Treatable
Conditions

Optic nerve injury

The injury to the optic nerve is a result of transmitted shock from an orbital impact to the intracanalicular portion of optic nerve. This can cause axonal injury or disturb the blood supply of the optic nerve.

The most common signs are decreased color vision (Dyschromatopsia), afferent pupillary defect and visual field deficits. The symptoms are blurry vision, scotomas and, decreased color sensation. Automated visual field testing like Humphrey (HVF) can be used characterizes visual field defects. Corticosteroids are conventionally used to improve vision and reduce damage. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells might be effective option to treat optic nerve injury if injected sub retinal or intra-vitreous.

Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cells are administered into the patient’s body through one of the following methods, depending upon the condition and the patient’s unique medical history. Expert guidance is given for every single patient.

Local administration:
The stem cells are injected directly into the damage site for maximum exposure and immediate benefit.

Intrathecal administration:
Through this mode, cell are infused in the cerebrospinal fluid through the subarachnoid spaces of the spinal canal.

Intravenous administration:
Through this mode, cells are infused through the veins to expand blood volumes in the central nervous system, to ensure that the maximum numbers of cells reach the target area.
Once infused back in the body, these cells can be repopulated at the damaged parts of the joints, through their strong paracrine effects and differentiate into lost or damaged cells of the cartilage, bones and muscles and create new blood vessels to improve the supply of blood or help in production of supporting cells to improve the functioning of the vascular system.

The Sushruta Difference:

• Recognized and funded by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.
• Headed by veteran doctors and scientists invested in stem cell therapy for over a decade.
• Proven track record of successful cases across a range of illnesses and conditions.
• 24/7 care and assistance.
• Rigorous follow up with patients post-procedure.

Avascular Necrosis of Femur

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a disease of the bone. Necrosis is a general term that means a cell has died. AVN is also called:

-osteonecrosis
-aseptic necrosis
-ischemic bone necrosis
-bone infarction

AVN can lead to joint pain, especially the hip.

The damage to the bone occurs from lack of blood flow to bone cells. That often happens from an injury. It’s also commonly due to damage from drinking too much alcohol or taking corticosteroids to manage a chronic health problem.

Without treatment, eventually the space between joints can collapse, and the bones can lose their smooth shape. Osteoarthritis can develop. Some people with AVN will need joint replacement surgery.

Types:

Injury that slows or stops blood flow to a bone is the main cause of AVN. Other common risks and causes of AVN are:

- Drinking too much alcohol
- Smoking
- Taking high doses of corticosteroids for a long time, such as prednisone or cortisone, because they can increase fatty substances (lipids) in the blood, which can block arteries

childhood diseases including Legg-Calve Perthes disease.

It’s not always clear what causes the problem with blood flow to the bone. Sometimes AVN affects healthy people. It may come on spontaneously, seemingly without a cause. Spontaneous AVN in the knee, for instance, is called SPONK or SONC.

Some less common causes of AVN include:

- The bends, also called decompression sickness and caisson disease, a condition caused by the rapid release of nitrogen into the blood
- Taking bisphosphates, such as zoledronate/zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) or pamidronate to treat cancer in the bone (These drugs are associated with rare instances of AVN in the jaw.)
- Chemotherapy or radiation
- High cholesterol, high triglycerides, or both
- Gaucher’s disease
- HIV infection
- Lupus
- Organ transplants, especially a kidney transplant
- Pancreatitis
- Sickle cell anemia or other blood disorders

Men develop AVN more than women unless the cause is injury or lupus. It most often affects people ages 30 to 60. But people of any age can develop AVN.

Symptoms:

The hip bone is the most commonly affected joint with AVN. AVN also commonly affects the knee. Less often, AVN affects bones in these areas:

- shoulder
- wrist
- ankle
- hands
- feet

In its early stages, AVN may not cause symptoms. As blood cells die and the disease progresses, symptoms may occur in roughly this order:

- Mild or severe pain in or around the affected joint.
- Groin pain that spreads down to the knee.
- Pain that occurs when putting weight on the hip or knee.
- Joint pain severe enough to limit movement.
- Pain may dramatically increase in intensity because of tiny breaks in the bone, called micro fractures. These can cause the bone to collapse. Ultimately, the joint may break down and develop arthritis.

The time between the first symptoms and the inability to move a joint varies. In general, it ranges from a few months to more than a year. Symptoms may appear bilaterally, meaning on both sides of the body. If AVN develops in the jaw, symptoms include exposed bone in the jaw bone with pain or pus, or both.

Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cells are administered into the patient’s body through one of the following methods, depending upon the condition and the patient’s unique medical history. Expert guidance is given for every single patient.

Local administration:
The stem cells are injected directly into the damage site for maximum exposure and immediate benefit.

Intrathecal administration:
Through this mode, cell are infused in the cerebrospinal fluid through the subarachnoid spaces of the spinal canal.

