Arthritis

Arthritis is actually not a disease; it is really a joint disorder. It literally means inflammation of the joints. It is derived from the Greek word Arthron, which means joint. It is actually a general term for a group of more than 100 diseases.

Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction fighting off various diseases. Inflammation can also be caused by injury, infection, autoimmune disease or the body’s own “wear and tear” (of joints) process. Inflammation that lasts for a long time can lead to tissue damage. Inflammation that does not go away or results in long term pain or deformity is considered arthritis.

In a healthy body, the joints care covered by a smooth spongy material called cartilage, which acts as a cushion between the joints, and allows the joints to move without pain. Each joint is enclosed in a fibrous casing called synovium. This synovium lining produces a synovial fluid which nourishes the joints and helps in limiting friction.

Ligaments connect the bones and keep the joints stable, while muscles and tendons support the joints enabling movement. In arthritis, the area in and around the joints becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes pain, stiffness in the joints and difficulty moving.

Arthritis occurs in both men and women, and can strike at any age; however it is more common in older people. Around 70 million or 1 in 3 Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, and it is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people. In people over the age of 55, women are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis. This is the most common variety of arthritis in the U.S.

The Different Types Of Arthritis Include

• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Paget’s disease
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Scleroderma
• Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Reiter's syndrome/Reactive arthritis
• Adult Still's disease
• Tertiary Lyme disease
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• Pseudogout
• Raynaud's Phenomenon
• Repetitive Stress Injury
• Sjögren's Syndrome

These different types of arthritis mostly have causes that are unknown. Researchers however, believe that genetics (heredity) and lifestyle behaviors play an important part in the development of arthritis.

And though the exact cause of arthritis is not known, there are several risk factors. They include;

• Age
• Gender
• Obesity
• Work factors
• History of trauma
• Various genetic or metabolic diseases

As a person gets older, their risk of developing arthritis, especially osteoarthritis increases considerably. Older women in general tend to suffer more from arthritis than men. Being overweight also puts extra stress on various joints in the body, increasing the body’s natural wear and tear process, thus increasing the risk for developing arthritis. Jobs that require heavy lifting or repetitive movements causing stress and injury to joints also lead to arthritis.

People With Arthritis May Suffer From Some Or All Of The Following Symptoms;

• Joint pain or swelling
• Early morning stiffness
• Warmth around a joint
• Redness of skin around a joint
• Reduced ability to move a joint &
• Unexplainable weight loss, fever or weakness/fatigue that occurs with joint pain

Different types of arthritis have different symptoms and all the symptoms vary from person to person. Osteoarthritis does not generally cause any symptoms outside the joint.

To treat arthritis, treatment varies with each particular cause. It depends on firstly, how severe the arthritis is, then, which joints are affected, after that, to what degree the patient is affected and lastly the person, age, job and activities.

The goal of arthritis treatment is usually to provide pain relief and increase joint strength and mobility. Remember arthritis is not curable, but it can be treated effectively for one to go on and lead a healthy life.

Treatment Options For Arthritis Include;

• Medication – Medications reduces joint pain and swelling. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetaminophen, aspirin, corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs are used to ease the pain caused by arthritis.
• Exercise – Exercise is very important as it keeps the joints flexible. Simple stretching exercises can be extremely beneficial.
• Surgery – Surgery is usually the last resort. It is done to rebuild the joint (arthroplasty) or to replace the joint (total knee joint replacement) and help the person lead a more normal lifestyle. The decision to perform surgery is made when other alternatives, such as lifestyle changes and medications are no longer effective.
• Use of joint protection – Knee or elbow caps are often used by people to ease the pain and increase mobility.

If diagnosed early most types of arthritis can be managed, and the damage to joints minimized. Early treatment of arthritis manages both pain and disability. In rheumatoid arthritis for example, early aggressive treatment can prevent damage and disability in the long run. In some cases, simple modifications to daily activities can help ease the pain of arthritis.

Arthritis is not preventable, but you can take certain steps to reduce your risk for developing this disorder. They include;

• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Exercising regularly.
• Using joint protection devices and techniques at work.
• And eating a healthy diet.

Schizophrenia Is Developed Due To Social and Personal Problems - It Is Not Inherited

What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a condition of the mind or a mental disorder that prevents one from leading a normal life in society. Schizophrenic people are no longer able to interact with others properly. This is because of the fact that they become far too imaginative and non-realistic in their approach to life. Schizophrenics suffer from severe delusions and some of them may even believe that they can fly.

They often put themselves at undue risk and assume that everyone misunderstands them. They believe that they are right in whatever they do. Some schizophrenics are hyper while some are subdued. The active ones may be just as bad as the subdued ones as both types are likely to put themselves at risk.

According to professionals and psychologists, apart from some hereditary element, the major cause of schizophrenia is environment and social and personal problems. These factors cause an individual’s detachment from the society causing impairment in perception of reality and behavioral problems.

Effects of Environment and Society on People

The environment within which one lives has a significant impact on his/her behavior. The exposure to environments may be short-termed or long-termed; nonetheless, it affects one in a profound manner. It may also depend on the way a person responds to environmental factors. It has little to do with resistance and now with latest psychological researches it has been confirmed that the psychological conditions that people suffer are believed to be the result of their exposure to the environment. The belief that genetics play a role in the development of particular psychological conditions is also being questioned.

There is no doubt, of course, that hereditary characteristics play a role in the development of a personality. However, the question asked concerns how much of the environment affects a person. In particular, a condition such as schizophrenia is believed to be one that is greatly influenced by one’s environment and exposure to certain elements and things.

Factors Affecting Schizophrenia

1. It is believed that a person has a higher chance of turning schizophrenic if s/he uses drugs. The smoking of marijuana is no exception, as there have been several people known to turn schizophrenic who had a history of using this drug.
2. It has been discovered that the stronger one’s foundations are regarding nutrition and social well-being, the fewer chances one has of turning schizophrenic. This is because nutrition strengthens a person internally and protects from illnesses that could lead to schizophrenia. If one’s resistance is strong enough it is difficult for any thing to affect him or her.
3. Socially speaking as well, one needs to feel secure. This feeling of security is the key that helps one remain psychologically fit. One who is not traumatized tends to stay sane as opposed to those who have many worries and stress.
4. Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) is believed to be associated with preventing schizophrenia. This is because lack of EFA results in dysfunctions of lipid membranes.
5. Consuming antioxidant foods is believed to reduce one’s chances of getting schizophrenia. It also helps in reducing the effects of medications.
6. Lifestyle is believed to greatly impact the chances of people developing schizophrenia. It is said that those who have had a country life before the age of 15 have fewer chances of developing the disorder.
7. In addition to asserting that country life reduces the chances of one turning schizophrenic, it also must be asserted that family life itself plays a vital role too. Indeed, stress in family life plays its part, and it is said that more stress in the family results in increased chances of schizophrenia.
8. Aside form the psychological influences, it must be asserted that exposure to certain substances may cause one to turn schizophrenic. It has been discovered that children who are exposed to the T. Gondi virus have increased chances of developing schizophrenia.

