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Malaria is a common infection in hot, tropical areas but can also occur (rarely) in temperate climates. It is caused by any of four single-celled parasites of the Plasmodium species, which are carried by mosquitoes infected from biting someone who already has the disease. Malaria is then transmitted to other people when they are bitten by the infected mosquitoes. It is rarely passed from person to person (from mother to child in "congenital malaria," or through blood transfusion, organ donation, or shared needles).

Worldwide, 300-500 million people are infected with malaria each year. Most cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with approximately 2 million people dying there each year. Malaria is rare in the United States, with only about 1,300 cases reported each year over the last 10 years. Most of these cases occurred in travelers, military personnel, and immigrants who had become infected by malaria parasites outside the United States.
Posted on 5/30/2007 10:38:59 PM
Signs and Symptoms
A child with early symptoms of malaria may be irritable and drowsy, with poor appetite and trouble sleeping. These symptoms are usually followed by chills, then a fever with rapid breathing. The fever may either gradually increase over 1 to 2 days or may rise very suddenly to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius) or above. Then, as fever ends and body temperature quickly returns to normal, the child has an intense episode of sweating. The same pattern of symptoms - chills, fever, sweating - may repeat at intervals of 2 or 3 days, depending on which particular species of malaria parasite is causing the infection. Because the initial symptoms are not specific and can be mistaken for other diseases, it can be difficult to diagnose. In countries where the disease is seen a lot, it's not uncommon for doctors to treat people for malaria who have fever of no obvious cause without getting laboratory confirmation.

Other symptoms of malaria include headache, nausea, aches and pains all over the body (especially the back and abdomen), and an abnormally large spleen. When malaria affects the brain, a child may have convulsions or lose consciousness. If malaria affects the kidneys, the amount of urine produced by the child may be abnormally low. In falciparum malaria, caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, the episode of fever and chills is especially intense, and this variety may be fatal in about 20% of cases.

Once malaria parasites enter the bloodstream, they travel to the liver and multiply. Every few days, thousands of parasites are released from the liver into the blood, where they destroy red blood cells. Some parasites also remain in the liver and continue to multiply, releasing more parasites into the blood every few days.

The incubation period for malaria is the time between the mosquito bite and the release of parasites from the liver. This varies, depending on which malaria parasite is causing the disease. In general, it can range from 10 days to a month.

With treatment, malaria can usually be cured in about 2 weeks. Without treatment, it can be fatal, especially in children who are poorly nourished.

Posted on 5/30/2007 10:40:18 PM
Prevention
Health authorities try to prevent malaria by using mosquito-control programs aimed at killing mosquitoes that carry the disease. If you travel to an area of the world with a high risk for malaria, you can install window screens, use insect repellents, and place mosquito netting over beds. Insecticide-impregnated bed netting has successfully reduced the number of malarial deaths among African children.

Check with your doctor before visiting any tropical or subtropical area at high risk for malaria. Your doctor can give your family anti-malarial drugs to prevent the disease. Several malaria vaccines are currently being developed and tested across the world, but because the malaria parasite has a complicated life cycle, it is a difficult vaccine to develop.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Doctors diagnose malaria by using special blood tests. A blood sample is sent to the laboratory and checked under a microscope for malaria parasites, which may be seen inside infected red blood cells.

Doctors treat malaria with anti-malarial drugs, such as chloroquine or quinine, given by mouth, by injection, or intravenously (into the veins). Depending on the type of parasite causing the malaria, a person can be treated as an outpatient over a few days or may require hospitalization with IV medication. Doctors also watch for signs of dehydration, convulsions, anemia, and other complications that can affect the brain, kidneys, or spleen. The patient may require fluids, blood transfusions, and breathing assistance.

Malaria is a leading cause of death worldwide. If diagnosed early and treated, it can be cured. However, many people who live in areas where malaria is common get repeated infections and never really recover between episodes of illness.
Posted on 5/30/2007 10:43:06 PM
What is influenza (flu)?
Influenza (flu) is an illness caused by a virus that comes on suddenly, and causes symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, a dry cough, and a sore or dry throat. The flu is not the same as the common cold; flu symptoms are usually more severe, and you will often miss more work or school than you would with a cold.

