![]() |
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease: Hoarseness or changing voice; Fatigue; Facial paralysis; Drooling; Breathing difficulty.
|
|
|
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it is caused by the body's own immune system. In MG, the immune system attacks a receptor on the surface of muscle cells. This prevents the muscle from receiving the nerve impulses that normally ...
|
|
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it is caused by the body's own immune system. In MG, the immune system attacks a receptor on the surface of muscle cells. This prevents the muscle from receiving the nerve impulses that normally ...
|
|
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it is caused by the body's own immune system. In MG, the immune system attacks a receptor on the surface of muscle cells. This prevents the muscle from receiving the nerve impulses that normally ...
|
|
|
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease caused by abnormal antibodies carried in the blood stream. Nerves release a chemical called acetylcholine (ACh) that activates receptors on muscles to trigger contraction. The normal neuromuscular junctio...
|
|
|
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 understanding what other people have said.
|
|
Detailed information on aphasia, including cause, diagnosis, types, and treatment
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Treating AphasiaAphasia 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.
|
|
What Is Aphasia?Aphasia is a loss of language skills.
|
|
|
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).
|
|
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 injury to the brain.
|
![]() |
Choking is when someone can't breathe because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the airway (throat or windpipe).
|
|
Choking is a condition caused by inhalation of a foreign object that partially or fully blocks the airway. Choking is a major cause of respiratory emergencies and cardiac arrest in infants and children.
|
|
This is an extreme medical emergency. Knowing what to do can help save your baby's life.
|
|
Choking sends thousands of infants and toddlers to emergency rooms each year, and food often plays a part.
|
|
Blockage of the throat or windpipe by an object. Choking is a major cause of death for children under three, and is a hazard for older children as well.
|
|
Although people know toys can be dangerous, injuries can still occur.
|
|
One minute you and your child are laughing at the dinner table. The next minute the child is choking. Here's what you should do.
|
|
Choking is the inability to breathe because the trachea is blocked, constricted, or swollen shut. Choking is a medical emergency.
|
|
Detailed information on choking, choking prevention, and the Heimlick maneuver
|
|
First Aid: ChokingCall 911 if the victim loses consciousness.Choking occurs when the airway to the lungs becomes blocked, placing the victim's life in danger. Start rescue techniquesright away.1Identify ChokingLook for a hand raised to the throat,...
|
|
If a person who is choking is still able to speak, their airway does not have a significant obstruction, so the Heimlich maneuver should not be performed.
|
|
Visual disturbances are abnormalities of sight. Visual disturbances associated with neurological disorders often include double vision (diplopia), moving or blurred vision due to nystagmus (involuntary rapid movements of the eyes), reduced visual acuity, reduced visual field, and partial or total loss of vision as in papilledema, a swelling of the optic disc, or in blindness.
|
![]() |
Drooling is saliva flowing outside the mouth.
|
![]() |
This is excessive drooping of the upper eyelid(s). See also drooping eyelid disease (ptosis).
|
|
|
Ptosis is the term used for a drooping upper eyelid. Ptosis, also called blepharoptosis, can affect one or both eyes.
|
|
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
|
|
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.
|
|
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 context of health and illness.
|
|
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: TreatmentIf 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...
|
|
Introduction 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 context of health and illness.
|
|
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.
|
|
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 persist beyond a patient ' s treatment regimen.
|
|
Fatigue: ManagementIf 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...
|
|
Fatigue: CausesWe 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).
|
|
Fatigue: DefinitionFatigue 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).
|
|
Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.
|
|
Oncology: Managing FatigueFatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite.
|
|
Hazy vision, cloudy vision, blurred vision are all problems with seeing clearly. Any
change in your normal vision is cause for concern and is a good reason to call a doctor for
an examination.
|
![]() |
Hoarseness is described as having difficulty producing sound when trying to speak, or a change in the pitch or quality of the voice. The voice may sound weak, excessively breathy, scratchy, or husky.
|
|
A voice disorder is an abnormality of one or more of the three characteristics of voice: pitch, intensity (loudness), and quality (resonance). The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that approximately7.
|
![]() |
Normal body temperature varies by person, age, activity, and time of day. The average normal body temperature is 98.6?F (37?C).
|
|
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.
|
|
Paralysis is defined as complete loss of strength in an affected limb or muscle group. The chain of nerve cells that runs from the brain through the spinal cord out to the muscle is called the motor pathway.
|
![]() |
Breathing difficulties involve a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air. See also difficulty breathing - first aid.