In addition to the above factors, there are many more that affect the chances of a person getting schizophrenia. These are mostly external factors that are society-related. Thus, society and environment play a significant role in mental health of an individual.

Sexual Predators Are Created Due To Childhood Abuse

The manner in which a child is brought up greatly affects the way that his or her personality is developed. The immediate environment at home, the school and the wider society all have significant parts to play in the shaping of an individual’s personality.

The manner in which external factors play a role in the molding of a child’s personality can be magnified through statistics and research against people who have been abused as children. It is no mystery now whatsoever, that children who have been sexually abused are more than likely to commit the same offense when they grow older.

This is because of the fact that their personalities have been molded that way. Many children do not show signs of being mentally or physically affected. However, according to researches, several years after the incidents, three times as many as those children who were not affected, committed the same offense i.e. abused others sexually.

The impact is logical; when a child is taught something, it does not simply go away. It remains embedded in some part of the child’s mind and awaits application when they are old or strong enough or when they have the opportunity.

Reasons Why Sexual Predators Are Created Due To Childhood Abuse

Having been molded into such a situation when they are young it is so easy for them to switch into the roles as they grow up. They know what it feels like as the younger partner and so, when they grow up they are able to see themselves in other children. They know exactly how those children feel and how they would respond to them. In other words they learn how to prey on other children through their own experiences.

Children are largely unaware of being abused. They do not know or understand the actions of a predator or fully grasp their actions are until the time they are abused. Also, at the time of being abused, they do not know that they are being abused. They are lured into sexual actions and eventually begin to see it as normal. They learn it only to apply it later, even if they do not completely understand what is going on.

By the time they grow up, they are not like other people. This is because they have grown up believing that what they had been into was normal and acceptable.

This is the dangerous part about being abused as a child; the child does not really know what’s right or wrong and for the rest of its life the person cannot really see anything wrong with expressing the sexual desires they way they had learned to do so at one time.

The reason why they are compelled to keep their actions concealed is because they know that people do not like these actions in general, but yet they go on operating the way they know.

It is indeed a sad affair but a true one, as child abuse is rampant. This is because child abuse occurs more often than it is reported. The statistics of reported child abuse are high.

In industrialized countries these statistics show the minimum cases of abuse. In under developed or third world countries the condition is even worse, where most of these crimes are never reported, leaving many children to suffer psychologically, and later turn into predators themselves. Thus, it can be said that sexual predators are not created by choice but due to the abuse that they are made to suffer in their childhood.

Schizophrenia Is Developed Due To Social and Personal Problems - It Is Not Inherited

What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a condition of the mind or a mental disorder that prevents one from leading a normal life in society. Schizophrenic people are no longer able to interact with others properly. This is because of the fact that they become far too imaginative and non-realistic in their approach to life. Schizophrenics suffer from severe delusions and some of them may even believe that they can fly.

They often put themselves at undue risk and assume that everyone misunderstands them. They believe that they are right in whatever they do. Some schizophrenics are hyper while some are subdued. The active ones may be just as bad as the subdued ones as both types are likely to put themselves at risk.

According to professionals and psychologists, apart from some hereditary element, the major cause of schizophrenia is environment and social and personal problems. These factors cause an individual’s detachment from the society causing impairment in perception of reality and behavioral problems.

Effects of Environment and Society on People

The environment within which one lives has a significant impact on his/her behavior. The exposure to environments may be short-termed or long-termed; nonetheless, it affects one in a profound manner. It may also depend on the way a person responds to environmental factors. It has little to do with resistance and now with latest psychological researches it has been confirmed that the psychological conditions that people suffer are believed to be the result of their exposure to the environment. The belief that genetics play a role in the development of particular psychological conditions is also being questioned.

There is no doubt, of course, that hereditary characteristics play a role in the development of a personality. However, the question asked concerns how much of the environment affects a person. In particular, a condition such as schizophrenia is believed to be one that is greatly influenced by one’s environment and exposure to certain elements and things.

Factors Affecting Schizophrenia

1. It is believed that a person has a higher chance of turning schizophrenic if s/he uses drugs. The smoking of marijuana is no exception, as there have been several people known to turn schizophrenic who had a history of using this drug.
2. It has been discovered that the stronger one’s foundations are regarding nutrition and social well-being, the fewer chances one has of turning schizophrenic. This is because nutrition strengthens a person internally and protects from illnesses that could lead to schizophrenia. If one’s resistance is strong enough it is difficult for any thing to affect him or her.
3. Socially speaking as well, one needs to feel secure. This feeling of security is the key that helps one remain psychologically fit. One who is not traumatized tends to stay sane as opposed to those who have many worries and stress.
4. Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) is believed to be associated with preventing schizophrenia. This is because lack of EFA results in dysfunctions of lipid membranes.
5. Consuming antioxidant foods is believed to reduce one’s chances of getting schizophrenia. It also helps in reducing the effects of medications.
6. Lifestyle is believed to greatly impact the chances of people developing schizophrenia. It is said that those who have had a country life before the age of 15 have fewer chances of developing the disorder.
7. In addition to asserting that country life reduces the chances of one turning schizophrenic, it also must be asserted that family life itself plays a vital role too. Indeed, stress in family life plays its part, and it is said that more stress in the family results in increased chances of schizophrenia.
8. Aside form the psychological influences, it must be asserted that exposure to certain substances may cause one to turn schizophrenic. It has been discovered that children who are exposed to the T. Gondi virus have increased chances of developing schizophrenia.