Intravenous administration:
Through this mode, cells are infused through the veins to expand blood volumes in the central nervous system, to ensure that the maximum numbers of cells reach the target area.
Once infused back in the body, these cells can be repopulated at the damaged parts of the joints, through their strong paracrine effects and differentiate into lost or damaged cells of the cartilage, bones and muscles and create new blood vessels to improve the supply of blood or help in production of supporting cells to improve the functioning of the vascular system.

The Sushruta Difference:

• Recognized and funded by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.
• Headed by veteran doctors and scientists invested in stem cell therapy for over a decade.
• Proven track record of successful cases across a range of illnesses and conditions.
• 24/7 care and assistance.
• Rigorous follow up with patients post-procedure.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a lung disease wherein the air sac in the lungs (alveoli) becomes stiff which results in difficult to breathe and indirectly blood don not get sufficient oxygen. The signs and symptoms are dyspnea (Shortness of breath), dry cough, fatigue, weight loss, aching muscles and joints.

The complications includes; High blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension, right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale), and respiratory failure. The diagnosis can be done with Pulmonary function testing, Arterial blood gas test, Pulmonary function testing, Chest X-ray, Computerized tomography (CT) scan, Echocardiogram and biopsy.

The medication called pirfenidone (Esbriet) and nintedanib may help for slow progression of PF but can cause side effects of diarrhea and nausea. Thus stem cell derived from bone marrow can prove to be efficient tool for pulmonary fibrosis if injected intravenously as ~ 60% of MSCs are trapped in lungs via intravenous infusion.

Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cells are administered into the patient’s body through one of the following methods, depending upon the condition and the patient’s unique medical history. Expert guidance is given for every single patient.

Local administration:
The stem cells are injected directly into the damage site for maximum exposure and immediate benefit.

Intrathecal administration:
Through this mode, cell are infused in the cerebrospinal fluid through the subarachnoid spaces of the spinal canal.

Intravenous administration:
Through this mode, cells are infused through the veins to expand blood volumes in the central nervous system, to ensure that the maximum numbers of cells reach the target area.

Once infused back in the body, these cells can be repopulated at the damaged parts of the joints, through their strong paracrine effects and differentiate into lost or damaged cells of the cartilage, bones and muscles and create new blood vessels to improve the supply of blood or help in production of supporting cells to improve the functioning of the vascular system.

The Sushruta Difference:

• Recognized and funded by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.
• Headed by veteran doctors and scientists invested in stem cell therapy for over a decade.
• Proven track record of successful cases across a range of illnesses and conditions.
• 24/7 care and assistance.
• Rigorous follow up with patients post-procedure.

Chronic Kidney Failure

There are three main reasons your kidneys fail all of a sudden:

Something is stopping blood flow to your kidneys. It could be because of: an infection, liver failure, medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or COX-2 inhibitors, like Celebrex), blood pressure medications, heart failure, severe burns or dehydration, or blood or fluid loss. You have a condition that’s blocking urine from leaving your kidneys. Something has directly damaged your kidneys, like blood clots, cholesterol deposits, glomerulonephritis (inflamed kidney filters).

Types:

There are five different types of kidney failure:

Acute prerenal kidney failure

Insufficient blood flow to the kidneys can cause acute prerenal kidney failure. The kidneys can’t filter toxins from the blood without enough blood flow. This type of kidney failure can usually be cured once your doctor determines the cause of the decreased blood flow.

Acute intrinsic kidney failure

Acute intrinsic kidney failure can result from direct trauma to the kidneys, such as physical impact or an accident. Causes also include toxin overload and ischemia, which is a lack of oxygen to the kidneys.

The following may cause ischemia:

- severe bleeding
- shock
- renal blood vessel obstruction
- glomerulonephritis

Chronic prerenal kidney failure

When there isn’t enough blood flowing to the kidneys for an extended period of time, the kidneys begin to shrink and lose the ability to function.

Chronic intrinsic kidney failure

This happens when there’s long-term damage to the kidneys due to intrinsic kidney disease. Intrinsic kidney disease develops from a direct trauma to the kidneys, such as severe bleeding or a lack of oxygen.

Chronic post-renal kidney failure

A long-term blockage of the urinary tract prevents urination. This causes pressure and eventual kidney damage.

Factors:

Kidney failure can be the result of several conditions or causes. The cause typically also determines the type of kidney failure.

People who are most at risk usually have one or more of the following causes:

Loss of blood flow to the kidneys

A sudden loss of blood flow to your kidneys can prompt kidney failure. Some conditions that cause loss of blood flow to the kidneys include:

- a heart attack
- heart disease
- scarring of the liver or liver failure
- dehydration
- a severe burn
- an allergic reaction
- a severe infection, such as sepsis
- High blood pressure and anti-inflammatory medications can also limit blood flow.

