Symptoms

Although estimates vary, about 28 million American adults - or about 13 percent of the adult U.S. population - suffer from migraines, says Dr. Jason Rosenberg, director of the Johns Hopkins Headache Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The chronic disorder affects more women than men and can vary from occasional symptoms to frequently occurring, debilitating pain. How is a migraine defined? We now think of migraines as a chronic disorder of a hyper-excitable brain, and the symptom of this brain hyper-excitability is intermittent sickness, including headache.

Not so long ago, celiac disease was considered to be an allergy to gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains, that predominantly affected children. Now, however, it is known that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects about 1 percent of people in the United States, says Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. What is celiac disease? Nowadays, celiac disease is perceived to be an autoimmune disease like diabetes and multiple sclerosis, not a food allergy to wheat as thought before.

Researchers probing the roots of autism say they've found fresh evidence that the disorder, like cancer, could be a tough one to conquer. That's because it's really a constellation of related diseases - with a wide range of genetic underpinnings. In a study released today, scientists say that children who are the sole cases of autism in their families are five times more likely to have a particular genetic mutation than autistic youngsters in families in which the disorder has shown up repeatedly.

When cancer experts announced yesterday that they had identified certain symptoms that might indicate ovarian cancer, they sent a pointed message to patients and clinicians: Scrutiny of seemingly benign physical complaints can save lives. The "first national consensus on ovarian cancer symptoms" urged women and clinicians to regard bloating, abdominal pain, eating difficulties and urinary symptoms as possible early warning signs. According to the statement by the American Cancer Society, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, women should contact their doctors if they experience such symptoms almost daily for a few weeks.

Depression affects more than 6.5 million of the 35 million Americans who are 65 years or older, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. But often the symptoms of depression, which can include fatigue, overall sadness and loss of interest in activities, go unidentified or ignored among the elderly, says Veronica Poklemba, a clinical nurse specialist at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore. Why is it of particular importance to identify and treat depression in the elderly?

An 18-year-old Frostburg State University freshman who lived in one of the school's dorms died last night of what is being described as a meningitis-like illness.Jesse Gardiner, 18, of Frederick County died at Sacred Heart Hospital in Cumberland after becoming ill over the weekend. University officials said the cause of death was a bacterial blood infection -- meningococcal bacteremia."Right now, the death is an isolated case and we're encouraging anyone with close contact to get immediate treatment," Frostburg spokesman Ty DeMartino said last night.

City health officials told an anxious audience of Morgan State University students and staff members yesterday that there is a very low risk of their contracting bacterial meningitis after the death of Sheronda Conaway, a 20-year-old student and cheerleader who died of the disease Friday.Richard Dunning, the city's acting assistant commissioner for preventive medicine, said there was little chance the disease would spread across the campus, because it is contracted through close, "saliva-type" contact.

In what has become an unfortunate ritual in Baltimore County schools, parents at Red House Run Elementary in Rosedale are blaming their children's illnesses on the building.Parents yesterday said they are worried about a large number of reported headaches, stomach aches, respiratory problems, rashes and dizziness -- and want the building tested for environmental hazards.Some are threatening to boycott this year's Maryland School Performance Assessment Program -- the test known as MSPAP -- unless the environmental testing is performed.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening announced yesterday that the state has closed a seven-mile stretch of the Pocomoke River because doctors believe a fish-killing microorganism caused rashes or mild memory loss in 13 people exposed to the water.Holding a news conference with top state health officials on the eve of the Labor Day weekend, Glendening said scientists do not believe any other waterways have unhealthy levels of Pfiesteria piscicida or that Chesapeake Bay seafood has been tainted.Although thousands of fish have died in the Eastern Shore river this summer and several watermen and a water-skier there have reported skin rashes, the announcement was the first time Maryland officials have confirmed a link between the microorganism and human illnesses.

State health officials are warning Maryland residents to be on the alert for symptoms of meningitis and related illnesses that can kill.The signs -- high fever, severe headache, stiff neck and vomiting -- are among the most common symptoms of various illnesses. But together with a rash of tiny dots that become bruises, they constitute a much more serious condition.In January and February, 15 cases of meningococcal disease were reported statewide, compared with 11 during the same period last year.

