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Alcohol affects the central nervous system as a depressant. This leads to a decrease in: Activity; Anxiety; Inhibitions; Tension. Even a few drinks can change behavior, slow motor skills, and decrease the ability to think clearly. It can impair co...
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Alcoholism is the layman's term for alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , published by the American Psychiatric Association and commonly called the DSM-IV, the essential feat...
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Alcoholism is a chronic physical, psychological, and behavioral disorder characterized by excessive use of alcoholic beverages; emotional and physical dependence on them; increased tolerance over time of the effects of alcohol; and withdrawal symp...
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Alcoholism is a chronic physical, psychological, and behavioral disorder characterized by excessive use of alcoholic beverages; emotional and physical dependence on them; increased tolerance over time of the effects of alcohol; and withdrawal symp...
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The essential feature of alcohol abuse is the maladaptive use of alcohol with recurrent and significant adverse consequences related to its repeated use. Alcoholism is the popular term for two disorders, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The h...
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Alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as "A maladaptive pattern of alcohol use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress." That maladaptive pattern is ...
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Alcoholism is the popular term for alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The hallmarks of both of these disorders involve repeated life problems that can be directly tied to a person's abuse of alcohol. Alcoholism has serious consequences, affecti...
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Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
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New and severe abdominal pain always needs to be closely evaluated by a doctor. It is frequently a sign of serious illness.
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Repeated episodes of abdominal pain can arise from a variety of medical causes, including some serious conditions. Everyone who has unexplained abdominal pain requires a medical evaluation by a doctor.
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Most of the time, children with mild abdominal pain are not seriously ill; the symptoms go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, if your child has severe abdominal pain or has a bellyache along with frequent vomiting, you should contact your child's pediatrician.
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Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there’s no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a serious problem, such as appendicitis, so it is important to know when to seek help.
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An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
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An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart ' s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
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Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, types, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on problems involving heart rhythm
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The guidelines for how long to wait before driving after having an ICD implanted have been revised, to reflect the growing number of people who receive the device preventively.
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When you're sick, even with just a cold, your blood sugar level may rise. Ask your healthcare team to help you develop a sick-day plan for controlling blood sugar. Here are some guidelines.
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Aggressive behavior is reactionary and impulsive behavior that often results in breaking household rules or the law; aggressive behavior is violent and unpredictable. Aggression can a problem for children with both normal development and those with psychosocial disturbances.
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Breath odor is the scent of the air you breathe out of your mouth. Unpleasant, distinctive, or offensive breath odor is commonly called bad breath.
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Bad breath, sometimes called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Bad breath is likely to be experienced by most adults at least occasionally.
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Detailed information on halitosis (bad breath), including causes and treatment
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Bad breath, also called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Usually it is due to poor hygiene, but it can be an indication of underlying health problems.
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Although it's rarely a sign of a major medical problem, bad breath can cause embarrassment, low self-esteem and even social isolation.
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Includes up-to-date information on disease prevention, fillings, gingivitis, periodontitis, pulp diseases, root canal therapy, implants, bridges, orthodontics, and cosmetic procedures.
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If you have bad breath, take heart. It's likely caused by a family of foul bacteria encamped upon your tongue.
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Binge drinkers are most likely found on college campuses, where many students consider a big game or fraternity party an excuse to drink all weekend.
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By the time teens reach the eighth grade, nearly half of them have had at least one alcoholic drink, and more than 20 percent have been drunk.
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Too many young people are participating in a dangerous practice called binge drinking, or drinking to intoxication. It's defined as having five or more drinks in a row for men; for women, it’s four-plus drinks in a row.
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This report includes information on recognizing the symptoms of problem drinking, treatment techniques, coping with a loved one's drinking, and overcoming denial.
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Clumsiness is a common problem in otherwise healthy children with normal intelligence.
Motor coordination problems may affect the ability to perform age-appropriate activities,
such as dressing and running.
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Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity, including feeling disoriented and having difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.
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Uncoordinated movement is an abnormality of muscle control or an inability to finely coordinate movements, resulting in a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fro motion of the trunk or the limbs.
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Ataxia, a medical term originated from the Greek language meaning " without order, " refers to disturbances in the control of body posture, motor coordination, speech control, and eye movements. Several brain areas, including the cerebellum and the spinocerebellar tracts, substantia nigra, pons, and cerebral cortex control these functions.
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Detailed information on ataxia, including sporadic ataxia and the hereditary ataxias
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Lack of coordination in the muscles. Ataxia, an extreme lack of coordination of the muscles, is a symptom of damage to the central nervous system.
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Developmental coordination disorder is diagnosed when children do not develop normal motor coordination (coordination of movements involving the voluntary muscles). Developmental coordination disorder has been known by many other names, some of which are still used today.
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Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes uncontrollable sleepiness and frequent daytime sleeping.
