Psoriatic Arthritis: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

 

Do you see red flaky, itchy, and scaly patches on your skin?  

Wondering why you have these uncomfortable itches, aches, and pains?  You might have psoriasis. Chances are you are familiar with the condition known as “psoriasis” and think of the skin disease that causes itchy, scaly, red, and flaky skin patches.

We all know LeAnn Rimes, the Grammy Award-winning artist star.  It's difficult to believe she once has psoriasis since she was a young child. Over 80 percent of her body is affected. But she has learned to manage her symptoms, proper treatment, and live a healthy lifestyle.

Many individuals may have psoriatic arthritis (PA) and are not even aware of it.

What is Psoriatic Arthritis (PA)?

Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) is an autoimmune disorder. It causes raised, red, scaly patches on the skin, even the scalp. This disease develops when the body’s immune system kicks into overdrive and starts going after the body's cells making the cells grow too quickly.

 Every day can be very uncomfortable. The pain and itch make you feel like you want to scratch your body all over. The skin can then crack and can even bleed.

The stress of dealing with psoriatic arthritis affects the life of the patients. It’s debilitating mentally and physically. Pain, fatigue, and anxiety are just a few of the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

 Who gets it?                                                               

Anyone with psoriasis can have psoriatic arthritis (PA).

Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) is common in Caucasians, more so than Asian Americans and African Americans. The symptoms begin between the ages of 30 and 50 but can start even in childhood.

What causes Psoriatic Arthritis (PA)?

The causes of Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) are still unknown today. However, researchers believe that genes, environment, and biologically active substances whose activities affect the functioning of the immune system are involved.

 Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis (PA)

There's no cure, but indeed, there are a lot of treatment options available to cope with and manage it. Your doctor will likely prescribe medication depending on how severe the disease is and the type of psoriatic arthritis you have. The purpose of the treatment is to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, reduce flare-ups, and retain joint function.

Self-Care Tips for Managing Psoriasis

Try makeup.  Covering the areas with makeup can give you confidence. But be careful using those products that might irritate your skin. It is better to use hypoallergenic makeup or simply cover your face and body with scarves and long-sleeve clothing.

Hot and cold treatments. It may help reduce joint stiffness, swelling, and muscle spasms.

Relaxation techniques. Try to lower your stress levels with yoga, deep breathing, or meditation.

Don’t pick your skin. Manual removal of the scales can worsen them.

 Life with psoriatic arthritis (PA) can be challenging. If this sounds like you, it’s time to say “enough”. Make a conscious decision about your health. Get support. It may help you to cope emotionally with your illness. Conquer your everyday battles through life-changing information, resources, and community connections. The sooner you begin seeking treatment, the sooner you will feel better.

Lupus: Diagnosis, Causes, & Treatment

 

    Do you sometimes wonder how Grammy award-winning singer Seal got his butterfly-shaped rashes on his cheeks? Turns out that what he got isn’t a birthmark or acne scars. His iconic facial rashes were caused by an insidious and hard-to-diagnose disease called lupus.

    Lupus is one of the world's most devastating and unpredictable diseases. It is a chronic autoimmune disease that has a brutal impact on a person who suffers.

    Lupus is a condition that only a few people know about. In 2015, lupus gained even more attention from the public after singer Selena Gomez announced that she had been diagnosed with it in her late teens. She has likewise undergone chemotherapy and a recent kidney transplant to cope with this disease.

 Lupus Facts

❏       Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disorder caused when the immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy organs or areas in the body. It can be mild or life-threatening.

❏       It’s not contagious. You cannot catch or pass lupus to other people, not even through sexual contact.

❏      It's not related to cancer.

❏      Symptoms usually start in early adulthood or anywhere from the teen years into the 30s.

 What is Lupus?

●      Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. It means the immune system becomes hyperactive and mistakenly attacks healthy body cells and tissues.

●      Under normal function, our body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies which fight off antigens such as viruses, bacteria, and germs. The antibodies attach themselves to harmful antigens which can cause the disease.

●      Auto-antibodies cause inflammation and swelling that can damage organs and tissues of the body including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.

●      This disorder usually occurs in women. Symptoms typically start in early adulthood, anywhere from the teen years into the 30s.

●      People with lupus generally experience flare-ups and periods of remission. That’s why early signs are easy to dismiss.