In addition to the above factors, there are many more that affect the chances of a person getting schizophrenia. These are mostly external factors that are society-related. Thus, society and environment play a significant role in mental health of an individual.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a kind of disease that leads people to have unwanted thoughts that cause obsessions and repeat certain behaviors over and over again making them compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions make people deviate from their normal behavior patterns.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

It is a type of anxiety disorder, an illness which engages one in an endless cycle of repetitive thoughts and behavior pattern. People afflicted with OCD are often plagued by recurring and distressing thoughts and images that seem beyond their control.

The images, ideas and impulses that run through a person’s mind over and over again are called obsessions. An individual afflicted with OCD finds them disturbing and tries to avoid them but is unable to do so. They just persist and keep on annoying him.

In order to get rid of these obsessive thoughts and feelings, an individual tries to perform certain behaviors s/he makes up for himself, which are called compulsions. Performing these compulsions or rituals only make the thoughts go away for a short time, but when they reoccur, the individual will repeat the routine all over again.

Obsessions and Compulsions

Some common obsessions

• Fear of dirt or germs
• Disgust with body waste or fluid
• Concern with balance and order
• Fear of imperfection
• Fear of evil thinking
• Thinking about certain things again and again
• Need for constant reassurance
• Fear of harm

Some common compulsions

• Repeatedly washing and grooming oneself
• Arranging things in certain ways
• Counting again and again a certain number
• Seeking constant approval
• Checking doors and appliances to see if they are locked or working

Causes Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Although no exact cause of OCD has been yet pointed out, yet studies have shown that it results due to a combination of biological and environmental factors:

Biological Causes

The brain contains tiny cells called neurons, which work together for body to perform its functions as they communicate through electrical signals. Special chemicals called neurotransmitters help move these signals from neuron to neuron, thus, a link between levels of one neurotransmitter called serotonin has been found. This can also cause OCD to pass from parents to children.

Serotonin imbalance also involves the pathways of the brain that impair judgment and planning. OCD can also be caused by certain infections caused by streptococcus bacteria.

Environmental Factors

Certain environmental factors may also trigger a tendency to develop OCD in people. They can be:

• Change in living situation
• Some prolonged illness
• Death of a loved one
• Relationship concerns
• Family or work problems

Diagnosis

There is no hard and fast rule or test that can be applied to detect OCD in an individual. The physician’s diagnosis is based upon the behavior pattern that the patient exhibits.

Treatment Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD can be treated with medicines as well as therapy.

Medicines

Several medicines are used to treat OCD. The medicines include:

• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• flouxetine (Prozac)
• Sertaline (Zoloft)
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox)

However, these medicines should only be used after they are prescribed by a qualified physician as they can cause side effects like nausea, dry mouth or drowsiness.

Therapy

During therapy, people are encouraged to overcome their obsessions and face situations that produce feelings of anxiety. The patients are also encouraged not to perform rituals that usually help control their nervous feelings. With passage of time and continued therapy, symptoms of OCD may go away.

Multiple Personality Disorders

Multiple Personality Disorder – An Insight

Multiple Personality Disorder is perhaps one of the most discussed mental disorders, something that is probably a result of the widespread acclaim commanded by the famous book, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

And while the condition was quite monumentally dramatized in the case of the book, actual features and characteristics of the disorder are not all that dissimilar from those portrayed in the book. It would be relevant to here acknowledge that Multiple Personality Disorder is contemporaneously referred to as the Dissociative Personality Disorder.

Salient Aspects of the Disease

One of the most basic aspects of the Multiple Personality Disorder is that it brings about dissociation between a person’s usually active personality traits and those that tend to typically be dormant. Individuals suffering from Multiple Personality Disorders tend to experience distortions of consciousness and subsequently, behavior. These distortions are immediately influenced by the alternation of the two separate states of awareness and/or personality states.

The fundamental relevance of these distortions, however, lies in the dramatic degree to which they alter the consciousness of the affected individuals.

• Take into consideration, for instance, that people suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder usually adopt the altered awareness of completely distinctive individuals possessing different names, histories and personality traits.
• And while this is something that typically occurs repeatedly in the people suffering from Multiple Personality Disorders, some of the more dramatic cases have even included individuals switching between altered consciousnesses of different genders, sexual orientations, ages and even nationalities.
• Indeed, some extreme cases of the Multiple Personality Disorder have even included individuals swapping between alter egos of animals and aliens.

The significance of this, moreover, is something that is emphasized when considering it in light of the fact that individuals suffering from Multiple Personality Disorders may switch between 2 to 10 separate alter identities.

Symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorders

Some of the noteworthy symptoms that are related to people suffering from Multiple Personality Disorders are amnesia, depersonalization, de realization and identity disturbances.

• The first, amnesia is rather unsurprising in as much as the fact that people switching between identities would obviously be unaware of certain situations and factors experienced while under the influence of the other identity or identities.
• People with Multiple Personality Disorders may report such ostensibly inexplicable things as finding items in their house that they can't remember having purchased and finding notes written in different handwritings.
• While depersonalization relates to a surreal feeling of unreality concerning ones physical properties; de realization in Multiple Personality Disorders patients causes them to adopt a distorted impression of their external surroundings such as shapes, colors, buildings, places, structures and even people.
• Identity disturbances, which are the most prevalent characteristic in the significant cases of Multiple Personality Disorders, result from the patient's having split off entire personality traits or characteristics as well as memories.

Identity disturbances usually bring about the sudden shift from one personality into another, especially during situations of uncharacteristic stress or duress.

Treatments Suggested For Multiple Personality Disorder

Some of the widely known techniques for the treatment of multiple personality disorders are psychotherapy, medication and hypnosis. Particularly as a result of the fact that Multiple Personality Disorders usually include anxiety disorders, medication typically entails the prescription of antidepressants and mood balancing drugs.

Hypnosis, on the other hand, is used to recover respectively individual ideas, memories, and tendencies and desires that may be instrumental to the formation of the alter ego in particular. Psychotherapy, however, tends to be hailed as the most relevant treatment, to date, for people suffering from Multiple Personality Disorders.

This is because the psychotherapeutic approach to treating Multiple Personality Disorders calls upon the need to isolate and then address the origin of the imbalance of personality traits. The effectuality of the psychotherapeutic model, moreover, is reflected in as much as the fact that it entails three steps or phases.

There is an initial phase for uncovering and studying the patient's alters followed by a phase within which the particularly traumatic memories are delved into in order to bring the alter egos together. The final stage comprises the consolidation of the patient's newly integrated personality.

