Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month

By Nurse Diane

Myasthenia Gravis is not a very common condition.  In fact when I tried to find others who had it, the list was short.  One of the more notable people who had it was Aristotle Onassis, Husband of Jackie O.  Christopher Robin Milne also had it, you may recognize his name from the Winnie the Pooh books, as Christopher Robin.

June is the month in which we focus on Myasthenia Gravis.  Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder. Neuromuscular disorders involve the muscles and the nerves that control them.   Myasthenia Gravis affects the skeletal muscles by causing weakness.  The weakness occurs because the nerve that stimulates the muscle isn't functioning properly.  This is called an autoimmune response.  The cause of Myasthenia Gravis is unknown and can affect people at any time, occurring more frequently in young women and older men.  It usually affects the eye muscles first.

Symptoms:

The muscle weakness of myasthenia gravis worsens with activity and improves with rest. Weakness in affected muscles may cause:

• Breathing difficulty because of weakness of the chest wall muscles
• Chewing or swallowing difficulty, causing frequent gagging, choking, or drooling
• Difficulty climbing stairs, lifting objects, or rising from a seated position
• Difficulty talking
• Drooping head
• Facial paralysis or weakness of the facial muscles
• Fatigue
• Hoarseness or changing voice
• Weakness of the eye muscles, causing
• Double vision
• Difficulty maintaining steady gaze
• Eyelid drooping

Diagnosis:

• A neurological exam will determine the muscle weakness, other tests include
• Blood tests
• CT for possible tumors in the Thalmus
• Nerve conduction studies

Outcome:

There is no cure for Myasthenia Gravis, so medications my help with nerve conduction to the muscles.  A lifestyle adjustment usually enables continuation of many activities. Activity should be planned to allow scheduled rest periods. An eye patch may be recommended if double vision is bothersome. Stress and excessive heat exposure should be avoided because they can worsen symptoms.

For more information see: http://www.myasthenia.org/

(Images from Google) 

Crohn's and Colitis Awareness

By Nurse Diane

What do a past president; beauty pageant winner, actress and professional wrestler have in common?  Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mary Ann Mobley, Shannon Dougherty and George "The Animal" Steele all have Chromes and Colitis, along with 1.4 million other Americans.

Crohn's Disease is a chronic (ongoing) disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it can involve any area of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus, it most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon.  Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because the symptoms of these two illnesses are so similar, it is sometimes difficult to establish the diagnosis definitively.

Crohn's disease may occur at any age. It usually occurs in people between ages 15 - 35.

You are more likely to get this disease if you:

• Have a family history of Crohn's disease
• Are Jewish
• Smoke
• The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are:
• Crampy abdominal pain
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Pain with passing stool
• Persistent, watery diarrhea
• Weight loss

Certain types of foods can make diarrhea and gas worse. To help ease symptoms, try:

• Eating small amounts of food throughout the day.
• Drinking lots of water (drink small amounts often throughout the day).
• Avoiding high-fiber foods (bran, beans, nuts, seeds, and popcorn).
• Avoiding fatty, greasy or fried foods and sauces (butter, margarine, and heavy cream).
• Limiting dairy products if you have problems digesting dairy fats. Try low-lactose cheeses, such as Swiss and cheddar, and an enzyme product, such as Lactaid, to help break down lactose.
• Avoiding foods that you know cause gas, such as beans.
• Ask your doctor about extra vitamins and minerals you may need:
• Iron supplements (if you are anemic)
• Calcium and vitamin D supplements 

The Cause of Crohn's is unknown, and there is no cure.  There are periods of inactivity as well as flare-ups.  Certian medications such as Metamucil or Citrucel may ease the symptoms, and surgery to remove part of the diseased colon may help, but won't cure the disease.

Ulcerative colitis differs from another inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease. Crohn's can affect any area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the small intestine and colon. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, affects only the colon. The inflammation involves the entire rectum and extends up the colon in a continuous manner. There are no areas of normal intestine between the areas of diseased intestine. In contrast, such so-called "skip" areas may occur in Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis affects only the innermost lining of the colon, whereas Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.

Today is National Crohn's and Colitis Day to learn how you can help to find a cure, click on this site:  http://www.ccfa.org/donate/?LMI=6

National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness

(Google Image) 

By Nurse Diane

I recently saw an old rerun of a Law and Order Special Victims Unit on the TV the other day.  The case involved a woman who was pregnant, and she was an alcoholic.  She was seeking a divorce from her husband; however her husband, concerned for the life of his unborn child, filed a protective order against the mother to prevent her from consuming alcohol and risk damaging the baby.  The police officer, who was also a friend of the mother even, took the woman to the house of a child who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome.   This didn’t have an impact on the mother and she was eventually locked up in prison, for her own wellbeing and the wellbeing of her baby.

(Google Image)

I don't watch any of those reality television shows, however there are a few of them that concern me.  One is 16 and Pregnant, the other is Jersey Shore, where one of the main characters, Snooki, is pregnant.  These shows influence the populations of young girls who idolize these shows. Being pregnant carries alot of responsibility, and if you are portrayed on a reality show, there is even more responsibility to display proper care for your life and that of your unborn child.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a disorder that has no cure. There are many signs and symptoms including:

• Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the phylum)
• Small head size
• Shorter-than-average height
• Low body weight
• Poor coordination
• Hyperactive behavior
• Difficulty paying attention
• Poor memory
• Difficulty in school (especially with math)
• Learning disabilities
• Speech and language delays
• Intellectual disability or low IQ
• Poor reasoning and judgment skills
• Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
• Vision or hearing problems
• Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones

While there may not be a cure, it is 100% preventable.  The only way to prevent this disorder is to refrain from drinking alcohol while pregnant.  Each year there are 40,000 babies born with Fetal Alcohol disorders.  You can help by letting expectant mothers know about the harm they are causing their babies when they drink.

(Google Image)

For more, information click on this site. http://fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/