Monday, 13 September 2010

• physical symptoms of anorexia

  signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa
  Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to simply as anorexia, is one type of eating disorder. More importantly, it is also a psychological disorder. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond out-of-control dieting. A person with anorexia often initially begins dieting to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. The drive to become thinner is actually secondary to concerns about control and/or fears relating to one's body. The individual continues the endless cycle of restrictive eating, often accompanied by other behaviors such as excessive exercising or the overuse of diet pills, diuretics, laxatives, and/or enemas in order to reduce body weight, often to a point close to starvation in order to feel a sense of control over his or her body. This cycle becomes an obsession and, in this way, is similar to any type of addiction.
  
  Who is at risk for anorexia?
  signs and symptoms of anorexia
  Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female, but males can develop the disorder as well. While anorexia typically begins to manifest itself during early adolescence, it is also seen in young children and adults. In the U.S. and other countries with high economic status, it is estimated that about one out of every 100 adolescent girls has the disorder. Caucasians are more often affected than people of other racial backgrounds, and anorexia is more common in middle and upper socioeconomic groups. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 0.5%-3.7% of women will suffer from this disorder at some point in their lives.
  
  Many experts consider people for whom thinness is especially desirable, or a professional requirement (such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors), to be at risk for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
  physical symptoms of anorexia
  
  What causes anorexia?
  
  At this time, no definite cause of anorexia nervosa has been determined. However, research within the medical and psychological fields continues to explore possible causes.
  
  Studies suggest that a genetic (inherited) component may play a more significant role in determining a person's susceptibility to anorexia than was previously thought. Researchers are currently attempting to identify the particular gene or genes that might affect a person's tendency to develop this disorder, and preliminary studies suggest that a gene located at chromosome 1p seems to be involved in determining a person' s susceptibility to anorexia nervosa.
  physical symptoms of anorexia
  Other evidence had pinpointed a dysfunction in the part of the brain, the hypothalamus (which regulates certain metabolic processes), as contributing to the development of anorexia. Other studies have suggested that imbalances in neurotransmitter (brain chemicals involves in signaling and regulatory processes) levels in the brain may occur in people suffering from anorexia.
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  Feeding problems as an infant, a general history of undereating, and maternal depressive symptoms tend to be risk factors for developing anorexia. Other personal characteristics that can predispose an individual to the development of anorexia include a high level of negative feelings and perfectionism. For many individuals with anorexia, the destructive cycle begins with the pressure to be thin and attractive. A poor self-image compounds the problem. People who suffer from any eating disorder are more likely to have been the victim of childhood abuse.
  

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• symptoms of urinary tract infection in children

  Urinary tract infections are a serious health problem affecting millions of people each year.
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  Infections of the urinary tract are common -- only respiratory infections occur more often.
  
  urinary tract infections (UTI's) account for about 8 million doctor visits.
  
  to UTI's for reasons that are poorly understood.
  
  lifetime. male urinary tract infection symptoms
  The Urinary Tract
  
  The key players in the
  
  system are the kidneys, a pair of purplish-brown organs located below the ribs toward the middle of
  
  the back.
  
  of salts and other substances in the blood, and produce a hormone that aids the formation of red
  
  blood cells.
  
  chamber in the lower abdomen. Urine is stored in the bladder and emptied through the urethra.
  
  The average adult passes about a quart and a half of urine each day. The amount of urine varies,
  
  depending on the fluids and foods a person consumes. The volume formed at night is about half that
  
  Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts, and waste products, but it is free of bacteria, viruses,
  
  and fungi. An infection occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, cling to
  
  Most infections arise from one type of bacteria,
  
  Escherichia coli (E. coli), which normally live in the colon.
  
  An infection limited to the urethra is called urethritis. From there bacteria often move on
  
  to the bladder, causing a bladder infection (cystitis). symptoms of urinary tract infection in childrenIf the infection is not treated promptly, bacteria
  
  may then go up the ureters to infect the kidneys (pyelonephritis).
  
