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Symptoms could include:
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Memory Impairment
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Personality Change
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Forgetful
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Social Withdrawal
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Impaired Judgement
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Poor Short-Term Memory
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Mobility Limitation
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Impaired Abstract Thinking
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Rambling Speech
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Impaired Self-Care
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Sensory Agnosia
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Hostility
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Illusions
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Unable to Speak
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Frequent Falls
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Difficulty Falling Asleep
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Unable to Write
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Early Awakening
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Difficulty Staying Asleep
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Unable to Think Clearly
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Perception Disturbance
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Problems may involve language, memory, perception, emotional behavior or personality, and cognitive skills (such as calculation, abstract thinking, or judgment). Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness.
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Losses eventually affect virtually every aspect of mental functioning. The slow progression of dementia is in contrast with delirium, which involves some of the same symptoms, but has a very rapid onset and fluctuating course with alteration in th...
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DSM-IV specifies that certain criteria must be met for a patient to be diagnosed with dementia. One criterion is significant weakening of the patient's memory with regard to learning new information as well as recalling previously learned informat...
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The onset may be slow, occurring over months or years. The slow progression of dementia is in contrast with delirium, which involves some of the same symptoms, but has a very rapid onset and fluctuating course with alteration in the level of consc...
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Losses eventually affect virtually every aspect of mental life. The slow progression of dementia is in contrast with delirium, which involves some of the same symptoms, but has a very rapid onset and fluctuating course with alteration in the level...
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The fourth edition, text revised version of the DSM was published in 2000, and is known as DSM-IV-TR. DSM-IV-TR identifies certain symptoms as criteria that must be met for a patient to be diagnosed with dementia.
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Dementia is especially prominent in older people. The three main irreversible causes are Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multi-infarct dementia(also called vascular dementia).Degenerative forms of dementia are long lasting(chro...
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DSM-IV specifies that certain criteria must be met for a patient to be diagnosed with dementia. One criterion is significant weakening of the patient's memory with regard to learning new information as well as recalling previously learned informat...
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Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity, including feeling disoriented and having difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.Disorientation; Thinking- unclear; Thoughts- cloudy.Confusion may come on...
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Hallucinations involve sensing things that aren''t there while a person is awake and conscious.Feeling a crawling sensation on the skin Hearing voices when no one has spoken Seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren''t there.Many recreat...
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A hallucination is a false perception occurring without any identifiable external stimulus and indicates an abnormality in perception. The false perceptions can occur in any of the five sensory modalities.
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Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.A hallu...
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The term"irritability" is used for infants and young children who, when ill, are especially fussy, whiny, and fretful, despite attempts at comforting and soothing them.Parents are usually very aware of their child''s normal behavior and may pick up...
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Children can become cranky, fussy or irritable for many reasons. Often it's because they're hungry or just tired. But sometimes irritability can be a sign of illness in children.
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One of the best ways to respond to other people's emotions is to "reflect" their mood back to them.
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A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.
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Many people with cancer experience memory changes—such as mild forgetfulness, an inability to concentrate on more than one task, or more severe memory loss—after undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. In other cases, as in a ...
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Disorientation, the lack of being able to correctly identify oneself, one's location, or the date and time, is a sign of an altered mental status. An alteration in mental status is often an indication of a serious medical problem, requiring prompt medical attention.
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Personality changes are alterations in the behavior, thinking and interactions of a person from their established character. These changes may be indicative of chemical dependencies, psychiatric illness, dementia, trauma, illness, altered body chemistry or temperature, or poisoning.
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Agnosia is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize common objects, persons, or sounds, in the absence of perceptual disability. There are three major types of agnosia: visual agnosia, auditory agnosia, and tactile...
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Problem behavior is often associated with adolescence but may manifest in the very young or in adults. Delinquency, drug use, academic failure, risky sexual behavior, violence, property damage, vandalism and disregard of the rights of others are all problem behaviors.
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Forgetfulness; Amnesia; Impaired memory; Loss of memory; Mild cognitive impairment.The cause determines whether amnesia comes on slowly or suddenly, and whether it is temporary or permanent.Normal aging may lead to trouble learning new material or...