Most people recover without problems, but sometimes the illness leads to a bacterial infection, such as an ear infection, sinus infection, or bronchitis. Good home treatment may help prevent these infections. More serious complications, most commonly pneumonia, may develop in some people. People at increased risk for complications that require hospitalization are young children, adults age 65 and older, and those with serious medical problems.

What causes the flu?
Influenza viruses A and B cause the classic flu. Type A is usually responsible for the outbreaks that occur annually.

These viruses are constantly changing, producing what are called subtypes or strains that are different from the original virus but retain some of its characteristics. Strains of influenza virus that cause the flu may differ from year to year.

What are the symptoms?
The flu causes fever, cough, shaking chills, body aches, headache, and fatigue. These symptoms usually last for 3 to 4 days, after which you may have a dry cough, runny nose, and a sore or scratchy throat for another week or so. The incubation period-the time from exposure to the flu virus until you develop symptoms-is 1 to 4 days.

Although people often use the term "flu" to describe any kind of mild illness that has flu-like symptoms (such as the common cold or a stomach virus), the flu is a distinct viral illness with specific symptoms, and it tends to occur at a particular time of year-late fall and winter.

Posted on 6/3/2007 10:41:55 PM
How is the flu diagnosed?
Health professionals usually can diagnose influenza using your symptoms alone, especially if many cases of a similar illness have occurred in the community and the local health department has confirmed a flu outbreak. Routine testing of people who have typical flu symptoms is usually not necessary. Rarely, the specific flu virus you have may be identified through a blood test or a nasal or throat swab.

How is it treated?
Home treatment is usually all that is needed for flu symptoms. However, antiviral medications are available to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms. These medications are especially useful for older adults and others who are at risk for developing complications from the flu. These medications need to be started within 2 days of your first symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you think you may need an antiviral medicine. Not all antiviral medicines work against all strains of the flu.1

Can the flu be prevented?
You can help prevent the flu by getting immunized with an influenza vaccine each year, ideally in October or November. The standard vaccine, known as the "flu shot," is given by injection. It can be given after age 6 months to anyone who wishes to help prevent the flu. The flu shot is recommended for:2

All children age 6 months to 23 months.
All adults age 50 and older.
Adults and children age 2 and older who have health conditions such as asthma, chronic heart or lung disorders, or an impaired immune system.
Women who will be pregnant during the flu season.
Close contacts (including household members and health care workers) of anyone in a high-risk category, which includes all children 23 months of age and younger.
FluMist, a live-virus vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, is an alternative to the flu shot that is now available for healthy children and adults between the ages of 5 and 49, except pregnant women. FluMist should not be given to close contacts of people with severely impaired immune systems (such as those who have had a recent bone marrow transplant) to avoid their transmitting the virus after being vaccinated.

Posted on 6/3/2007 10:42:25 PM
Asslam o alikum:
                  yaar mere ik relatuve ko HCV hai.is ka ilaj batoo ,
us nay abhi injections start nahi kayae hain,woh bohat pareshan rahta hai,abhi bilkul young hai
Posted on 6/8/2007 7:40:21 AM
first of all
i don like this word YAAR
aur raha patient
tou aap un kay LFT report bhi batain kay us main kya sab values hain tab hi main aap ki madad ker sakun gi
Posted on 6/8/2007 10:28:09 PM
What is Typhoid Fever?

Typhoid Fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonellae Typhi bacteria. The bacteria is deposited in water or food by a human carrier, and is then spread to other people in the area. The incidence of the illness in the United States has markedly decreased since the early 1900's. This improvement is the result of improved environmental sanitation. Mexico and South America are the most common areas for U.S. citizens to contract typhoid fever. India, Pakistan and Egypt are also known high risk areas for developing this disease.

How do patients get Typhoid Fever?

Typhoid Fever is contracted by the ingestion of the bacteria in contaminated food or water. Patients with acute illness can contaminate the surrounding water supply through the stool, which contains a high concentration of the bacteria. Contamination of the water supply can, in turn, taint the food supply. Also, about 3-5% of patients become carriers of the bacteria after the acute illness. Some patients suffer a very mild illness that goes unrecognized. These patients can become long- term carriers of the bacteria. The bacteria multiplies in the gallbladder, bile ducts, or liver and passes into the bowel. The bacteria can survive for weeks in water or dried sewage. These chronic carriers may have no symptoms and can be the source of new outbreaks of typhoid fever for many years.

