Health and Medication

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary from person to person depending upon which parts of the brain or spinal cord (central nervous system) are damaged. The loss of myelin and scarring caused by multiple sclerosis can affect any part of the central nervous system.

Symptoms may come and go or become more or less severe from day to day or, rarely, from hour to hour. Symptoms may become more severe with increased (or, less commonly, decreased) body temperature or after a viral infection. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis, such as stiffness, tremors, pain, and difficulty thinking clearly, are similar to those of many other conditions and do not necessarily mean you have multiple sclerosis.

Early symptoms

Common early symptoms of multiple sclerosis include:

* Muscle or motor symptoms, such as weakness, leg dragging, stiffness, a tendency to drop things, a feeling of heaviness, clumsiness, or a lack of coordination (ataxia).
* Visual symptoms, such as blurred, foggy, or hazy vision, eyeball pain (especially when you move your eyes), blindness, or double vision. Optic neuritis—sudden loss of vision that is often painful—is a fairly common first symptom, occurring in up to 25% of those who develop multiple sclerosis.
* Sensory symptoms, such as tingling, a pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, a bandlike tightness around the trunk or legs, or electrical sensations moving down the back and legs.

Less common early symptoms include:

* Balance symptoms, such as lightheadedness or dizziness, and a spinning feeling (vertigo).
* Bladder symptoms, such as an inability to hold urine (urinary incontinence) or to completely empty the bladder, or a loss of bladder sensation—an inability to sense that the bladder becoming full until there is a sudden, urgent need to urinate.

Advanced symptoms

As multiple sclerosis progresses, symptoms may become more severe and may include:

* Increased muscle problems, such as weakness, leg dragging, clumsiness, or lack of coordination.
* Stiff, mechanical movements (spasticity) or uncontrollable shaking (tremor), which may make walking difficult. A wheelchair may be needed some or all of the time.
* Pain and other sensory symptoms.
* Incontinence or, less often, an inability to urinate (urinary retention).
* Constipation and other bowel disorders.
* Male erectile dysfunction (impotence) and female sexual dysfunction.
* Cognitive and emotional problems, which are common in people who have had multiple sclerosis for some time.
o Cognitive problems can mean memory loss, difficulty concentrating, reduced attention span, or difficulty finding the correct words.
o Emotional symptoms can mean depression, anxiety, and anger. A rare symptom is excessive cheerfulness that seems inappropriate.
* Feeling very tired (fatigue). This can be worse if symptoms such as pain, spasticity, bladder problems, anxiety, or depression make it difficult to sleep.

Many teens try alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, but using these substances is not safe or legal. Some teens try these substances only a few times and stop. Others can’t control their urges or cravings for them. This is substance abuse.

Teens may try a number of substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, household chemicals (inhalants), prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and illegal drugs. Marijuana is the illegal drug that teens use most often.

Teens use alcohol and other drugs for many reasons. They may do it because they want to fit in with friends or certain groups. They may also take a drug or drink alcohol because they like the way it makes them feel. Or they may believe that it makes them more grown up. Teens tend to try new things and take risks, and they may take drugs or drink alcohol because it seems exciting.

Substance abuse can lead to serious problems such as poor schoolwork, loss of friends, problems at home, and lasting legal problems. Alcohol and drug abuse is a leading cause of teen death or injury related to car accidents, suicides, violence, and drowning. Substance abuse can increase the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, because of unprotected sex.

What are the signs of substance abuse?

It’s important to be aware of the signs that your teen may be abusing alcohol, drugs, or other substances. Some of the signs include:

* Red eyes and health complaints, such as being overly tired. If your teen often uses over-the-counter eyedrops, he or she may be trying to cover up red eyes caused by smoking marijuana.
* Less interest in school, a drop in grades, and skipping classes or school altogether.
* New friends who have little interest in their families or school activities.
* Chemical-soaked rags or papers, which may mean that your teen is inhaling vapors. Another sign of using inhalants is paint or other stains on your teen’s clothing, hands, or face.

What should you do if you find out that your teen is using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs?

If your teen is using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, take it seriously. One of the most important things you can do is to talk openly with your teen about the problem. Urge him or her to do the same. Try not to use harsh, judging words. Be as supportive as you can during this time. In most cases, a hostile, angry face-to-face meeting pushes your teen away from the family. If you do not know what to do or if you feel uncomfortable, ask for help from a pediatrician, psychologist, or a psychiatrist.

The type of treatment your teen needs depends on the level of substance abuse. For example, if a teen has tried drugs or alcohol only a few times, talking openly about the problem may be all that you need to do to help your teen stop his or her substance use. But if a teen has a substance abuse problem, then he or she needs to be seen by a doctor and/or by a counselor. If your teen is addicted to a drug or alcohol, he or she may need to have detoxification treatment or a treatment that replaces the substance with medicine. Medicine works best if it is combined with one-on-one or family counseling, or both.

Returning to substance abuse, called relapse, is common after treatment. It is not a failure on the part of your teen or the treatment program. Recovery from addiction is hard and takes time. Know that there may be setbacks that your teen will need to overcome one step at a time.

