Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses in America, with over 40 million cases reported last year. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for anxiety disorders to be accompanied or triggered by bipolar disorder. When this is the case, special care must be given when devising a treatment plan for the sufferer. Bipolar anti-anxiety medications should be recommended in most case, along with regular therapy.

Understanding Bipolar/Anxiety Treatments

As with most mental illnesses being treated with medication, the bipolar anti-anxiety medication is just a part of the overall treatment plan. These patients suffering from both disorders tend to have an overall lower success rate in treatment than when the conditions exist singly, unless supervised very closely and monitored for changes. People suffering from both disorders are more prone towards ******* and substance abuse, and should be monitored accordingly.

Since the symptoms of either disorder can trigger the other, it is imperative that both disorders be treated at the same time. But special care must be given to the selection of medications when treating these two conditions concurrently.

Bipolar Anti-Anxiety Medications

When both bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders are present, medical treatment through prescription medications is almost always necessary. It is always the doctors aim to stabilize the mood of the patient through the use of bipolar anti-anxiety medications. This is necessary since the introduction of the normal anti-depressants that are prescribed for anxiety disorders can trigger manic episodes in someone with bipolar disorder if their mood has not been stabilized beforehand. Even if care is taken to stabilize the patients mood before prescribing anti-anxiety medications, it is not uncommon for manic episodes to occur as a result.

Benzodiazepine, a form of tranquilizer, is sometimes used to treat bipolar disorder with anxiety disorders. They seem to treat the anxiety disorders symptoms without triggering manic episodes caused by bipolar disorder. The biggest problem with benzodiazepine is that, like any tranquilizer, it is extremely prone to abuse, and is habit-forming. Withdrawal from benzodiazepine can cause the disorders to return and even get worse.

Often the treating doctor will find themselves needing to change the patients bipolar anti-anxiety medications to different combinations and dosages. Finding just the right treatment for someone suffering from both conditions is difficult, and requires close attention and frequent adjustments by the doctor.

Other Pieces of the Puzzle

While bipolar anti-anxiety medications are an important part of a successful treatment plan, they are not the only thing that needs to be done. Therapy is extremely important as well. The medications help the patient get through day-to-day life, while the therapy aims to combat the problem from it’s roots. In all cases, patients on a combination of bipolar anti-anxiety medications and regular therapy were far more likely to successfully combat their condition.



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Alien asked:

Description

Hives are a sudden eruption of red and white bumps on the skin. While hives are usually itchy, and therefore bothersome, they are generally not dangerous-except in cases of bee or insect stings, when hives indicate a true medical emergency. A case of hives may last for less than 30 minutes or as long as a week.

When the body comes into contact with a substance it considers dangerous, it floods the skin with histamine to combat the problematic substance. Hives result when there is excess buildup of histamine on a particular area of skin. Substances that cause this histamine release differ from person to person, though common irritants include animal dander, pollen, aspirin, penicillin, insect bites, and foods to which the person is allergic.

Signs and Symptoms

A batch of raised, red or white bumps on a localized area of skin

Bumps may appear and disappear suddenly

The affected area may be mildly or severely itchy

Certain people can develop recurrent hives from sunlight, cold, pressure, vibration or exercise. These are called the physical urticarias. If hives develop from scratching or firmly rubbing the skin it is called dermatographism. It is the most common of the physical urticarias and it affects about 5 percent of the population. It doesn’t always itch. This condition sometimes also occurs along with other forms of hives.

Conventional Medical Treatment

Hives often do not usually require medical treatment, but if the hives remain for an extended period of time, see your doctor. After taking your medical history, your physician may ask about your exposure within the last two weeks to any possible irritants. Unfortunately, hives can be caused by such a wide range of irritants that your physician may not be able to identify the exact cause. If the cause is identified, you will be urged to avoid the substance that caused the outbreak. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe a medication, usually an antihistamine, to treat the condition.

If the hives are accompanied by shortness of breath, fever, nausea, or abdominal cramps, immediately seek medical help. You could be suffering from anaphylactic shock. Many antihistamines are available without prescription, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), taken in doses of 25 milligrams and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), taken in a dose of 4 milligrams. These can be taken up to three times a day, but because these medications can cause drowsiness, they are often taken at bedtime.

Aromatherapy

German chamomile oil can help bring relief from itching. Simply place a drop directly on the itchy skin and massage in.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Hives come from excessive heat in the body, say Ayurvedic practitioners. To cool the heat and soothe the maddening itch, they favor eating watermelon as well as drinking coriander milk or cilantro.

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Jamesdragnou asked:

Medical and Non–medical Treatments

Treatment for obesity will be most successful if you create a long-term plan with your doctor. A reasonable goal might be to begin making lifestyle changes by increasing physical activity and limiting calories. It is expected that an individual with a BMI ?30 kg/m2, as well as those with a BMI of 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 in addition to two or more disease risk factors must attempt to lose weight either with medical or non-medical treatments. Non-medical means are:

Lifestyle Modification – By adhering to a program of diet, exercise, and behavior therapy, one adheres to a particular regimen for a discrete period of time, implementing dietary and behavioral changes that can be sustained indefinitely to promote health. Dietary Interventions – Designed to create a negative energy balance, dietary intervention reduced one’s daily energy intake so much so that it stays below one’s energy requirement limit. This greatly varies by sex, weight, and level of physical activity involved. Physical Activity – The greatest benefit of physical activity is its facilitative action in weight loss maintenance. Behavior Therapy – This type of therapy provides patients a set of principles and techniques to facilitate their adherence to the diet and activity goals that they have set for themselves. Over-the-counter herbal weight loss supplements – These supplements are generally known as ‘fat burners’ and work by boosting the body’s metabolism. Doctors have often prescribed these weight loss supplements, though the progress has always been closely monitored. However, these supplements are strongly discouraged due to a lack of labeling of ingredients on these products, and because they have the ability to cause a drastic increase in blood pressure and heart problems.

Medical intervention includes:

Pharmacological Interventions – As BMI or disease risk increases, more intensive options are available for the treatment of obesity. Two medications — sibutramine (Reductil) and orlistat

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