Posted on 6/8/2007 11:16:38 PM
How does the bacteria cause disease and how is it diagnosed?

After the ingestion of contaminated food or water, the Salmonella bacteria invades the small intestine and enters the blood stream temporarily. It is carried by white blood cells in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. The bacteria then multiplies in the cells of these organs and reenters the blood stream. Patients develop symptoms, including fever, when the organism reenters the blood stream. Bacteria invade the gallbladder, biliary system, and the lymphatic tissue of the bowel. Here, they multiply in high numbers. The bacteria passes into the intestinal tract and can be identified for diagnosis in cultures from the stool tested in the laboratory.

What are the symptoms of Typhoid Fever?

The incubation period is usually 1-2 weeks and the duration of the illness is about 4-6 weeks. The patient experiences:

poor appetite,
headaches,
generalized aches and pains,
fever, and
lethargy.
Persons with typhoid fever usually have a sustained fever as high as 103 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (39 to 40 degrees Centigrade).

Chest congestion develops in many patients and abdominal pain and discomfort are common. The fever becomes constant. Improvement occurs in the third and fourth week in those without complications. About 10% of patients have recurrent symptoms (relapse) after feeling better for one to two weeks. Relapses are actually more common in individuals treated with antibiotics.
Posted on 6/8/2007 11:17:30 PM
How is Typhoid Fever treated and what is the prognosis?

Typhoid Fever is treated with antibiotics which kill the Salmonella bacteria. Prior to the use of antibiotics, the fatality rate was 10%. Death occurred from overwhelming infection, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, or intestinal perforation. With antibiotics and supportive care, mortality has been reduced to 1-2%.

Several antibiotics are effective for the treatment of typhoid fever. Chloramphenicol was the original drug of choice for many years. Because of rare serious side effects, chloramphenicol has been replaced by other effective antibiotics. If relapses occur, patients are retreated with antibiotics.

The carrier state, which occurs in 3-5% of those infected, can be treated with prolonged antibiotics. Often, removal of the gallbladder, the site of chronic infection, will cure the carrier state.

For those traveling to high risk areas, vaccines are now available.

Typhoid Fever At A Glance
Typhoid Fever is caused by salmonellae typhi bacteria.
Typhoid Fever is contracted by the ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Diagnosis of typhoid fever is made when the Salmonella bacteria is detected with a stool culture.
Typhoid Fever is treated with antibiotics.
Typhoid Fever symptoms are poor appetite, headaches, generalized aches and pains, fever, and lethargy.
3-5% of patients become carriers of the bacteria after the acute illness.

Posted on 6/8/2007 11:18:12 PM
Asslam o alikum

Tests         & nbsp;Resuls        units
Glucose        98         &nbs p;   mg/dl
Bun         &nb sp;   06      & nbsp;      mg/dl
CREATINNE       0.9              mg/dl
Gama gt        -           ;     u/l
ALP         &nb sp;   90      & nbsp;       u/l
ALT         &nb sp;   123              u/l
AST         &nb sp;   110              u/l
T Billi         & nbsp;0.6        &nbs p;   mg/dl
D Bili         &n bsp; 0.2         ;     mg/dl



yeh un LEFT ki report one week pehle ki hai,app ko samj aa gai hoo gai
   app plz mind na kiya karien ,mera iD apnayaar hai na is liye kabi kabi likh jata hoon
           thnks    
Posted on 6/9/2007 8:38:51 AM
Asslam o alikum

Tests         & nbsp;Resuls        units

Glucose        98         &nbs p;   mg/dl

Bun         &nb sp;   06      & nbsp;      mg/dl

CREATINNE       0.9              mg/dl

Gama gt        -           ;     u/l

ALP         &nb sp;   90      & nbsp;       u/l

ALT         &nb sp;   123              u/l
AST         &nb sp;   110              u/l

