Wednesday, June 18, 2008

What is a Language Disorder?

A language disorder is a problem with understanding and/or using spoken, written, and/or other symbol systems (e.g., gestures, sign language). The disorder may involve 1) the form of language (phonology, morphology, and syntax), 2) the content of the language (semantics), and/or the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination.

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder. Difficulties pronouncing sounds, or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders. When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder. A stroke can result in aphasia, or a language disorder.

The work aims to bring current (and future) advances in developmental cognitive science and language disorders to the assessment and treatment of developmental speech and language disorders. We conduct behavioural experiments, from a multidisciplinary perspective, to determine the acquisition, use, understanding and breakdown of language - particularly “Specific Language Impairment” (SLI) - and its relation to other cognitive capacities.

Approximately 3 - 10% of all school-age children have expressive language disorder. The causes of this disorder may vary, or may be unknown. Cerebral damage and malnutrition may cause some cases — perhaps in combination with genetic factors.

Speech and language disorders refer to problems in communication and related areas such as oral motor function. These delays and disorders range from simple sound substitutions to the inability to understand or use language or use the oral-motor mechanism for functional speech and feeding. Some causes of speech and language disorders include hearing loss, neurological disorders, brain injury, mental retardation, drug abuse, physical impairments such as cleft lip or palate, and vocal abuse or misuse. Frequently, however, the cause is unknown.

Direct therapeutic intervention for speech and language difficulties, together with and psychotherapy, if necessary, are the best approaches to this type of language disorder. Therefore, learning disorders are treated with specialized educational methods. In addition to special classroom instruction at school, students with learning disorders frequently benefit from individualized tutoring which focuses on their specific learning problem.

language disorder is an impairment in the ability to understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and nonverbally. Some characteristics of language disorders include improper use of words and their meanings, inability to express ideas, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and inability to follow directions. One or a combination of these characteristics may occur in children who are affected by language learning disabilities or developmental language delay. Children may hear or see a word but not be able to understand its meaning.

There are many language disorders that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some of the conditions, for which we have provided a brief overview. If you cannot find the condition in which you are interested, please visit the Otolaryngology Online Resources page in this Web site for an Internet World Wide Web address that may contain additional information on that topic.

Language therapy is the best method to remedy this type of disorder. The goal of this therapy is to increase the number of phrases a child can use. This is done by using block-building techniques and speech therapy.

Posted by Hutch at 10:01:21 | Permalink | No Comments »

Laryngeal Cancer – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

The definition of a tumor is a mass of abnormally growing cells. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors have uncontrolled cell growth, but without any invasion into normal tissues and without any spread. A tumor is called malignant (cancer) when tumor cells gain the propensity to invade tissues and spread locally as well as to distant parts of the body. In this sense, laryngeal cancer occurs when cells in the lining of the throat grow uncontrollably and form tumors that can invade normal tissues and spread to other parts of the body. 

Symptoms

Smoking is the most important risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Heavy chronic consumption of alcohol, particularly alcoholic spirits, is also significant. When combined, these two factors appear to have a synergistic effect. Some other quoted risk factors are likely, in part, to be related to prolonged alcohol and tobacco consumption. These include low socioeconomic status, male sex, and age greater than 55 years.

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system , the body system of defense against foreign invaders, particularly pathogens (the agents of infection ). The allergic reaction is misguided in that these foreign substances are usually harmless. The substances that trigger allergy are called allergen. Examples include pollens , dust mite, molds , danders , and certain foods. People prone to allergies are said to be allergic or atopic.

But many other things can cause a hoarse voice.  One of the most common causes is acute laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx).  This usually happens due to  a cold, a chest infection or over use of the voice, such as shouting or screaming. The symptoms of laryngeal cancer depend on where the cancer develops. Since it most often develops on the vocal cords, hoarseness or other changes in the voice are common.

Causes

There is no single cause of laryngeal cancer but some factors increase the risk of developing it. Most people diagnosed with laryngeal cancer are over the age of 50. Men are more likely to be diagnosed with this disease than wome 

Tobacco: The number one cause of laryngeal cancer is chronic smoking. It has been shown that people who smoke over a prolonged period of time, whether heavy or relatively light smokers, have the greatest risk for laryngeal cancer. As smoke passes by the larynx on its way to the lungs, it can damage the cells there.

 
Heavy drinking and smoking is particularly linked to cancer above the vocal cords (the supraglottis) and the area around the vocal cords (the glottis).   Compared to non-drinkers, you have about 3 times the risk of developing cancer of the larynx if you are a heavy drinker.  Even drinking less than two drinks a day (for example two pints of beer or two large glasses of wine) gives a slightly increased risk of laryngeal cancer. 