Urine elimination problems

When your body can’t eliminate urine, toxins build up and overload the kidneys. Some cancers can block the urine passageways, such as:

-prostate (most common type in men)
-colon
-cervical
-bladder

Other conditions can interfere with urination and possibly lead to kidney failure, including:

-kidney stones
-an enlarged prostate
-blood clots within your urinary tract
-damage to your nerves that control your bladder

Other causes

Some other things that may lead to kidney failure include:

- A blood clot in or around your kidneys
- Infection
- An overload of toxins from heavy metals
- Drugs and alcohol
- Vasculitis, an inflammation of blood vessels
- Lupus, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation of many body organs
- Glomerulonephritis, an inflammation of the small blood vessels of the kidneys
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome, which involves the breakdown of red blood cells following a bacterial infection, usually of the intestines
- Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in your bone marrow
- Scleroderma, an autoimmune condition that affects your skin
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder that causes blood clots in small vessels
- Chemotherapy drugs that treat cancer and some autoimmune diseases
- Dyes used in some imaging tests
- Certain antibiotics
- Uncontrolled diabetes

Symptoms:

Usually someone with kidney failure will have a few symptoms of the disease. Sometimes no symptoms are present. Possible symptoms include:

- A reduced amount of urine
- Swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet from retention of fluids caused by the failure of the kidneys to eliminate water waste
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Excessive drowsiness or fatigue
- Persistent nausea
- Confusion
- Pain or pressure in your chest
- Seizures
- Coma

Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cells are administered into the patient’s body through one of the following methods, depending upon the condition and the patient’s unique medical history. Expert guidance is given for every single patient.

Local administration:
The stem cells are injected directly into the damage site for maximum exposure and immediate benefit.

Intrathecal administration:
Through this mode, cell are infused in the cerebrospinal fluid through the subarachnoid spaces of the spinal canal.

Intravenous administration:
Through this mode, cells are infused through the veins to expand blood volumes in the central nervous system, to ensure that the maximum numbers of cells reach the target area.

Once infused back in the body, these cells can be repopulated at the damaged parts of the joints, through their strong paracrine effects and differentiate into lost or damaged cells of the cartilage, bones and muscles and create new blood vessels to improve the supply of blood or help in production of supporting cells to improve the functioning of the vascular system.

The Sushruta Difference:

• Recognized and funded by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.
• Headed by veteran doctors and scientists invested in stem cell therapy for over a decade.
• Proven track record of successful cases across a range of illnesses and conditions.
• 24/7 care and assistance.
• Rigorous follow up with patients post-procedure.

Diabetes I and II

Diabetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin. Normally, the pancreas (an organ behind the stomach) releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. Diabetes occurs when one of the following occurs:

-When the pancreas does not produce any insulin
-When the pancreas produces very little insulin
-When the body does not respond appropriately to insulin, a condition called "insulin resistance"

Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Approximately 18.2 million Americans have the disease and almost one third (or approximately 5.2 million) are unaware that they have it. An additional 41 million people have pre-diabetes. As yet, there is no cure. People with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.

Types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s unclear what causes this attack. About 10 percent of people with diabetes have this type.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in your blood.

Prediabetes occurs when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar during pregnancy. Insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta cause this type of diabetes.

A rare condition called diabetes insipidus is not related to diabetes mellitus, although it has a similar name. It’s a different condition in which your kidneys remove too much fluid from your body.

Each type of diabetes has unique symptoms, causes, and treatments.

Factors:

Type 1 - Various risk factors for the development of juvenile diabetes such as age, race, sex, geographical location and seasonality have been reviewed and confirmed.

Age: – Age is the major risk factor accounting for more than or equal to 85% of all the diabetes cases less than 20 years of age. In general the incidence rate is progressively observed by birth and increase with increasing age. However the increasing incidence of the disease has been detected between the age group of 10-14 years.

Gender: – It has been evidently observed that girls are less susceptible to autoimmune diseases than boys. However, the cases of juvenile diabetes are found to be equally affecting irrespective of gender discrimination.

Genetic : – The expressions of some of the genes are known to be responsible for the susceptibility to diabetes type 1. Of the multiple genes implicated, the HLA class II complex on chromosome 6 are considered to be the prime cause.

Geography: – The incidence tend to increase for people who are living away from the equator for an instance those who are living in Finland and Sardinia are known to be having higher rates as compared to those US people living in Venezuela.

Apart from these stated above many other factors are known to be responsible for the higher incidence of Juvenile Diabetes such as:

-Exposure to certain viruses such as EB virus, Mumps and Cytomegalovirus
-Early exposure to cow’s milk.
-Low vitamin D level
-Drinking water containing many pesticides such as nitrates.
-Early or late introduction of cereals or gluten in the baby’s diet.
-The preeclampsia of the mother.
-Being born with jaundice.

Type 2 - Researchers are not able to fully understand underlying cause of diabetes 2. However, some factors are commonly found to be responsible for type 2 diabetes as follows:

Weight: – Being overweight is the primary risk factor for being susceptible to diabetes. The more fat you have in your body, the more resistance develops for the use of insulin.

Fat Distribution: – If the fat is being stored in the belly region of the body the risk of developing diabetes is higher than that of storage of fat in the other parts.

Inactivity: – Since with the increasing physical activity the weight is being controlled and hence the susceptibility to the diabetes. It is advised to incorporate a habit of at least 60 minutes workout routinely.

