Thursday, 22 September 2011

How Dental Ankylosis Occurs




How Dental Ankylosis Occurs
The human tooth is normally attached to the alveolar bone or jawbone through gingival and periodontal fibers. Furthermore, the roots of a single tooth are not directly connected with the jawbone because of a substance that covers them called cementum. At times, though, these components which help the tooth to be intact with the alveolar bone are not present, causing the roots of a tooth to be directly fixed into the jawbone. This condition is called dental ankylosis.
Generally, a temporary or baby tooth is loosened as the permanent tooth under it pushes itself out of the gums. But this unfastening won't be possible if the roots of the primary tooth are strongly united with the alveolar bone. As a result, the spawning permanent tooth would lose its direction, causing malocclusion to the affected person's dental construction.
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, dentists resolve this issue by extraction, although doing this wouldn't be as simple as pulling out an ordinary tooth. Minor surgeries might be performed in order to remove the ankylosed tooth without damaging either its neighboring teeth or the jawbone. Some orthodontic treatments may be required in the future to prevent misalignment as well.
Myrtle Beach dentists also do not consider this dental imperfection as a major concern. No serious potential harm will be experienced except for asymmetry in tooth alignment. In fact, adults who already have established permanent teeth no longer need treatments, because no erupting teeth would be affected in the future anyway.
A Myrtle Beach dentist can determine if a child is suffering from dental ankylosis through X-ray diagnosis. Another evident symptom of an ankylosed tooth is its unusual submersion. Compared to other teeth, an ankylosed tooth is usually more buried into the gums.
Myrtle Beach dentists acknowledge a few possible causes of this unusual tooth forming behavior, one of which is physical trauma. Accidents may be the reason why dental ankylosis happens. A heavy blow can cause the gums and nerves to swell, altering the way a tooth sprouts. Insufficient bone growth is another ground for ankylosis, as well as an abnormal pressure from one's tongue.


Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms





Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the joints. This disease is categorized as an autoimmune disease because people suffering from this condition have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues. As a result, the joints are mistakenly attacked by the body's own immune system. The condition is likely to occur in people between the ages of 40 and 50. It is very common in the US and not less than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with this disease. In fact, it is the most common type of arthritis in the US. Women are more prone to rheumatoid arthritis than men at a ratio of 3:1.

Rheumatoid arthritis can attack various organs and tissues in the human body. However, it mainly attacks synovial joints in the hands, wrists, ankles, and knees. Common arthritis symptoms include fever, weight loss, malaise, as well as muscle ache and pain. People suffering from arthritis are also likely to experience the feeling of tiredness, lack of sleep, the inability to use the hand or walk properly, and difficulty in moving their joints especially in the morning.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include the ones mentioned previously as well as other specific signs which differentiate this type of arthritis from other types such as osteoarthritis and gouty arthritis. Besides the above mentioned symptoms, people with this disease will suffer from joint pain, joint stiffness, joint swelling and joint tenderness. They will also feel warmness around the affected joints. The pains are likely to occur symmetrically. For example, if you feel pain in one knee, you will also feel pain in the other. The sufferers can also find lumps under their skin, usually on the hands or elbows, which are called the rheumatoid nodules. This type of arthritis can also cause joint space narrowing and bone erosion as well. Other rheumatoid arthritis symptoms also include anemia, increasing ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), ulnar deviation, rheumatoid factor, swan neck, and hand deformity.

Hand deformity is a common occurrence in people suffering from this condition. Hand deformities in people with this disease occur when ulnar deviation happens. Ulnar deviation is the condition when the fingers deviate towards the ulna (the inner bone of the forearm). The disease can also prevent the fingers from functioning properly due to ruptured tendons. As mentioned before, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning that it can't be cured. However, surgery may be helpful to correct deformities caused by this disease.

