West Nile virus (WNV) is an infectious disease that first appeared in the United States in 1999. Infected mosquitoes spread the virus that causes it. People who get WNV usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms. The symptoms include a fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands. They can
What are walking problems?
If you are like most people, you walk thousands of steps each day. You walk to do your daily activities, get around, and exercise. It’s something that you usually don’t think about. But for those people who have a problem with walking, daily life can be more difficult.
Walking problems may cause
What is a tremor?
A tremor is a rhythmic shaking movement in one or more parts of your body. It is involuntary, meaning that you cannot control it. This shaking happens because of muscle contractions.
A tremor is most often in your hands, but it could also affect your arms, head, vocal cords, trunk, and
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that lasts only a few minutes. It happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly blocked. Symptoms of a TIA are like other stroke symptoms, but do not last as long. They happen suddenly, and include:
Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of
What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cells cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
If you think
Children vary in their development of speech and language skills. Health care professionals have lists of milestones for what’s normal. These milestones help figure out whether a child is on track or if he or she may need extra help. For example, a child usually has one or two words like “Hi,” “dog,” “Dada,”
What is polio?
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disease that spreads from person to person. It is caused by the poliovirus. The virus attacks the nervous system. In serious cases, it can cause paralysis (where you can’t move parts of the body). The paralysis may be lifelong and can sometimes be life-threatening.
Because of vaccines, polio
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a type of movement disorder. It happens when nerve cells in the brain don’t produce enough of a brain chemical called dopamine. Sometimes it is genetic, but most cases do not seem to run in families. Exposure to chemicals in the environment might play a role.
Symptoms begin gradually, often on one
Neuromuscular disorders affect your neuromuscular system. They can cause problems with:
The nerves that control your muscles
Your muscles
Communication between your nerves and muscles
These disorders can cause your muscles to become weak and waste away. You may also have symptoms such as spasms, twitching, and pain.
Examples of neuromuscular disorders include:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Myasthenia gravis
Spinal muscular atrophy
There can
What is neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that forms in nerve cells called neuroblasts. Neuroblasts are immature nerve tissue. They normally turn into working nerve cells. But in neuroblastoma, they form a tumor.
Neuroblastoma usually begins in the adrenal glands. You have two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands make