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Thursday, September 6, 2007
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   Thursday, September 6, 2007

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Specialty Sleep
Among the many chronic joint diseases is rheumatoid arthritis, which manifests itself in painful inflammation of the joint lining. It can lead to long term damage, loss of joint function and permanent disability. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by three distinct phases, Stage I includes the swelling of the joint lining which causes pain and swelling around the effected joint, Stage II is characterized by the thickening of the joint lining and in Stage III the thickened lining can actually cause the bone and cartilage to deteriorate leading to disability and obviously misshapen and misaligned joints.
The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are still unknown and there is no cure. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease but on that can be managed with early diagnosis and treatment. Early diagnosis is usually the key to maintaining a sufferer's quality of life as treatment can prevent Stage III rheumatoid arthritis and thereby prevent permanent joint damage and disability. Part of early treatment is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which in turn means getting plenty of healthy sleep that lets your joints and muscles completely relax.
Some sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis automatically go out and seek the firmest mattress they can find because they have been lauded for skeletal support. This can be counter-productive however because firm mattresses end up putting more pressure on specific joints of the body and this can actually exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis. Side sleepers, with arthritis in the hips or knees are especially susceptible to this issue. While many arthritis sufferers have found relief with newer pillows and specialty mattress pads, they really should think about going further to improve their rest and health.
For complete rest and physical relaxation, the body must be consistently supported. With pressure distributed properly over the entire body, there is no single area taking the brunt. One of the only specialty sleep products available that can afford this kind of even pressure distribution is memory foam. Visco elastic memory foam was developed by Nasa to help astronauts in space and although it was never used in that application, it has been widely used in hospitals to help patients that must rest in bed for long periods of time.
Memory foam mattresses can be an excellent idea for anyone who suffers pressure or inflammatory joint conditions. The material is firmly supportive and yet can contour to any individual's body. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in your shoulder, hips or knees, memory foam will not aggravate these joints, rather it will allow them to sink in and be supported while your overall spinal alignment is achieved. In many instances, memory foam mattress toppers of a substantial enough thickness can improve your sleep situation as well.
When looking to buy a memory foam product, you must remember that the density of the memory foam is the most important feature. You'll want 5lb density memory foam and above in your memory foam topper or memory foam mattress to ensure maximum support and longevity of the mattress. If you have a pressure related condition like arthritis, you may also want to spend the extra money and get the thicker topper, a 3 inch rather than 1.5 inch or a 12 inch mattress as opposed to an 8 inch. The brand name of your memory foam bed is not as important as the density of the foam and the warranty you can get from the manufacturer!
Because rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition, investing in the right specialty sleep product that will help you get the restorative rest you need, will be critical to both your physical and emotional well being. When your body is able to rest in sleep and your mind is able to let go for several hours, you will that much more prepared to face another day. If you suffer from a debilitating disease like rheumatoid arthritis, don't let your sleep suffer.
Blair Stephens is an accomplished freelance writer and proud member of the MyRest.com team. She has written articles about sleep technology, sleep disorders, memory foam, airbeds and more. MyRest.com is the best speciality sleep site on the web and will be offering articles and resources to everyone to help them find the sleep option that works for them. Check out our sleep resources at http://www.myrest.com


