What are the five symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome?

Five symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome include:
1.    A substantial reduction or impairment in the ability to engage in pre-illness levels of occupational, educational, social or personal activities for longer than 6 months
2.    Post-exertional malaise (PEM), which is a worsening of symptoms following physical, mental, or emotional exertion that would not have caused a problem before the illness.
3.    Unrefreshing sleep that leaves not feeling better or perhaps even feeling worse after a full night’s sleep and no other reason for poor sleep quality.
4.    Cognitive impairment, such as problems with thinking, memory, attention, organization skills, and information processing. 
5.    Orthostatic intolerance, which is a worsening of symptoms upon assuming and maintaining upright posture. 

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What are the early warning signs of bradykinesia?

Bradykinesia, a slowness or “poverty” of movement, reduces the pace of everyday activities, such as walking and eating. Movements that were once second nature become ponderous and deliberate — a process one person described as “going from automatic to manual.” Eventually, the slowness erases body language used to express moods and thoughts, such as waving a hand to emphasize a point or raising a skeptical eyebrow. Bradykinesia can be the most disabling aspects of Parkinson’s disease. Exercise and medications can help counteract many of bradykinesia’s effects.  

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What is the best treatment for back pain relief?

While the best treatments depend on the cause, most new-onset back pain improves on its own regardless of treatment.
When a serious or dangerous cause is suspected (such as when back pain is unrelenting and debilitating, follows major trauma or is accompanied by fever or weight loss), it’s important to seek medical attention promptly.
Reasonable initial treatments of non-urgent, recent-onset back pain include a number of non-medication approaches, including:
•    heat
•    massage
•    acupuncture
•    spinal manipulation
•    gentle exercise including stretching
•    physical therapy may be appropriate for those who need or prefer a supervised exercise program
•    remaining physically active (as much as symptoms allow)
If symptoms don’t improve, a short course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen may help. A muscle relaxant can be considered if other treatments aren’t effective.
When back pain persists despite treatment and the passage of time, further evaluation is warranted to rule out serious causes of symptoms and to determine a specific cause that might warrant a particular treatment.

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What do you eat if you have biliary colic?

Biliary colic is episodic pain caused by a gallstone temporarily stuck in a duct that carries bile to the small intestine. People who eat large quantities of simple sugars and dietary fats are more likely to have gallstones compared to people who eat what is considered a “heart healthy diet.” However, this is just an association, not proof that sugar and fat cause gallstones. However, it’s worth trying a very low fat diet. A low fat diet decreases contractions of the gallbladder. This may prevent stones from moving out of the gallbladder into the bile duct where they may get stuck. So a low fat diet may decrease the risk of future attacks of biliary colic.

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What causes cataplexy and how can one treat it?

Cataplexy is one of the symptoms that can happen in people with narcolepsy. A person with cataplexy may suddenly lose muscle tone while awake, causing the head to fall forward and the knees to buckle. Most attacks last for less than 30 seconds and may go unnoticed, but in severe cases, the person may fall and stay paralyzed for as long as several minutes. Laughter, anger, or other strong emotions often trigger cataplexy. Medication is often needed to help treat the condition.

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What are the signs and causes of cognitive impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to a measurable decline in at least one cognitive area—most often memory—that goes beyond the effects of normal aging. People with MCI are able to perform normal daily activities, such as eating, dressing, and bathing, as well as most complex activities, such as driving, cooking, cleaning, and managing finances.  The main risk factors for MCI include head trauma, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. 

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What is exophthalmos and how does it affect your eyes?

Exophthalmos is an abnormal bulging out of one or both eyes. Sometimes eyes can appear to be bulging when a person has lost a lot of weight. The eyes remain the same, but there’s less fat and muscle around the face. This makes the eyes look like they bulge in comparison.
The most common cause of true exophthalmos is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that leads to an overactive thyroid gland. The disease also can cause proteins to accumulate in certain tissues, most commonly in the muscles that control eye movements. These muscles are called the extraocular muscles. They get larger and push the eyes forward. Usually both eyes are affected.

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What are the best natural remedies for frequent urination?

Frequent urination can occur for many reasons and treatment depends on the cause. The solution may be as simple as drinking less fluid and seeing if that helps. But there are important medical reasons for frequent urination that need to be investigated. Frequent urination because of frequent urgency to urinate could be due to a bladder infection or other bladder problem. Frequent urination with excessive thirst could be due to diabetes or kidney disease. These are just a few examples.

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What is agnosia and what causes it?

Agnosia is a disorder in perception. The person can’t recognize objects, shapes or people. A person with agnosia is not able to comprehend the meaning of what they see and cannot recognize objects, shapes or people. For example, the person may run into furniture, believe a spouse is an impostor, become frightened by ordinary sounds, or fail to recognize their own reflection in a mirror. Agnosia can contribute to inappropriate behavior. It can occur in people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, after a stroke or other less common brain diseases.

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