Family History: – The risk associated with the disease increases with the family history of the person; as there is strong genetic link up associated with the disease occurrence.

Apart from these stated above many other factors are known to be responsible for the higher incidence of Diabetes such as:

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:

-Increased hunger
-Increased thirst
-Increased urination
-Blurry vision
-Tiredness
-Sores that are slow to heal. It may also cause recurring infections. This is because elevated glucose levels make it harder for the body to heal.

Liver Cirrhosis

If your doctor tells you that you have cirrhosis, it means you have a condition that causes scar tissue to gradually replace your healthy liver cells. It usually happens over a long period of time because of infection or alcohol addiction. Most of the time, you can't fix the damage to your liver, but if you catch it early, there are treatments that can keep problems in check.

Your liver is an organ that's about the size of a football with an important job. It filters toxins from your blood, makes enzymes that help you digest food, stores sugar and nutrients, and helps you fight infections.

Each time your liver gets hurt, it repairs itself and forms tough scar tissue. When too much scar tissue builds up, the organ can't work right.

Factors: Cirrhosis doesn't happen overnight. You get damage to your liver over a long period of time. The most common things that raise your odds for cirrhosis are:

-Heavy drinking due to alcohol addiction
-Obesity, which raises your chances of conditions that lead to cirrhosis
-A long-term hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection

Symptoms: You may not have any symptoms at first. But as time goes on, and the damage to your liver gets worse, you may notice things like:

-Fatigue and weakness
-Lack of appetite and weight loss
-Nausea

You could also bleed or bruise easily and have swelling in your legs or belly. You may also notice changes in your skin, such as:

-Jaundice (when your skin and eyes turn yellow)
-Intense itching
-Spider web-like blood vessels in your skin
-Redness in the palms of your hands or whitening of your nails

-You could have some changes to the way you think, such as problems with concentration or memory. If you're a woman, you may stop having periods. If you're a man, you could lose your sex drive, start to develop breasts, or see some shrinkage in your testicles.

Some other symptoms you might get are:

-Vomiting blood
-Severe muscle cramps
-Brownish urine
-Fever
-Enlarged spleen
-Bone disease, causing bones to break more easily.

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases that make muscles weaker and less flexible over time. It is caused by a problem in the genes that control how the body keeps muscles healthy. For some people, the disease starts early in childhood. Others don’t have any symptoms until they are teenagers or middle-aged adults.

How muscular dystrophy affects you or your child depends on the kind. Most people’s condition will get worse over time, and some people may lose the ability to walk, talk, or care for themselves. But that doesn’t happen to everyone. Other people can live for many years with mild symptoms.

Type:

There are more than 30 kinds of muscular dystrophy, and each is different based on:

-The genes that cause it
-The muscles it affects
-The age when symptoms first appear
-How quickly the disease gets worse
People usually get one of nine major forms of the disease:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form. It mainly affects boys, and starts between ages 3 and 5.

Becker muscular dystrophy is like Duchenne, except milder. It also affects boys but the symptoms start later -- between ages 11 and 25.

Myotonic muscular dystrophy is the most common form in adults. People who have it can't relax their muscles after they contract. It can affect both men and women, and it usually starts when people are in their 20s.

Congenital muscular dystrophy starts at birth or shortly afterwards.

Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy often starts in a person's teens or 20s.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy affects the muscles of the face, shoulders, and upper arms. It can affect anyone from teenagers to adults in their 40s.

Distal muscular dystrophy affects the muscles of the arms, legs, hands, and feet. It usually comes on later in life, between ages 40 and 60.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy starts in a person's 40s or 50s. It causes weakness in the muscles of the face, neck, and shoulders, and droopy eyelids (ptosis), followed by difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy affects mainly boys, usually starting around age 10. People with this form often have heart problems along with muscle weakness.

There are many treatments that can help keep muscles strong and flexible, and scientists are looking for new ones, too.The important thing is to get the treatment you need and find support.

Factors:

Muscular Dystrophy is the genetic disorder due to faulty expression of mutated genes. Almost 90% of the disorders are being inherited from the family history whereas 10% of them are expressed due to spontaneous changes in their mothers egg or developing embryo that has been passed on to the next generation. A female who carries the faulty genes can pass the same on the next generation. If the genes are being passed to the daughters, they become a carrier of the same whereas if the genes are being passed on to the boys they tend to express the symptoms.

Researcher could ultimately discover the abnormal gene which when defective can cause Muscular Dystrophy. The muscle protein associated with the gene abnormality is known as the Dystrophin. In some of muscular dystrophy, the protein is being produced but it’s either not clear or is of very poor quality. However scientists are still working to discover the genetic defects causing other forms of muscular dystrophy.

Symptoms:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy

This type of muscular dystrophy is the most common among children. The majority of individuals affected are boys. It’s rare for girls to develop it. The symptoms include:

-trouble walking
-loss of reflexes
-difficulty standing up
-poor posture
-bone thinning
-scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of your spine
-mild intellectual impairment
-breathing difficulties
-swallowing problems
-lung and heart weakness

People with Duchenne muscular dystrophy typically require a wheelchair before their teenage years. The life expectancy for those with this disease is late teens or 20s.

