Medical Minute: Narcolepsy
It isn’t often that a child falls asleep during important meetings, such as signing her first recording contract with Jay Z, or nodding off during a Senate hearing on human trafficking, like Willow Smith has done.
Narcolepsy means excessive sleepiness or falling asleep at the most inopportune times.
Children with narcolepsy often are not diagnosed with the sleep disorder until they are well into their teens or adulthood, when the disorder becomes a health issue or a distraction.
Medical Minute: Ovary transplants may end infertility and menopause
This is great news for women who have been unable to conceive babies. A new technique to remove slices of ovary, freeze it and transplant it back into women years later may put an end to infertility and the miserable symptoms of menopause.
28 babies have been born worldwide to formerly infertile patients who either had their own ovarian tissue transplanted or they received ovarian transplants from a twin sister.
Most of the children were conceived naturally without the need for IVF or drugs, according to UK’s Daily Telegraph.
Women who are past their child bearing years will also be able to conceive naturally well into their 80s.
Medical Minute: Jack Osbourne diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis
Jack Osbourne, the 26-year-old son of rock musician Ozzy Osbourne and music manager Sharon Osbourne, has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Other celebrities afflicted with the nerve disorder include actress Lola Falana, the late comic Richard Pryor, and R&B singer Tamia.
MS is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own nerve cells by eating away at the sheath that protects the nerves similar to the insulation coating covering electrical wires in your home.
Once the protective coating on the nerve is damaged, the flow of electricity from the brain to the body is interrupted.
People with severe cases of multiple sclerosis may lose the ability to walk or speak, according to the Mayo Clinic.
There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. But with medication and therapy the debilitating symptoms of MS may be alleviated, delayed or controlled (for a long period time). 40% of people with MS reach the 70th year of life. The main cause of death of people with MS is suicide.
Medical Minute: Brain Tumor (Benign and Malignant)
Breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor after experiencing memory problems.
Crow, 50, said she grew concerned when she forgot the lyrics to one of her songs onstage.
“I was worried about my memory so much that I went and got an MRI. And I found out I have a brain tumour,” Sheryl told Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Grammy award winner, who was serenaded by Rihanna at a recent breast cancer benefit, told her audience “I’m 50, what can I say? My brain’s gone to s–t.”
Crow will not require surgery.
Medical Minute: Tongue Cancer
There’s a small spot on your tongue that doesn’t seem to go away. You noticed it months ago but it’s painless so you didn’t get it checked out until you visited your dentist for a routine teeth cleaning.
The dentist examines the area and then performs a few diagnostic tests. He suspects that you might have oral cancer but you will need a biopsy to confirm his suspicions. Your dentist makes an appointment for you to see a cancer specialist.
Most of the time those tiny white or red spots in your mouth are harmless. But you will never know for sure unless you get regular dental checkups at least twice a year.
Someone dies from oral or tongue cancer every hour. Oral cancer accounts for about 9,000 deaths a year, according to the American Dental Association. Oral cancer has the worst 5-year survival rate of all cancers because it is rarely diagnosed early.
Medical Minute: Cancer of the Esophagus
Have you ever attempted to swallow food and it feels like it’s stuck in your throat (or somewhere in your upper chest)? Panic slowly begins to rise as it seems like your throat is starting to close and you feel like you can’t breathe. You feel like you’re choking until you drink something to get the food moving again.
If you’ve ever had that choking experience with food — and it occurs quite often — you may have cancer of the esophagus.
Medical Minute: Prostate Cancer
People magazine broke the news last week that veteran actor Ryan O’Neal was diagnosed with prostate cancer. O’Neal, 70, who battled leukemia in the 1990s, told the magazine that his prostate cancer was a stage 4 — but that his doctor gave him a good prognosis.
Stage 4 cancer means the cancer has metastasized (or spread) elsewhere in the body. Stage 4 is the most difficult stage of cancer to treat, and the survival rate for Stage 4 cancer is usually very poor.
Recent Posts
- Sergio Garcia Apologizes to Tiger Woods for Racist Joke
- Celsbs Out & About: Mary J Blige, Chris Rock, Emma Stone, Gayle King, Kevin Liles, Lyor Cohen
- Celebs Out & About: Ludacris, Tyrese, Tank, Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Ginuwine, 2 Chainz
- Celebrity Cars: Shekinah Jo
- Celebs Out & About: Drake
Hot Topics
