Thigh contraction. The thigh contraction, or quadriceps contraction, is a simple exercise for knee strengthening that can be performed easily by beginners. To perform this exercise, the person lies with the face down toward the floor or another flat surface. A roll-up towel is placed under the ankle of the particular leg that is to be exercised. Using the ankle, pressure is applied on the towel while the leg is kept as straight as possible. This will make sure that the thighs are contracting as much as possible. This position is held for five seconds and then released. The exercise is repeated for 10 times during a single session. Each leg is trained individually.

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Information. People who live with a narcissistic personality disorder do not possess empathy. They do not relate well to others. Their perceived self-confidence is merely a show on the outside. If someone with this disorder is criticized, questioned, or not shown ample appreciation or excessive praise by others, they are prone to becoming sullen, withdrawn, or even angry. Someone with an inflated sense of self-worth often finds they have problems in their lives. They struggle at work, at home, and they struggle to find happiness in their everyday life. They require validation from others in the form of praise, and they do not handle it well when they don’t receive it. It’s not a curable health problem, but it is one that can be treated using therapy.

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Alzheimer’s is characterized by the death of brain cells that causes difficulty speaking and walking, confusion, mood changes, behavioral changes, severe memory impairment, and other symptoms as it progresses. The next most common form of dementia is called vascular dementia which happens when reduced blood flow to the brain is caused due to age, heart disease, or stroke. Several diseases may even cause dementia in the late stages such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Dementia is a chronic and progressive disease that typically progresses through several stages. These stages can aid in diagnosis and treatment while giving caregivers and loved ones a better understanding of what to expect.

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Meningitis is a disease where the protective membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain are inflamed. The inflammation can be caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, or other micro-organisms. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of its proximity to the spinal cord and brain, although it can get better on its own in just a few weeks. It can lead to serious long-term consequences including epilepsy, cognitive deficits, deafness, and hydrocephalus, and is classified as a medical emergency.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of meningitis may develop over a few days or several hours. It is important to seek medical care immediately if you or someone you know has symptoms or signs of meningitis. These symptoms include sudden high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, difficulty concentrating, confusion, nausea or vomiting, difficulty waking up, seizures, sensitivity to light, skin rash, and a lack of interest in eating and drinking. In newborns, parents should look for constant crying, inactivity, high fever, excessive sleepiness, a bulge in the soft spot on the baby’s head, poor feeding, and stiffness in the baby’s neck and body. Viral meningitis generally improves without treatment, but bacterial meningitis can strike quickly and is very serious, requiring antibiotic treatment to fully recover. The Meningitis Research Foundation has more information about the symptoms of the disease.

Causes

Meningitis can result from a bacterial infection, although it usually occurs because of a viral infection. Acute bacterial meningitis occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and migrate to the spinal cord and brain. It can occur as a result of a sinus or ear infection, and sometimes a skull fracture. There are a number of strains of bacteria that can cause acute bacterial meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes pneumonia or sinus and ear infections, which can lead to meningitis. This is a common infection in the United States. Neisseria meningitis occurs when bacteria enters the bloodstream from an upper respiratory infection. This is a highly contagious infection and affects mainly young adults and teenagers. Viral meningitis is generally mild and often clears on its own. A group of viruses called enteroviruses causes most viral meningitis cases in the United States. Viruses such as HIV, herpes, West Nile, and mumps can also cause viral meningitis. Chronic meningitis occurs when the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain is invaded by slow-growing organisms. Meningitis can also result from non-infectious cases, such as drug allergies, chemical reactions, and certain types of cancer.

Prevention

It is important to maintain a strong immune system. This includes eating a balanced diet, getting a sufficient amount of sleep and maintaining strong sleeping patterns, and including exercise in your daily routine. You may also want to take supplements, such as Vitamins A, C, E, and D. These help you maintain good health and decrease the chances of you developing inflammation around the spinal cord and brain, lowering the risk of meningitis. It is also important to wash your hands frequently, ensuring your hands are free of bacteria. This includes keeping your home clean, especially kitchen and bathroom counters, and other surfaces that people share. You may also want to get a vaccination. Your doctor can advise you what vaccination you should receive, as immunization is one of the best ways to prevent meningitis. Children are usually immunized with Hemophilus influenzae type b vaccine at 18 months, 2, 4, and 6 to help prevent meningitis.