Domestic Abuse: A Social or Medical Problem

Domestic Abuse: How Is It Committed?

There are several types of crimes being committed each day. Some of them are medical related ones while others are social crimes. Indeed, man is a social animal who is influenced by his inherited instincts to attack and take what is his. This same approach is visible in contemporary man and in spite of the law clamping down such crimes; males persist in dominating and controlling their female partners.

As women are sometimes observed to be the weaker of the two sexes, they are vulnerable to suffer physically and mentally, the abuse inflicted on them by men.

Men tend to use their physical strength against women in order to make them submit to their demands. It is a situation that is hardly fair, but such is the plight of a male-dominated world.

The Most Common Crime: Domestic Violence

Among the most common crimes in the United States is domestic violence. Indeed nearly 25% of all crimes committed in the country are incidents of women being assaulted. One might assert that since men are physically large and mentally strong, they maintain a balance between their lives as perfectly sane citizens, however, contrary to this, it is these normal men who are the most violent social animals.

Some spouses can hardly believe how their husbands transform into possessive and dominating figures in the home once they are married. Prior to being married many men show a completely opposite side until the get what they want. This is a nature that is opposed to the old animal instinct because animals would grab; social animals (men) do not grab.

They are smart when it comes to being getting their way. However, once a man gets his way, as many women have experienced, he changes his colors. However, this does not refer to all the men because to say that it would be unjust; it only encompasses those who are violent.

Men: The Dominating Factor in Domestic Abuse

Society has indeed many men who abuse their wives and children too and most of them are perfectly sane with no medical problems or anything to that effect. So, one can say that the problem is definitely social rather than anything else to blame.

Similar to married men beating their women, boyfriends too do the same. This is even more likely to occur when girls live in with their boyfriends. It must be noted here that living in automatically creates a home for the couple. Being a man, like any other male, the unmarried male also begins to dominate. It is not true in all cases, but this fact is certainly supported by the statistics of domestic abuse that are worth looking.

Looking at unmarried men dominating in their relationships, it is obvious that the problem is rampant. It is a problem that is related to society and not simply one society, as there are many parts of the world where males dominate. Since they are the stronger of the two sexes, they try to dominate. It is most apparent that it is an instinctive behavior and only strict laws will be able to bring down the statistics of related violence.

In order for domestic abuse to be a medical problem there would have been some kind of problems being faced by males medically or genetically speaking. However, the problem apparently lies in the need to dominate and since most men are stronger than women, they are able to get their way. The widespread occurrence of domestic violence makes it a social problem and not a medical one.

Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder

The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, more commonly known as OCD basically falls into the category of an anxiety disorder.

Obsessions can be defined as:

‘Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress in an individual’

Compulsions can be defined as:

‘Repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly’

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – An Introduction

The individuals suffering from OCD tend to experience obsessive, unwanted thoughts, compulsions and/or compulsive behavioral traits that may include rituals which can markedly interfere with day to day living.

Fundamentally, OCD tends to affect an individual’s brain in such a way that s/he becomes exceptionally and uncharacteristically obsessed with a particular habitual trait. This problem can include various repetitive behavioral traits such as cleaning, checking, counting, repeating words silently and/or even hand washing. Also, it would be relevant to acknowledge here that the origin for the respective obsession typically tends to be a particular character trait.

A person with an ingrained sense of insecurity in concern to his or her capacity to formulate effectual sentences and works, for instance, may obsessively take to continuously reciting words silently so as to ensure that s/he has the right words at the tip of his or her tongue at the particular moment. Furthermore, a person who has a fear of contamination from germs may take to washing his/her hands repeatedly upon the pretext that this activity will help to avoid their phobia, germs in this case.

Types of OCD

It would be relevant to consider that there are different types of OCD. It is particularly due to the fact that obsessions and compulsions are categorized as two different spectrums. Obsessions relate specifically to the repetitiveness of the brain in regard to projecting exceedingly insecure and paranoid ideologies.

The repetitiveness of these phobias, which typically include fears of illness or injury or dying are of such intensity that they override all other thought processes. Consequently, this is something that makes it very difficult for individuals to deal with their everyday lives.

Compulsions, on the other hand, are related to obsessions in as much as the fact that they are the behavioral traits that individuals resort to in order to put an end to the obsessive thoughts.

For instance, while consistently fretting about contamination by germs falls into the category if an obsession; actually getting down to frequent hand-washing tends to be a compulsion, since it is the action that has been adopted in order to shut down the continuous projection of the fear of germs.

Causes and treatment of OCD

There has been no single cause that has conclusively been identified as the triggering agent for OCD. Research has proved that one of the more frequently diagnosed conditions in people with OCD has been a disruption of the chemical messengers in the brain that convey signals from one nerve cell to another.

Take into consideration, for instance, the fact that one of these messengers, which is called serotonin, is of crucial instrumentality to preventing individuals from repetitively performing certain tasks.

This is something that brings forth the theorization that it is possible that people suffering from OCD may not have the required concentration (s) of serotonin. And this is justified even further when considering it in light of the fact that individuals have showed signs of functioning far better when they have taken medicines that helped to increase the amount of serotonin in their brain.

Aside from medicines, the only treatment that has yielded marginal effectuality in concern to OCD has been Behavioral therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Technique, which focus on the mapping of the origin of the obsession/compulsion followed by uncovering and tackling it. Behavior therapy aims to help individuals to learn to deal with anxiety, to face fears, to resist compulsions and to slowly but surely conquer OCD.

Link between Multiple Personality Disorder and Child Abuse

There are reasons for studying two or more subjects at one time and one important reason for doing so includes the fact that they may be strongly related. It is the relationship of two or more subjects that must be taken into consideration along with the respective matter and the similarities between each of them.

By encompassing all the information that is available on the disorders it is possible for one to take a comprehensive approach to any problem related to these subjects. Learning about these problems can help tremendously in treatment of these disorders.

Child Abuse and Multiple Personality Disorder

Crime and psychology are two subjects that have been related and studies in these two subjects have helped reveal a great many things that were not clear before. In many cases, it has been determined that crimes are related to a perpetrator’s state of mind.

Considering the issue of ‘Child Abuse’ as a crime, it must be said that there have been various types of criminals over the years. Among these criminals have been those who were diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Thus, it can be said that there is strong link between the two i.e. child abuse and multiple personality disorder.