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Memory loss can be partial or total. Most memory loss occurs as part of the normal aging process.
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In older people, it's easy to mistake memory problems for the everyday forgetfulness that some people experience as they grow older.
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Self-care behavior, a key concept in health promotion, refers to decisions and actions that an individual can take to cope with a health problem or to improve his or her health. Examples of self-care behaviors include seeking information(e.g., rea...
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Every workplace has challenges, from frustrating coworkers to work overloads. One reason such issues keep hanging around is a lack of creative solutions.
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There are numerous causes of amnesia, including stroke, injury to the brain, surgery, alcoholism, encephalitis(inflammation of the brain), and electroconvulsive therapy(ECT, a treatment for various mental disorders in which electricity is sent to ...
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Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or...
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Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in slee...
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This report offers in-depth information on the causes of depression and the treatments and medications that can lift your mood.
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It's important not to underestimate the dangers associated with depression, especially if you've had multiple episodes or lingering symptoms. For example, people who don't get treated for their depression have a higher risk for suicide.
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People who are depressed have a cluster of symptoms characterized by sadness and a profound lack of energy and well-being.
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Depression is a complicated and common mental health condition that affects about 10 to 15 percent of Americans. The following questions and answers can help you recognize and get effective treatment for depression.
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The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
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Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.
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In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
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Many people with depression do not receive adequate medical treatment, and even if they are treated, doctors may not be paying enough attention to their patients' needs.
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Too often, parents miss the signs of depression. Or, they believe their teen will "snap out of it” eventually.
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A woman's unique biological, social, and cultural factors may increase her risk for depression.
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In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
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Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
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Everyone feels down at times, but diabetics are especially prone to depression. An unhappy period that's intense or lasts for more than a couple of weeks can be a sign of depression. Depression is a serious illness.
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Depression is not "all in your head." It is a real illness that saps your energy. It can leave you feeling sad, hopeless, lonely and guilty. It is related to a chemical imbalance in the brain and to certain traits such as low self-esteem and pessimism. Some kinds of depression may be inherited.
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The mind and the body are intimately connected, and our overall health depends on both working well. This is most evident in depression: Research shows that people who suffer from clinical depression face a higher risk of contracting one of the stress-linked illnesses than the rest of the population.
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Studies of a link between depression and osteoporosis suggest the bone deterioration could be a result of the depression, or may be caused by taking antidepressant medications for a long period of time.
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Seasonal affective disorder is thought to be caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter months. Light therapy helps some people, and the FDA has approved the antidepressant bupropion for treatment as well.
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Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
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Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
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Depressed patients are more likely to respond to medical treatment if their doctors practice empathy and effective communication skills.
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Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.
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A roundup of studies exploring the beneficial effects of exercise on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Is it a case of the chicken and the egg?
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Exposure to the right kind of light may go a long way toward reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
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Discussing the definition and treatment of a contested psychological diagnosis???atypical depression.
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My mother has advanced lung cancer and is receiving chemo. I live with her and am also her caregiver. We have been very close all of our lives, and I am having a hard time adjusting well. Sometimes I even get angry with her and then I feel guilty. The next step is I get depressed and have thought about a way out, but have not attempted anything. Can you suggest anything to help me cope?
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During the dark days of winter, many people develop signs of depression that are tied to the changing amount of daylight.
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A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
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Behavioral activation therapy is a variation of cognitive therapy that encourages patients to fight depression by examining their feelings and experiences and focusing on their positive accomplishments.
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Folate, a B vitamin, breaks down homocysteine, which may be associated with depression. Because of this it has been tested as a possible treatment, but the results have been mixed and more research is needed.
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Researchers in China found that Chinese citizens were more likely to express symptoms of depression as having a physical component as well as an emotional one, due to the way their culture interprets such feelings.
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Concern about antidepressants increasing the risk of suicide in children could have the unintended effect that children suffering from depression may not receive needed treatment.