Treatment

Bacterial meningitis that is caused by infection is treated by a combination of antibiotics, depending on your age, the type of bacteria that is suspected, and various other factors. These antibiotics are usually injected into a vein.

 People with meningitis may also need supportive treatment like fever-reducing medications and intravenous fluids. Viral meningitis cannot be cured by antibiotics, and most cases will eventually improve on their own. The best way to treat viral meningitis is by consuming plenty of fluids, getting a lot of bed rest, and taking over-the-counter pain medications to help relieve body aches and reduce fever.

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Amnesia is the loss of memory, caused by disease, brain damage, or psychological trauma. It is usually permanent, but can be caused temporarily by the use of hypnotic drugs and various sedatives. Depending on the extent of damage that was caused, the memory may be either partially or totally lost. People who have amnesia can generally recall immediate information, and sometimes can still form new memories. There is a severe reduction in the ability to retrieve old information however, as well as in the ability to learn new material. Sometimes a person may lose only a couple of months of memory, while others may have memory loss that extends back decades.

Symptoms

There are two main features of amnesia: the impaired ability to recall previously familiar information and past events (called retrograde amnesia), and the impaired ability to learn new information (known as anterograde amnesia). Most people who suffer from amnesia have difficulties with short-term memory. Deeply ingrained memories may be spared, while recent memories are more likely to be lost. For example, a person may be able to name past presidents, but forget what they had for breakfast in the morning. Sometimes this affects their ability to retain new information. Amnesia usually does not affect a person’s ability to write, speak, or communicate in any way, and people with amnesia usually understand that they have a memory disorder. Other symptoms of amnesia may include confusion or disorientation, false recollections (possibly made up of past memories misplaced in time, or completely invented), and neurological problems such as tremors or uncoordinated movements. Johns Hopkins Medicine offers more information on amnesia and its various symptoms.

Causes

There are three categories in which a person can acquire amnesia: head trauma, traumatic events, and physical deficiencies. Head trauma is a very broad range and it deals with any kind of active action or injury toward the brain which might cause amnesia. This includes hitting the head during a fall or car accident, or any kind of physical blow to the head that may damage the brain. Traumatic events are much more subjective. They depend entirely on the individual and what that person experiences. A traumatic event is an event where something is so distressing the mind decides to forget the event entirely rather than deal with the stress the event brings. This may include a violent car crash or disturbing childhood memory. Instead of dealing with the difficulties the particular event brings, the brain decides to block it off completely. Physical deficiencies are similar to head trauma, although they lean more toward passive physical issues as opposed to physical blows. Other possible causes of amnesia include brain inflammation, stroke, tumors in the areas of the brain that control memory, long-term alcohol abuse, and degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Prevention

Amnesia is caused by some kind of damage to the brain. Thus, it is important to take steps to reduce the risk of brain injury. While driving, make sure to always wear a seat belt. When riding a bike or motorcycle, always wear a helmet. Seek immediate medical attention if you have any symptoms that suggest a brain aneurysm or stroke, and treat any infection right away to make sure it doesn’t spread to the brain. While some causes of amnesia cannot be prevented (such as experiencing traumatic events), the risk can be reduced by following proper safety measures.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there are no medications available at the moment for treating most types of amnesia. While some forms of amnesia fix themselves, others will never go away.

 Thus, individuals with amnesia need to develop ways to cope with memory loss. One of these ways is through occupational or cognitive therapy. Therapy will help patients develop any memory skills they might still have and try to regain some they may have lost. Amnesiacs do this through various techniques that help create new retrieval paths and retrieve memories. This includes implementing strategies for organizing information, such as using a digital device to keep track of day-to-day tasks. Low-tech memory aids like notebooks, photographs, and calendars can also help with memory.

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It’s true that men are more likely to suffer from strokes. However women tend to show more risk factors. Women are also more likely to have a stroke be fatal. The CDC has statistics which show that one in five women is likely to have a stroke at some point in their life and that over half of them will die from it. Currently, stroke is the third leading cause of death in all women!

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