head injury
The Higher Incidence of Epilepsy in Combat Veterans Can Speed Treatment
There is plenty of data to show a high number of diagnoses of epilepsy in combat veterans. Understanding such a link can assist medical professionals with offering faster treatment. They can bypass many of the usual tests and get to the core of the problem. This is why most doctors ask for a full history and that includes previous military involvement.
It is possible for a head injury during combat to cause seizures to occur. This can be in the days or months after the injury occurs. However, it can also be several decades later when a seizure is triggered. That is why it is sometimes hard to make the connection between what has happened in the past and what is currrently happening.
There is really no rhyme or reason when it comes to the onset of epilepsy in combat veterans. Some of them were all fighting at the same place, but that isn’t the only variable that has to be looked at. A common problem is that these veterans aren’t getting the care that they need. It is frustrating because they have fought for our country and now they have to fight to get their basic medical care needs met.
The Mayo Clinic has been a driving force in studying epilepsy. They have looked at the information concerning combat veterans. They strive to help them have as good a quality of life as they can. This includes comprehensive care for behavior, medications, and even surgery when it is an absolute necessary.
It is important for all veterans to understand this information. If they have had any type of seizure, then it is time to get to a doctor. Too often a person is looking at what has recently gone on to determine why it is happening. At the Mayo Clinic, though, they consider all factors.
They take blood and urine samples. They do a complete physical exam, EEG, and brain image test. They also ask about any military experience, injuries, and more. They want to have the full spectrum of information to do a complete assessment and evaluation.
Studies that follow Vietnam veterans with head injuries have helped to be able to come up with plenty of data for diagnosis and treatment. This information also indicates that all military personnel should be taking precautions to prevent any type of head injury from occurring. Should one happen, though, it is very important to tell supervisors immediately.
When you do have to see a doctor due to seizures you want to make sure they know about any head injuries you experienced during your military service. Epilepsy in combat veterans continues to be something that has to be explored. The fact that those head injuries may have occurred long ago means that we can’t just assume that long-term care won’t be needed later in life for veterans.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_101248.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/epilepsy/
Is There a Link Between Fertility Treatment and Cerebral Palsy?
Perhaps you are in the situation where you would do just about anything to have a child. You and spouse may not be able to conceive. If you can’t get approved to adopt a child, you may begin to feel depressed about it. If you love children, you may want an army of rug rats running around your house. Then, just when you thought you have tried everything, perhaps you have decided to consider fertility treatment. After your spouse thinks about it, you decide to undergo the treatment to increase your chances of having a child.
If you are one of the 150,000 women trying to get pregnant using the assisted reproduction treatment, there is new research available that should get your attention. A study pouring over 590,000 births in Denmark between 1995 and 2003 found that children conceived through fertility treatment had an increased risk of developing cerebral palsy. Research revealed that assisted reproduced children were twice more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder. This is compared to those naturally conceived.
According to the United Cerebral Palsy Association, more than 500,000 people are living with the disorder. The statistic only consists of Americans. Cerebral palsy is viewed as a group of disorders instead of just one. The most common type is spastic cerebral palsy. Symptoms include tight muscles and joints that are unable to stretch out, abnormal walking, and weak muscles.
Other cerebral palsy types include dyskinetic, ataxic, hypotonic, and mixed. The disorder usually develops when the child is still in the womb. Parents don’t usually start seeing signs of the disorder until the child is three months to two years old. Causes of cerebral palsy can be bleeding in the child’s brain, infections contracted from the mother, head injury, or severe jaundice. Jaundice is a condition in a child where high levels of bilirubin are found in the child’s blood leading to the skin and whites of its eyes becoming yellow. The study from Denmark shows the increase risk of cerebral palsy could be because the number of embryos implanted into the mother during fertility treatment.
Typically, fertility treatment removes eggs from the mother and combines them with sperm from the father. It is all done in a lab. Then, multiple embryos are placed back in the mother to see if she becomes pregnant. Many times, the mother will give birth to more than one child. Usually, the child or children will be born preterm.
The researchers in the study believe these multi-births and preterm labors are what cause the heightened risk of cerebral palsy. In both the United States and Europe, the risk of a child having cerebral palsy is low compared other disorders. Other studies show normal risk of the disorder is one out of 1,000 children will display cerebral palsy symptoms.
Of the 590,000 births, only 0.2 percent of the children had cerebral palsy. Those who were in the in vitro fertilization group were doubled compared to the typical statistic. Children conceived with fertility drugs were 55 percent higher than the IVF group alone. These are important findings that any couple considering using fertility treatments should consider before going forward with the procedure.