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Hypotheses explaining how depression manifests itself. The American Psychiatric Association requires any five of nine symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. As the definition implies, these symptoms do not all appear in everyone who is depressed. Two studies explore the consequences for the understanding of depression and come to contrasting conclusions. One study suggests that an individual patient's symptoms are not consistent, but change more or less unpredictably from one episode of depression to the next. The other study suggests that there are several sets of depressive symptoms that are distinguishable genetically and therefore likely to persist in a given individual.
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An explanation of the two-way relationship between depression and stroke. Depressed people are at higher risk for a stroke, but depression often precedes as well as follows a stroke.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Accutane, a powerful acne medication, has been linked to depression or suicide.
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People who suffer from depression are more likely to have a sleep-related breathing problem such as apnea. Treating the sleep problem may help alleviate the depression in some people.
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Discusses options for treatment of seasonal affective disorder.The treatment of seasonal affective disorder throws light on dark moods.
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Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.
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Depression is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness. It is a debilitating disease with significant societal costs.
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A combination of factors causes depression. Some cases are triggered by a stressful experience, such as the death of a spouse or loss of a job. Some illnesses, such as cancer, also can cause depression, as can alcohol and drug abuse.
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Chances are you know the difference between occasional sadness and depression. But here's a fact you may not know: Hypothyroidism, a common thyroid disorder, can cause depression.
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When recommending treatment for clinical depression, physicians typically prescribe a tried-and-true regimen: anti-depressant medication and "talk" therapy. In the future, however, health professionals may be advocating a healthy dose of exercise.
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Take action if you suspect a friend and/or family member suffers from depression. It's a condition that can cloud thinking and make people believe they aren't worth helping, so they often can't help themselves.
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The unrealistic expectations of the season, time and financial pressures, missing loved ones and reflecting on past events as the year comes to an end all contribute to the blues.
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The medical community once thought depression affected only adults. The risk for the condition begins in the early teens, however, and increases steadily through the mid-20s.
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Although anyone can suffer from depression, it is particularly common among older adults. Depression affects 15 out of every 100 adults older than 65.
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Because depression isn't a normal part of growing older, it's important to learn the signs of this condition and seek help if you or a loved one could be suffering from it.
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Everyone gets down in the dumps from time to time. But you may have clinical depression if a feeling of sadness or loss of interest in life and friends lingers for two weeks or more.
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Instead of asking for help, men who are depressed are likely to drink alcohol to excess, take drugs, or become frustrated, discouraged, and irritable.
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Although sadness touches all our lives, true depression is different in its intensity and persistence.
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What's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the painful mental disorder known as depression? According to the experts, impaired functioning is usually a clear-cut indication of clinical depression.
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Primary care physicians should be asking their patients questions about five "warning flag" symptoms to determine whether they should be screened for depression or other mood disorders, researchers say.
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Having a chronic condition such as COPD can lead to depression. You can get help. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms.
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Living with diabetes may increase the likelihood of depression. The connection may be go both ways: information from a diabetes trial suggests the possibility of a link between antidepressant use and diabetes.
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A recent study offers evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help those who develop depression after a heart attack.
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Most people, most of the time, overestimate themselves. It is pervasive and powerful, but is not the same in all people or in all circumstances.
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A discussion of the social impact of depression in the elderly and the benefits of treatment.
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According to two studies, women going through menopause are much more likely to develop symptoms of depression, due in part to changes in hormone production. Hormone replacement may provide temporary relief from severe depression.
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Reports of risky side effects may have dampened enthusiasm for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are among the world's most widely prescribed medications. A review of concerns and benefits associated with SSRIs.
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Mental health among Americans may have declined during the 1990s.
Revealing information on the mental health of Americans appears in data from three random telephone surveys of the adult population by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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While there is a very small risk of suicide in adolescents who take antidepressants, they are also beneficial to many teenagers with depression. All factors should be weighed in treatment decisions, and patients should be monitored carefully.
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Discussion of whether the new antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) has any advantage over other antidepressants on the market.
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DHEA may not be an anti-aging panacea, as some suggest, but a new study suggests that it may be able to temporarily lift mood.
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Older people with macular degeneration are more likely to experience depression, but those who received problem-solving therapy to help them adapt to and cope with their condition were less likely to develop depression.
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A study shows that interaction with animals can be a path to recovery from depression.
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Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over 55. A recent trial shows that education may help relieve disability and depression in those with the condition.
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Is there a link between depression and migraines?
Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.
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The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.Anxiety; Feeling uptight; Stress; Tension; Jitters; Apprehension.Stress is a normal part of life. In small quantities, stress is good-- it can ...
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Anxiety is a bodily response to a perceived threat or danger. It is triggered by a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation.It is important to distinguish between anxiety a...
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Systematic desensitization is a technique used to treat phobias and other extreme or erroneous fears based on principles of behavior modification.Systematic desensitization is used to help the client cope with phobias and other fears, and to induc...
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Anxiety is familiar to everyone due to the many stresses and complexities of modern life.
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This report features up-to-date information on the signs, causes, and treatments of many common phobias and anxiety disorders.
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Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
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Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.
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Everybody experiences fear at some time or another. Fear is a powerful emotion that arises in situations that are interpreted as dangerous. The purpose of fear is to alert you to take protective action—usually to fight, flee, or seek assistance. For example, if you were hiking in the woods and encountered a snake, you would naturally interpret this situation as dangerous which would produce the emotion of fear, which, in turn, would motivate some self-preserving behavior—probably an attempt to escape. If, however, you recognize that the snake is harmless, your interpretation of the situation as dangerous and the ensuing emotion of fear would have been erroneous. Notice how important the cognitive act of interpretation is in experiencing fear.
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Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation at hand.
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Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders that can affect adults, adolescents and children. They overwhelm people with chronic feelings of anxiety and fear.
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This guide is designed to help you learn about anxiety disorders. Knowing more, you may feel more comfortable talking with a health professional about your experience and your symptoms.
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Anxiety is a condition of persistent and uncontrollable nervousness, stress, and worry that is triggered by anticipation of future events, memories of past events, or ruminations over day-to-day events, both trivial and major, with disproportionat...
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Some researchers believe anxiety is synonymous with fear, occurring in varying degrees and in situations in which people feel threatened by some danger. Others describe anxiety as an unpleasant emotion caused by unidentifiable dangers or dangers t...
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You may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder if you go through the day worried, tense or anxious about your family, health or work, even when you know there are no signs of trouble.
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Anxiety—feeling frightened, tense, uneasy—is a normal response to a threat. Anxiety can disrupt your life, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't suffer in silence. Anxiety disorders are covered by most health plans. Check what's covered under your plan. Then ask your doctor or another mental health professional for help.
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Discussion of the effect of anxiety disorders on children and how they can be treated.
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Despite their age, benzodiazepines still provide unique benefits and are unlikely to be entirely superseded by newer medications. Includes a comparison chart of newer and older drugs for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
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You have to give a presentation next week. Just thinking about it makes your heart race. Your throat gets tight, and you can hardly breathe. Sometimes, you even feel faint. Speaking in front of a group makes most people nervous, but your fear is beyond reason. This is nothing to be ashamed of. You may have an anxiety disorder known as social phobia. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional. They can offer treatment and support.
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It is common to feel stress or anxiety when you have cancer. Anxiety can be a vague or uneasy feeling of distress. There are many things that can bring on these feelings, such as trips to your doctor's office, treatments for your cancer, or fears about your cancer.
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Separation anxiety is common in children, but most grow out of it. However, in a small percentage of children (and more rarely, in adults) it becomes a disorder. Typical treatment methods include cognitive and behavioral therapy.
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Research suggests that for patients who are starting treatment for depression, their type of attachment anxiety should be taken into consideration as a factor in determining the best course of treatment.
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There is evidence that certain herbs and supplements may be effective in treating certain types of anxiety disorders.
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When I get nervous, I get a tic that affects the left side of my face, including my eye. What can I do about this? Is there anything I can take for it?
