoms are being managed with other forms of treatment how your child feel about medication. Before you make this decision talk, with your child’s teacher, the school counselor or psychologist, your health care provider and most importantly your child. While this may seem overwhelming now, the more information you can gather the easier this decision will be.

Conclusion

            As you can see there are pros and cons to ADHD medication and what is right for one child and family will not necessarily be right for another. When choosing whether to try medication as a way to manage the symptoms of your child’s ADHD make sure to consider the pros and cons along with your child’s characteristics and the attitude of the school.

 

References

Flora, Stephen Ray. Taking America Off Drugs (2007) State University of New York Press, Albany

 

Wilens, Timothy E. Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medication For Kids, (2004) TheGuilford Press, New York

 

 

Appendix

Resources For Parents To Get More Information

Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medication For Kids- This book was written for parents who have questions about the affects and risks of psychiatric medication on children. It is a basic guide for what parents need to know about a wide variety of psychiatric medications including ADHD medications. Wilens, Timothy E. Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medication For Kids, (2004) TheGuilford Press, New York Taking America Off Drugs; Why Behavior Therapy is More Effeftive for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression, And Other Psychological Problems- This books presents behavior therapy as an alternative treatment method for ADHD instead of medication. The book does a good job of showing the other side of treating psychological problems. Flora, Stephen Ray. Taking America Off Drugs (2007) State University of New York Press, Albany CHADD- this website is a support system for parents of children with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Retrieved May 12, 2009,  http://www.chadd.org/