https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb en-us Australian research pinpoints brain dysfunction in hyperactive kids....... https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=182 Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:47:00 GMT https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=182
Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have major dysfunction in brain regions known to help us concentrate, according to Melbourne University's Professor Alasdair Vance.

Vance said the study found that the brain activity of teenagers with the disorder was lower in two connected neural networks than in other adolescents.

Vance said in a statement, "We found there was less activity in the 'action-attentional' system in the brains of children with ADHD." He further reported, "This system is known to be involved in helping us to maintain focused attention and stops us from getting distracted by stimuli that are irrelevant to the task at hand."

Vance found ADHD sufferers also had less activity in areas used in visual-spatial manipulation but increased activity in other parts of the brain.

"Activity in regions of the brain that are always more active in children than in adults were also apparent, suggesting there could be a widespread maturational lag affecting the brain's neural systems in people with ADHD," he said.

The research, published in this month's British Journal of Psychiatry, was based on the MRI brain scans of 14 boys aged 12 to 16 taken while they were performing mental memory tasks.

It found adolescents with the disorder performed significantly worse on these tasks than other teenagers of the same age. Children with ADHD often have difficulty performing tasks and suffer from concentration difficulties, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.
]]> Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=172 Fri, 04 Aug 2006 07:02:22 GMT https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=172
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Roughly one-third of Americans over 60 and 40 to 50 percent of those 75 and older have hearing loss.

Hearing loss comes in many forms. It can range from a mild loss in which a person misses certain high-pitched sounds, such as the voices of women and children, to a total loss of hearing. It can be hereditary or it can result from disease, trauma, certain medications, or long-term exposure to loud noise.

Hearing problems are serious. The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing problem is to go see a doctor. Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in the ear, nose, and throat. An otolaryngologist will try to find out why you have a hearing loss and offer treatment options. He or she may also refer you to another hearing professional, an audiologist. An audiologist can measure your hearing. Sometimes otolaryngologists and audiologists work together to find the treatment that is right for you. If you need a hearing aid, an audiologist can help you find the right one. Although a physician must see children before they can be fitted for a hearing aid, adults do not always see a physician. Adults who do not see a physician before getting a hearing aid must sign a waiver.

Hearing loss happens for many reasons. Some people lose their hearing slowly as they age. This condition is known as presbycusis. Doctors do not know why presbycusis happens, but it seems to run in families. Another reason for hearing loss may be exposure to too much loud noise. This condition is known as noise-induced hearing loss. Many construction workers, farmers, musicians, airport workers, tree cutters, and people in the armed forces have hearing problems because of too much exposure to loud noise. Sometimes loud noise can cause a ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears, called tinnitus. A virus or bacteria, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, and certain medicines can also cause hearing loss.

· Hearing loss comes in many forms. It can range from a mild loss in which a person misses certain high-pitched sounds, such as the voices of women and children, to a total loss of hearing. It can be hereditary or it can result from disease, trauma, certain medications, or long-term exposure to loud noise.

· One form of hearing loss, presbycusis, comes on gradually as a person ages. Presbycusis can occur because of changes in the inner ear, auditory nerve, middle ear, or outer ear. Some of its causes are aging, loud noise, heredity, head injury, infection, illness, certain prescription drugs, and circulation problems such as high blood pressure.

· Some people may not want to admit they have trouble hearing. Older people who can't hear well may become depressed or withdraw from others to avoid feeling frustrated or embarrassed about not understanding what is being said. It is easy to mistakenly call older people confused, unresponsive, or uncooperative just because they don't hear well.

· Hearing problems that are ignored or untreated can get worse. If you have a hearing problem, you can get help. See your doctor. Hearing aids, special training, certain medicines, and surgery are some of the choices that can help people with hearing problems.