Becker muscular dystrophy

Becker muscular dystrophy is similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but it’s less severe. This type of muscular dystrophy also more commonly affects boys. Muscle weakness occurs mostly in your arms and legs, with symptoms appearing between age 11 and 25.

Other symptoms of Becker muscular dystrophy include:

-walking on your toes
-frequent falls
-muscle cramps
-trouble getting up from the floor

Many with this disease don’t need a wheelchair until they’re in their mid-30s or older, and a small percentage of people with this disease never require one. Most people with Becker muscular dystrophy live until middle age or later.

Congenital muscular dystrophy

Congenital muscular dystrophies are often apparent between birth and age 2. This is when parents begin to notice that their child’s motor functions and muscle control aren’t developing as they should. Symptoms vary and may include:

-muscle weakness
-poor motor control
-inability to sit or stand without support
-scoliosis
-foot deformities
-trouble swallowing
-respiratory problems
-vision problems
-speech problems
-intellectual impairment

While symptoms vary from mild to severe, the majority of people with congenital muscular dystrophy are unable to sit or stand without help. The lifespan of someone with this type also varies, depending on the symptoms. Some people with congenital muscular dystrophy die in infancy while others live until adulthood.

Myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy is also called Steinert’s disease or dystrophia myotonica. This form of muscular dystrophy causes myotonia, which is an inability to relax your muscles after they contract. Myotonia is exclusive to this type of muscular dystrophy.

Myotonic dystrophy can affect your:

-facial muscles
-central nervous system
-adrenal glands
-heart
-thyroid
-eyes
-gastrointestinal tract

Symptoms most often appear first in your face and neck. They include:

-drooping muscles in your face, producing a thin, haggard look
-difficulty lifting your neck due to weak neck muscles
-difficulty swallowing
-droopy eyelids, or ptosis
-early baldness in the front area of your scalp
-poor vision, including cataracts
-weight loss
-increased sweating

This dystrophy type may also cause impotence and testicular atrophy in males. In women, it may cause irregular periods and infertility.

Myotonic dystrophy diagnoses are most common in adults in their 20s and 30s. The severity of symptoms can vary greatly. Some people experience mild symptoms, while others have potentially life-threatening symptoms involving the heart and lungs.

Facioscapulohumeral (FSHD)

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is also known as Landouzy-Dejerine disease. This type of muscular dystrophy affects the muscles in your face, shoulders, and upper arms. FSHD may cause:

-difficulty chewing or swallowing
-slanted shoulders
-a crooked appearance of the mouth
-a wing-like appearance of the shoulder blades

A smaller number of people with FSHD may develop hearing and respiratory problems.

FSHD tends to progress slowly. Symptoms usually appear during your teenage years, but they sometimes don’t appear until your 40s. Most people with this condition live a full life span.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy causes weakening of the muscles and a loss of muscle bulk. This type of muscular dystrophy usually begins in your shoulders and hips, but it may also occur in your legs and neck. You may find it hard to get up out of a chair, walk up and down stairs, and carry heavy items if you have limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. You may also stumble and fall more easily.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy affects both males and females. Most people with this form of muscular dystrophy are disabled by age 20. However, many have a normal life expectancy.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD)

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy causes weakness in your facial, neck, and shoulder muscles. Other symptoms include:

-drooping eyelids
-trouble swallowing
-voice changes
-vision problems
-heart problems
-difficulty walking

OPMD occurs in both men and women. Individuals usually receive diagnoses in their 40s or 50s.

Distal muscular dystrophy

Distal muscular dystrophy is also called distal myopathy. It affects the muscles in your:

-forearms
-hands
-calves
-feet

It may also affect your respiratory system and heart muscles. The symptoms tend to progress slowly and include a loss of fine motor skills and difficulty walking. Most people, both male and female, are diagnosed with distal muscular dystrophy between the ages of 40 and 60.

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy tends to affect more boys than girls. This type of muscular dystrophy usually begins in childhood. The symptoms include:

-weakness in your upper arm and lower leg muscles
-breathing problems
-heart problems
-shortening of the muscles in your spine, neck, ankles, knees, and elbows

Most individuals with Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy die in mid-adulthood from heart or lung failure.

Osteoarthritis of Knee

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints. Unlike many other forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus, osteoarthritis does not affect other organs of the body.

The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joints after repetitive use. Joint pain is usually worse later in the day. There can be swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints. Pain and stiffness of the joints can also occur after long periods of inactivity, for example, sitting in a theater. In severe osteoarthritis, complete loss of cartilage causes friction between bones, causing pain at rest or pain with limited motion.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from patient to patient. Some patients can be debilitated by their symptoms. On the other hand, others may have remarkably few symptoms in spite of dramatic degeneration of the joints seen on X-rays. Symptoms also can be intermittent. It is not unusual for patients with osteoarthritis of the hands and knees to have years of pain-free intervals between symptoms.

