Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disorderIt causes severe bilateral pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulder.The cause of polymyalgia rheumatica is not known.But it is associated with immune system problemsSymptoms often include fever, a general feeling of malaiseThere is weight loss and prolonged muscle and joint achesPain in the shoulder and pelvic girdle develops suddenly or over weeks.The average mean onset especially in ...

Liver Cirrhosis is a chronic liver diseaseWhere the normal liver tissue is scarred and decreasedThis can lead to loss of liver functionThe main cause is alcohol consumptionThis is followed by Liver infectionSometimes there is biliary obstructionCaused by gallstones and cholecystitisSometimes it is caused by biliary cholangitisScarring of liver tissue can cause loss of functionYou may have loss of appetite and biliary congesti...

This book describes Willis-Ekbom Disease or Restless Leg Syndrome, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesRestless Legs Syndrome every one hates you.You rob people of the sleep and make them blueOut of the blue my legs started feeling funnyMy RLS leaves me with very little energyYou make me have the urge to move my legsI feel that ants are crawling on my skin and laying eggsI only feel comfortable when my legs are kickingThese ...

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin present in many foods.Vitamin B12 is found in meat, poultry, not present in vegetables and fruitsVitamin B12 is important for red blood cells production.It is also important for peripheral nerve functionVitamin B12 Deficiency is a silent diseaseSeverity of Vitamin B12 deficiency is inversely related to ageOne cause of Vitamin B12 deficiency is malabsorptionThe other cause is poor food intake function

Lactose intolerance is a medical disorder in adults and children who have trouble digesting lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods.An enzyme called lactase is needed by the body to digest lactose.Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine does not produce enough of this enzyme.As with everything the patient eats, the body needs to digest lactose to produce energy for body.People with lactose intolerance do not make enough lactase i...

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a medical disorder caused by damage to or disease affecting peripheral nerves, which may reduce sensation, movement, gland or organ function, or other parts of health, depending on the type of nerve affected.Peripheral nerves bring information to and from the brain.They also transfer signals to and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.Peripheral neuropathy usually suggests that these nerves do not work properly.Peripheral ne...

Heart valve diseases are outside the field of most family doctors because of the difficulty in the treatment. It is more of a cardiologist's field.However the sounds of the heart murmurs and heart clicks still fascinate me.What is important from a family doctor's perspective is to differentiate the heart valve diseases and send them for treatment.I have specifically devoted a chapter to differential diagnoses of the heart valve diseases.Proper treatment of the h...

This book describes Schizophrenia, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases"I have schizophrenia. I am not schizophrenia. I am not my mental illness. My illness is a part of me."– Jonathan HarnischSchizophrenia is hearing voices, not doing voices.- Maria BamfordIf you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.-Thomas SzaszSchizophrenia is a complex mental disorder characterized by symptoms involving:

Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ disorders) are medical disorders that involve the chewing muscles and joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull.Temporomandibular joint disorders involve the jaw joint.The jaw joint is sited just in front of the ear and it connects the jaw bone (mandible) to the skull near to the temple.This particular jaw joint is known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).Medical conditions affecting this joint are typical...

Pseudogout (Calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate CPPD) is a joint condition associated with deposition of crystals of CPPD that can cause attacks of arthritis.Like gout, crystals form in the joints.But in calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate arthritis the crystals are not formed from high uric acid.The deposit of this CPPD crystal in the joints leads to acute attacks of inflammation of the joints with swelling, redness and pain in the knees, wrists, ankles similar to gout....

SPINAL STENOSISLumbar Spinal Stenosis is a condition due to the narrowing of the spinal canal either in the central part or peripheral (lateral) to the side in the nerve root canal.This results in pain in one leg without back painEvery one can get Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.The age of onset is usually in the late 40's.It is also more common in men than women.What are the causes of Spinal Stenosis?The causes of lumbar spinal stenosis are:

This book describes Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's Granulomatosis), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesGranulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) is a disease that causes the small blood vessels (arterioles and capillaries) in the body to become inflamed.Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) can lead to damage in major organs of the body.It was formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis.Particularly, lungs, throat, nose, s...