●      Doctors believe that lupus results from both genetic and environmental stimuli.

●      There is no cure for lupus and its symptoms, but it can be controlled with medication. Treatments for Lupus include corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, and lifestyle changes.

 There are four known types of lupus:

1.    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is the most common form of lupus, and it affects many parts of the body. The most characteristic of the symptoms of SLE is the butterfly rash or malar rash that appears in the bridge of the nose and cheek.

2.    Discoid (Cutaneous)

Discoid is a kind of lupus that causes a rash or lesion on the skin, usually when exposed to sunlight. It does not include the body’s internal organs, but pain may accompany the rash.

3.    Drug-induced Lupus (DIL)

DIL is similar to SLE usually caused by an overreaction to certain medications. Symptoms typically disappear after the patient stops or discontinues taking these medications.

4.    Neonatal  Lupus

In rare cases, it occurs when an infant acquires auto-antibodies from its mother with SLE. This condition can cause skin, anemia, or liver problems. Symptoms resolve within the first six months of the infant's life.

 

Causes of Lupus

The reason for the abnormal auto-immunity that causes the disease is still unknown. However, scientists believe that genetics, epigenetics, and environmental factors are involved. 

 Symptoms and Signs

People with lupus may experience different symptoms from one another because the disease can affect any part of the body. 

The typical symptoms include the following;

●      Extreme fatigue

●      swelling in joint pain

●      facial rash (butterfly rash)

●      unexplained fevers (more than 100 F)

●      hair loss

●       sensitivity to the sunlight

●      seizures

●       nose or mouth sores

●      chest pain

 Diagnosis

Typically, when a person has several features of the disease including signs and symptoms, the doctor will conduct several complete and accurate medical histories, physical examinations, laboratory tests, and other diagnostic studies to determine if you indeed have the disease or to make a diagnosis and to monitor the progress of the disease once diagnosed.

The most useful tests include the following; complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, blood chemistries, complement levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ANA, and another autoantibody.

 Treatments

Still, there is no known cure for lupus. However, it can be treated effectively with medications according to the severity of the signs and symptoms.  Factors such as age, type of drugs a patient is taking, and overall health are considered.

 Specific treatments and medications most commonly used to control lupus include the following:

●      Steroids or prednisone and related derivatives of cortisone. Creams can be directly applied to rashes

●      Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). It is used to help keep control of mild lupus-related problems, such as skin and joint disease

●      Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). A drug for chemotherapy, it is useful in reducing the activity of the immune system.

●      Azathioprine, a medication originally used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

●      Methotrexate (Rheumatrex). Another chemotherapy medication is used to suppress the immune system. Its use is for skin disease, arthritis, and non-life threatening forms of illness that have not responded to drugs such as low doses of prednisone or hydroxychloroquine.

●      Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept). It is also a  drug for chemotherapy and is useful in reducing the activity of the immune system.  It is usually used t treat severe lupus, especially lupus that affects the kidney.  

●      Belimumab (Benlysta). It is a monoclonal antibody that reduces the activity of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that make autoantibodies.

●      Rituximab (Rituxan) belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal that reduces the activity of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that produce autoantibodies.

 Alternative or complementary approaches may help cope with or reduce some of the patient's pressure from the situation. Certain activities include:

●      Eat well.  Proper nutrition is an essential treatment plan for the disease

●      Exercise and enough rest

●      Don’t smoke and void alcohol

●      Play it safe in the sun

●      Treat fevers

●      Get to know your condition.

●      Ask for help.

 Lupus continues to present many unanswered questions. However, the outlook for people living with lupus is improving each decade with the development of more accurate monitoring tests and treatments. It is essential to understand the illness.

 If you or your family member has the above symptoms and manifestations, talk to your doctor before you make any assumptions

References

Elish D, Silverberg NB. Neonatal lupus erythematosus. Cutis. 2006;77:82–86

Pons-Estel GJ, Alarcon GS, Scofield L, et al. Understanding the epidemiology and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2010;39:257–268. Free article (PubMed)

D’Cruz DP. Systemic lupus erythematosus. BMJ. 2006;332:890–894 Free article (PubMed)

 

Learning Music Symbols and their Meaning

   

Musical notes are written in symbols or easily distinguishable marks. The musical notes have a pitch, duration, and intensity. It is beneficial to have knowledge about these marks. The meaning of music symbols is given in this article.  