T Billi         & nbsp;0.6        &nbs p;   mg/dl

D Bili         &n bsp; 0.2         ;     mg/dl




yeh un LEFT ki report one week pehle ki hai,app ko samj aa gai hoo gai
   app plz mind na kiya karien ,mera iD apnayaar hai na is liye kabi kabi likh jata hoon
           thnks    
Posted on 6/9/2007 8:40:45 AM
aap plz apni post edit ker kay ye space kam kerain aisay samh nahin aa rahi ya ye bata dain kay report main jo normal values likhi hain un main say konsi cheez normal value cross ker rahi hai
Posted on 6/9/2007 9:29:24 PM
Alt 123 (10-65)
Ast 110 (15-40)

bas yeh do brackets main normal ran=ge se zayda hai,
Posted on 6/9/2007 11:55:35 PM
brackets wali noral rage hain
Posted on 6/9/2007 11:56:30 PM
ok liver diseases main ye anzymes ziada hi hotay hain
homeopathy main in kay liye main remedies ye hain

CARUUS MARIANUS Q
(15 drops in half cup of water 3 times day before half an hour of each meal)

CHELIDONIUM Q
(15 drops in half cup of water 3 times day after half an hour of each meal)

take these medicines for 15 days
after that recheck these values.


Posted on 6/10/2007 10:36:17 PM
thanks
Posted on 6/10/2007 10:56:28 PM
THANKS FO SHARIN
Posted on 6/14/2007 7:55:59 PM
Chicken Pox
Also known as: Varicella

What is it?
Chicken pox, also called varicella, is an extremely infectious disease that produces an itchy, blistery rash that lasts about a week. A single attack of chicken pox usually provides lifelong immunity against the disease.

Who gets it?
Before the development of the chicken pox vaccine, approximately four million children in the United States contracted the disease each year. Chicken pox can strike at any age, but about 80 to 90 percent of children in the U.S. have had it by age ten. Adults account for less than five percent of all cases, because almost every case of chicken pox provides lifelong immunity to the disease. Adults are much more likely than children to suffer dangerous complications and account for more than half of all chicken pox deaths.

What causes it?
Chicken pox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, a member of the herpes virus family. The disease is spread through the air or by direct contact with an infected person.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of chicken pox include a mild fever and a feeling of unwellness. Within several hours or days, small red spots begin to appear on the scalp, neck and upper half of the body. After 12 to 24 hours, the spots become itch, fluid-filled bumps which continue to appear for the next two to five days. In some cases, the spots may also be found inside the mouth, nose, ears, vagina, or rectum. After the blisters form, scabs develop and fall off. Scarring usually does not occur unless the blisters have been scratched and become infected. Occasionally a minor and temporary darkening of the skin (called hyperpigmentation) develops around some of the blisters.

For most people, chicken pox is no more than a few days of discomfort. However, some people are at risk for developing complications such as bacterial infections of the blisters, pneumonia, dehydration, encephalitis and hepatitis. The risk of complications is much higher among infants less than one year of age and adults.

How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis is usually made at home or by a doctor over the phone. However, a doctor should be immediately contacted if fever is very high, takes more than four days to disappear, or if the blisters become infected (yellow pus, spreading redness, red streaks). In addition, a doctor should be contacted if the infected person seems nervous or confused, complains of a stiff neck or severe headache, has poor balance or trouble walking, is sensitive to light, is having breathing problems or is coughing a lot, is complaining of chest pain, is vomiting repeatedly, or is having convulsions.
Posted on 6/14/2007 10:40:19 PM
Self-care tips
Chicken pox usually runs its course within a week without causing lasting harm. In about 20 percent of the population, usually people 50 and over, the virus never leaves the body and lies dormant in the nerve cells where it can be reactivated years later. The result is shingles (also called herpes zoster), a very painful nerve inflammation, accompanied by a rash, that usually affects the trunk or the face for ten days or more.

A vaccine for chicken pox, called Varivax, is now available and is about 85 percent effective for preventing all cases of chicken pox. The vaccine is now given to all children (with the exception of certain high-risk groups) at 12-18 months of age, preferably when they receive their measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Vaccination is also recommended for any older child or adult considered susceptible to the disease. A single dose of the vaccine is sufficient for children up to age 12; older children and adults receive a second dose four to eight weeks later. The risks of the vaccine are extremely small, but those interested in getting the vaccine should check with their doctor about potential side affects.