Treatment
 

The doctor can describe your treatment choices and the results you can expect for each treatment option. You will want to consider how treatment may change the way you look, breathe, and talk. You and your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your needs and personal values.

The choice of treatment depends on a number of factors, including your general health, where in the larynx the cancer began, the size of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread.

Posted by Hutch at 09:55:30 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

How to Treat Menopause

Your diet is an important tool that you can use to help control your menopausal symptoms. Foods to avoid include high amounts of caffeine in any foods, and carbonated beverages which contain phosphorous and can increase bone loss. Also, limit your consumption of commercially raised meats including beef, pork, and chicken because these meats contain a high amount of saturated fats and decrease the body’s ability to metabolize estrogen. Excessive sugar intake also limits your liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen and impairs the immune system.

Hormone therapy (HT)- If used properly, hormone therapy (once called hormone replacement therapy or HRT) is one way to deal with the more difficult symptoms of menopause. It’s the only therapy that is approved by the government for treating more difficult hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Hormone therapy should NOT be used solely to prevent heart or bone disease, stroke, memory loss, or Alzheimer’s disease. There are many kinds of hormone therapies so your doctor can suggest what’s best for you. As with all treatments, HT has both possible benefits and possible risks; it is important to talk about these issues with your doctor. If you decide to use HT, use the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed.

Alternative treatments have been shown to enhance the effects of HRT by reducing dosage requirements, thus alleviating the health risks associated with HRT or even eliminating some side effects. In some women they have been shown to eliminate the need for HRT altogether. Alternative Medicine tend to work very slow. So, it may take weeks or months to see any effect. It also needs serious commitment on the part of the patient to stay with the therapy.

Actions and Uses:Licorice is a powerful adrenal stimulant and is a wonderful estrogenic herb. For this reason, it is a very useful herb during menopause. Care must be taken, however, not to take licorice too often, or it can deplete potassium and elevate blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, use it with caution or avoid it entirely. On the other hand, if you suffer from low blood pressure, this herb will be useful in correcting the problem. Licorice makes a pleasant-tasting tea. It can also be added in small amounts to other herbal teas to improve their flavor.

Menopause relief formula contains eight of the most tested and proven herbs that reduces hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, and depression associated with perimenopause and menopause. If you want to try a natural alternative to menopause relief this is the herbal formula that has been used all over the world and is used by over 1 million women, made by Pure Encapsulations, the leader in natural herbal treatment and the number one brand in Europe where women use herbal treatment for menopause relief.

Black cohosh is available in supplement form by a variety of different commercial companies. It may be taken up to two times a day for six months, but should not be taken for a longer period of time. Side effects of black cohosh include headaches and mild stomach upset. More seriously, it has also been linked with an increase in liver enzymes. There have been some cases of liver inflammation due to overuse of black cohosh.

Posted by Hutch at 12:12:20 | Permalink | No Comments »

How to Treat High Blood Sugar

Check with your dentist to rule out a serious gum condition. If there is none, you may want to get more vitamin D. A study of more than 6,000 Americans showed that those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream had gums that were 20 percent less likely to bleed when probed (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Sept. 2005). The investigators hypothesize that vitamin D helps fight inflammation. 

Hyperglycemia (pronounced: hi-per-gly-see-me-uh) is the medical word for high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels happen when the body either can’t make insulin (type 1 diabetes) or can’t respond to insulin properly (type 2 diabetes). The body needs insulin so glucose in the blood can enter the cells of the body where it can be used for energy. In people who have developed diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood, resulting in hyperglycemia.

Certainly, you could experience high blood sugar from eating a lot of fruits if you ate nothing but fruits and didn’t consume balancing quantities of protein and fat, but my guess is, based on the nature of your question and a lot of experience in talking to other people who are having trouble with blood sugar levels, you are probably consuming large quantities of refined carbohydrates. I’m not being blameful here, just matter-of-fact. I’ve been there, too: I ate sugars and white flour up until I was in my mid 20’s.

To treat high blood sugar, it helps to know what is causing it. You might need to take more insulin or diabetes pills because you’re growing and eating more food, or you might need to get more exercise each day. Having high blood sugar levels every once in a while isn’t a big deal. It happens to everyone with diabetes from time to time. But if your blood sugar levels are high a lot, your diabetes health care team will have to help you figure out how to get them back to a healthy level.

Normally, the process goes like this: The carbohydrates from your food are converted into a form of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the preferred fuel for your body’s cells, and it’s the only food your brain can use. The glucose floats along in the bloodstream until the pancreas, a large gland located behind the stomach, goes into action. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that signals body cells to take in the glucose. Once inside the cell, the glucose is either used as fuel to produce heat or energy or is stored as fat.