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Falls are a common source of injury, particularly in the elderly population. They are more likely to occur if impairments in balance, strength, perception, joint range of motion, postural function or coordination are present.
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Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.
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Detailed information on preventing falls in children and the elderly More than 2.5 million emergency room visits each year are related to childhood falls, while more than 1.6 million adults ages 65 and over sustain injuries in falls each year. Most falls are not age-related and can often be prevented, however, age does tend to play a role in the type of fall. For instance, infants are more likely to fall from furniture, while older adults tend to fall more often due to tripping. Consider the following facts:
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Many older people fall because of unsafe surroundings at home. Use these suggestions to safeguard against some likely household hazards.
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Although it's impossible to prevent all falls, you can help keep yourself safe by improving your balance and employing "fall-proofing" behaviors.
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As we get older, our balance tends to diminish. Exercise, in addition to its many other benefits, can help regain or maintain balance and control.
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Insomnia is difficulty falling or staying asleep. In many cases, it can be relieved with a few simple behavioral changes or medication.
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Insomnia is the inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The difficulty can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both.
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Some nights, sleep comes easily, and you sail through the night in a satisfying slumber. Waking up after a night of good sleep feels wonderful — you're refreshed, energized, and ready to take on the world. Other nights, sleep comes slowly or not until the wee hours. Or you may fall asleep, only to awaken throughout the night.
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Detailed information on insomnia, its causes, and ways to help reduce sleep problems
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Insomnia is the inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The difficulty can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both.
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Insomnia is a condition that occurs when a person in unable to get long enough or refreshing enough sleep at night. Insomnia can result from an inability to fall asleep, an inability to stay asleep, or waking too early before having gotten enough ...
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Good sleeping habits are a key part of treatment. If needed, some medications may help you sleep better at first. Making healthy lifestyle changes and learning to relax can improve your sleep. Treating insomnia takes commitment, but trust that your efforts will pay off. Talk to your health care provider before taking any medication.
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Seven to eight hours of sleep a night is important for your functioning and well-being. Cancer and cancer treatment can lead to a lack of sleep.
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Detailed information on insomnia, its causes, and ways to help reduce sleep problems
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Anxiety and stress are the most common causes of insomnia. But sleeplessness can also be caused by a variety of medical conditions, medications and environmental factors.
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If you have occasional or chronic insomnia, you may be able to get to sleep by making lifestyle changes.
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Research tests the effect of providing objective sleep information directly to the insomniacs themselves.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Lunesta, a new sleeping pill, is safe for long-term use.
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Persistent insomnia can arise from a variety of causes, including some serious medical conditions. If you have insomnia that persists for longer than a few weeks, insomnia that is accompanied by physical symptoms during the night, or insomnia that interferes with your daytime wakefulness and function, you should be evaluated by a doctor.
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More than half of adults over 65 have some sort of sleep problem. Medications are of questionable benefit and can be addictive. Behavior modification is often a more efffective treatment, especially in older patients.
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Weakness is a reduction in the strength of one or more muscles.Weakness may be generalized(total body weakness) or localized to only one area, side of the body, limb, or muscle. Weakness is more notable when it is localized.
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Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
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Aphasia is condition characterized by either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or using written words. A person with aphasia may have difficulty speaking, reading, writing, recognizing the names of objects, or understand...
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Detailed information on aphasia, including cause, diagnosis, types, and treatment
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Aphasia is a communication disorder that occurs after language has been developed, usually in adulthood. Not simply a speech disorder, aphasia can affect the ability to comprehend the speech of others, as well as the ability to read and write.
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Aphasia is a loss of language skills. It may occur if the brain is damaged. This usually happens after a stroke. People with aphasia may not be able to express their thoughts (expressive aphasia) or understand others (receptive aphasia).
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Aphasia occurs when a part of the brain that processes language is damaged. Most people who have a stroke or a brain injury are tested for aphasia. A speech therapist (an expert trained in speech rehabilitation) will work closely with the patient. The main goal of speech therapy is to help the patient communicate. During rehabilitation (rehab) the therapist works to find and increase a patient's strengths. The therapist also tries to improve understanding between patient and family.