Similar to this finding is the fact that many people who have suffered child abuse themselves have developed multiple personality disorder. It is believed that there is a strong link between child abuse and the disorder. With detailed analysis of the minds of criminals, psychologists claimed that children, who suffered child abuse and developed multiple personality disorder, are most likely to even abuse their own children.

For people suffering with this disorder it is said that it is indeed difficult to ascertain the disorder during childhood; it is only more likely to show up as a person gets older.

What is Multiple Personality Disorder?

Multiple Personality Disorder is a disorder in which a person develops and is influenced by an ‘alter’ personality. It is believed that the alter personality takes place spontaneously.

This involuntary action of the alter personality is believed to be the thing that makes a person act without realizing the severity of his or her actions. This personality appears to act independently and often once a person is over with the alter personality; there is a considerable amount of amnesia. The individuals suffering from this problem are unable to recall the actions that they carried out while overcome with another personality.

In addition to one simply having a single ‘alter’ personality, it is known that people may have many more personalities. Each of these can act independently, without the original personality even knowing what the other personalities are doing.

It is believed that children that have been terrorized usually develop the multiple personality disorder. It is said that this disorder develops because of the way that they are treated and the way that they learn to cope.

Each child develops a coping mechanism and this is not limited to developing just one coping mechanism. It might also be said that child abuse could lead children to survive in order to become individuals that are totally different.

The way that each child is treated and the number of experiences s/he may be exposed to causes him or her to develop coping mechanism. These coping mechanisms are thought to be the personalities that later develop. In theory, one can describe the disorder in any way.

However, it is true to assert that there is no doubt that the personalities of children change drastically when they are abused. Since there are endless amounts of situations that a child may be abused in, it is possible for them to develop a multiple personality disorder i.e. a personality for each situation.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis affects 2.5 million people worldwide; including 400,000 Americans. This is a serious and chronic illness that can render a person disabled if left untreated.

Multiple Sclerosis or MS as it is more commonly known is a brain and spinal cord disease. It is caused by progressive damage to the myelin, the outer covering of nerve cells.

This results in the loss of muscle control, vision, balance, sensation (feeling) and reasoning (thinking ability). Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord are attacked by the body’s own immune system. This disease has no cure.

What Happens In MS?

The central nervous system is made up of nerves which act as the body's messengers. These nerves are covered by a fatty substance called myelin, which protects the nerves and helps in the transmission of nerve impulses between the brain and other parts of the body.

In multiple sclerosis, scar tissue builds up and forms around the brain and spinal cord causing inflammation of the nerve tissues there. This happens when the body’s own immune system attacks the nervous system.

Scientists cannot explain why this happens. When the myelin is destroyed, nerve impulses are slowed down or blocked. And although the nerves can regain myelin, the process is not fast enough to outpace the deterioration that takes place in multiple sclerosis.

The symptoms, severity of the symptoms, and the course the symptoms take, vary with each individual. This is in part due to the location of the scar tissue and the extent of demyelination. Demyelination is the process in which the myelin covering of the nerves is destroyed.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) around 400,000 Americans have MS and it the most frequent cause of neurological disability in early adulthood. It affects approximately 1 out of 1,000 people.

Multiple sclerosis is more common in women than men and does not occur before adolescence. A person’s risk for developing this seriously debilitating diseases declines after the age of 35. This disease most commonly begins between the ages of 20 to 35.

Cause

The cause of MS is unknown. Research shows that geography and environmental factors may be involved. MS is more likely to occur in northern European countries, northern U.S.A., southern Australia, and New Zealand. Basically places away from the equator.

Areas and people living closer to the equator have much lower rates of this condition. Studies suggest that MS is more common in certain parts of the world than in others. It goes on to say that if you move from an area with a lower risk to one of a higher risk, you acquire the risk of your new home, if your move occurs before adolescence.

There is also a genetic link to MS with some families more likely to be affected than others. Certain genetic markers are more common in people with this disease.

Scientists are unable to understand why the body’s own immune system attacks the nerve cells. Some believe it is a combination of genetics and the environment, to which a person is exposed to early in their lives.

In the U.S., for example MS is more prevalent in Caucasians than in other racial groups. African and Japanese people rarely get this disease, but African Americans and Japanese Americans do.

The most frequent theories about the cause of MS include a virus-type organism or an abnormality of the genes responsible for control of the immune system. However, these theories have yet to be proved.

Research studies show growing evidence that hormones, including sex hormones, can affect and be affected by the immune system. For example, both estrogen and progesterone, two important female sex hormones, may suppress some immune system activity. Testosterone, the male sex hormone, may also act as an immune response suppressor.

Symptoms

The symptoms in MS vary from person to person and can change over time in the same person. The most common early symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness
• Decreased co-ordination skills
• Blurred vision accompanied by eye pain &
• Double vision

As this disease progresses, there is increased muscle stiffness, pain in movement, difficulty controlling urination and difficulty in thinking. There is usually a stepwise development of this disease, with episodes that last days, weeks, or months alternating with times of few or no symptoms.

Treatment

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but a variety of medications are available that can reduce the frequency and severity of the symptoms of this disease. Some drugs can also slow the progression of certain types of MS.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an illness that involves spinal cord and the brain. This illness progresses with time leading towards disabling. There is a sheath composed of myelin that is a fatty substance. This sheath functions to provide insulation by surrounding nerve cells.

Nerve impulses are transmitted through this sheath. When some damage or inflammation occurs to this sheath, multiple sclerosis occurs. Nerve impulses are slow down or disrupted. Some areas of scarring are left as a result of this damage of inflammation called sclerosis. The term multiple sclerosis plaques is used to define the areas where scarring and damage to myelin sheath have occurred.

When disruption in the nerve impulses occurs, many problems may be encountered. Sensation, vision and movements related to body can be badly affected. These symptoms are not permanent. They occur in the form of series of episodes. When these symptoms come, condition worsens and it is called relapses.

And when symptoms are improved, conditions become better and it is called remissions. Multiple sclerosis can affect patients for many decades too with the symptoms coming and going. When the attacks are occurred, this illness becomes worse.

Causes

There have been many decades since the scientists were trying to find the exact reason of the occurrence of multiple sclerosis. Now the scientists have come to know that when the immune system of a patient does not go well with the body and attacks its own body, then multiple sclerosis occurs.