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When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea ).
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea ).
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea).
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea).
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Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable episodes of sleepiness during the day. Episodes can last from a few seconds to more than an hour and can significantly interfere with daily activities.
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Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies narcolepsy as a sleep disorder in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , or DSM-IV .
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea).
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Detailed information on depression and depression in women, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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Depression and depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep , appetite, and mental processes are common symptoms of depression.
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration, sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide. Until recently, it was thought that children and adolescents could not suffer from clinical depression.
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Everybody feels sad sometimes, but to be clinically depressed is not just a matter of feeling sad. A patient with cancer is diagnosed as having major depression only if certain symptoms, such as loss of pleasure or thoughts of death, are present for at least two weeks.
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Depression is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness. It is a debilitating disease with significant societal costs.
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A depressive disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It encompasses feelings of overwhelming sadness and despair that persist or intensify over time.
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Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
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Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time. See also: Adolescent depression; Depression in the elderly.
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Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
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This report offers in-depth information on the causes of depression and the treatments and medications that can lift your mood.
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People who are depressed have a cluster of symptoms characterized by sadness and a profound lack of energy and well-being.
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It's important not to underestimate the dangers associated with depression, especially if you've had multiple episodes or lingering symptoms. For example, people who don't get treated for their depression have a higher risk for suicide.
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Depression is a complicated and common mental health condition that affects about 10 to 15 percent of Americans. The following questions and answers can help you recognize and get effective treatment for depression.
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The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
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Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.
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Many people with depression do not receive adequate medical treatment, and even if they are treated, doctors may not be paying enough attention to their patients' needs.
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In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
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A woman’s unique biological, social, and cultural factors may increase her risk for depression.
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Too often, parents miss the signs of depression. Or, they believe their teen will “snap out of it” eventually.
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Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
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In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
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Depression is not "all in your head." It is a real illness that saps your energy. It can leave you feeling sad, hopeless, lonely and guilty. It is related to a chemical imbalance in the brain and to certain traits such as low self-esteem and pessimism. Some kinds of depression may be inherited.
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Everyone feels down at times, but diabetics are especially prone to depression. An unhappy period that’s intense or lasts for more than a couple of weeks can be a sign of depression. Depression is a serious illness.
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Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
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Studies of a link between depression and osteoporosis suggest the bone deterioration could be a result of the depression, or may be caused by taking antidepressant medications for a long period of time.
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Seasonal affective disorder is thought to be caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter months. Light therapy helps some people, and the FDA has approved the antidepressant bupropion for treatment as well.
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The mind and the body are intimately connected, and our overall health depends on both working well. This is most evident in depression: Research shows that people who suffer from clinical depression face a higher risk of contracting one of the stress-linked illnesses than the rest of the population.
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Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
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Discussing the definition and treatment of a contested psychological diagnosis???atypical depression.
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A roundup of studies exploring the beneficial effects of exercise on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Is it a case of the chicken and the egg?
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Exposure to the right kind of light may go a long way toward reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
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Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.
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Depressed patients are more likely to respond to medical treatment if their doctors practice empathy and effective communication skills.
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My mother has advanced lung cancer and is receiving chemo. I live with her and am also her caregiver. We have been very close all of our lives, and I am having a hard time adjusting well. Sometimes I even get angry with her and then I feel guilty. The next step is I get depressed and have thought about a way out, but have not attempted anything. Can you suggest anything to help me cope?
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Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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Discusses options for treatment of seasonal affective disorder.The treatment of seasonal affective disorder throws light on dark moods.
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People who suffer from depression are more likely to have a sleep-related breathing problem such as apnea. Treating the sleep problem may help alleviate the depression in some people.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Accutane, a powerful acne medication, has been linked to depression or suicide.
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An explanation of the two-way relationship between depression and stroke. Depressed people are at higher risk for a stroke, but depression often precedes as well as follows a stroke.
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Hypotheses explaining how depression manifests itself. The American Psychiatric Association requires any five of nine symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. As the definition implies, these symptoms do not all appear in everyone who is depressed. Two studies explore the consequences for the understanding of depression and come to contrasting conclusions. One study suggests that an individual patient's symptoms are not consistent, but change more or less unpredictably from one episode of depression to the next. The other study suggests that there are several sets of depressive symptoms that are distinguishable genetically and therefore likely to persist in a given individual.
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Concern about antidepressants increasing the risk of suicide in children could have the unintended effect that children suffering from depression may not receive needed treatment.
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Researchers in China found that Chinese citizens were more likely to express symptoms of depression as having a physical component as well as an emotional one, due to the way their culture interprets such feelings.
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Folate, a B vitamin, breaks down homocysteine, which may be associated with depression. Because of this it has been tested as a possible treatment, but the results have been mixed and more research is needed.
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