    The mnemonics “Every Good Boy Does Fine” and “All Cows Eat Grass,” helps kids memorize the notes on the lines of the treble clef and the spaces of the bass clef, respectively.

 

    Sheet music or music notation employs a series of symbols and marks that pertain to certain notes, pitches, and tones. Music notations are visually represented symbols, which often include both modern and ancient musical symbols.

    Modern music notation is commonly used by musicians of different genres throughout the world and is said to have its origins in European classical music. This popular system uses a five-line staff to place the musical notes. Sheet music used is as a record or a guide to perform or compose a piece of music.

 

    To be able to read this sheet music, one has to study the musical notations, for which, one has to be acquainted with the symbols used to represent the notes. 

    Below is a list of the musical symbols employed to write sheet music:

    The staff (or music stave as it is also called) is the series of 5 lines and 4 spaces that music is written down on. Music notation developed from one single line, used in the early days of writing down church chants. The first person to come up with the idea of writing music down on a line was Guido of Arezzo who was a Benedictine monk and singing teacher who became famous across North Italy for the speed at which he managed to teach students to sing chants. He also invented the doh-re-me system, although it was called ut-re-me when he first developed it.

    The terms music staff and music stave are interchangeable. Staff tends to be the American usage and Stave tends to be the British usage. I shall use staff on this site.

 

Ledger or leger lines extend the staff to pitches that fall below it. It is a short line added above or below the staff. Ledger lines are generally placed behind note heads and are spaced at the same distance as the lines of the staff. A range of notes that go beyond the two staff is put on extra short lines or between the spaces formed between them.

Vertical lines called bars are used to connect the upper and lower staffs of the grand staff. The vertical bars are used to divide the staff into measures. 

A single bar line is used to separate a measure. Each bar or measure refers to a segment of time that is defined by a given number of beats and note values. To make it easier to understand, the term bar refers only to the vertical line, while the term measure refers to the beats that are contained between two bars.

A double barline is used to separate two sections of music. A double bar line is also used to signify changes in the key signature, time signature, or major changes in style and tempo. A dotted bar is used to subdivide long measures of a complex meter into shorter segments.

                                                           

A bold double bar or the end line is used to indicate the end of a movement in a piece of music. It is used to signify the end of an entire composition.

A bracket is generally used to indicate the connection between the staff of two or more separate instruments. To say the least, it is used to connect two or more lines of music that are to be played simultaneously by multiple instruments.

The brace on the other hand connects two or more lines of music played simultaneously by a single instrument. Also called an accolade, the brace connects multiple parts for a single instrument (the right and left-hand stave of a piano―for instance is connected using a brace).

The stave, essentially, is mere lines; however, the presence of the clef marking the beginning of the stave is what assigns a certain pitch to the notes. The clef, in other words, helps to accurately relate to the pitch of the musical note placed on or between specific lines on the stave. In short, a clef is used to fix the position of certain high and low notes on the stave.

G Clef or the Treble Clef

Originally resembling the capital letter ‘G’, the treble clef fixes the second line as the note G on the stave. The treble clef denotes the high notes on the stave and is commonly used for most modern vocal music.

F Clef or the Bass Clef

The bass clef fixes the fourth line as the note ‘F’ on the bass stave. The two dots placed above and below the fourth line from the bottom of the staff is the pitch F. Specifically used in choral music, the bass clef represents the bass and baritone voices.

C Clef or Alto and Tenor Clef

The alto and tenor clef fixes the third line on the stave as the middle C. In modern notation, it is used for the viola and is often used when composing music using the bassoon, cello, trombone, and double bass. It is a movable clef, and when it points to the fourth line, it is called a tenor clef.

Octave Clef

The octave clef is nothing but a modified version of either the treble or the bass clef. The number 8 or 15 is affixed either to the top or bottom of the clef to raise or lower the intended pitch by one or two octaves, respectively. Generally, you will find a treble clef with an eight below in notes written for the guitar and the octave mandolin.

Tablature

Used specifically for stringed instruments, the tablature or Tab is often written instead of a clef. Like the neutral clef, the Tab clef is not a true clef, but a mere symbol used instead of a clef. Tablature generally involves writing notes on six lines when writing notes for a regular six-string guitar.