|
|
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient ' s level of physical activity. It is a symptom of a variety of different diseases or disorders and may be either acute or chronic.
|
|
Struggling to Breathe: A Nurse’s Tips for Managing DyspneaDyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
|
|
Detailed information on the most common breathing problems in a newborn
|
|
Severe shortness of breath and shortness of breath accompanied by certain symptoms requires immediate medical attention.
|
|
If your child cannot seem to get enough breath in his lungs (shortness of breath) or is having a hard time breathing, he probably has a medical condition that needs treatment. If your child is old enough to talk, he can tell you that he is having difficulty breathing. If your child is younger, you may notice that he is breathing harder or faster than usual, isn't feeding well, or is cranky.
|
|
Shortness of breath may be a warning sign of heart disease.
Chest pain is a near-universal signal of heart disease. Shortness of breath may be an equally valuable tip-off.
|
|
I had a quadruple bypass seven years ago. A few months back I found myself taking frequent short breaths when I climbed the stairs. Once I stopped exerting myself, my breathing soon returned to normal. Is this due to a problem with my heart or lungs?
|
|
For the past two months I have experienced increased shortness of breath. I have chronic asthma, but there's concern the shortness of breath could be caused by a blockage in heart. I have experienced difficulties in the past when anesthetized. Is there an effective alternative to heart catheterization? I've read about a new CT scan ? is it recommended?
|
|
|
Dysarthria is a speech diagnostic term that can be used to classify various types of neuromuscular speech disturbances. Dysarthria results from notable degrees of one or more abnormalities involving speech musculature, including weakness, paralysis, incoordination, sensory deprivation, exaggerated reflex patterns, uncontrollable movement activities, and excess or reduced tone.
|
|
Treating DysarthriaDysarthria occurs when the part of the brain that controls speech production is damaged. When this happens, the muscles needed to make certain sounds can’t be used fully.
|
|
What Is Dysarthria?Dysarthriais a speech problem caused by a lack of control over muscles in the face and mouth.
|
|
Dysarthria is a group of speech impairments due to weakness, incoordination, spasticity, rigidity, or irregular movements caused by damage to the nervous system. Speech abilities depend on the coordinated function of muscles of respiration, phonation (larynx), and articulation.
|
|
Speech disorders include several speech-related problems that result in impaired or ineffective oral communication. Also see speech impairment .
|
|
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, or the function of language in communication.
|
|
Detailed information on speech and voice disorders, including spasmodic dysphonia and stuttering
|
|
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.
|
|
Treatment for the improvement or cure of communication disorders, including both speech problems and language disorders. Formerly referred to as speech therapy, the techniques, strategies, and interventions designed to improve or correct communication disorders are known as speech-language pathology.
|
|
|
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 (SLP).
|
|
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 include language and hearing disorders.
|
|
Breathing that slows down or stops from any cause is called apnea. Apnea can come once in a while and be temporary. This tends to occur with obstructive sleep apnea . Prolonged apnea is means a person has stopped breathing. This is also called respiratory arrest.
|
|
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.
|
![]() |
Uncontrollable eye movements are involuntary, rapid, and repetitive movement of the eyes.
|
|
Rhythmic, oscillating motions of the eyes are called nystagmus. The to-and-fro motion is generally involuntary.
|
|
Nystagmus is a condition in which there is involuntary and rhythmic movement or oscillation of the eye. It is often caused by an underlying ocular or neurological disorder.
|
|
Total blindness is the inability to tell light from dark, or the total inability to see. Visual impairment or low vision is a severe reduction in vision that can ' t be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person ' s ability to function at certain or all tasks.
|
|
What Is Low Vision?When you have low vision, you need more than glasses or contact lenses to see well enough to get around and do day-to-day tasks.
|
|
If you have low-vision symptoms, talk to your eye-care professional, who can help you find resources and visual devices to make the most of your remaining vision.
|
|
Detailed information on problems with vision in children
|
|
Detailed information on problems with vision in children
|
|
Treatment for Low VisionUsing vision aids can help you do the things you need and want to do. There are many kinds of vision aids.
|
|
The number of people losing their vision is growing, yet experts say much of this vision loss could be prevented.
|
|
Detailed information on correcting or improving vision problems
|
|
Have you noticed the sudden onset of any of these symptoms: vision loss, seeing double, the feeling of a shade over the eye, lights are surrounded by halos, or light sensitivity?
|
|
Reports of a rare eye condition developing in men after use of Viagra are a reminder that erectile dysfunction medications should be used with the same caution given to other prescription drugs.
|