Factors:

Although, scientists have linked up osteoarthritis as an autoimmune disorder, there are some other common risk factors that can aggravate the condition. Such as:

-Being Overweight
-Age
-Joint injury
-Joint defects
-Genetic abnormality
-Joints being over stressed due to some jobs such as sports, knee bending, repetitive motions
-Pregnancy associated calcium loss in case of women, oestrogen deficiency, etc.
-Presence of c reactive proteins in urine
-High bone density

Symptoms

People with severe OA have extensive or complete loss of cartilage in one or more joints. The bone-on-bone friction associated with this can cause severe symptoms such as:

Increased swelling and inflammation. The amount of synovial fluid within the joint may increase. Normally, this fluid helps reduce friction during movement. However, in larger amounts, it can cause joint swelling. Fragments of broken-off cartilage may also float within the synovial fluid, increasing pain and swelling.

Increased pain. You may feel pain during activities, but also when you’re at rest. You may feel an increase in your pain level as the day progresses, or more swelling in your joints if you’ve used them a lot throughout the day.

Decreased range of motion. You may not be able to move as well, due to stiffness or pain in your joints. This can make it harder to enjoy the day-to-day activities that used to come easily.

Joint instability. Your joints may become less stable. For instance, if you have severe OA in your knees, you may experience locking (sudden lack of movement). You may also experience buckling (when your knee gives out), which can cause falls and injury.

Other symptoms. As a joint continues to wear down, muscle weakness, bone spurs, and joint deformity may also occur.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that causes changes to the blood vessels in thE part of your eye called the retina. That's the lining at the back of your eye that changes light into images. The blood vessels can swell, leak fluid, or bleed, which often leads to vision changes or blindness. It usually affects both eyes. When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can scar and damage your retina. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss for people with diabetes.

Types:

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) NPDR is also known as background retinopathy. It’s called “nonproliferative” because the eye doesn’t make new blood vessels during the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. During the early stages of retinopathy, damaged blood vessels often leak blood and fluid into the eye. In some cases, the center of the retina, or macula, begins to swell. This causes a condition called macular edema. The three stages of NPDR are mild, moderate, and severe, which may progress to the other type, or fourth stage, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) Proliferative diabetic retinopathy, or advanced retinopathy, is the stage of retinopathy in which new blood vessels begin to grow within the retina. These new blood vessels are usually abnormal and grow in the center of the eye.

Factors: If your blood glucose level (blood sugar) is too high for too long, it blocks off the small blood vessels that keep your retina healthy. Your eye will try to grow new blood vessels, but they won’t develop well. The blood vessels start to weaken. They can leak blood and fluid into your retina. This can cause another condition called macular edema. It can make your vision blurry.

Symptoms: Your doctor can diagnose diabetic retinopathy using a dilated eye exam. This involves the use of eye drops that make the pupils open wide, allowing you doctor to get a good look at the inside of your eye. Your doctor will check for:

-abnormal blood vessels
-swelling
-leaking of the blood vessels
-blocked blood vessels
-scarring
-changes to the lens
-damage to the nerve tissue
-retinal detachment

They may also perform a fluorescein angiography test. During this test, your doctor will inject a dye into your arm, allowing them to track how the blood flows in your eye. They’ll take pictures of the dye circulating inside of your eye to determine which vessels are blocked, leaking, or broken.

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) exam is an imaging test that uses light waves to produce images of the retina. These images allow your doctor to determine your retina’s thickness. OCT exams help determine how much fluid, if any, has accumulated in the retina.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a long-lasting disease that can affect your brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves in your eyes. It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscle control, and other basic body functions.

The effects are often different for everyone who has the disease. Some people have mild symptoms and don’t need treatment. Others will have trouble getting around and doing daily tasks.

MS happens when your immune system attacks a fatty material called myelin, which wraps around your nerve fibers to protect them. Without this outer shell, your nerves become damaged. Scar tissue may form.

The damage means your brain can’t send signals through your body correctly. Your nerves also don’t work as they should to help you move and feel.

Types:

There are different types of MS, with different symptomatic observations such as

Relapsing- remitting MS : – It is the most common form of the disease with defined attacks of worsening neurologic al function. However these attacks are followed by partial or complete recovery period. The data suggest that approximately 85% of the people are initially diagnosed with the type of MS.

Secondary Progressive MS : – As the name suggest, this is the follow up transition phase after relapsing-remitting MS.

Primary Progressive MS : – It is characterized by progressive yet steady worsening of neurological damage. The type has been observed in about 10% of the cases.

Progressive Relapsing MS : – This is the least common of the disease and is characterized by steady progression of the disease with occasion exacerbation along the way.

Factors:

Cause 1: Immune system

MS is considered an immune-mediated disease: The immune system malfunctions and attacks the CNS. Researchers know that the myelin sheath is directly affected, but they don’t know what triggers the immune system to attack the myelin.

Research into which immune cells are responsible for the attack is ongoing. Scientists are seeking to uncover what causes these cells to attack. They’re also searching for methods to control or stop the progression of the disease.

