Neurosyphilis, Brain Damage Due to Syphilis

Description

Neurosyphilis is an infection of the brain or spinal cord that occurs in people who have untreated syphilis but over the years.

Cause

Neurosyphilis is caused by Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. Neurosyphilis usually occurs around 10-20 years after a person is first infected with syphilis. Not everyone who has syphilis will develop this complication.

There are five different forms of neurosyphilis:

1. Asymptomatic (most common form), meaning no symptoms. Considered asymptomatic if

- It has been recovered from the disease and no longer have symptoms

- Having a disease but have no symptoms.

2. General paresis, impaired mental function caused by brain damage. Occurs between 30-30 years after getting syphilis. Patients may experience changes in personality or mood.

3. Meningeal neurosyphilis. Occurred between the first few weeks until the first few years after suffering from syphilis. Sufferers experience headaches, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting. Sometimes also experience loss of vision or hearing.

4. Meningovascular, causing the same symptoms as syphilis meningeal but affected individuals also had a stroke. This form of neurosyphilis can occur within the first few months to several years after infection.

5. Tabes dorsalis, complications of untreated syphilis that involves muscle weakness and abnormal sensations (numbness and tingling).Characterized by pain in the legs or abdomen, the failure of muscle coordination, and bladder disorders.

Other signs include loss of vision, loss of reflexes and loss of sense of vibration, poor gait and balance disorders. Tabes dorsalis can occur 5-50 years after initial syphilis infection.

Symptom :

1. Abnormal gait

2. Blindness

3. Confusion

4. Dementia

5. Depression

6. Headache

7. Inability to walk

8. Irritable

9. Numbness in toes, feet, or legs

10. Difficult concentration

11. Convulsions

12. Stiff neck

13. Vision Impaired

14. Feeling weak

Blood tests can be done to detect substances produced by bacteria that causes syphilis.

Treatment

Penicillin used to treat neurosyphilis. Drugs can be administered in various ways.

1. Injected into a vein several times a day for 10-14 days.

2. Using probenecid (a medicine used to treat gout) by mouth 4 times a day, combined with muscle injections every day - good for 10-14 days.

Sources: Medline Plus

Read more »

Dance for Parkinson's Patients

Patients with Parkinson’s have always had tremors (shaking) at any time in almost all parts of the body making it difficult to perform hand movements or running. Researchers found the Parkinson's tremor may be reduced if the patient is practicing dancing.

Scientists found dancing can help solve the problem of Parkinson's disease and had a great effect on the sufferer. Dancing can help develop the mindset of someone in solving problems including Parkinson's sufferers are often difficult to articulate thoughts.

"We watched people dance in the laboratory and then perform troubleshooting. Various types of dance to help them with various kinds of problem solving," said Dr. Peter Lovatt, head of the Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire Dance as reported by the Guardian. Dr. Lovatt has been practicing ballet, tap, jazz, and worked as a professional dancer.

According to him, kind of dance improvisation helps to divergent thinking (broadly) so people are able to solve some of the answers. Meanwhile, while engaged in a dance that is very structured, it helps to think convergent (focused) and trying to find a single answer to the problem.

"We know that Parkinson's disease can cause divergent thinking processes. So we thought, if using an improvised dance of people with Parkinson's group, we may see an increase in the skill of thinking is different to them. And that's exactly what we are witnessing," he explained.

Dr. Lovatt admitted later he wanted to study whether the dance has an impact on neural processing for patients with Parkinson's. One possibility is that when dancing, individuals develop new neural pathways to overcome the blockage of dopamine (the hormone that makes fun).

Researchers reviewed several cases of self-esteem look of a ballet dancer in training. What they found was that girls ballet dancer in her mid-teens have a lower self-esteem than non-dancing girls.

There are two explanations for this. First, the girls of low self-selecting classical ballet as it seek to reinforce their low self-image. Second, ballet training can be very humbling self-esteem of a girl because they are constantly told that they did not do it properly and the problem of body shape is very important in classical ballet.