Your treatment will depend on your hearing problem, so some treatments will work better for you than others. Here are the most common ones:

1. Hearing aids are tiny instruments you wear in or behind your ear. They make sounds louder. Things sound different when you wear a hearing aid, but an audiologist can help you get used to it.
2. To find the hearing aid that works best for you, you may have to try more than one. Ask your audiologist whether you can have a trial period with a few different hearing aids. You and your audiologist can work together until you are comfortable.
3. Personal listening systems help you hear what you want to hear while eliminating or lowering other noises around you. Some, called auditory training systems and loop systems, make it easier for you to hear someone in a crowded room or group setting. Others, such as FM systems and personal amplifiers, are better for one-on-one conversations.
4. TV listening systems help you listen to the television or the radio without being bothered by other noises around you. These systems can be used with or without hearing aids and do not require you to use a very high volume.
5. Direct audio input hearing aids are hearing aids that can be plugged into TVs, stereos, microphones, auditory trainers, and personal FM systems to help you hear better.
6. Telephone amplifying devices. Some telephones are made to work with certain hearing aids. If your hearing aid has a "T" switch, you can ask your telephone company about getting a phone with an amplifying coil (T-coil). If your hearing aid is in the "T" position, this coil is activated when you pick up the phone. It allows you to listen at a comfortable volume and helps lessen background noise. You can also buy a special type of telephone receiver and other devices to make sounds louder on the phone.
7. Mobile phone amplifying devices. To help people who use a T-coil hear better on mobile phones, an amplifying device called a loop set is available. The wire loop goes around your neck and connects to the mobile phone. The loop transmits speech from the phone to the hearing aid in your ear. It also helps get rid of background noise to make it easier to talk in a noisy environment.
8. Auditorium-type assistive listening systems. Many auditoriums, movie theaters, churches, synagogues, and other public places are equipped with special sound systems for people with hearing loss. These systems send sounds directly to your ears to help you hear better. Some can be used with a hearing aid and others without.
9. Cochlear implants have three parts: a headpiece, a speech processor, and a receiver. The headpiece includes a microphone and a transmitter. It is worn just behind the ear where it picks up sound and sends it to the speech processor, a beeper-sized device that can fit in your pocket or on a belt. The speech processor converts the sound into a special signal that is sent to the receiver. The receiver, a small round disc about the size of a quarter that a surgeon places under the skin behind one ear, sends a sound signal to the brain. Cochlear implants are most often used with young children born with hearing loss. However, older adults with profound or severe hearing loss are beginning to receive these implants more often.
10. Lip reading or speech reading is another option. People who do this pay close attention to others when they talk. They watch how the mouth and the body move when someone is talking. Special trainers can help you learn how to lip-read or speech read.

Here are some things you can do to make hearing easier:
1. Tell your friends and family about your hearing loss. They need to know that hearing is hard for you. The more you tell the people you spend time with, the more they can help you.
2. Ask your friends and family to face you when they talk so that you can see their faces. If you watch their faces move and see their expressions, it may help you to understand them better.
3. Ask people to speak louder, but not shout. Tell them they do not have to talk slowly, just more clearly.
4. Turn off the TV or the radio if it does not have to be on.
5. Be aware of noise around you that can make hearing more difficult. When you go to a restaurant, do not sit near the kitchen or near a band playing music. Background noise makes it hard to hear people talk.

Working together to hear better may be tough on everyone for a while. It will take time for you to get used to watching people as they talk and for people to get used to speaking louder and more clearly. Be patient and continue to work together. Hearing better is worth the effort.]]> It's a pity when one encounters people known for their brilliant minds progressively losing their memory, intelligence and other brain functions. https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=167 Thu, 03 Aug 2006 06:23:10 GMT https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=167
Dementia is the impairment of brain functions such as memory, reasoning and judgment so severe that it affects a person’s ability to function at his usual level. The severity of dementia depends on the number and location of brain cells called neurons that are damaged or destroyed. Its frequency of occurrence doubles every five years, starting from around 2.5 percent among people aged 65 to more than 30 percent among those above 85.

Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they may experience personality changes and behavioral problems, such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations.

While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions - such as memory and language skills -- are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness. Some of the diseases that can cause symptoms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Doctors have identified other conditions that can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms including reactions to medications, metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, infections, poisoning, brain tumors, anoxia or hypoxia (conditions in which the brain’s oxygen supply is either reduced or cut off entirely), and heart and lung problems.

Although it is common in very elderly individuals, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.

While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions - such as memory and language skills -- are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness. Some of the diseases that can cause symptoms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Doctors have identified other conditions that can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms including reactions to medications, metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, infections, poisoning, brain tumors, anoxia or hypoxia (conditions in which the brain’s oxygen supply is either reduced or cut off entirely), and heart and lung problems.

Although it is common in very elderly individuals, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.

Researchers are working double-time to identify the various causes of dementia and ways to prevent, or at least, retard it.