Cause 2: Genetics

Several genes are believed to play a role in MS. Your chance of developing MS is slightly higher if a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, has the disease.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, if one parent or sibling has MS, the chances of getting the disease are estimated to be around 2.5 to 5 percent in the United States. The chances for an average person are approximately 0.1 percent.

Scientists believe that people with MS are born with a genetic susceptibility to react to certain unknown environmental agents. An autoimmune response is triggered when they encounter these agents.

Cause 3: Environment

Epidemiologists have seen an increased pattern of MS cases in countries located farthest from the equator. This correlation causes some to believe that vitamin D may play a role. Vitamin D benefits immune system function.

People who live near the equator are exposed to more sunlight. As a result, their bodies produce more vitamin D.

The longer your skin is exposed to sunlight, the more your body naturally produces the vitamin. Since MS is considered an immune-mediated disease, vitamin D and sunlight exposure may be linked to it.

Cause 4: Infection

Researchers are considering the possibility that bacteria and viruses may cause MS. Viruses are known to cause inflammation and a breakdown of myelin. Therefore, it’s possible that a virus could trigger MS.

It’s also possible that the bacteria or virus that have similar components to brain cells trigger the immune system to mistakenly identify normal brain cells as foreign and destroy them.

Several bacteria and viruses are being investigated to determine if they contribute to the development of MS. These include:

-measles viruses
-human herpes virus-6, which leads to conditions such as roseola
-Epstein-Barr virus

Symptoms:

As a result, you may have symptoms like:
-Trouble walking
-Feeling tired
-Muscle weakness or spasms
-Blurred or double vision
-Numbness and tingling
-Sexual problems
-Poor bladder or bowel control
-Pain
-Depression
-Problems focusing or remembering

The first symptoms often start between ages 20 and 40. Most people with MS have attacks, also called relapses, when the condition gets noticeably worse. They’re usually followed by times of recovery when symptoms improve. For other people, the disease continues to get worse over time.

In recent years, scientists have found many new treatments that can often help prevent relapses and slow the disease’s effects.

Autism

Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complicated condition that includes problems with communication and behavior. It can involve a wide range of symptoms and skills. ASD can be a minor problem or a disability that needs full-time care in a special facility.

People with autism have trouble with communication. They have trouble understanding what other people think and feel. This makes it hard for them to express themselves, either with words or through gestures, facial expressions, and touch.

People with autism might have problems with learning. Their skills might develop unevenly. For example, they could have trouble communicating but be unusually good at art, music, math, or memory. Because of this, they might do especially well on tests of analysis or problem-solving.

More children are diagnosed with autism now than ever before. But the latest numbers could be higher because of changes in how it’s diagnosed, not because more children have a disorder.

Factors:

Although with the increasing prevalence, it is still not clear as how the autism brain can be different from the typical brain. Although many theories have been put forth concluding that a single factor cannot be blamed for its occurrence, researchers have linked it up with various genetic and environmental problems. It has been observed that some children with hereditary genetic makeup are born susceptible to autism, whereas many other studies have indicated that certain factors like smoking, drug addiction, alcohol consumption, viral infection, metabolic imbalances, chemical exposure, allergies etc. during pregnancy can be responsible to cause abnormal structural brain development.

Symptoms:

Autism symptoms typically become clearly evident during early childhood, between 12 and 24 months of age. However, symptoms may also appear earlier or later.

Early symptoms may include a marked delay in language or social development.

Problems with communication and social interaction include:

-Issues with communication, including difficulties sharing emotions, sharing interests, or maintaining a back-and-forth conversation
-Issues with nonverbal communication, such as trouble maintaining eye contact or reading body language
-Difficulties developing and maintaining relationships
-Restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior or activities include:
-Repetitive movements, motions, or speech patterns
-Rigid adherence to specific routines or behaviors
-An increase or decrease in sensitivity to specific sensory information from their surroundings, such as a negative reaction to a specific sound
-Fixated interests or preoccupations.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy, or CP, is a group of disorders that affect balance, movement, and muscle tone. “Cerebral” means the disorder is related to the brain, and “palsy” refers to weakness or a muscle problem.

CP starts in the area of the brain that controls the ability to move muscles. Cerebral palsy can happen when that part of the brain doesn’t develop as it should, or when it is damaged right around the time of birth or very early in life.

Most people with cerebral palsy are born with it. That’s called “congenital” CP. But it can also start after birth, in which case it’s called “acquired” CP.

People with cerebral palsy can have mild issues with muscle control, or it could be so severe that they can’t walk. Some people with CP have difficulty speaking. Others have intellectual disabilities, while many have normal intelligence.

Type:

Spastic CP: – This is the most prevalent type of CP in occurrence causing incredible stiffness in the muscles, probably due to faulty messages being sent from the damaged parts of the brain. It has been reported to be among approximately 41% of the CP cases.

Dyskinetic CP: – This is the type of CP, categorized with abnormal involuntary movements either in the posture or in the limb and around the mouth.