Can teen substance use and abuse be prevented?

Talking openly and honestly with your teen and keeping a healthy home life may prevent your teen from trying alcohol and drugs.

You can help prevent substance use by using these tips:

* Talk to your child early about what you expect in his or her behavior toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. If your teen thinks that you will allow substance use, he or she is more likely to try drugs or alcohol.
* Keep your teen busy with meaningful activities, such as sports, church programs, or other groups.
* Expect your teen to follow the household rules. Set reasonable penalties for bad behavior, and consistently carry them out.
* Keep talking with your teen. Praise your teen for even the little things he or she does well.
* Know your child’s friends. Having friends who avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs may be your teen’s best protection from substance abuse.

One of the initial questions that people may ask when their doctor tells them that they have mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural plaques or one of the other conditions caused by asbestos exposure is, “How did I get this?” This is an important question, because pinpointing how and where you were exposed to asbestos can be the key to a successful lawsuit. That compensation can pay for your medical bills and ensure that your family isn’t burdened with them.

Unfortunately, it is not always an easy question to answer. Many employees have handled asbestos over the years without even being told what it was, or that it was a dangerous substance. Additionally, many people have been exposed to asbestos in more than one location as they moved from one place to another.

Finding the Source

If you worked around asbestos, you may not have been told that you were bringing home asbestos dust on your clothing, shoes, hair and skin to poison your family. You may have breathed in asbestos dust in the air because a company nearby was mining, milling or making things with asbestos. In addition, there were nearly 3000 products containing or made with asbestos that were used by consumers in one way or another.

Just being around something that was made with asbestos doesn’t necessarily mean that you were exposed to asbestos fibers. As long as the asbestos is intact, it presents no danger. When it’s broken, however, it releases fibers into the air that can be inhaled or swallowed. At that point it becomes friable, meaning that it may be releasing asbestos dust into the air. Workers in many industries were exposed to friable asbestos in the course of their jobs. If you worked in any job where you handled or removed products with asbestos, you may have been exposed to asbestos dust, often without knowing it.

If you suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos dust, you should consult a doctor. While a chest X-ray won’t show fibers of asbestos in your lungs, it may show the early signs of damage from those fibers.

Determining Responsibility for Your Illness

Plaintiffs in asbestos exposure lawsuits have at least one advantage: asbestosis and mesothelioma have only been linked to the ingestion of asbestos. This makes it very difficult for defendants to argue that another environmental factor may have caused plaintiffs’ illnesses.

However, establishing that you were exposed to asbestos in a particular location, and that it caused your injuries, is almost never a simple process. It takes an experienced asbestos exposure attorney to narrow a plaintiff’s illness down to a specific source and effectively present this evidence in court.

Symptoms of mesothelioma might not be felt till 20-50 years after exposure to asbestos. Cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity) are symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

* Chest wall pain
* Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
* Shortness of breath
* Fatigue or anemia
* Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
* Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

* Abdominal pain
* Ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
* A mass in the abdomen
* Problems with bowel function
* Weight loss

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

* Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
* Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
* Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
* Low blood sugar level
* Pleural effusion
* Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
* Severe ascites

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

You’ve seen all the celebrities touting the Jenny Craig Weight Loss Plan: Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli, Queen Latifah, even basketball star Baron Davis. What is the appeal of this program that attracts heavy hitters to espouse its virtues? Jenny Craig is both a diet and lifestyle program, intent on changing the way you eat, exercise, and live your life. The goal is to change the way you think and act, keeping in mind your overall body health.

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The Atkins Diet Plan gained popularity in 1972 with the publication of the book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. Dr. Atkins, the founder and former Executive Medical Director of The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, was one of the first vocal proponents of a low-carbohydrate diet. Long a voice for nutritional medicine, that first book has spawned newly revised versions as well as diet variations such as the South Beach Diet.

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Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is mostly generated by exposure to asbestos. When people have this cancer, their malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the human body’s internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it can occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis as well.

People with mesothelioma have usually worked on jobs and sites where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a person who worked with asbestos can put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. There is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases risk of other asbestos-induced cancer. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma.

The mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis mesothelioma may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be applied to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Weight Watchers is another of the old-time standby diet programs, with over forty years in the business and an estimated 1 million followers across the globe at any given time. One of the reasons this weight loss plan has continued success is the focus on overall health: mental, emotional and physical. Weight Watchers provides the tools and support to change the way you eat and live.

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The Zone Diet, created by Dr. Barry Sears, is a somewhat scientific approach to dieting, which at its core focuses on controlling the hormone levels in your body that are key to weight control and health. The basic tenet, in bold headlines on the Zone Diet website is that it “… is not a diet. It’s a healthy, balanced lifestyle.”

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The South Beach Diet is a weight-healthy lifestyle designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami. Originally developed as a weight-loss plan for his overweight heart patients, he found additional health benefits that led to further diet research and refinement. Thus the South Beach Diet was born.

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