The pituitary gland at the base of the brain produces TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, which promotes the production of hormones by the thyroid gland. A low TSH level typically indicates an overactive thyroid gland, or hyperthyroidism....
Bactrim, also known as sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, is an antibacterial medication used to treat conditions such as urinary tract infections, ear infections, certain types of pneumonia and traveler's diarrhea. Bactrim is available in tablet...
Physicians may prescribe the Canadian brand-name drug Apo-Levocarb in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The medication, which combines the generic drugs carbidopa and levodopa, work together to alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease....
Almost 50 percent of people in the United States will experience a mental illness sometime in their lifetime according to Ronald Kessler and colleagues at the Harvard Medical School in a study published in "Archives of General Psychiatry." Half of...
Lyme disease is an illness that is transmitted to humans and other mammals from the deer tick. If Lyme disease is treated promptly with antibiotics, the patient usually recovers completely. In some cases, however, the disease and its symptoms can...
St. John's wort is well-known as an herbal treatment for depression, and research has proven that it can be an effective treatment for the mental illness. Some studies have even shown the herb can be as effective as the selective serotonin...
Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disorder that, according to Mental Health America Organization (MHA), affects approximately 2.5 million Americans. Symptoms usually manifest between the ages of 13 and 25, with males typically...
Muira puama is a tree that grows naturally in the Amazon rain forest, where it produces orange fruit, displays white flowers and reaches heights of up to 50 feet. The root of the Muira puama has long been used by Amazonian tribes for a variety of...
The kidneys are responsible for filtering potassium, and certain kidney diseases and treatments can have a direct effect on potassium levels. Potassium is needed for muscle contractions and regulating heartbeat; critically low levels can be a...
The Mayo Clinic defines "encephalitis" as inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis is a rare and comes in two forms. The primary form of the disease is the result of the brain and spinal cord being infected with a virus. Secondary encephalitis...
Eating healthy and exercising can maintain a healthy weight and prevent future ailments. Certain foods have qualities that can prevent heart disease, cancer and even help reverse malnutrition. Exercising regularly in addition to eating healthy can...
Tapeworms are flat, elongated, ribbon-like worms that are parasitic to humans. The adult tapeworm lives in the intestinal tract of humans, while the larval stage of the tapeworm is in the tissues of the animal or fish host. Tapeworms are...
Kidney disease is caused by many different conditions that damage the kidneys and reduce kidney function. Approximately one in nine Americans has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Diabetes is...
Chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, play a role in depression. Sometimes, the chemicals become imbalanced, causing depressive symptoms to arise. Although there are several reasons a person can become depressed, this is the biological...
Amino acids that are manufactured in the body are termed "nonessential," with the 10 that need to be consumed through protein referred to as "essential." However, both kinds are vital, and not only the building blocks of protein, but also of...
Although your body needs some degree of sodium to maintain normal muscle and nerve functioning, excess salt in your diet can contribute to a number of conditions, especially high blood pressure. As a means to reduce your blood pressure, your...
Adequate amounts of vitamin B12 or cobalamin plays a key role in the proper function of red blood cells and nerve cells. Deficiency is more common in older people, who tend to have both decreased absorption and decreased intake of B12. B12...
Testosterone is a male reproductive hormone produced by the testes and the adrenal glands. Testosterone is what gives males secondary sex characteristics such as a beard, increased muscle mass and a deeper voice. It also assists with the...
A hyperactive thyroid causes the body to burn energy faster than normal, resulting in a condition called hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating the body's metabolism; when it secretes too much hormone, all the other...
Epilepsy is a condition that causes your brain to experience disturbances that can result in seizures. Seizures can be mild, such as short mental disturbances or difficulty thinking, or severe, such as a grand mal seizure that causes uncontrolled...
For years, there have been reports of the risks associated with living near high-power electrical lines. In most cases, cancer was cited as the number one risk. Exposure to EMFs (electric and magnetic fields) is also said to affect emotions and...
Kundalini is a latent, yet potentially vibrant energy that resides at the base of the spine. Kundalini-style yoga awakens this raw energy and directs it upward through the body to connect with the universal consciousness. According to the...
Moclobemide treats depression and social phobias. Generally, taking this medication does not require you to make any special dietary changes, but some people experience a sensitivity to a substance called tyramine, a byproduct of the amino acid...
Weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than you burn. Because vitamins do not contain calories, they have no effect on weight gain. Although too many vitamins do not make you gain weight, they do pose potential health threats. The...
Qigong is a Chinese practice intended to help you harness you "qi," the energy source that is said to give you health and a sense of vitality. The word qigong means attracting energy, and the practice incorporates healing methods ranging...
Kundalini yoga uses specific combinations of breathing techniques, yoga poses, meditation and chanting to produce a profound spiritual awakening. Writer and yogi Gopi Krishna emphasizes the importance of raising consciousness through Kundalini for...
Clinically depressed people are at higher risk of suicide and experience a higher mortality from other causes, and they require medical intervention to treat their depression. Interpersonal psychotherapy, also known as IPT, can be combined with...
There are a number of mental health conditions that fall under the umbrella of anxiety disorders, report doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM). Generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress and panic disorders, phobias,...
Magnesium deficiency, also known as hypomagnesemia, may result in muscle weakness, fatigue, cramps, heart problems, increased blood pressure, increased activity of the nerves, mental disturbances, depression and seizures. Magnesium helps many...