A study by the Institute of Preventive Medicine at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen found that people who drink wine occasionally may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

It showed that those who drank wine in moderate quantities weekly or monthly were more than twice less likely to develop dementia. Those who drank wine every day were no more or less likely to develop dementia than those who drank it more or less often.

However, excessive alcohol drinking has been established in other studies to have a destructive effect on the brain cells and other organs like the heart. The problem is determining what is moderate and what is excessive drinking.

"These results don’t mean that people should start drinking wine or drink more wine than they usually do," said study author Dr. Thomas Truelsen. "But the results are exciting because they could mean that substances in wine reduce the occurrence of dementia. If that’s the case, we could potentially develop treatments or prevention methods based on these substances."

What is it in red wine that has a brain-protective effect? It could not be the alcohol because other alcoholic drinks didn’t show the same effect. In fact, the study found that occasional beer drinking was associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. Those who drank beer monthly were more than two times more likely to develop dementia than those who never or hardly ever drank beer.

The researchers hypothesize that flavonoids in red wine exert an antioxidant effect and are likely responsible for preventing dementia. Other studies have suggested that flavonoids may account for a lower occurrence of stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases among wine drinkers.

Detecting dementia early is of prime importance. Memory loss is the most common symptom of dementia. However, when one becomes forgetful, one should not panic that he might have dementia. A little trouble remembering names or events is normal in aging. Normal memory loss does not interfere with the activities of daily living.

Memory loss that becomes worse with time usually means that a person has lost some thinking ability. A person may have mild cognitive impairment, a middle ground between normal functioning and dementia. People who have mild impairment may be in the earliest stage of dementia, or they may remain at the existing level of ability for a long time.

A person who has progressive memory loss or exhibits unusual behavior and changes in personality should see a health professional. In most instances, he may have already lost the judgment to decide to see a doctor, so relatives or caregivers must take the initiative to bring him to the doctor. Tests can be done to find the cause and to assess the level of mental functioning.

Drugs to specifically treat Alzheimer’s disease and some other progressive dementias are now available. Although these drugs do not halt the disease or reverse existing brain damage, they can improve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. This may improve an individual’s quality of life, ease the burden on caregivers, or delay admission to a nursing home. Many researchers are also examining whether these drugs may be useful for treating other types of dementia. Many people with dementia, particularly those in the early stages, may benefit from practicing tasks designed to improve performance in specific aspects of cognitive functioning. For example, people can sometimes be taught to use memory aids, such as mnemonics, computerized recall devices, or note taking.

There are many disorders that can cause dementia. Some, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Huntington’s disease, lead to a progressive loss of mental functions. But other types of dementia can be halted or reversed with appropriate treatment. People with moderate or advanced dementia typically need round-the-clock care and supervision to prevent them from harming themselves or others. They also may need assistance with daily activities such as eating, bathing, and dressing. ]]> Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=157 Tue, 01 Aug 2006 03:14:09 GMT https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=157
Few experiences match the drama of a convulsive seizure. A person having a severe seizure may cry out, fall to the floor unconscious, twitch or move uncontrollably, drool, or even lose bladder control. Within minutes, the attack is over, and the person regains consciousness but is exhausted and dazed. This is the image most people have when they hear the word epilepsy. However, this type of seizure -- a generalized tonic-clonic seizure -- is only one kind of epilepsy. There are many other kinds, each with a different set of symptoms.

Epilepsy was one of the first brain disorders to be described. It was mentioned in ancient Babylon more than 3,000 years ago. The strange behavior caused by some seizures has contributed through the ages to many superstitions and prejudices. The word epilepsy is derived from the Greek word for "attack." People once thought that demons or gods were visiting those with epilepsy. However, in 400 B.C., the early physician Hippocrates suggested that epilepsy was a disorder of the brain -- and we now know that he was right.

Epilepsy is a disorder with many possible causes. Anything that disturbs the normal pattern of neuron activity -- from illness to brain damage to abnormal brain development -- can lead to seizures.

Epilepsy may develop because of an abnormality in brain wiring, an imbalance of nerve signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters, or some combination of these factors. Researchers believe that some people with epilepsy have an abnormally high level of excitatory neurotransmitters that increase neuronal activity, while others have an abnormally low level of inhibitory neurotransmitters that decrease neuronal activity in the brain. Either situation can result in too much neuronal activity and cause epilepsy.