Posted on 6/14/2007 10:41:11 PM
When the color of baby's skin appears yellow, we say the baby is jaundiced. Jaundice in newborns is common and in the majority of instances, the condition is harmless and temporary.
The yellow color on the baby's skin is caused by an excess amount of bilirubin; a substance produced by the natural breakdown of red blood cells. In a baby, the liver, which processes bilirubin and excretes it from the body, is not as mature as it is in an adult, so it takes a little longer for a baby to get rid of its bilirubin.

Jaundice usually appears around the second or third day of life. It begins at the head and progresses downward. This is something you can watch for at home. If your baby appears Jaundiced while you are still in the hospital, a blood test may be taken to determine the amount of bilirubin present. In most cases, bilirubin causes no problem and by 5 to 7 days of age, the baby will take care of all the excess bilirubin on its own. In other cases, where the baby is slower to rid the body of the excess bilirubin, the baby will receive treatment (ultraviolet light) to speed the removal process. If, when you get home, you notice that your baby's head and chest are yellow (the whites of the eyes get yellow too), phone your baby's doctor and he will have you bring your baby in to be tested. If the amount of bilirubin is high, your baby may be readmitted to the hospital for treatment.

Posted on 6/23/2007 10:29:23 PM
Jaundice, also referred to as icterus, is the yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally high blood levels of the bile pigment, bilirubin. The yellowing extends to other tissues and body fluids and also may turn the urine dark. Yellowing of only the skin also can be caused by eating too many carrots or drinking too much carrot juice.

The bile pigment, bilirubin, comes from red blood cells. When old red blood cells are destroyed by the body (a normal process), the oxygen-carrying molecule within the cells, hemoglobin, is released into the blood. The hemoglobin is rapidly converted to bilirubin in the blood. The bilirubin is removed from the blood by the liver, modified, and excreted into the bile. The bile flows into the intestine so that the bilirubin is eliminated in the stool. (It is bilirubin that gives stool its brown color.) Jaundice can occur whenever this normal process of destruction of red blood cells and elimination of bilirubin is interrupted. This occurs when there is abnormally increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis), liver disease that reduces the ability of the liver to remove and modify bilirubin, or obstruction to the flow of bile into the intestine.
Posted on 6/23/2007 10:32:45 PM
This is Summer...Doctor...Heat Strock ,,,,Anything about it??
Posted on 6/26/2007 11:21:41 PM
ok will post soon
Posted on 6/27/2007 10:00:31 PM

Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke) Symptoms
Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke) symptoms may include:
Extremely high body temperature (106°F or higher), hot, red, dry skin, absence of sweating, rapid pulse, convulsions, and unconsciousness.

Caution
Heat stroke or sun stroke is a life-threatening emergency.

Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke) Treatment
Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke) treatment includes:
If your loved one has symptoms of a heat stroke, you must take action quickly.

Get professional medical help immediately. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency medical services phone number.
Lower body temperature quickly by placing your loved one in partially filled tub of cool, not cold, water (avoid over-cooling). Briskly sponge your loved one’s body until his or her body temperature is reduced; then towel your loved one dry. If a bath tub is not available, wrap your loved one in cold, wet sheets in a well-ventilated room or use fans and air conditioners until his or her body temperature is reduced.
DO NOT give your loved one stimulating beverages, such as coffee, tea, or soda.
Posted on 6/27/2007 10:08:52 PM
Heat Stroke

Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10-15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given.

Recognizing Heat Stroke
Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include:

an extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally)
red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
rapid, strong pulse
throbbing headache
dizziness
nausea
confusion
unconsciousness
What to Do
If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim:

Get the victim to a shady area.
Cool the victim rapidly using whatever methods you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of cool water; place in a cool shower; spray with cool water from a garden hose; sponge with cool water; or if the humidity is low, wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously.
Monitor body temperature, and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102°F.
If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.
Do not give the victim alcohol to drink.
Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
Sometimes a victim's muscles will begin to twitch uncontrollably as a result of heat stroke. If this happens, keep the victim from injuring himself, but do not place any object in the mouth and do not give fluids. If there is vomiting, make sure the airway remains open by turning the victim on his or her side.

Posted on 6/27/2007 10:11:44 PM
What is a depressive disorder?

Depressive disorders have been with man since the beginning of recorded history. In the Bible, King David, as well as Job, suffered from this affliction. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that accounted for the basic medical physiology of that time. Depression has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development (pathogenesis) of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression.

