Low Sodium In Blood (Hyponatr... : Symptoms

Common symptoms include:Abnormal mental status ConfusionDecreased consciousnessHallucinationsPossible comaConvulsionsFatigueHeadacheIrritabilityLoss of appetiteMuscle spasms or crampsMuscle weaknessNauseaRestlessnessVomitingAnorexia nervosa.

Hyponatremia can be caused by abnormal consumption or excretion of dietary sodium or water and by diseases that impair the body's ability to regulate them. Maintenance of a low salt diet for many months or excessive sweat loss during a race on a h...

Coma, from the Greek word"koma," meaning deep sleep, is a state of extreme unresponsiveness, in which an individual exhibits no voluntary movement or behavior. Furthermore, in a deep coma, even painful stimuli(actions which, when performed on a he...

Coma, from the Greek word koma, meaning deep sleep, is a state of extreme unresponsiveness, in which an individual exhibits no voluntary movement or behavior. Furthermore, in a deep coma, even painful stimuli(actions which, when performed on a hea...

A seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.Secondary seizures; Reactive seizures; Seizure- secondary; Seizure- reactive.There are a wide variety of possible sy...

A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception(sense of feeling) or motor activity(movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizure...

Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception(sense of feeling) or motor activity(movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizure...

Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

The intense, involuntary muscular contractions that often accompany seizures are referred to as convulsions. Seizures normally last three to five minutes, with a period of unconsciousness that may last for up to 30 minutes.Seizures can result from...

Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Children with epilepsy may have seizures only once in a while, or every day. Though seizures can be scary for parents and caregivers, they aren't painful and are usually brief.

A seizure results from a sudden rush of abnormal electrical signals in the brain. Symptoms may range from a minor daze to uncontrollable muscle spasms (convulsion). In some cases, the victim may even lose consciousness. A seizure can be caused by a high fever, head injury, drug reaction, or condition such as epilepsy.

Although not a psychiatric disorder, epilepsy has a psychiatric aspect. The link is manifested in similar, often overlapping, symptoms, so it is important that caregivers diagnose and treat their patients with care.

People with certain mental conditions can experience seizures that appear to be epilepsy but are actually psychogenic seizures. Studies are finding ways to distinguish between the two types to facilitate proper treatment.

How does estrogen use and menopause affect someone with a seizure disorder?

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...

Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day-- often with a strong tendency to actually fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.Sleepiness- during the day; Hypersomnia; Somnolence.Excessive daytime sleepi...

Each year, at least 100,000 vehicular crashes and 1,550 deaths are caused by drivers who are impaired by sleepiness.

When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.

Hypersomnia refers to a set of related disorders that involve excessive daytime sleepiness.There are two main categories of hypersomnia: primary hypersomnia(sometimes called idiopathic hypersomnia) and recurrent hypersomnia(sometimes called recurr...

A charley horse is the common name for a muscle spasm, especially in the leg. Muscle spasms can occur in any muscle in the body.

Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.Most people are familiar with the sudden pain of a muscle cramp. The rapid, uncontrolled contraction, or spasm, happens unexpectedly.

Decreased consciousness is reduced alertness or awareness.Stuporous; Mental status- decreased; Loss of alertness; Decreased consciousness; Alertness- decreased; Changes in consciousness; Obtundation; Coma; Unresponsiveness.Many conditions can caus...

Muscle cramps are involuntary and often painful contractions(movements) of the muscles.Muscle cramps are common and may be stopped by stretching the muscle. The cramping muscle may feel hard or bulging.Muscle spasms are different than muscle twitc...

Muscle cramps -- involuntary muscle contractions -- are common. But even though they can be quite painful, they don't cause damage.

Cramps do not mean there is a problem with the muscle itself; rather, experts believe they happen when the fluid and electrolyte imbalance catches up to you or when a nerve overstimulates a muscle.

Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.Most people are familiar with the sudden pain of a muscle cramp. The rapid, uncontrolled contraction, or spasm, happens unexpectedly, with either no stimulation or some tr...

Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.The rapid, uncontrolled muscle contraction, or spasm, happens unexpectedly, with either no stimulation or some trivially small one. The muscle contraction and pain last fo...

