Disease States
Click on each section below for more information on each of these disease states.
- Migraine is a more severe type of headache characterized by throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head. Migraine can be caused by activating nerves in the head which can be triggered by:
- Sudden change in environment
- Too little or too much sleep
- Strong odors
- Emotion
- Stress
- Overexertion
- Loud noises
- Bright or flashing lights
- Hormonal changes
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/migraine
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that mainly attacks the joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. The causes are unknown; however, risk factors include age, sex, genetics, smoking, history of live births, early life exposure, obesity. Signs and symptoms include:
- Pain or aching, stiffness, or tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
- The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/rheumatoid-arthritis.html
- Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the skin and joints that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in affected joints. It is linked with psoriasis which is a chronic skin and nail disease. Causes are unknown; however, risk factors include immunity, genes, and the environment. Symptoms include:
- Swollen finger and toes
- Foot pain
- Lower back pain
- Nail changes
- Eye inflammation
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354076
- Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which bones weaken and can increase the risk of fractures. Fractures most commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Sex (most common in women), age, race, family history, body frame size, hormone levels, diet, certain medications, lifestyle. You can prevent osteoporosis by exercising, limiting alcohol use, quitting or not starting smoking, nutritious diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to maintain good bone health.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968
- Osteoarthritis is a joint disease where the joint tissues continue to break down over time. This is the most common arthritis seen in elderly, with most experiencing pain in the hands, knees, hips, neck and lower back. Currently the cause for osteoarthritis is unknown, but if left untreated, there can be damage in the following joints:
- Cartilage
- Tendons and ligaments
- Synovium
- Bone
- Meniscus of the knee
- https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoarthritis
- Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis which causes skin patches that are dry, itchy, and raised. They often appear on the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp. The cause for plaque psoriasis is not fully understood, but is known as an autoimmune disease where your immune system will attack healthy cells as if the body had an infection. This will cause new skin cells to arise, building up in thick patches.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355840
- Crohn’s disease is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and irritation in the digestive tract. One can often experience abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition. It is currently not known what causes Crohn’s disease, but is known to be an autoimmune reaction. It is thought that bacteria in the digestive tract can trigger the immune system. Triggers can include:
- Smoking
- NSAIDs
- High fat diet
- Stress
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353304
- Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. Can develop at any age, but usually in the age of 15 to 30 years old. Symptoms can include diarrhea, bloody stools, and abdominal pain. The cause for ulcerative colitis is not currently known, but has been associated with genes, abnormal immune reaction, the microbiome, or the environment. Trigger for flare ups can include stress and food such as dairy, caffeine, and alcohol.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ulcerative-colitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353326
- Cancer is a genetic disease that involves the uncontrolled growth of cells and spread to various organs of the body. Cancerous cells can spread to nearby tissues and form new tumors, and this is a process called metastasis. Cancer can be caused by many factors such as environmental, genetic, tobacco use, alcohol consumption.
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer
- IVIG stands for intravenous immune globulin. IVIG comes from the plasma of donors and can be used to treat various disorders including immunodeficiency, autoimmune, and inflammatory disorders. There are other types of immune globulin preparations which are dependent on the route of administration. Examples include subcutaneous (SCIG) and intramuscular (IMIG).Immune globulin provides passive immunity to individuals to provide protection against a known or expected exposure.
- https://rheumatology.org/patients/intravenous-immunoglobulin-ivig
- Diabetes is a chronic condition that involves two types of Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 your body doesn’t produce enough insulin to turn food into energy. In Type 2 the body’s insulin is not working well. In both scenarios, the role of insulin is important in regulating how sugar is used by body’s cells as a form of energy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks itself. Risk factors include family history and age. Predominately Type 1 diabetes affects younger children, teens, and/or younger adults. Type 2 diabetes is caused by environmental risk factors such as obesity, less physical activity, diabetes during pregnancy, and other conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or prediabetes.
- https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html
- Cervical dystonia is an abnormal movement disorder that affects the neck posture, causes neck tremor, and/or neck pain. Dystonia can be due to the result of environmental factors such as reactions to specific medications, heavy metal or carbon monoxide poisoning, trauma, or stroke. It can also be due to hereditary or genetic origins. Most cases of dystonia do not have a clear cause.
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/dystonia
