'What conditions do members of Sharecare Ghana have?'
The members of Sharecare Ghana
have various autoimmune and/or neurological diseases. Some have still
not been given a diagnosis, but below are the confirmed and suspected
diseases of members (in alphabetical order) and useful websites for
these conditions.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
is a type of arthritis that affects the joints of the spine and the
sacroilium in the pelvis. Other joints, such as the hips and shoulders,
may also be similarly affected.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella
term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions
that cause physical disability in the various areas of body movement.
Dermatomyositis
Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune
connective tissue disease related to polymyositis It may present with
skin rash (not present in polymyositis) and muscle weakness of the trunk
or torso.
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Diabetes Mellitus
– Type I
Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM)
occurs when the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed.
It is mostly diagnosed in children, teenagers, and young adults.
www.uptodate.com/patients/
Graves Disease
Graves disease refers to an
autoimmune process of diffuse overactivity of the entire thyroid gland which
becomes enlarged into a goiter. It is the leading cause of
hyperthyroidism (the presence of too much thyroid hormone), accounting
for 70-80% of cases.
Guillain Barre Syndrome
Guillain Barre Syndrome is
an autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system usually
triggered by an acute infectious process. It is an acute inflammatory
demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP),
www.guillainbarresyndrome.net/
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disease
that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints,
heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. The disease is sometimes mild,
affecting only a few organs, but for some, it may cause serious and
even life-threatening problems.
Motor Neuron Diseases
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs)
are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy cells
that control essential muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing
and swallowing. Common MNDs include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
progressive bulbar palsy, primary lateral sclerosis, and progressive
muscular atrophy. Other MNDs include the many inherited forms of spinal
muscular atrophy and post-polio syndrome, a condition that can strike
polio survivors decades after their recovery from poliomyelitis.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) refers
to inflammation of the central nervous system resulting in damage to
myelin. MS may take several forms, with new symptoms occurring in discrete
attacks or accumulating over time. Permanent neurological problems
may occur as the disease advances.
Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a
chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees
of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles of the body. Symptoms,
which vary in type and severity, may include a drooping of one or both
eyelids (ptosis), blurred or double vision (diplopia), unstable or waddling
gait, weakness in arms, hands, fingers, legs, and neck, a change in
facial expression, difficulty in swallowing and shortness of breath,
and impaired speech (dysarthria).
Neuromyelitis Optica
(Devic's disease)
Devic's disease is an inflammatory
disease of the central nervous system in which there are episodes of
inflammation causing damage to myelin, the protective covering of nerves.
The condition almost exclusively affects the optic nerves and spinal
cord. It usually causes temporary blindness, occasionally permanent,
in one or both eyes and can also lead to varying degrees of weakness
or paralysis.
www.myelitis.org/devics_
Polymyositis
Polymyositis is a chronic inflammatory
state of muscle fibres. It begins when white blood cells spontaneously
invade muscles. The muscles affected are typically those closest to
the trunk or torso, resulting in weakness that can be severe. The loss
of strength can be noticed as difficulty getting up from chairs, climbing
stairs or lifting above the shoulders.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is
an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints.
RA can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well
as in other organs in the body. When body tissues are inflamed, the
disease is active. When tissue inflammation subsides, the disease is
inactive (in remission). Surgery may be recommended to restore joint
mobility or repair damaged joints.
www.arthritis.org/disease-
Spondylosis
Spondylosis is a degenerative
arthritis of the spine. Ultimately this leads to narrowing of the space
between two adjacent vertebrae, compressing the nerve that emerges from
the spinal cord. The typical presentation of spondylosis is severe pain
and muscle weakness (radiculopathy) in the area of the compression.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
Stroke
A stroke is the loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain, caused by a blocked or burst blood vessel. It may lead to inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate speech, or inability to see one side of the visual field.
www.stroke.org
Transverse Myelitis
Transverse myelitis (TM) is
a neurological syndrome caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. Almost
all patients will develop leg weakness of varying degrees of severity.
The arms are involved in a minority of cases dependent upon the level
of spinal cord involvement.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which a loss of pigment causes the skin to appear white. Irregular white patches may occur on any area of the body. This condition is more visible in people with darker skin. The condition can also affect mucous membranes and the retina of the eye. The hair that grows in areas affected may also turn white.
http://healthmad.com/