In the 1950s and 60s, depression was divided into two types, endogenous and neurotic. Endogenous means that the depression comes from within the body, perhaps of genetic origin, or comes out of nowhere. Neurotic or reactive depression has a clear environmental precipitating factor, such as the death of a spouse, or other significant loss, such as the loss of a job. In the 1970s and 80s, the focus of attention shifted from the cause of depression to its effects on the afflicted people. That is to say, whatever the cause in a particular case, what are the symptoms and impaired functions that experts can agree make up a depressive disorder? Although there is some argument even today (as in all branches of medicines), most experts agree that:

Posted on 7/1/2007 10:39:15 PM
A depressive disorder is a syndrome (group of symptoms) that reflects a sad mood exceeding normal sadness or grief. More specifically, the sadness of depression is characterized by a greater intensity and duration and by more severe symptoms and functional disabilities than is normal.


Depression symptoms are characterized not only by negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors, but also by specific changes in bodily functions (for example, irregular eating, sleeping, crying spells, and decreased libido). The functional changes of clinical depression are often called neurovegetative signs. This means that the nervous system changes in the brain cause many physical that result in diminished activity and participation.


Certain people with depressive disorder, especially bipolar depression (manic depression), seem to have an inherited vulnerability to this condition.


Depressive disorders are a huge public health problem.
Depression costs the United States huge amounts of direct costs, which are the treatment costs, and indirect costs, such as lost productivity and absenteeism.
In a major medical study, depression caused significant problems in the functioning of those affected more often than did arthritis, hypertension, chronic lung disease, and diabetes, and in two categories of problems, as often as coronary artery disease.
Depression can increase the risks for developing coronary artery disease, HIV, asthma, and some other medical illnesses. Furthermore, it can increase the morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) from these conditions.
Depression is usually first identified in a primary-care setting, not in a mental health practitioner's office. Moreover, it often assumes various disguises, which causes depression to be frequently under-diagnosed.


In spite of clear research evidence and clinical guidelines regarding therapy, depression is often under-treated. Hopefully, this situation can change for the better.


For full recovery from a mood disorder, regardless of whether there is a precipitating factor or it seems to come out of the blue, treatments with medications and/or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Posted on 7/1/2007 10:40:05 PM
What are the types of depression and their symptoms?

Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as do other illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes. Three of the most common types of depressive disorders are discussed below. However, remember that within each of these types, there are variations in the number, severity, and persistence of symptoms.

Major Depression

Major depression is characterized by a combination of symptoms, including sad mood (see symptom list), that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once-pleasurable activities. Disabling episodes of depression can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime.

Dysthymia

Dysthymia is a less severe type of depression. It involves long-term (chronic) symptoms that do not disable, but yet prevent the affected person from functioning at "full steam" or from feeling good. Sometimes, people with dysthymia also experience episodes of major depression. This combination of the two types of depression is referred to as double-depression.

Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, which was formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. This condition shows a particular pattern of inheritance. Not nearly as common as the other types of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression and mania, or elation. Bipolar disorder is often a chronic, recurring condition. Sometimes, the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual.

When in the depressed cycle, the person can experience any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, any or all of the symptoms listed under mania may be experienced. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, unwise business or financial decisions may be made when an individual is in a manic phase.

A significant variant of bipolar disorder is designated as bipolar II. (The usual form of bipolar disorder is referred to as bipolar I.) Bipolar II is a syndrome in which the affected person has repeated depressive episodes punctuated by what is called hypomania (mini-highs). These euphoric states in bipolar II do not fully meet the criteria for the complete manic episodes that occur in bipolar I.

Posted on 7/1/2007 10:42:13 PM
Symptoms of depression and mania

Not everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms and some many symptoms. The severity of symptoms also varies with individuals.

Depression symptoms of manic depression

Persistently sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Decreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
Fatigue, decreased energy, being "slowed down"
Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
Mania symptoms of manic depression

Inappropriate elation
Inappropriate irritability
Severe insomnia
Grandiose notions
Increased talking speed and/or volume
Disconnected and racing thoughts
Increased sexual desire
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment
Inappropriate social behavior
Posted on 7/1/2007 10:42:43 PM
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