A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare.

A headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom.

Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches

This report helps you identify the cause of your headache and learn what to do about it. Includes the latest treatments, such as new medications and mind/body techniques.

A headache involves pain in the head which can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.There are three types of primary headaches: tension-type(muscular contraction headache), migraine(vascular headaches), and cluster. Virt...

About 90 percent of all headaches are harmless episodes that can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, either alone or together with rest, ice packs or relaxation techniques.

A headache involves pain in the head that can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.Headaches can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary headaches occur independently and are not the result of another medical pro...

Most headaches in kids are caused by tension, not disease. Your pediatrician can determine what kind of headache your child has.

Headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom of an underlying medical condition or disease. The medical term for headache is cephalalgia.

Youngsters' most common head pain is a tension headache—a dull ache that feels like pressure around the head.

When seeking treatment for headaches, start with your primary care provider. Most people who suffer from headaches tell their doctors about their pain only as an afterthought. And 31 percent have never seen a health care provider for their condition, according to the National Headache Foundation (NHF). The result is a lot of needless suffering.

Detailed information on headaches, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Can dehydration cause headaches? Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.

An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.

Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches

Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.Fatigue is different from drowsiness. In general, drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep, while fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation.

Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease.Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally. It is the body''s way of signaling its need for rest and sleep.

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.

Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the contex...

If the fatigue is related to a decrease in hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, then replacing the red blood cells by transfusion or taking erythropoietin can help reduce fatigue. If the fatigue is not related to this, then it is important that the person with cancer learn ways to conserve energy. Energy is like money, and people only have a limited amount of it. Think carefully about how to spend it. What activities are most important? What activities help restore energy? These are the activities that people with cancer should spend their energy on. They need to ask for help to do the rest of the activities.

If you regularly feel weary after waking from a good night's sleep or for no apparent reason, it's time to find out why.

Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the contex...

Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease.Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally. It is the body''s way of signaling its need for rest and sleep.

Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or loss of strength. The duration of fatigue for a patient with cancer has been found to last from one to two times the length of time between diagnosis and completion of treatment, so it is common for fatigue to...

If the person on chemotherapy has decreased hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and it seems like the low hemoglobin level will last for a while, then a medicine called PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may be prescribed. This medicine is given as an injection to keep the hemoglobin at a higher level. This can sometimes manage fatigue. PROCRIT is for anemic chemotherapy patients with most types of cancer.

We currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery). It is reported that the fatigue people get when receiving cancer treatment is more severe than the fatigue healthy people get. In addition, this fatigue lasts longer and is not relieved by sleep. Studies have shown that low hemoglobin is also related to fatigue. Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood, so if it is low, the body cells do not get as much oxygen as they need. Also, people who are not well nourished, who don't drink enough fluid and are dehydrated, or who are not able to move around much tend to have fatigue more easily. Finally, the way a person handles stress, thinks, or behaves can influence fatigue.

Fatigue is a vague feeling of being tired, weak, or exhausted. It is often a symptom of cancer, when cancer is first diagnosed, or when cancer progresses (Ferrell et al, 1996). It is also the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Some people with cancer have described fatigue as being "tired to the bones” or "hitting a wall.” Others say it is the most distressing side effect of cancer treatment. Fatigue is different for everyone, so it is important that the person who is experiencing it describe how he or she feels. Fatigue may cause decreased ability to work or do physical activity. If the person with cancer is easily distracted and unable to concentrate on mental work or activity, then he or she may have attentional fatigue (Winningham and Barton-Burke, 2000). Depending upon its cause, fatigue can come and go or stay constant for a while. Fatigue from chemotherapy tends to occur a few days after the treatment, peaks, and then gets better before the next treatment. Fatigue from radiation doesn't happen right away. It develops over the first two to three weeks of treatment and then increases as the treatment continues. It may last three months or more after the treatment is finished. Attentional fatigue can last up until two or three years after treatment is completed.

Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.

Fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite. Fatigue can also be a sign of anemia (a shortage of red blood cells). This could require medical treatment. The tips below can help you feel better.