So it is said that multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. In multiple sclerosis, the immune system of the body attacks the myelin sheath surround the nerve cells and thus destroy their functions.

It is said that either a viral infection or emotional or physical stress could give rise to multiple sclerosis. Scientists have not predicted the duration, timing and damage that is resulted due to the attacks of multiple sclerosis.

This disease is most commonly found in young people especially among those that are located in temperate climate regions. Women are more likely to have this illness. It seems that this illness is transferred through genes but no single gene has been identified yet that could be the cause of multiple sclerosis. Scientists believe that multiple sclerosis occurs due to combined action of several genes.

Symptoms

There are many symptoms of multiple sclerosis that depend on the affected areas of the spinal cord and brain. Following are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis:

• Double or blurred vision happens in multiple sclerosis. Sudden loss of vision also results.
• Clumsiness is also a symptom that usually occurs on one side when one gets multiple sclerosis.
• The walking pattern unsteady.
• Patients start losing coordination.
• Usually a hand starts trembling.
• Patients complain of extreme tiredness.
• Expressions of weakness, pain and numbness are found on face.
• Patients lose control on their bladder.
• Patients complain of feeling constriction, numbness and tingling in their body especially in the legs and arms.
• Patients feel heaviness or weakness in their legs or arms.

Diagnosis

Multiple sclerosis should be considered if a person complains of symptoms that show disorder of spinal cord or brain or both of them. These symptoms are most commonly found in people younger than 40 years. But this disease can occur in people of ages between 40 to 60 years. If a person complains of losing vision or blurring or doubling of vision, extreme weakness, change in walking pattern, loss of body coordination etc then one should inform the doctor and the doctor should consider these symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the spinal cord and brain should be ordered for the confirmation of the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Ophthalmologist should also be consulted for the examination of eye.

Prevention

There is no way found yet that could prevent multiple sclerosis.

Treatment

No cure for multiple sclerosis is found yet.

Living With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis has no cure or prevention. It is a chronic and debilitating illness that you have to live with for the rest of your life. In many ways MS can disturb, disrupt, and even change your entire lifestyle. The only way to deal with multiple sclerosis is to control it – do not let it control you.

By keeping a positive attitude and with the help of your family and friends you can cope with this disease. Managing MS means to carefully monitor its progression and actively managing its symptoms. By strictly adhering to treatment plans, you can keep MS symptoms from taking over your life.

Here are some tips:

Get Help If You Need It

The most important step you can take for yourself is to seek help, when you need it and cannot cope on your own. MS can draw a person into deep depression, what you need to understand is that you are not alone. Turn for help to your family or friends. Taking early action will enable you better deal and manage with the many symptoms and effects of MS. Controlling stress is very important, as stress can trigger MS symptoms.

Learn to maintain a positive physical and spiritual outlook on life. Speak to your doctor and take his advice and recommendations seriously. Reach out to others, do not shut people out. You need as much support as you can get.

Enroll In A Support Group

Support groups can be extremely helpful, as they can make you realize that you are not going through MS alone. By sharing experiences, you can gain valuable insight into to how to deal with the problems associated with MS.

Support groups provide a healthy environment where you can learn new ways to cope and understand your illness. Here you not only get the chance to meet and discover other people but you get the opportunity to share ideas, thoughts and feelings, only another persons with MS can understand.

Try Counseling

Counseling is a great way to let your emotions out. Through either group or individual counseling sessions, you can talk to the right people about what you are feeling and going through. This will not only help you physically but will benefit you emotionally as well.

Take Good Care Of Yourself

Learn to eat healthy. Make a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables the foundation of your diet plan. Choose foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Eat plenty of whole gains such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats and whole grain corn, they provide a fiber boost to the carbohydrates in your diet. Eat at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day.

Choose dark-green leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruits as they are rich in anti-oxidants. Basically eat sensibly. Ease up on fat, sugar, and sodium. Trim especially saturated fats as they increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Use vegetable oils as a substitute for butter and margarine. Opt for fat-free or low-fat dairy products and lean meats.

Eat sweets, but do so occasionally. And lower your salt intake experiment. Also learn to make water the drink of choice.

Exercise is equally important, as it keeps not only your body but your mind fit as well, by pumping oxygenated blood through your veins.

Simple exercises like walking, swimming, jogging and taking the stairs are enough for you to maintain a healthy life.
Also learn techniques to help you deal with stress better, and make sure to get plenty of rest.

Take control of your life, by being proactive in your health. Get educated, and learn to ask questions, read books and keep abreast of the new medications and treatments coming out for MS. Remember, that you need to help yourself in order for others to helps you.

Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms of MS usually vary with each attack. They can last days or even months and then reduce or disappear, returning periodically. Fevers, hot baths, exposure to the sun and stress can all trigger or worsen and MS attacks. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 20 to 35, and can be dramatic or hardly noticeable.

The Most Common Early Symptoms Of MS Include;

• Muscle weakness (tingling or numbness of muscles)
• Decreased co-ordination skills including balance
• Blurred vision accompanied by eye pain &
• Double vision

As Multiple Sclerosis Advances Other Symptoms Come To Light Like;

• weakness
• paralysis
• tremors
• muscle spasms
• muscular atrophy
• facial pain
• extremity pain
• loss of vision
• uncontrollable rapid eye movements
• decreased ability to control small or intricate movements
• walking/gait abnormalities
• dizziness
• vertigo
• urinary difficulties; urinary hesitancy, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, leakage of urine
• decreased memory
• decreased spontaneity
• decreased judgment
• loss of ability to think abstractly
• loss of ability to generalize
• depression
• decreased attention span
• slurred speech and/or understanding speech
• fatigue

Fatigue is the most common MS symptom and consists of muscle weakness, mental fatigue, sleepiness and/or drowsiness. Muscle spasms are also another common symptom that can be extremely debilitating. When muscle spasms occur, a person cannot move their muscles freely or easily.

This also leads to problems walking. Many people with MS also feel dizziness or lightheadedness, and experience vision problems such as blurriness or even blindness, although this is very rare. The impairment of thought process occurs in almost 50% of MS sufferers. This means slow thinking, decreased concentration and/or decreased memory.

Another common symptom is tremors, which are very difficult to treat.

All The Symptoms Of MS Can Be Divided Into 3 Categories;

primary, secondary and tertiary symptoms.