Dementia is an illness characterized by significant impairment of one or more areas of higher cognitive functioning, such as memory or ability to calculate. Dr. Mel Daly, a geriatrician at Greater Baltimore Medical Center Greater Geriatrics Group, discusses symptoms and treatment for dementia. * About one in five people over age 80 have some form of dementia. Close relatives of people with early onset (before age 60) Alzheimer's disease have a greater chance of getting the disease. Those with genes from a group called ApoE are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

Caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, a traumatic brain injury can range from mild (known as a concussion) to severe, and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Signs and symptoms of a brain injury can show up right after the injury or take several hours or days to appear. Although most people get better over time, it is important to know when and how to seek help. Dr. Beth Slomine of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at Kennedy Krieger Institute offers advice about head injuries: * Simple precautions can help you reduce the chances of having a traumatic brain injury.

Gastroparesis, otherwise called "paralyzed stomach," affects about 25 percent of people with type 1 diabetes and 10 percent of people with type 2 diabetes. People diagnosed with a neurologic disease, such as Parkinson's, and those who have had stomach ulcer surgery may also be affected. However, the largest group of individuals with paralyzed stomach suffers solely from this condition, without additional illness; they have what is called "idiopathic" gastroparesis. Dr. Linda Lee, board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and the director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center, explains the disease and provides insights on symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatments and prevention.

A ganglion cyst is an abnormal growth or mass adjacent to any joint in the body. It is most commonly seen around the wrist or digits, but can develop near the shoulder, knee or foot. Depending on the location of the cyst, various names have been used to describe the mass. A ganglion adjacent to the nail of the finger is called a mucous cyst, and one behind the knee is called a Baker's cyst. Dr. Keith Segalman, hand surgeon at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, discusses what to do about this kind of inflammation: * A ganglion cyst is the most common tumor or growth that occurs in the hand and wrist.

Coxsackieviruses can cause many clinical syndromes that overlap with other viruses, including common cold symptoms, fever, sore throat, rashes, eye infections and diarrhea, says Dr. Robert Ancona, chief of pediatrics at St. Joseph Medical Center. He writes that the three most identifiable syndromes caused by coxsackieviruses are: acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, herpangina and hand, foot and mouth disease. * Preschool-age children, especially those 11/2 to 3 years old, are most at risk to catch these viruses, though any age group can be affected, especially with acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.

Spring means the same two things every year for Brian Nehus: The grass grows, and his nose runs. The 27-year-old from Kingsville finally had enough and ended up at the Asthma Sinus Allergy Program at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He learned after a battery of skin tests that he is indeed allergic to his lawn, as well as weeds and cats. "I need to cut the grass," said Nehus, as he studied his arm, which was full of red blotches, the result of the tests. "I have about an acre of land.

Although estimates vary, about 28 million American adults - or about 13 percent of the adult U.S. population - suffer from migraines, says Dr. Jason Rosenberg, director of the Johns Hopkins Headache Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The chronic disorder affects more women than men and can vary from occasional symptoms to frequently occurring, debilitating pain. How is a migraine defined? We now think of migraines as a chronic disorder of a hyper-excitable brain, and the symptom of this brain hyper-excitability is intermittent sickness, including headache.

Here's a little advice from someone who's been there: If you're ever having a health problem, don't research it on the Internet. It'll just scare the hell out of you. Let's say you've had, oh, indigestion for a few days. Type that into a search engine and see what happens. Here's what you'll discover from all the various medical Web sites: It could be heartburn. It could be acid reflux. It could be gallstones. Or it could be stomach cancer. Does that help? Does that put your mind at ease?

Eight-year-old Justus Brown has had allergy problems before, but nothing like he experienced Sunday on the way to church in Towson - an attack that his parents blame on last week's record pollen counts. "He told me on Sunday morning he made a `funny noise' when he breathed," recalled his mother, Kenya Brown, 37, of Owings Mills. Justus was wheezing, and he knew something was wrong. "I thought I was going to die," he said. "It felt horrible every time I walked. Every second I had to bend down and catch my breath."

There are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million sports-related concussions a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of those injuries are caused by playing football, says Dr. Yvette Rooks, a family medicine physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center and team physician for the University of Maryland, College Park. As the weather warms up and kids stream outside to participate in sports such as lacrosse and bicycling, it makes sense to take precautions against head injuries.