Vomiting is the forceful discharge of stomach contents through the mouth.Vomiting, also called emesis, is a symptomatic response to any number of harmful triggers. Vomiting is a forceful expulsion, and is different from regurgitation—the eff...

Vomiting can deplete you of fluids and electrolytes, so repeated vomiting requires medical treatment if it results in a lasting lightheaded feeling or weakness.

Although nausea and vomiting can make you feel miserable, it's important to remember that these are not diseases, but rather symptoms of many illnesses.

Nausea with or without vomiting is common in children. Most of the time, the cause is not serious. The symptoms usually go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, there are times when you should alert your child's doctor immediately.

Vomiting is very common in babies. Sometimes it can be entirely normal, like when babies spit up mouthfuls of breastmilk or formula after eating. Sometimes it can be a sign of illness or a blockage somewhere in the intestines. Less commonly, it can even be a sign of accidental poisoning or be caused by a bad bump to the head.

When should parents be concerned about their child vomiting? If the child, age 5 and a bit overweight, has what the parents think is a stomach bug that causes vomiting, and this happens for a couple days at least every two months or sometimes shorter periods in between, should they have tests done or should they just assume its a virus?

Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.Your body has a few main ways to respond to an ever-changing, wide variety of invaders and irritants.

"Gingerbread. Ginger cookies. Ginger ale. Who knew they could lessen nausea so much? My mom makes me ginger cookies every time I have chemo. My neighbor brings over gingerbread. I haven't eaten these foods since I was growing up, but they sure hit the spot now." - Anne R.

Nausea is the sensation of having a queasy stomach or being about to vomit. Vomiting, or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth.Nausea is a reaction to a number of causes that include overeating, infection, or irritation of ...

Will excess fluid in the ear cause dizziness and nausea? David Vernick, M.D. is assistant clinical professor of otology and laryngology at Harvard Medical School and interim chief of the Division of Otology and Laryngology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Being tired is the familiar aftermath of physical exertion, prolonged labor or lack of sleep. When does being tired become a symptom of a condition? Fatigue, malaise, lassitude, exhaustion are all subtle variations of the same subjective feelings of not having enough energy to meet the demands of one's life.

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...

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.

One of the best ways to respond to other people's emotions is to "reflect" their mood back to them.

True muscle weakness means that full effort does not produce a normal muscle contraction or movement. A voluntary muscle contraction is generated when the brain sends a signal through the spinal cord and nerves to a muscle.

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.

Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal, increased tension, and irritability.

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...

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.

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...

Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat.Anorexia is common in cancer patients with reported incidence between 15% and 40%. Primary anorexia is especially prevalent in patients with advanced malignancy, and is frequ...

Detailed information on anorexia, including causes, characteristics, types, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and prevention

Loss of appetite is a loss of the desire to eat. Not eating can lead to weight loss. Weight loss can cause weakness and fatigue, which affect your ability to perform normal activities. Proper nutrition also helps your body prevent and fight infection. Weight loss or lack of appetite may be due to the cancer or sometimes to treatments for the cancer.

Your loss of appetite may be because of anxiety or depression, aging, medications or a health concern.

A harvard Medical school physician answers your question about the prevalence of anorexia in men, and discusses the biological and environmental factors that influence the disorder in both sexes.

Women suffering from anorexia nervosa may benefit more from general support than in-depth therapy, according to a recent study.

Muscle rigidity is an alteration of muscle tone in which the muscles are in an involuntary state of continual tension. Muscle rigidity can be a manifestation of neurological damage (basal ganglia diseases) or a side effect of certain medications.

A generalized tonic-clonic seizure is a seizure involving the entire body. It is also called a grand mal seizure.

Spasticity is stiff or rigid muscles with exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes(for example, a knee-jerk reflex). The condition can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.

Spasticity is a form of muscle overactivity. A spastic muscle is one in which a muscle resists being stretched out, and the resistance to stretch is greater the faster the muscle is moved.

Spasticity is an abnormal increase in muscle tone. It may be associated with involuntary muscle spasms, sustained muscle contractions(dystonia), and exaggerated deep tendon reflexes that make movement difficult or uncontrollable.