• Primary Symptoms are the direct result of demyelination, and include symptoms of weakness, tremors, tingling and numbness, loss of balance, vision impairment, paralysis, and bladder problems. Medication, rehabilitation, and other treatments can help keep these symptoms under control.
• Secondary Symptoms are the result from primary symptoms. For example, paralysis can lead to bedsores and bladder problems can cause frequent urinary tract infections. These symptoms are treatable but the aim should be to treat the primary symptoms before the secondary symptoms occur.
• Tertiary symptoms are the social, psychological, and vocational problems associated with the primary and secondary symptoms. E.g. depression is a common problem among people with MS.

These symptoms are caused by the demyelination that occurs in the brain or spinal cord area. With demyelination in the nerves, the sending of nerve impulses are delayed or blocked.

Alternative Therapies For Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis can be very debilitating. And since it is incurable, the only way to really and truly deal with it is to have a positive attitude, take your medication, and keep a healthy diet and exercise.

Alternative therapies can help make life easier for someone suffering with MS, but caution is advised. Speak to your doctor before you try any alternative methods of therapy. All these therapies only ease MS symptoms; they do not provide a cure.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapy, in which thin needles are inserted into the body at particular points to help to balance chi (positive) energy. Acupuncture works by helping the body’s muscle relax. Numerous studies have found it to be an effective treatment for a host of conditions including MS-related pain, Parkinson’s disease and arthritis.

Massage

There are various types of massage including Shiatsu massages, Swedish massages and acupressure. A massage works by soothing the skin and relaxing tense stressed muscles. Regular massages can help a person with MS manage their muscle pain more effectively. Acupressure like acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapy that involves massaging key points in the body to release stressed muscles.

Yoga

Yoga is all the rage these days with many celebrities trying to get fit. However, the health benefits of yoga are truly incredible. There are many different varieties of yoga, but they all rely on structured poses, timed with breathing. Yoga is great for reliving stress, as it concentrates on posture and breathing, which together act as a powerful form of meditation. Yoga helps to improve flexibility and reduce muscle stiffness in people with MS.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic practice is recognized as one of the most effective treatments for back pain and injury. Back pain is a common problem for people with MS. The basic principle of chiropractic is that spinal manipulation. Chiropractic believes that manipulating the spine improves a person's general state of health.

Evening Primrose Oil & Fish Oil Supplements

Some studies have come to suggest that evening primrose oil and fish oil supplements can moderately reduce the severity and length of an MS attack. However, they do not seem to influence the frequency of attacks.

Marijuana

The use of marijuana to treat any illness remains highly controversial, as it is a controlled substance and is illegal to use. Some people with MS claim that smoking marijuana helps relieve muscle spasticity and other MS symptoms. Research is still ongoing over the use of marijuana in treating health conditions. Keep in mind that marijuana is associated with serious long-term side effects such as heart attack or memory loss.

Some Dubious Therapies To Beware Of

The following alternative therapies have been alleged by some to help people with MS symptoms, but there is no scientific proof to these claims.

• Replacing Mercury Dental Fillings
  Mercury in dental fillings has been incorrectly blamed for causing MS. The claim was that mercury poisoning affects the brain and can cause symptoms similar to MS. This is however not true, and should not be believed. Research studies prove that MS is related to environmental and genetic factors.
  
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
  In this therapy oxygen is inhaled under pressure. Studies around the world have found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has no effect on either MS symptoms or disease progression.
  
• Vitamin Supplements
  High doses of vitamin or mineral supplements have been found to show no definite influence on MS.
  
• Special Diets
  There is also no evidence that dietary factors contribute to MS. A person with MS should eat a well-balanced high fiber diet, and should not restrict themselves to only so-called ‘special foods’.
  
• Speak To Your Doctor
  It is very important that you speak to your doctor often about MS research and know when clinically proven new treatments are being developed. Be cautious when investigating an alternative therapy and be skeptical of 'miracle cure' claims. Always seek out your doctor for advice before starting any alternative treatment.

Be Careful

If you do decide to try an alternative treatment, here are some helpful tips.

• Do not take any claim at face value. Contact reliable organizations and discuss the therapy. Talk to others in a support group as they can help you make an objective balanced decision.
• Speak to others who have used the therapy. Ask them what their experiences have been. Do not try a therapy solely based on the testimonials of a care provider or product manufacturer.
• Avoid providers who refuse to or are reluctant to work with your doctor.
• Avoid any products with secret formulae. Make sure that whatever you take has an easy to read, understandable ‘active ingredients’ list.
• Avoid products that have only a single source, or that are offered through one manufacturer. It probably means it is fake or bogus.

Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Although there is no prevention or cure for people with multiple sclerosis, there are a number of drugs available that slow down the progress of this disease. These medications are known as disease modifying drugs. Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Novantrone and Rebif are some of the drugs approved by the FDA in the treatment of MS.

All these drugs work by altering or suppressing activity in the immune system. This is because in MS the body’s own immune system attacks the nerve cells, for reasons unknown to scientists. These drugs are not a cure; they reduce the frequency and severity of MS symptoms, and delay its progression.

All these drugs are known to improve the quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis, and for this reason most doctors suggest that they be started right away after diagnoses of relapsing-remitting MS is made. Relapsing-remitting MS as defined as the period in which symptoms of MS worsen, and are then followed by periods of full or partial recovery with no symptoms. These attacks can occur over several weeks and recovery from these attacks can take months for some, during this time however, MS does not worsen. This pattern of attacks is fairly common in most people suffering from MS.

The decision to implement drug therapy should be made after a thorough discussion with your doctor. You need to consider all the benefits and side effects before you take any of the above mentioned medications. The most important aim of this therapy should be to find a treatment that you can be most comfortable in.

Avonex, Betaseron & Rebif

These three drugs are known as interferon beta medications. Interferon's are a group of alpha, beta and gamma proteins in the immune system that act in different ways to control the immune system in the body. They also have antiviral properties. Scientists believe that interferon beta is very effective in treating MS.

Avonex is an FDA approved drug used in the treatment of relapsing MS. It not only reduces the progression of this disease, but also reduces the size of lesions in the brain and delays the frequency of exacerbations or attacks. It is an inter-muscular drug.

Betaseron also treats the relapsing form of MS, and reduces the number of MS attacks, their frequency, and severity. Additionally this FDA approved drug also stabilizes the size of brain lesions. It is given subcutaneously every other day.

