Monthly Archives: August 2012

ALS: Smoking Ups Risk, Drinking Lowers It

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August 31, 2020 at 8:02 pm , by Synergy Health

A study of 500 ALS patients shows that smoking ups the risk of contracting the disease, and drinking lowers it. Even more amazing, drinking alcohol more than halved the risk of developing ALS The study was described as “well-done”, and reviewed by Andrew Waterhouse of the University of California, Davis,

Gene Mutations and ALS

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August 31, 2020 at 7:51 pm , by Synergy Health

ALS—also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease—causes paralysis. A recent study shows how newly discovered gene mutations may play a role in the paralysis. Motor neurons succumb to ALS, and that means a loss of control such as paralysis and trouble swallowing, according to John Landers of

ALS Discoveries Could Lead to Treatment

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August 31, 2020 at 7:27 pm , by Synergy Health

A gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been discovered by a group of scientists. The study appears in Nature Medicine, and reveals that the loss of the EphA4 receptor extends the lifespan of an ALS patient. Last month, another study in the same magazine showed that

Insight about Sickness

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August 31, 2020 at 7:16 pm , by Synergy Health

Denver Refashionista writes Living! with MS! This is a tale about one woman “living” with MS. As an activist, teacher, and writer, Denver also participates in design, dance, and aerial artistry. She speaks quite frankly about how she deals with MS and still manages to live to the fullest when

Preferred Caregivers

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August 31, 2020 at 7:03 pm , by Synergy Health

People with diseases like ALS, MS, and Parkinson’s need caregivers to help them with the many factors of their illness. It is hardly possible to make it without this care. However, a new study shows that mothers who require children to provide caregiving have a preference to which child does

Freezing Gait Recommendations

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August 31, 2020 at 5:41 am , by Synergy Health

A freezing gait often occurs in Parkinson’s Disease, resulting in balance failure and falls. A physical therapist should be able to help identify what provokes the freeze and ways for the person to anticipate and work through the freeze. Common triggers for freezing are: Corners Crowds Divided attention Floor changes

Strange MS Symptoms

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August 31, 2020 at 5:26 am , by Synergy Health

MS consists of more than 60 documented symptoms that come and go, but that doesn’t mean the ones you have aren’t related to MS if you haven’t yet found them on the already extensive list. Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D., regularly discusses her own battle with and curiosities about MS as well

Difficulty Diagnosing MS

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August 31, 2020 at 5:09 am , by Synergy Health

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be very hard to diagnose because some of the more than 60 symptoms can’t be tested. In addition, some symptoms disappear and reappear at random times. Sometimes people see many doctors over a long period of time before getting a proper MS diagnosis. But other times,

Biomarkers Help Distinguish Parkinson’s

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August 31, 2020 at 4:56 am , by Synergy Health

Early on, common symptoms make it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between Parkinson’s and parkinsonian disorders, or Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Now, the discovery of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers show how to distinguish between each one. This exciting discovery reveals how each disease can be identified by

Lyme Antibiotic Retreatment Flawed

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August 31, 2020 at 4:20 am , by Synergy Health

Typically, doctors prescribe two to four weeks of antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease and if symptoms persist after that, they do not advise retreatment with antibiotics. But a new study shows that their refusal to recommend may be derived from design flaws in reports and mistaken analytics. The