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HIV and AIDS Support
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition in which the immune system becomes severely weakened and loses its ability to fight infections. Although some scientists, including a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, have questioned whether or not the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has actually been proven to cause AIDS. Most researchers do believe that HIV causes AIDS.
AIDS is an extremely complex disorder, and no cure is currently available. Certain drugs appear to be capable of slowing the progression of the disease. In addition, various nutritional factors may be helpful. However, because of the complicated nature of this disorder, medical supervision is strongly recommended with regard to dietary changes and nutritional supplements. People who have been infected with HIV are hereafter referred to as “HIV-positive.”
What are the symptoms of HIV and AIDS?
HIV causes a broad spectrum of clinical problems, which often mimic other diseases. Within a few weeks of infection, some people may experience flu-like signs and symptoms, including fever, malaise, rash, joint pain, and generalized swelling of the lymph nodes. These acute manifestations usually disappear, and many people remain asymptomatic for long periods. AIDS, the clinical syndrome associated with HIV infection, produces symptoms throughout the body related to opportunistic infections, tumors, and other immune-deficiency complications.
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Alcohol Withdrawal
A majority of people who have been drinking alcohol and decide to stop (often for health-related reasons) are able to do so without much trouble. Alcohol withdrawal typically becomes difficult only when problem drinkers—alcoholics—attempt to quit. Almost inevitably, alcoholics need help in achieving this goal. Sometimes, this help requires medical intervention in detoxification centers.
Finding doctors who work with alcohol detoxification is often as easy as calling the local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and asking for referral information. Most programs successful in getting alcoholics to quit drinking are either part of the AA network or employ AA techniques. Natural approaches to alcohol withdrawal should not substitute for detox centers or for AA or AA-related programs.
What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?
A person typically has a mild to severe hangover that lasts several days. Symptoms may include stomach upset; headache; shakes or jitters; feelings of generalized anxiety or panic attacks; and insomnia that may be accompanied by bad dreams. There may be also be increases in heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature. In a small proportion of alcoholics, withdrawal may result in severe symptoms, such as hallucinations, delirium tremens (DTs), or generalized seizures.
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Birth Defects Prevention
Birth defects affect about 120,000 babies born in the United States each year. Birth defects account for more than 20% of infant deaths and contribute substantially to life-long disabilities. The causes of about 70% of all birth defects are unknown. Various occupational hazards, dietary factors, medications, personal habits, and environmental exposures may contribute to birth defects, but many questions remain about the exact nature of their influence.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common birth defects. NTDs result when the neural tube (which includes the spinal cord and brain) fails to close during the first month of embryonic development. NTDs include several disorders ranging from spina bifida (incomplete closure of the bones around the spinal cord that can lead to paralysis) to a lack of a cranium (the bones of the head) and its contents, called anencephaly. Approximately 4,000 pregnancies in the United States are affected by NTDs each year.
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Liver Cirrhosis
Liver Cirrhosis is a condition of severe damage to the liver that impairs its ability to function normally. In the United States, the most common cause of liver cirrhosis is chronic alcoholism. Liver cirrhosis may also result from chronic viral infection of the liver ( hepatitis types B, C, and D) and a number of inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, and Wilson’s disease. If severe, liver cirrhosis may lead to liver failure and death. In the Western world, liver cirrhosis is the third leading cause of death in people aged 45 to 65 (after cardiovascular disease and cancer). Liver cirrhosis may also cause a dangerous brain abnormality called portal-systemic encephalopathy (PSE), which may lead to coma. Another form of cirrhosis, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), damages the bile ducts connecting the liver and gallbladder, and occurs primarily in women over 35 years of age. The cause of PBC is not known.
What are the symptoms of liver cirrhosis?
Many people with cirrhosis have no symptoms for years. Others may have weakness, loss of appetite, malaise, and weight loss. With blocked bile flow, it is common for people with cirrhosis to have jaundice, itching, and fatty yellow skin nodules. Later in the disease, there may be massive bleeding inside the throat, brain abnormalities due to accumulation of ammonia in the blood, liver failure, and death.
How is it treated?
Conventional treatment is supportive, since cure is unlikely: withdrawal of alcohol and other toxic agents, correction of nutritional deficiencies, and treatment of complications as they arise. A number of experimental drugs are being investigated for reversal of liver damage, but few have proven effective. Liver transplantation for patients with advanced disease has dramatically increased the life expectancy associated with liver cirrhosis.
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Birth Defects Prevention
Birth defects affect about 120,000 babies born in the United States each year. Birth defects account for more than 20% of infant deaths and contribute substantially to life-long disabilities. The causes of about 70% of all birth defects are unknown. Various occupational hazards, dietary factors, medications, personal habits, and environmental exposures may contribute to birth defects, but many questions remain about the exact nature of their influence.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common birth defects. NTDs result when the neural tube (which includes the spinal cord and brain) fails to close during the first month of embryonic development. NTDs include several disorders ranging from spina bifida (incomplete closure of the bones around the spinal cord that can lead to paralysis) to a lack of a cranium (the bones of the head) and its contents, called anencephaly. Approximately 4,000 pregnancies in the United States are affected by NTDs each year.
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