  Microorganisms called Chlamydia and Mycoplasma may also cause UTI's in both men and women,
  
  but these infections tend to remain limited to the urethra and reproductive system. Unlike E. coli,
  
  Chlamydia and Mycoplasma may be sexually transmitted, and infections require treatment of both
  
  partners. The ureters and
  
  bladder normally prevent urine from backing up toward the kidneys, and the flow of urine from the
  
  bladder helps wash bacteria out of the body. In men, the prostate gland produces secretions that slow
  
  bacterial growth. In both sexes, immune defenses also prevent infection. Despite these safeguards,
  
  Who is at Risk
  
  Some people are more prone to getting a UTI than others.
  
  An enlarged
  
  prostate gland also can slow the flow of urine,urinary tract infection symptoms thus raising the risk of infection. A common source of
  
  A person who cannot void, is unconscious or
  
  critically ill, often needs a catheter that stays in place for a long time.
  
  especially the elderly or those with nervous system disorders who lose bladder control, may need a
  
  Bacteria on the catheter can infect the bladder, so hospital staff take special care to
  
  keep the catheter sterile and remove it as soon as possible.
  
  Any
  
  disorder that suppresses the immune system raises the risk of a urinary infection. UTI's may occur in
  
  infants who are born with abnormalities of the urinary tract, which sometimes need to be corrected
  
  with surgery. UTI's are rarely seen in boys and young men.
  
  UTI's gradually increases with age.
  
  than men.
  
  bladder. Also, a woman's urethral opening is near sources of bacteria from the anus and vagina. For
  
  many women, sexual intercourse seems to trigger an infection, although the reasons for this linkage are
  
  unclear.
  
  than women who use other forms of birth control. Recently, researchers found that women whose
  
  partners use a condom with spermicidal foam also tend to have growth of E. coli bacteria in the
  
  vagina.
  
  Recurrent Infections
  
  Nearly 20 percent of women who have a UTI will have
  
  another, and 30 percent of those will have yet another. Of the last group, 80 percent will have
  
  Usually, the latest infection stems from a strain or type of bacteria that is different from
  
  the infection before it, indicating a separate infection. (Even when several UTI's in a row are due to E.
  
  coli, slight differences in the bacteria indicate distinct infections.)
  
  Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that one factor behind recurrent
  
  UTI's may be the ability of bacteria to attach to cells lining the urinary tract. A recent NIH funded
  
  study has also shown that women with recurrent UTI's tend to have certain blood types. Some
  
  scientists speculate that women with these blood types are more prone to UTI's because the cells
  
  lining the vagina and urethra may allow bacteria to attach more easily. Further research will show
  
  Infections in Pregnancy
  
  Pregnant women seem no more prone to UTI's than other women.
  
  it is more likely to travel to the kidneys. According to some reports, about 2 to 4 percent of pregnant
  
  women develop a urinary infection.
  
  the urinary tract during pregnancy make it easier for bacteria to travel up the ureters to the kidneys.
  
  this reason, many doctors recommend periodic testing of urine.
  
  Symptoms
  
  These may include a
  
  frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during
  
  It is not unusual to feel bad all over-tired, shaky, washed out -- and to feel pain even when
  
  not urinating.
  
  experience a fullness in the rectum. It is common for a person with a urinary infection to complain that,
  
  despite the urge to urinate, only a small amount of urine is passed. The urine itself may look milky or
  
  cloudy, even reddish if blood is present. A fever may mean that the infection has reached the kidneys.
  
  Other symptoms of a kidney infection include pain in the back or side below the ribs, nausea, or
  
  In children, symptoms of a urinary infection may be overlooked or attributed to another
  
  disorder.
  
  there is a change in the child's urinary pattern.
  
  You
  
  "midstream" sample of urine in a sterile container. (This method of collecting urine helps prevent
  
  the sample is sent to a laboratory, although some doctors' offices are equipped to do the testing.
  
  In the urinalysis test, the urine is examined for urinary tract infection symptomswhite and red blood cells and bacteria. Then the
  
  bacteria are grown in a culture and tested against different antibiotics to see which drug best destroys
  
  This last step is called a sensitivity test.
  
  Some microbes, like Chlamydia and Mycoplasma, can only be detected with special bacterial cultures.
  
  A doctor suspects one of these infections when a person has symptoms of a UTI and pus in the urine,
  
  but a standard culture fails to grow any bacteria.
  