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Aphasia is an impairment of spoken language understanding and expression associated with brain damage.Neurologic etiologies that affect the left cerebral cortex can lead to aphasia(sometimes termed dysphasia). Aphasia is a language disturbance aff...
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A condition, caused by neurological damage or disease, in which a person''s previous capacity to understand or express language is impaired.In aphasia, the ability to understand language and to translate thoughts into words has been impaired by inj...
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A delusion is a belief that is clearly false and that indicates an abnormality in the affected person''s content of thought. The false belief is not accounted for by the person''s cultural or religious background or his or her level of intelligence.
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A delusion is an unshakable belief in something untrue. These irrational beliefs defy normal reasoning, and remain firm even when overwhelming proof is presented to dispute them.
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An angle change of greater than 30 degrees often indicates significant weakness of the muscles and tendons that support the bladder.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Urinary incontinence in women.
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Urinary incontinence is unintentional loss of urine that is sufficient enough in frequency and amount to cause physical and/or emotional distress in the person experiencing it.Approximately 13 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence. Wo...
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Detailed information on urinary incontinence, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management
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Collagen implants are injections done to help control urine leakage that is caused by weak sphincters. Sphincters are muscles that allow your body to hold in urine.
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A urodynamics study is a series of tests that gives your doctor a detailed look at the function of your bladder and urethra. These tests can help your doctor evaluate any problems you may be having with storing urine or voiding (eliminating) urine from your body.
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Detailed information on urinary incontinence, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management
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Placement of tension-free vaginal tape is a procedure to help control stress incontinence, urine leakage that can happen when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift things, or exercise. The procedure helps close your urethra(the tube that carries urine fr...
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Vaginal sling procedures help control stress incontinence, urine leakage that can happen when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift things, or exercise. They help close your urethra(the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside) and the bla...
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Detailed information on urinary incontinence, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management
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Detailed information on urinary incontinence, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management
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Detailed information on urinary incontinence, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management
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Incontinence is surprisingly common. Surgery, medications, childbirth, or injury can interfere with urinary and rectal function. But there are a variety of treatments available including exercise programs, medications and surgery.
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Urinary incontinence is unintentional loss of urine that is sufficient enough in frequency and amount to cause physical and/or emotional distress in the person experiencing it.Approximately 13 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence. Wo...
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Several medical problems can cause incontinence, incuding the thinning and drying of women's skin in the vagina or urethra, especially after menopause; men's enlarged prostate glands; and weakened pelvic muscles.
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Bladder and bowel control are complex processes that involve the brain, spinal cord and muscles of the bladder, bowel and pelvis. Loss of bladder or bowel control can be caused by problems with any of these components.
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Embarrassment and the belief that incontinence is a normal part of aging prevents most women from getting help, experts say.
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Incontinence after prostate surgery may be treated with medications or medical devices, by behavorial changes or surgery.
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There are several forms of bladder dysfunction. They include: Urinary incontinence. This is a loss of bladder control. There are varying degrees of incontinence. The bladder may leak urine, or a person may have complete lack of control over the bladder.
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Learning about incontinence can give you the courage and understanding needed to bring the subject up with your health care provider.
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Loss of urine or bladder control (also known as incontinence) is a surprisingly common problem, especially in older men. It's estimated that 1.5 to five percent of men under age 65 experience problems with urine control. After age 65 this number increases to between 15 and 30 percent, and up to half of people in nursing homes lose control of their bladder for some or all of the time.
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Millions of other women share your feelings about this problem. Women (and men) are often reluctant to talk with their doctors about it because it is an embarrassing subject. Also many women wrongly believe that this is just part of growing older and nothing can be done. Today many effective treatments are available to help.
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Detailed information on depression and depression in women, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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A depressive disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) as an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It encompasses feelings of overwhelming sadness and despair that persist or intensify over time.Occasional f...
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Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
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Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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Depression and depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, ...
