Medicine.org - Signs & Symptoms

The Three Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:31:23 -0400

Alzheimer's disease develops slowly and causes changes in the brain long before there are obvious changes in a person's memory, thinking, use of words or behavior. Stages and changes the person will go through are outlined below.

• Common Changes in Mild AD
• Common Changes in Moderate AD
• Common Changes in Severe AD

Common Changes in Mild AD

• Loses spark or zest for life - does not start anything.

Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:42:23 -0400

Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms, but most people get at least some symptoms. These may include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during urination. It is not unusual to feel bad all over—tired, shaky, washed out—and to feel pain even when not urinating.

Often women feel an uncomfortable pressure above the pubic bone, and some men experience a fullness in the rectum. It is common for a person with a urinary infection to complain that, despite the urge to urinate, only a small amount of urine is passed. The urine itself may look milky or cloudy, even reddish if blood is present. Normally, a UTI does not cause fever if it is in the bladder or urethra.

Ovarian Cancer: By the Time You Have Symptoms, It's Generally Too Late!

Mon, 14 May 2007 14:35:17 -0400

The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better your chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat.

Symptoms may include:

• Heavy feeling in pelvis

• Pain in lower abdomen

• Bleeding from the vagina

• Weight gain or loss

Symptoms of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Sun, 13 May 2007 21:52:16 -0400

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disease (ADHD) is a spectrum disorder; meaning that symptoms range across a wide continuum of severity. Therefore, symptom intensity must be identified for every individual who presents with possible ADHD. The symptoms identified below are based on DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic Manual); therefore, more restrictive than other sources which may be used to diagnose this problem.

Signs and Symptoms of Bi-Polar Disease

Tue, 08 May 2007 00:31:51 -0400

Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings—from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:

Is My Child a Bully?

Sun, 06 May 2007 12:25:30 -0400

How do I find out whether my child is bullying?

It can be difficult to discover and to acknowledge that your own child is a bully. Bullying other students is obviously not something a child will talk about at home. But if several of the points described under “Who Bullies?” fit your child, you should take this seriously and look more closely into the matter.

Bullying can be seen as a part of a general pattern of anti-social and rule-breaking behavior. Children who are bullies during their school years are at a much higher risk of later becoming involved in crime, misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. If your child is bullying others, it is important to break this pattern, not just for the sake of the victim, but also for your own child’s sake.

Is My Child Being Bullied?

Sun, 06 May 2007 12:21:51 -0400

How do I find out if my child is being bullied?

FIRST:

You need to have frequent conversations with your child or adolescent to ask about what happens at school. Establishing a relationship helps you keep the lines of communication open and gives you a sense of context for what your child or adolescent experiences day-to-day.

SECOND:

If you get a note from your child’s school saying that he or she is being bullied by the other students, take it seriously. The problem is, however, that you cannot always be sure that the school/teachers will discover that your child is having this sort of problem or that they realize how serious a situation is. Neither can you expect that your child will necessarily talk about problems of this nature to you. There can be various reasons for this. Your child may feel that being bullied is a personal defeat, or he or she may have received threats from the bullies. The child may have tried before to tell an adult about the bullying and may not have been given any real help. He or she may be afraid that involving adults will make the bullying even worse. Therefore, you must be particularly sensitive to signs and changes in your child.

Facts About Bullying

Sun, 06 May 2007 11:35:01 -0400

Generally, we call it bullying when one or more persons repeatedly say or do hurtful things to another person who has problems defending himself or herself. Direct bullying usually involves hitting, kicking, or making insults, offensive and sneering comments, or threats.

Repeatedly teasing someone who clearly shows signs of distress is also recognized as bullying. However, indirect bullying—the experience of being excluded from a group of friends, being spoken ill of and being prevented from making friends—can be just as painful.

Asthma: Be Aware of Your Child's Warning Signs

Fri, 04 May 2007 10:07:00 -0400

A child with asthma may often show warning signs prior to an asthma attack. Pay attention to these warning signs! Warning signs are clues that your child's asthma may be getting worse.

A very young child may not be able to tell you how he or she feels; therefore, closely observing warning signs may be your only clues that your child is not well.

Although warning signs may differ from child to child, there are some common symptoms identified below:

It's True: There Are Headache-Free Headaches!

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:40:37 -0400

Other forms of migraine.

In addition to classic and common, migraine headache can take several other forms:

Hemiplegic Migraine

Patients with hemiplegic migraine have temporary paralysis on one side of the body, a condition known as hemiplegia. Some people may experience vision problems and vertigo - a feeling that the world is spinning. These symptoms begin 10 to 90 minutes before the onset of headache pain.

Migraines: Now "This" Is A Headache

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:30:03 -0400

What Are Migraine Headaches?

The most common type of vascular headache is migraine. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, an upset stomach, and at times disturbed vision.

Former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remembers experiencing his first migraine at age 14. The pain was unlike the discomfort of his previous mild headaches.

I Have a Headache: Should I See a Doctor?

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:20:55 -0400

When Should You See a Physician?

Not all headaches require medical attention. Some result from missed meals or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. But some types of headache are signals of more serious disorders, and call for prompt medical care. These include:

Sudden, severe headache
Sudden, severe headache associated with a stiff neck
Headache associated with fever

Ovarian Cancer: The Silent Cancer; Until It Is Too Late

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:12:25 -0400

Symptoms

Sense of pelvic heaviness
Vague lower abdominal discomfort
Vaginal bleeding
Weight gain or loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Unexplained back pain that worsens over time
Increased abdominal girth

Non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms:

Increased gas

Symptoms of TB

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:20:39 -0400

SYMPTOMS

Early symptoms of active TB can include

weight loss,

fever,

night sweats, and

loss of appetite.

Symptoms may be vague, however, and go unnoticed by the affected person. For some, the disease either goes into remission (halts) or becomes chronic and more debilitating with cough, chest pain, and bloody sputum.

Symptoms of TB involving areas other than the lungs vary, depending upon the organ or area affected.

What Symptoms Would I Have With TB?

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:58:20 -0400

What is active TB disease?

TB bacteria become active if the immune system can't stop them from growing. The active bacteria begin to multiply in the body and cause active TB disease. The bacteria attack the body and destroy tissue. If this occurs in the lungs, the bacteria can actually create a hole in the lung. Some people develop active TB disease soon after becoming infected, before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick later, when their immune system becomes weak for another reason.