  When an infection does not clear up with treatment and is traced to the same strain of bacteria, the
  
  doctor will order a test that makes images of the urinary tract. One of these tests is an intravenous
  
  pyelogram (IVP), which gives x-ray images of the bladder, kidneys, and ureters. An opaque dye
  
  visible on x-ray film is injected into a vein, and a series of x-rays are taken. The film shows an outline
  
  of the urinary tract, revealing even small changes in the structure of the tract.
  
  If you have recurrent infections, your doctor also may recommend an ultrasound exam, which gives
  
  pictures from the echo patterns of soundwaves bounced back from internal organs.
  
  test is cystoscopy. A cystoscope is an instrument made of a hollow tube with several lenses and a
  
  UTI's are treated with antibacterial drugs. The choice of drug and length of treatment depends on the
  
  uncomplicated UTI's are trimethoprim (Trimpex), trimethoprim/sufamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra,
  
  ampicillin. Often, a UTI can be cured with 1 or 2 days of treatment if the infection is not complicated
  
  by an obstruction or nervous system disorder. Still, many doctors ask their patients to take antibiotics
  
  for a week or two to assure that the infection has been cured.
  
  recommended for some groups of patients, for example, those who have delayed treatment or have
  
  signs of a kidney infection, patients with diabetes or structural abnormalities, or men who have
  
  prostate infections. Longer treatment is also needed by patients with infections caused by
  
  Mycoplasma or Chlamydia, which are usually treated with tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
  
  (TMP/SMZ), or doxycycline. A follow-up urinalysis helps to confirm that the urinary tract is
  
  It is important to take the full course of
  
  treatment because symptoms may disappear before the infection is fully cleared.
  
  drugs on their own.
  
  effective as 6 weeks of treatment with the same drug in women with kidney infections that did not
  
  involve an obstruction or nervous system disorder. In such cases, kidney infections rarely lead to
  
  kidney damage or kidney failure unless they go untreated.
  
  Various drugs are available to relieve the pain of a UTI. A heating pad or a warm bath may also help.
  
  Most doctors suggest that drinking plenty of water helps cleanse the urinary tract of bacteria. For the
  
  (And one of the best things a smoker
  
  can do for his or her bladder is to quit smoking.
  
  cancer.)
  
  About 4 out of 5 women who have a UTI get another in 18 months.
  
  about one of the following treatment options:
  
  (If
  
  taken at bedtime, the drug remains in the bladder longer and may be more effective.)
  
  NIH-supported research at the University of Washington has shown this therapy to be effective
  
  without causing serious side effects.
  
  Take a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual intercourse.
  
  Take a short course (1 or 2 days) of antibiotics when symptoms appear.
  
  The
  
  strips detect nitrite, which is formed when bacteria change nitrate the urine to nitrate. The test can
  
  detect about 90 percent of UTI's and may be useful for women who have recurrent infections.
  
  amounts inhibits the growth of some bacteria by acidifying the urine. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
  
  Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria around the anus from entering the vagina or urethra;
  
  Take showers instead of tub baths;
  
  Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches, which may irritate the urethra.
  
  A pregnant woman who develops a UTI should be treated promptly to avoid premature delivery of her
  
  Some antibiotics are not safe to take during
  
  pregnancy. In selecting the best treatments, doctors consider various factors such as the drug's
  
  effectiveness, the stage of pregnancy, the mother's health, and potential effects on the fetus.
  
  Complicated Infections
  
  and correcting the underlying problem, sometimes with surgery. If the root cause goes untreated, this
  
  group of patients is at risk of kidney damage. Also, such infections tend to arise from a wider range of
  
  bacteria, and sometimes from more than one type of bacteria at a time.
  
  UTI's are unusual in men. They usually stem from an obstruction -- for example, a urinary stone or
  
  The first step is to identify the
  
  infecting organism and the drugs to which it is sensitive. symptoms of urinary tract infection in childrenUsually, doctors recommended lengthier
  
  therapy in men than in women, in part to prevent infections of the prostate gland. Prostate infections
  
  (prostatitis) are harder to cure because antibiotics are unable to penetrate infected prostate tissue
  
  effectively.
  
  selected antibiotic.
  
  Research in Urinary System Disorders
  
  The NIH conducts and supports a variety of research in diseases of the kidney and urinary tract. The
  
  knowledge gained from these studies is advancing scientific understanding of why UTI's develop and
  
  is leading to improved methods of diagnosing, treating, and preventing infections.
  
  Information provided by the NIH & NIDDK

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