Depression Series: Why DonÆt I Respond to Medications? (Part 1)
Depression Series: Why Don't I Respond to Medications? (Part 1)Maria has been feeling depressed for at least two and a half years.About three years ago, her husband of 20 years left her for anotherwoman. Devastated, she became despondent and tearful almost daily.Eventually, her depression got worse associated with inability tofunction. Her appetite, energy, concentration, and sleep becameimpaired. She also felt hopeless and suicidal. Her psychiatrist puther on a starting dose of antidepressant. She responded initiallybut after a few days, she felt just like before taking themedication.For the past two years, Maria has tried four types ofantidepressants. She has taken the usual adult doses of these drugs.Although she somewhat improves, she has virtually remained the sameù depressed and disabled.Maria seems to be taking the medications regularly. But why is shenot responding to her antidepressants?Maria is just one of the many depressed individuals who don'tfeel "normal" despite treatment. Depression is a treatabledisease but how come some people don't do well on medications?There are many reasons why depressed patients like Maria don'timprove on antidepressants.First, is the diagnosis correct?Depression can be caused by many clinical entities. Sometimes,knowing the right diagnosis is a challenge. Medical disorders,medications such as beta-blockers and benzodiazepines (e.g.clonazepam), and various psychiatric disorders can cause depressionand they all require different treatment. If your doctor fails toidentify and treat the true cause of your depression, you willremain depressed despite the use of antidepressant.Second, are there co-morbid disorders?Depression can exist along with other psychiatric disorders such asanxiety disorder, alcohol or drug problems, personality disorder,dementia, and psychosis. Depression will persist if these co-morbiddisorders are not treated. For instance, depressive disorder withpsychosis cannot be adequately treated just with antidepressantalone. You need an antipsychotic drug added to an antidepressant totreat the illness.Third, is there an ongoing neurological or medical disorder thatprecipitates, aggravates, or complicates depression?Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, vitamin B-12 deficiency, pancreaticcancer, brain tumor, Parkinson's disease, and stroke can allcause depression. If any of these disorders are present,antidepressants are less likely to help. The goal in thesesituations is to treat the underlying medical condition. A 65 year-old lady came to see me complaining of severe depression. Onevaluation, she disclosed that she had been on three types ofantidepressants for the past four years with minimal response. Ichecked her recent laboratory results which showed an abnormalthyroid! No wonder, she was not responding to the medication.Fourth, are there ongoing psychosocial issues?Financial problems, family conflict, work-related stress can allprecipitate and complicate depression. Despite adequate medicationtreatment, some individuals will remain depressed especially if suchproblems are not addressed by the therapist or psychiatrist. Isthere any way you can reduce the stressors? Please do so theearliest you can.The treatment of depression is frequently straightforward.Occasionally however, various factors complicate it. Forantidepressant to be effective, a psychiatrist should ensure thatthe diagnosis is correct, that co-morbid psychiatric disorders andmedical problems are treated, and that psychosocial issues areadequately addressed.Maria's doctor should explore further the real problem andprovide the most appropriate intervention.About the Author:Copyright ® 2003. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel ûauthor (First Aid to Mental IllnessûFinalist, Reader'sPreferenceChoice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Dr.Rayel helps individuals recognize the early signs of mental illnessand provide early intervention. To receive free newsletter, visitwww.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores.


Understanding and Recognizing Leukemia Symptoms
Leukemia is a disease that is considered to be life-threatening. It requires prompt intervention when discovered, in order to maximize the chances of recovering through specific treatment and therapy. Leukemia is basically a type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood, caused by inappropriate cellular activity. The disease can be of different forms, according to the types of blood cells that cause its development. Also, if leukemia is developing rapidly, it is called acute leukemia, while if the disease is developing slowly, it is referred to as chronic leukemia.
The direct leukemia causes are still unknown. In present, medical science isn't able to establish the specific leukemia causes. However, a strong connection between certain genetic factors and the development of the disease has been revealed. Leukemia occurs on the background of genetic failure that causes the excessive production of incomplete, partially matured blood cells. Also, leukemia has a hereditary character, allowing the transmission of genetic predispositions to disease from one generation to another. Although many factors are known to contribute to the development of leukemia, they alone can't be considered leukemia causes.
Despite the fact that statistics indicate a higher incidence of the disease in people that are exposed to some environmental factors of risk, leukemia doesn't seem to be caused by neither of them in particular. Among the environmental factors that are thought to be leukemia causes, here are some of the most plausible ones:
- Smoking – smoking is thought to increase the chances of being affected by leukemia. Although statistics show that around 20 percent of acute leukemia cases are related to smoking, leukemia also occurs to people that don't smoke and therefore it can't be considered a leukemia cause on itself;
- Prolonged exposure to radiation – Radiation is considered to facilitate the development of leukemia. It is believed that exposure to X-rays can be a leukemia cause;
- Prolonged exposure to benzene – statistics reveal that this is a major factor of risk in some forms of leukemia, such as myelogenous leukemia;
- Chemotherapy and cancer treatment – previous cancer treatments and chemotherapy are known to facilitate the occurrence and development of leukemia and can be considered plausible leukemia causes. Within a few years from the completion of chemotherapy and other treatments for certain forms of cancer, most people can develop leukemia.
Among the genetic factors that are considered to be leukemia causes, the following ones are thought to be the most important:
- chromosome abnormalities – some rare genetic syndromes are known to contribute to leukemia causes;
- Immune system genetic problems - a weak immune system is very likely to facilitate the occurrence of leukemia and therefore can be considered a leukemia cause;
- Down syndrome – children born with this syndrome have a very high risk of developing acute leukemia.
The list of possible leukemia causes can continue further, but these are the most common factors that are considered to be interrelated with leukemia. While some of them can be prevented, others reside within the genes and in present can't be corrected. In future, however, thanks to medical advance, we will probably be able to prevent leukemia and other forms of cancer.
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like leukemia symptoms, leukemia causes and many more visit http://www.leukemia-guide.com .