July 31st, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Mononucleosis, more commonly known as mono–or the kissing disease, is fairly common to teenagers. Most teenagers recover in a couple of weeks, but for some the symptoms persist for years in what is referred to as post-infective fatigue. It is thought that post-infective fatigue is linked to the Epstein Barr virus (EBV) also known as chronic fatigue. [...]
July 31st, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Voice of America (VOA) has an audio story that provides a brief overview of the history of Parkinson’s disease. Starting with when the symptoms where first noted by British physician, James Parkinson, in 1817, to researcher’s discovery in the 1960′s that Parkinson’s patients manifested changes in their brain structure, then, how drugs were soon developed to treat the [...]
July 30th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) nearly 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and 17 million have been diagnosed with asthma. The NIAID web site offers excellent information on allergies through a wide offering of fact sheets, brochures, news releases, and a variety of resource links.
July 29th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Gary Lynch, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at UC Irvine, achieved a century-old dream of neuroscientists—to observe changes in brain cell connections following a period of learning. Synaptic connections, critical to learning, were observed to change in rats’ brains after they learned to navigate a new, complex environment. A control group of rats were [...]
July 28th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Recent studies suggest that high levels of DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) indicate that it may help in warding off Alzheimer’s disease. Those with high levels of DHA were about half as likely to develop dementia as those who had lower levels. The prestigious Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center plans to conduct a nationwide study where [...]
July 28th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Trish, is a RN who feels it is important that health care professionals understand, first-hand, how chronic pain and occipital neuralgia patients live with their affliction. She wants treating professionals to understand, among other things, what these sufferers endure when while seeking relief from their chronic pain they are accused of being a drug-addict looking for a high. She [...]
July 28th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides the most recent reports and testimonies related to military and veteran’s health care and disability benefits issued since March 2003. Currently there are 28 items listed related to veterans disability benefits. GAO Findings and Recommendations Regarding DOD and VA Disability Systems GAO-07-906R, May 25, 2007 Abstract PDF Veterans Benefits [...]
July 26th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Neuroscientist researchers at Emory University found that mice with a reduced capacity to store dopamine developed symptoms that mimic Parkinson’s disease. The mice had a reduced amount of the gene VMAT2, which caused a loss of dopamine neurons, in addition to many of the other neurochemical features observed in Parkinson’s disease patients. The VMAT2 gene [...]
July 25th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Fight Bad-faith Insurance Companies (FBIC) is an excellent site on getting the low-down on your insurance company. In previous posts it has been mentioned that there are no Federal or State laws that specifically regulate insurance policies. Sure, there are rules and regulations on how insurance companies conduct business, but when it comes to how [...]
July 24th, 2007 by Richard Brassaw
Veterans Adminstration (VA) Secretary Jim Nicholson has been accused by injured Iraq war veterans of denying them benefits. The class action suit was filed on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans. Attorneys filing the class action said that the objective is not monetary. What they want is for the VA to provide the mental [...]