"We tried to test two hypotheses in the laboratory by comparing the data of 600 dancers in a different dance groups. So we're comparing the classical ballet dancer with classical Indian dancer. We also compare them with Burlesque dancers are very pleased to show more body contains. If found the case of girls of low self-selecting ballet, it is not much we can do about it. But if the classical ballet cause eating disorders and self-harm, then it's something very important we must be cautious, "said Dr. Lovatt.

Read more »

Most Dangerous Things In Our Live

1. Used Beverage Bottle

Maybe some of us have the habit of using and reusing plastic bottles (Aqua, VIT, etc.) and put it in the car or at work. This habit is not good, because the materials are plastic bottles (also known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET) used in this bottles contain carcinogens (or DEHA). Bottles are safe for use 1-2 times only, if you want to wear it longer, not more than a week, and should be placed far away from the sun. Repeated washing habits can make a layer of broken plastic and carcinogen that can enter the water we drink. Better to buy a food grade bottles, do not use plastic bottles.

2. Shrimp and Vitamin C

Do not eat shrimp after you eat Vitamin C. Since this will lead to poisoning from toxic Arsenic (As) which is the reaction of the Shrimp and Vitamin C in the body and result in a fatal poisoning in a matter of hours.

3. Instant Noodles

For fans of instant noodles, make sure you have an interval of at least 3 (three) days after you eat instant noodles, if you are going to consume more, of medical information, it turns out there is a wax that coats the noodles. That is why the instant noodles do not stick to each other when cooked. Consumption of instant noodles every day will increase the likelihood that a person infected with the cancer. A person, being so busy in a career do not have time to cook, so he decided to eat instant noodles every day. Finally he had cancer. His doctor said that this is because the wax in instant noodles is. The doctor told us that the body takes more than 2 (two) days to clear the wax.

4. Danger Behind Food Packaging

Food packaging is part of the daily food we consume. For most people, food packaging and food wrap just tends to be regarded as a food 'protector'. Actually, not exactly, depending on the type of packaging materials. We recommend that you start now you carefully pick the food packaging. On food packaging has the function of health, preservation, convenience, uniformity, promotions, and information. There are so many materials used as primary packaging in the food, the packaging in direct contact with food. But not all of these ingredients are safe for foods that are packed. This is the highest ranking food packaging materials that you need to beware.

5. Paper

Some non-packaging paper and packaging (newsprint and magazines) are often used to wrap foods, containing detectable lead (Pb) exceed specified limits. Inside the human body, lead entering through the respiratory tract or with us. digestion into the circulatory system and then spread to various other tissues, such as: kidney, liver, brain, nerves and bones. Lead poisoning in adults is characterized by symptoms 3 P, namely pallor (pale), pain (pain) & paralysis (paralysis). Terjadipun poisoning can be chronic and acute. To avoid food contaminated heavy metals lead, it's easy bother. Many snack foods such as fried bananas, fried tofu and fried tempeh wrapped in newspaper because knowledge is less than the dealer, when the material is hot and greasy food timbale facilitate the migration of TSB. As prevention efforts, hawker food is put on the plate.

6. Styrofoam

Styrofoam or polystyrene packaging materials has become one of the most popular choice in the food business. However, recent research proves that the styrofoam questionable safety. Styrofoam is made from a copolymer styren food business has become the choice of being able to prevent leakage and retain its shape when held. In addition, the material is also able to retain heat and cold but still comfortably held, maintaining freshness and integrity of the materials are packed, low cost, more secure, and lightweight. In July 2001, the Food Safety Division of the Government of Japan revealed that residues in food is very harmful styrofoam. Residues that can cause endocrine disrupter (EDC), which is a disease caused by a disturbance in the system and reproductive endocrinology humans from chemical carcinogens in food.

Read more »