Also used for treating relapsing MS, Rebif has been approved by the FDA and has proven effective in reducing brain lesions, frequency of relapses, and delaying some of the disabilities associated with MS.

As all these three drugs are Interferon betas, they have similar side effects which include; flu-like symptoms, including chills, fatigue, muscle aches and sweating, reactions at the site of the injection like redness, swelling and pain and these drugs can also cause depressive symptoms like sadness, anxiety, irritability, guilt, poor concentration, sleeplessness, lack of appetite and confusion. If the latter side effects occur, it is imperative that you speak to your doctor immediately.

Pregnant women and women tying to get pregnant, along with people suffering from depression and who have liver function problems need to take special precautions when using any of these three medications. Interferon drugs can also affect blood cells and thyroid functioning as well.

Copaxone

Copaxone is an artificial protein that resembles a protein that is part of the myelin. It works by altering the activity of the immune system. Copaxone is used to treat the relapsing-remitting form of MS, and is administered subcutaneously, once a day. It only reduces the frequency of attacks, it bodes not reduce or delay disability.

Side effects of Copaxone include; nausea; weakness; redness, pain and swelling at the injection site, and chest pain or tightness. This feeling of chest tightness lasts only a few minutes and then goes away.

Pregnant women, women trying to get pregnant and breast-feeding women should not use this medication.

Novantrone

Novantrone is another immunosuppressive drug that slows disability and reduces the rate of relapse in people with relapsing-remitting MS. It also reduces the formation of new lesions in the brain.

Novantrone is administered intravenously via a drip, and treatment takes place after every three months. Before treatment commences however, tests need to be conducted to determine your overall health, especially your blood cell count, and an EKG and an echocardiogram to detect the strength of your heart. This treatment lasts two hours, during which time you are given Novantrone, IV Solu-Medrol (steroid medicine), Zofran (an anti-nausea drug), and IV fluids through an IV drip. As Novantrone suppresses your immune system, you will have an increased risk of infection after treatment. It's important to avoid contact with people who are sick.

Side effects from Novantrone include; a blue-green color of urine for 24-hours after receiving Novantrone, a temporary bluish color of the whites of the eyes, mild or moderate nausea, flu-like symptoms, stomach pain or discomfort, sore mouth, headaches, diarrhea, pain, swelling, redness, or irritation at the injection site, unusual bleeding or bruising, chest pain or discomfort, difficulty breathing, wheezing, an irregular heartbeat, swollen feet or ankles and mild to moderate hair loss. However, if you experience; fever and flu-like symptoms, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heartbeats or swollen feet, call your doctor immediately.

Treating MS With IV Steroids – Solu-Medrol

Solu-Medrol is a powerful steroid that eases inflammation and treats acute attacks of MS. During an acute attack of multiple sclerosis, there is a distinct increase in the severity of symptoms. New symptoms may appear, or your existing symptoms worsen. An attack of this sort usually comes with inflammation.

Steroid treatment is recommended if the symptoms are severe. When an acute attack occurs you receive Solu-Medrol at a treatment center each day for one to five days, depending on your treatment plan. Not everyone experiences side effects from this treatment, but the most common are: stomach irritation, increased energy, rapid heartbeat, facial flushing, feeling warm or cold, fluid retention, mood changes, insomnia and nausea. Some long-term side effects of steroids include: osteoporosis, stomach ulcers, cataracts, weight gain, acne and diabetes.

Cytoxan Therapy

Cytoxan therapy works by suppressing the immune system. It slows down MS by keeping white blood cells from attacking the central nervous system. It is administered intravenously by drip. Unfortunately, Cytoxan has serious side effects, which you need to be aware of before you try this therapy. Its side effects include: nausea, hair thinning/loss and a low white blood cell count. To control nausea associated with Cytoxan therapy, you will be given either Zofran or Reglan. During treatment, you will be given a combination of Cytoxan, Solu-Medrol, Zofran and/or Reglan, and IV fluid via a drip. As Cytoxan suppresses your immune system, you will be prone to infections after treatment. And will need to avoid contact with people who are sick, especially the first 12-14 days.

Imuran Therapy

Imuran is another immunosuppressant that can be used to slow the progression of MS in people who are not responding well to other treatments. It may also be used with other disease-modifying therapies, such as Avonex, to boost its effect. It is an oral medication, taken twice a day. It is important that you take this medication regularly as prescribed; and do not stop taking it unless advised by your doctor. Possible side effects from Imuran include; increased stomach irritation, vomiting, changes in hair color and texture along with hair loss, loss of appetite, blood in the urine or stool, unusual bruising, fatigue and development of mouth sores and ulcers. And like other immunosuppressant's, it increases your risk for infection, so it is important to take care of yourself. If you contract an infection its is important to see your doctor right away.

Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Therapy

Baclofen is a medication commonly used to decrease muscle spasticity related to multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and other neurological diseases. Spasticity is defined by tightness or stiffness of muscles that interfere with voluntary muscle movement. Baclofen works by restoring and reducing muscle hyperactivity, allowing for more normal muscle movements. Side effects from Baclofen include: dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea and weakness. The intrathecal Baclofen pump therapy is the way doctors give this drug directly into the spinal fluid. The system is surgically placed under the skin of the abdomen near the waistline, and releases prescribed amounts of medicine through a catheter.

Anyone who has spasticity that is not responsive to oral treatment is a candidate for this therapy. The advantage of this therapy is that it efficiently reduces spasticity and involuntary spasms, promoting a more active lifestyle, better sleep, and reduces need for oral medications. The disadvantage is that there are certain risks that must be considered with any surgery. The risks include: an adverse reaction to anesthesia, infection, bleeding and bladder control can be altered. Pump malfunctions can also occur.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat tremors in people with multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. In DBS, the doctor inactivates the thalamus or globus pallidus parts of the brain, by placing the tip of an electrode in the thalamus or in the globus pallidus. Deep brain stimulation offers many advantages, but it does not cure MS. It is only able to relieve the symptoms of tremors in MS.

Treating Multiple Sclerosis With Botox

Botulinum toxin or botox (for short) is a muscle relaxing medication used to decrease spasticity related to multiple sclerosis. Botulinum toxin is derived from Clostridium Botulinum, a bacterium and is in a class of drugs called neurotoxins. Despite the drug's effectiveness, the FDA has yet to approve the use of botox to treat MS-related spasticity.