Test your blood sugar often, especially if you are sick or not following your normal routine. You can see when your blood sugar is above your target range, even if you don’t have symptoms of high blood sugar (increased thirst, increased urination, and fatigue). Then you can treat it early.

Garlic’s active ingredient allicin, is a sulfur compound that boosts the production of white blood cells, acting as an antibiotic, anti viral and a fungicide. Fresh garlic is also used for treating high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, preventing cancer, and as an immune stimulant.

Posted by Hutch at 12:07:48 | Permalink | No Comments »

How to Treat Gum Diseases

Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the gum tissue, it is a serious condition that starts as gingivitis and can progress to periodontitis. According to the British Dental Health Foundation “19 out of 20 people suffer from gum disease (gingivitis) at some point in their life making it the most common disease in the world. During a typical checkup your dentist or dental hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline of all your teeth.

Gum Disease is caused by a build up of plaque on the teeth. Plaque is that disgusting, yellow stuff on your teeth that is full of bacteria. It is essential that you floss and brush your teeth everyday to remove the plaque. Besides plaque, your lifestyle can cause gum disease. Your body’s immunity system must be strong. Exercising throughout the day and eating healthy is the best way to keep your immunity strong. But if you are unable to exercise throughout the day and a healthier menu is not available to you, you should try to stay away from sugars and starches.

Gingivitis is an infection of the gums. As a result of the infection, the gums become red, inflamed and can bleed during brushing. It is a mild form of gum disease that does not include any loss of the bone and tissue that hold teeth in place. Gingivitis can usually be reversed with regular brushing and flossing.

In gingivitis, the gums become red and swollen. They can bleed easily. Most people can reverse this with daily brushing and flossing and seeing their dentist regularly. Untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontitis. The gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets that are infected. If not treated, the bones, gums and connective tissue that support the teeth are destroyed.

Gingivitis is the first sign that something is wrong with your gums. If it is not treated it can progress to a more destructive type of gum disease called periodontitis. Periodontitis is an infection of the tissues that help anchor the teeth. The infection can lead to loss of the bone that holds the tooth in its socket and might lead to tooth loss.

This leads to weakening of the gums, which hold the teeth in their place to give us strength for mastication. The gums then give pockets of areas which the bacteria hold sway in multiplying and further exposing the roots of the teeth leading to loosening and bone degeneration which is termed as periodontitis.

Early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) that is not treated promptly or that does not respond to treatment can progress to periodontitis. Periodontitis requires prompt treatment to get rid of the infection and stop damage to the teeth and gums, followed by long-term care to maintain the health of your mouth.

Your dentist or dental hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar both above and below your gum line. This procedure, called root planing and scaling, makes it harder for plaque to stick to the teeth. Your dentist may give you antibiotics to kill bacteria and stop the infection. They may be applied directly on the gums, swallowed as pills or capsules, or inserted into the pockets in your gums.

Posted by Hutch at 12:02:00 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Natural Cancer Treatment

Increase your odds of survival! Did you know there are many natural or alternative cancer treatments that have a much better success rate than chemotherapy, surgery or

radiation?

There are literally over 300 alternative cancer treatments. The challenge for cancer patients lies in sifting through all the information and finding the treatments with the

highest cure rates. Not an easy task - the most successful cancer treatments are usually not the best-kown treatments!

welcome to Natural Cancer Treatment!

Here you will find several pages of information on steps you can take and things you can do in overcoming cancer.

You will also find information about Maroon Bush Medicine. This “Bush Medicine” appears to have amazing properties in treating many illnesses, ranging from cancer to general

health issues. This is something I am very excited  about because it had a major, unexpected and positive and impact on my life.

Melatonin a Possible Natural Cancer Treatment

On a flight home from Maui, the flight attendant found out I was a naturopathic physician, sat down in the seat beside me, and said, “Did you know that every other flight

attendant I know with my level of seniority (20 years) has breast cancer?” Irregular sleep habits and time zone travel are just two reasons why levels of a hormone called

melatonin can be lowered. Studies are increasingly finding a connection between melatonin and cancer, and it’s showing promise as a cancer treatment.

Carctol

Carctol is a thoroughly researched herbal cancer therapy produced from Natural herbs made into a powerful herbal dietary supplement.
Safe and harmless,

Carctol treats all types of cancer which includes Cancer of the Esophagus, Ear, Nose Throat, Brain, Breast, Lymphoma, Lungs, Blood, Kidney, Cervix, Stomach, Colorectal, Pancreas

and Hepatobilliary Cancer.

Posted by Hutch at 12:25:11 | Permalink | No Comments »