Neutral Clef

The neutral clef is used while composing musical notes for non-pitched percussion instruments like drums and cymbals. It is simply used as a convention to indicate that the lines and spaces on the stave are assigned to a percussion instrument with no precise pitch. Generally, it is not a compulsion for the neutral clef to be placed on a regular five-stave, it can be placed on a single stave or line.

Notes and Rests

Notes represent the length of time of a particular pitch. Each note stands for a particular number of beats. In written music, the length of a note is shown by its shape. When there is no note sounding, a rest is written, and the duration is shown by its shape. To make things easier, we have classified notes on the basis of their relationship with the whole note or a semi-breve.

Whole Note or Semibreve

A hollow oval note head represents a whole note or a semibreve. The length of a full note is equivalent to four beats in a 4/4 time. A whole note receives 4 counts, which means, you have to hold the note for its full value.

A whole rest corresponds to a whole note, which means, the rest period is equivalent to the duration of the musical note. A whole rest is denoted by a filled-in rectangle hanging under the second line from the top of the staff.

 

 

       

MEDITATION FOR ARTHRITIS

                                   

Wondering what Hugh Jackman, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Madonna have in common? 

                                   Yes, they are all ultra-successful, and they - meditate!

Meditations are getting very popular today, and it is entirely natural. Meditation is not only meant for hippies, saints, and Buddhist monks. It has been proven to not only help intensifies physical relaxation and relieve depression but may also help bone, muscle, and joint pain brought about by arthritis. Taking a few minutes each day to make a stop, rest ad breathe can help to ease arthritis pain. As a bonus, it will also make your mood a whole lot better.

 Maybe many people have even tried doing meditation – but got bored after each session. There is no magic formula for meditating. It is the practice of a united mind and body as well as discipline.

 Meditation is a form of total acceptance. It requires time and patience. For those who are willing to get well, one should be prepared to use spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical modalities to heal. After some time of proper meditative practice, different enormous experiences may be felt, including a reduction of pain.

 

How to Start your Meditation for Arthritis Pain Relief

Try these tips and techniques to add this powerful practice into your daily routine:

Seek Guidance.

For beginners, a competent and qualified meditation instructor can guide and help you get started. For quality meditation practice, it is essential to understand the basic foundations of correct practice. Meditation is relatively easy to do, but as a beginner, it does not always come naturally. It is the antithesis of how we are conditioned to think and act in this busy day and age.

Meditation Environment. 

Try active meditation.  Find a quiet location, a comfortable place, and make sure that nothing can bother or disturb you. Control interruptions by planning your day. To make the reflection more active, heighten the senses by adding scented sticks and by putting on some meditational or relaxing music.

 

Posture.

Place your body in a relaxing state. Sit in any position as long as you are comfortable.  Meditate either on a floor or a chair or in any quiet place.  Sit comfortably by crossing your legs, locking your fingers, and closing your eyes. The eyes are the door of the brain so it should close. Closing the eyes also helps to concentrate on the inner world. Just relax, totally relax. Energy sets on its form, and it gives strength to our body and tries to empty the mind throughout meditation. Keep it brief-You don’t have to spend all day or an hour a day to set aside for meditation, take at least 5 or 10-minute meditation breaks throughout the day.

Eliminate Distractions.

 It is essential to adjust focus and follow a guided practice for doing it right to get the best results. Don’t think of anything beyond. When the body rests, consciousness intensifies. Try to empty the mind or have no thoughts in at all, for at least 9 seconds to receive cosmic energy, and to allow the brain to relax and finally embrace the surrounding environment. A recorded voice guide playing through your speakers may help focus on a beautiful, relaxing view. This experience will help the body stay in a healthy state.

 Bring the Meditative Mentality Everywhere

The intention of meditating is to bring about a higher degree of awareness of our thoughts so that our outlook and mood may change for the better. It is more than just a technique. It becomes a way of life. Learning meditation is a desirable investment to enhance your quality of life. Drugs and a restricted diet are not much needed because healing comes from the deep emotional release which is a product of your meditation practice. 

No matter how uncomfortable, how bored, and how it seems like nothing at all is happening, all of those are good if the person is showing up and are doing the meditation. Learning the correct way of meditation is a skill that can be learned over time. What matters is for you to decide to begin your meditation practice today.