Congenital Hip Dislocation - Symptoms and How It Is Treated





Congenital Hip Dislocation - Symptoms and How It Is Treated
Congenital hip dislocation symptoms are not be easily seen in a newborn child. However, a pediatrician will typically check for the presence of this disorder using a simple procedure that involves pushing the infant's legs apart.
Congenital hip dislocation is a disorder in which the hip bone (head of the femur) does not fit properly into its socket or is partially or completely outside of its socket. The condition is present at birth and is more common in girls.
This article shares how this condition is diagnosed in both infants and older children and explains how the dislocation is treated.
Congenital Hip Dislocation Symptoms and Causes
Due to the fact that symptoms are not easily noticed in a newborn, most infants are routinely checked for congenital hip dislocation by their obstetrician or pediatrician. If the test is positive, the medical doctor will hear a clicking sound when flexing and spreading the infant's legs apart.
In older infants or toddlers, one leg may appear shorter than the other or the toddler may walk with a limp, on his or her tip-toes, or with a waddling gait.
The cause of congenital hip dislocation is not fully understood. There may be a link to a hormonal imbalance in the mother during pregnancy or injury during the birth process which may be due in part to the position of the fetus (i.e. breech position).
Congenital Hip Dislocation Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis is typically made by an obstetrician or pediatrician who may identify the problem during a routine examination. During a routine physical examination, the doctor will flex and spread the infant's legs, if a clicking sound is heard, the condition may be present.
For toddlers or older children, the doctor will monitor the child's gait to detect a limp or other unusual walking characteristics such as walking on his or her toes, or waddling like a duck. Other signs of this condition in toddlers and older children may include the appearance that one leg is shorter than the other, skin folds in the thighs that appear uneven and less flexibility on the side affected by the dislocation.
In older infants and children, the diagnosis may be confirmed by additional tests such as ultrasound and/or x-rays of the hip.
Congenital hip dislocation is usually correctable if discovered early and treatment will depend on the age of the child. In newborns and young infants, a soft device called a Pavlik harness can be used to maintain proper positioning of the hip bone in its socket. This allows the hip to develop normally.
For older infants and toddlers a procedure called closed reduction may be performed in which the hip bone is pushed back into the socket. This procedure may be performed under anesthesia. If this procedure fails, open surgery may be recommended.
Treatment typically involves immobilizing the hip joint until it heals. Immobilization can involve using a splint, brace or cast, which may need to be worn for many months. If a cast is needed for a very young child, the child

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Sprained Ankle Symptoms - Is It Broken Or Sprained?





Sprained Ankle Symptoms - Is It Broken Or Sprained?
Though breaking your ankle and spraining you ankle is a completely different type of injury, it can be difficult to understand sprained ankle symptoms just by "feel". A bad sprain can be much more painful than a light break and vice versa. Unfortunately, for those of us who like to admit defeat and consult a professional, the best way to tell is to go to the doctor and get an x-ray. Guessing (even educated guesses) can result in larger problems down the road if your guess-work results in an incorrect diagnosis. However, there are a few telltale signs that can help you figure out if your ankle is broken or twisted - unfortunately none of these sprained ankle symptoms are one hundred percent reliable.
When you injured the ankle, what kind of noise did you hear? A popping or ripping sound is indicative of a sprain. A sprain is the stretching or tearing of ligaments in your ankle. That sound you heard is the sound of your ligaments doing things they shouldn't. One of my worse injuries sounded like Christopher Walken doing a Spanish accent. It turned out to be a sprain. A cracking noise indicates a break. Even small fractures can be difficult to heal. However, depending on the degree of the fracture and the environment in which you were injured, you may or may not hear a noise.
Next on your list of sprained ankle symptoms is a test of 'reactionary' vs. 'constant' pain. At the moment of injury immediately get off your feet. Any place will do; a bench, a curb, the ground. Taking pressure off the injury will help you determine the type of pain you are experiencing. Reactionary pain is experienced when you move the injured area. For example, placing your foot on the ground, moving your ankle in different directions, or touching the area are all simple tests. If you are only experiencing discomfort from the initial injury, and pain comes only when moving or touching the injured site, this is probably indicative of a sprain. However, complete tearing of a ligament could result in NO PAIN or EXTREME PAIN, making these sprained ankle symptoms all so confusing. If you are experiencing constant pain, regardless of how much you move or don't move the area, this is probably a break.
Here is another test of 'reactionary' vs. 'constant' pain. Sit on the floor facing a firm wall with both feet in front of you and put you injured foot flat against the wall. Push softly against the wall with your injured foot. If you are able to do this, no large bones are fractured or broken. If when you do this you experience a good amount of pain in places other than your ankle, you probably have broken something.
Sprained ankle symptoms my also include a feeling of ankle instability. I know, at this time who wants to put pressure on the injury right? However, a serious ankle sprain resulting from completely tearing a ligament will give you an 'unstable' feeling when walking on your ankle. A break will probably make it impossible to walk or you will experience pain in other parts of your body in addition to your ankle.
Another test of sprained ankle symptoms is the "wait and see" test. Initial injury is a very difficult time to diagnose yourself because really, a little pain and a lot of pain is difficult to differentiate, and who really knows what Christopher Walken doing a Spanish accent sounds like. So get home quickly (if you're able to walk yourself home it's probably a sprain) and begin the RICE system. If the pain keeps you up at night - it's probably a break. If after 24 to 48 hours you're feeling better, it's probably a sprain. If after 48 hour of RICE you are feeling better, you should start rehabilitation exercises for your ankle to speed up recovery time.