Ataxic CP: – This is the least common type of CP with shaky movements and problem with maintaining the balance.

Cerebral palsy is classified according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe developed the GMFCS as a universal standard for determining the physical capabilities of people with CP.

The system focuses on:

-The ability to sit
-The capability for movement and mobility
-Charting independence
-The use of adaptive technology

The five levels of the GMFCS increase with decreasing mobility:

Level 1 cerebral palsy

Level 1 CP is characterized by being able to walk without limitations.

Level 2 cerebral palsy

A person with level 2 CP can walk long distances without limitations, but they can’t run or jump.

They may need assistive devices, such as leg and arm braces, when first learning to walk. They also may need to use a wheelchair to get around outside of their home.

Level 3 cerebral palsy

A person with level 3 CP can sit with little support and stand without any support.

They need handheld assistive devices, such as a walker or cane, while walking indoors. They also need a wheelchair to get around outside of the home.

Level 4 cerebral palsy

A person with level 4 CP can walk with the use of assistive devices.

They’re able to move independently in a wheelchair, and they need some support when they’re sitting.

Level 5 cerebral palsy

A person with level 5 CP needs support to maintain their head and neck position.

They need support to sit and stand, and they may be able to control a motorized wheelchair.

Factors:

Abnormal brain development or injury to the developing brain can cause CP. The damage affects the part of the brain that controls body movement, coordination, and posture.

The brain damage usually occurs before birth, but it can also happen during birth or the first years of life. In most cases, the exact cause of CP isn’t known.

Some of the possible causes include:

-Asphyxia neonatorum, or a lack of oxygen to the brain during labor and delivery
-Gene mutations that result in abnormal brain development
-Severe jaundice in the infant
-Maternal infections, such German measles and herpes simplex
-Brain infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis
-Intracranial hemorrhage, or bleeding into the brain
-Head injuries as a result of a car accident, a fall, or child abuse

Symptoms:

Cerebral Palsy is a neurodegenerative condition with the progressive, irreparable damage of the nervous system. In case of severe forms of CP, signs are often visible immediately after birth; however some of the other signs of CP can follow unique patterns such as:

-Poor muscular tone as well as lack of coordination in the voluntary movements.
-Problem with maintaining proper posture and balance due to muscular stiffness as well as exaggerated reflexes.
-Difficulty in achieving milestones such as motor skills. Walking difficulty, generally walking with one foot or dragging legs while walking. Maintaining unique postures while walking such as toe walking or jump gait, crouched gait as well as stiff knee gait.
-Excessive drooling or difficulty in swallowing or speaking.
-Random involuntary movements such as excessive tremor, shaky hands as well as posture.
-Seizures, communication problems and intellectual disabilities are as well common in the cases with CP.

Since CP is associated with the brain damage, it can as well affect other brain functions such as:

-Visual impairment
-Hearing loss
-Difficulty is swallowing or sucking of food into the lungs
-Gastroesophageal reflux or sudden spitting up of food.
-Speech problem
-Tooth decay
-Sleep disorder
-Osteoporosis
-Behavioural problems

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is an illness that affects the part of your brain that controls how you move your body. It can come on so slowly that you don't even notice it at first. But over time, what starts as a little shakiness in your hand can have an impact on how you walk, talk, sleep, and think.

You're more likely to get it when you're 60 and older. It's also possible for it to start when you're younger, but that doesn't happen nearly as often.

There's no cure for Parkinson's disease, but you can get treatment and support to help manage the symptoms.

Studies have observed the deposition of different proteins in the transverse sections of the Parkinson’s brain. These proteins are known as the Lewy Bodies.

The human brain is the principal organ, controlling all the mechanism such as movement, memory, speech, vision, etc. This control can be acquired by the passage of different signals to the different organs of the body. These signals are generated in the brain, passed on to the different organs via brain cells known as the neurons. These signals are passed on from one neuron to the other organs of the body with the help of the neurotransmitters. Dopamine is one of the different kinds of neurotransmitter which is found to be absent in the patients with the Parkinson’s disease. This dopamine is degenerated due to the deposition of proteins or lewy bodies surrounding the neurons. These lewy bodies thus interrupt the transmission of signals due to loss of dopamine leading to the progressive degeneration of motor neurons.

Thus, in patients with the disease, the motor coordination is affected to the great extent.

Symptoms:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological movement disorder that, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), affects approximately 500,000 people in the United States.

Some early symptoms include:

- Cramped handwriting or other writing changes
- Tremor, especially in finger, hand or foot
- Uncontrollable movements during sleep
- Limb stiffness or slow movement (bradykinesia)
- Voice changes
- Rigid facial expression or masking
- Stooped posture

PD starts with the brain cells, called neurons, which control movement. Neurons produce a substance called dopamine. PD sets in when the neurons die and the levels of dopamine in the brain decrease. The lack of dopamine is thought to result in the symptoms that affect the way you move.

Early signs of Parkinson’s disease can be easy to miss, especially if they occur sporadically. It may be time to see a doctor if you are noticing symptoms that keep appearing.