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration,.sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.Until recently, it was thought that ...
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Everybody feels sad sometimes, but to be clinically depressed is not just a matter of feeling sad. A patient with cancer is diagnosed as having major depression only if certain symptoms, such as loss of pleasure or thoughts of death, are present f...
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Because of their egocentric focus, children, unlike healthy adults, can have trouble distinguishing their fantasies from reality. In addition to developing creativity, fantasy can serve the important function of helping a child confront her fears ...
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Having more money does not make people happier, even though we tend to believe it will. The tendency to overestimate the importance of something's effect on one's level of happiness is called the focusing illusion.
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Unsteady gait is a symptom of instability while walking. Problems with walking can be due to disease or injury to the legs, feet, spine, or brain.
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Gait and balance problems exist when a disease process, trauma, or aging result in the inability to control one''s center of gravity(COG) over the base of support(BOS) in static or dynamic tasks and environments.Any number of factors may contribute...
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Gait or walking is a coordinated action of the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. The coordination of muscle contraction, joint movement, and sensory perception allows the human body to move in the environment.
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Gait training refers to helping a patient relearn to walk safely and efficiently. Gait training is usually done by rehabilitation specialists who evaluate the abnormalities in the person''s gait and employ such treatments as strengthening and balan...
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Fidgeting is usually used to describe someone who is seen as not being able to sit still. Fidgety people move in their seats constantly, move their hands and feet and appear to be in perpetual motion.
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Walking abnormalities are unusual and uncontrollable walk patterns, usually caused by diseases or injuries to the legs, feet, brain, spine, or inner ear.The pattern of how a person walks is called their gait. Many different types of walking a...
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Speech disorders refer to several conditions in which a person has difficulty communicating by mouth.Articulation deficiency; Voice disorders; Disfluency.Speech is one of the primary ways we communicate with those around us. It is an effective way...
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According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA), a language disorder is an impairment in comprehension use of the spoken, written, or other symbol system.Speech disorders affect the language and mechanics, the content of speech...
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Detailed information on speech and voice disorders, including spasmodic dysphonia and stuttering
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Speech disorders are characterized by a difficulty in producing normal speech patterns.Children go through many stages of speech production while they are learning to communicate. What is normal in the speech of a child of one age may be a sign of...
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Speech disorders treated by speech-language pathologists include voice disorders(abnormalities in pitch, volume, vocal quality, or resonance or duration of sounds), articulation disorders(problems producing speech sounds), and fluency disorders(im...
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Speech-language pathology is the treatment for the improvement or cure of communication disorders, including speech, language, and swallowing disorders. The term used to describe professionals in this discipline is speech and language pathologist(...
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A speech disorder is a communication disorder characterized by an impaired ability to produce speech sounds or normal voice, or to speak fluently.Speech disorders belong to a broad category of disorders called communication disorders that also inc...
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The ability to concentrate is a function of mental status and cognition. Impairment of the ability to concentrate can be a problem of neurologic or psychiatric origin or a combination of behavior and mentation.
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With today's world filled with flashing images of MTV, quick news reports, and fast-food restaurants on every corner, are we capable of concentrating as well as we used to?
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Dysphagia is a disruption in the ability to move food or liquid from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach safely and efficiently. Swallowing disorders can occur at any point in the life span from infancy through old age.
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Detailed information on dysphagia, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Temper tantrums are disruptive or undesirable behaviors or emotional outbursts displayed in response to unmet needs or desires. They may also refer to an inability to control emotions due to frustration or difficulty expressing a particular need o...
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Apathy can be defined as an absence or suppression of emotion, feeling, concern or passion. Further, apathy is an indifference to things generally found to be exciting or moving.A strong connection exists between apathy and mental disorders.
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Emotional content floods the brain in response to our experiences, physiological and psychological states. Most of us learn how to prevent emotions from interfering with functioning as we mature.
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The amnestic disorders are a group of disorders that involve loss of memories previously established, loss of the ability to create new memories, or loss of the ability to learn new information. As defined by the mental health professional''s handb...
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