My Health Profession

Muscle Weakness, Fatiguability, Tiredness This Article looks at types of muscle weakness and discusses the wide range of problems which may cause them. These range from the very common to the very rare. Some are mild and reversible; others are not. However, most can be improved by exercise and physiotherapy. Muscle weakness is a common complaint, but the word weakness has a wide range of meanings, including tiredness, reduced power and failure to work at all. There is an even wider range of possible causes. What is muscle weakness? The term muscle weakness can be used to describe several different things. Primary or true muscle weakness This shows itself as an inability to perform what you want to do with a muscle, even the first time you try. There is a reduction in the force which the muscle can exert, however hard you try. The muscle is not working properly - it has become abnormal. When this kind of

The term digital clubbing is used to describe an enlargement of the distal segments of the fingers. The toes also may be affected by clubbing. Clubbing may be hereditary, but more often it is a sign of underlying disease. Clubbing is associated with a variety of pulmonary diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, bronchiectasis,lung abscess, and cystic fibrosis. Nonpulmonary conditions that may be accompanied by clubbing include cyanotic congenital heart disease, infective endocarditis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cirrhosis. Clubbing also may be idiopathic. DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF CLUBBING: Digital clubbing is defined by structural changes at the base of the nails that results in a convex distal phalanx (Figure 1). The Schamroth sign can be used in the detection of clubbing. This sign is elicited by placing the dorsal surfaces of the terminal phalanges on opposing fingers together (Figure 2). Normally, a diamond shaped window appears in a patient without...

”Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream… You gotta protect it. People can’t do something’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something’, go get it. Period.” – In Pursuit Of Happyness

Question 1 .A 31-year-old homosexual man presents complaining of pain with defecation. He denies any symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain , or fevers. Six months earlier, he developed traveler's diarrhea while vacationing in Mexico. On physical examination, he is afebrile and has an unremarkable abdominal examination. On examination of the perianal area, there is a group of five clustered ulcers adjacent to the anal orifice and extending into the anal canal. A sigmoidoscopy reveals normal rectosigmoid mucosa. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

STAND UP FOR GAZA AND #LiftTheSiege We are participating in an online blackout to show support for the people of Gaza. As people of conscience, we protest the international response (or lack thereof!) to the injustice committed against the civilian population of Gaza. This is a humanitarian crisis that should pain every soul witnessing it. We unequivocally condemn, in strongest terms, the attacks on civilians from both sides, and more specifically the indiscriminate bombardment and collective punishment of the people of Gaza. We are asking you to join us and make your voice heard. Here is what you can do: (1) Make du`a' (pray) to Allah to defend the defenseless. (2) Take it to Twitter . -- Educate your network about the situation in Gaza using the hashtag #LiftTheSiege. -- Tweet at anybody of influence (e.g. news personnel, elected officials, etc.) using the hashtag #LiftTheSiege. (3) Contact your elected representatives and do the following: --- Express your c...

1. Fall and Rise Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago . 2. A father’s advice Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic 3. The power of uniqueness. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing. 4. Looking Back Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at y...

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde

While we focus on our spiritual upbringing, we also need to focus on our physical well-being. Instead of praying Maghrib and rushing to eat, set your intention to eat to nourish your body so that you can stand and pray. In this case, you make eating an act of worship and get rewarded for it, Allah (swt) willing. Set your intention to eat suhoor (the meal before sunrise) to worship and have energy all day. Set your intention to eat iftar (the meal after sunset) to worship and pray during the night. Now, let me share a few tips on what to eat to stay hydrated, energized, and motivated all day long. With Ramadan in the midst of summer this year, we need nothing more than hydration and good eating habits to keep us going. However, Ramadan is not only about omitting food and drink from sunrise to sunset. It’s not about sleeping all day and waking up an hour before sunset to prepare a meal. It’s not about indulging all night and sleeping all day. No, Ramadan is a spiritu...

A 53-year-old woman presents complaining of fatigue over the past 6 months. During this time, she has also developed pruritus and lost 4 pounds. She is not sexually active, and her past medical history is significant only for Sjögren syndrome. On physical examination, she is afebrile and has mildly icteric sclera. There are excoriations noted on all four extremities and trunk and back. The liver edge is smooth and non-tender and measures 9 cm at the midclavicular line. There is no ascites, splenomegaly, or peripheral edema. Laboratory results reveal a normal complete blood count, normal electrolytes, and liver function tests with an alkaline phosphatase of 260 U/L (normal, <110 U/L), total bilirubin of 3.1 mg/dL, and normal transaminase levels. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis? a) Acute cholecystitis b)Acute hepatitis A infection c)Bacterial cholangitis d)Primary biliary cirrhosis e)Primary sclerosing cholangitis  Explanation: The cor...

Alhamdulillah (all praise be to God), we have entered into Ramadan. While this is the most beautiful time of the year—a time in which the doors to Paradise are open, the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained—some of us may be coming into it carrying a heavy burden. Some of us might be broken. And still others might not really feel anymore. No one knows our internal state, the fact that all those months have done something to us, that our hearts are numb and we are not even really sure what it is like to feel that energy or that love anymore. If you are that person, and if you feel that something in your heart has died, don’t give up just yet. This Name of Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), is for you. Allah tells us: “And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?” (Qur’an, 6:122 ) In the last article, we briefly mentioned Allah...

A 45 year old male with a history of alcohol dependence presents with confusion, nystagmus and ataxia. Examination reveals 6th cranial nerve weakness. He is most likely to be suffering from: A. Korsakoff’s psychosis B. Wernicke encephalopathy C. De Clerambault syndrome D. Delirium tremens Correct answer : B. Wernicke encephalopathy Wernicke encephalopathy is characterised by a triad of confusion, ophthalmoplegia and ataxia in an alcoholic patient.

A 29-year-old man is brought to the emergency department in a comatose state a few hours after complaining of sudden onset of excruciating headache. Neurologic examination reveals dilated pupils poorly responsive to light. A CT scan of the head without contrast demonstrates hyperdensity within the suprasellar cistern, while MRI is unremarkable. Lumbar puncture shows hemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis? a)Amyloid angiopathy-related hemorrhage b)Cavernous sinus thrombosis c)Hemorrhagic infarction d)Pituitary apoplexy e)Ruptured berry aneurysm Explanation: The correct answer is E. Headache of sudden onset ("thunderclap" headache), rapid deterioration of mental status and blood in the CSF are virtually diagnostic of ruptured berry aneurysms. Note the characteristic hyperdensity on CT of the suprasellar cistern, indicating blood in the subarachnoid space. Rupture of a berry aneurysm is the most common cause ...

Photo: Shandi-lee Cox In the field behind my house, there is a garden where my memories grow. Scattered by the wind, yet perfectly sorted by time. Some have yet to grow and blossom into their full potential, while others are so withered, it’s a wonder they are still alive. From time to time I go out and walk through my garden, trying to appreciate the beauty of the blessed landscape that my life has, over time, sown. It is always the same, yet each time a little bit different. It begins as something joyous, something I look forward to. But then my heart gets entangled in the weeds, I see the flowers that have died, and my heart turns hard and cold. Gardens should be a source of pleasure, but mine has at times been a source of heart-gripping nostalgia and at other times a source of tears—from wounds that have never been healed. This time was different. This time, I decided to take the gardener along with me on my stroll. Well, I didn’t really decide to take him ...