One of the most-studied neurotransmitters that plays a role in epilepsy is GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Research on GABA has led to drugs that alter the amount of this neurotransmitter in the brain or change how the brain responds to it. Researchers also are studying excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate.

In some cases, the brain's attempts to repair itself after a head injury, stroke, or other problem may inadvertently generate abnormal nerve connections that lead to epilepsy. Abnormalities in brain wiring that occur during brain development also may disturb neuronal activity and lead to epilepsy.

Research has shown that the cell membrane that surrounds each neuron plays an important role in epilepsy. Cell membranes are crucial for a neuron to generate electrical impulses. For this reason, researchers are studying details of the membrane structure, how molecules move in and out of membranes, and how the cell nourishes and repairs the membrane. A disruption in any of these processes may lead to epilepsy. Studies in animals have shown that, because the brain continually adapts to changes in stimuli, a small change in neuronal activity, if repeated, may eventually lead to full-blown epilepsy. Researchers are investigating whether this phenomenon, called kindling, may also occur in humans.

In some cases, epilepsy may result from changes in non-neuronal brain cells called glia. These cells regulate concentrations of chemicals in the brain that can affect neuronal signaling.

About half of all seizures have no known cause. However, in other cases, the seizures are clearly linked to infection, trauma, or other identifiable problems.

Accurate diagnosis of the type of epilepsy a person has is crucial for finding an effective treatment. There are many different ways to treat epilepsy. Currently available treatments can control seizures at least some of the time in about 80 percent of people with epilepsy.

However, another 20 percent -- about 600,000 people with epilepsy in the United States -- have intractable seizures, and another 400,000 feel they get inadequate relief from available treatments. These statistics make it clear that improved treatments are desperately needed.

Doctors who treat epilepsy come from many different fields of medicine. They include neurologists, pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, internists, and family physicians, as well as neurosurgeons and doctors called epileptologists who specialize in treating epilepsy. People who need specialized or intensive care for epilepsy may be treated at large medical centers and neurology clinics at hospitals or by neurologists in private practice. Many epilepsy treatment centers are associated with university hospitals that perform research in addition to providing medical care.

Once epilepsy is diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. Research suggests that medication and other treatments may be less successful in treating epilepsy once seizures and their consequences become established.

Once epilepsy is diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. For about 80 percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with modern medicines and surgical techniques. Some antiepiletic drugs can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. In 1997, the FDA approved the vagus nerve stimulator for use in people with seizures that are not well controlled by medication.

Most people with epilepsy lead outwardly normal lives. While epilepsy cannot currently be cured, for some people it does eventually go away. Most seizures do not cause brain damage. It is not uncommon for people with epilepsy, especially children, to develop behavioral and emotional problems, sometimes the consequence of embarrassment and frustration or bullying, teasing, or avoidance in school and other social setting. For many people with epilepsy, the risk of seizures restricts their independence; some states refuse drivers licenses to people with epilepsy and recreational activities. People with epilepsy are at special risk for two life-threatening conditions: status epilepticus and sudden unexplained death. Most women with epilepsy can become pregnant, but they should discuss their epilepsy and the medications they are taking with their doctors. Women with epilepsy have a 90 percent or better chance of having a normal, healthy baby.

Scientists are studying potential antiepileptic drugs with goal of enhancing treatment for epilepsy. Scientists continue to study how neurotransmitters interact with brain cells to control nerve firing and how non-neuronal cells in the brain contribute to seizures. One of the most-studied neurotransmitters is GABA, or gamma-aminobutryic acid. Researchers are working to identify genes that may influence epilepsy. This information may allow doctors to prevent epilepsy or to predict which treatments will be most beneficial.

Doctors are now experimenting with several new types of therapies for epilepsy, including transplanting fetal pig neurons into the brains of patients to learn whether cell transplants can help control seizures, transplanting stem cells, and using a device that could predict seizures up to 3 minutes before they begin. Researchers are continually improving MRI and other brain scans. Studies have show that in some case, children may experience fewer seizures if they maintain a strict diet - called the ketogenic diet - rich in fats and low in carbohydrates.

Doctors who treat epilepsy come from many different fields of medicine. They include neurologists, pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, internists, and family physicians, as well as neurosurgeons and doctors called epileptologists who specialize in treating epilepsy. People who need specialized or intensive care for epilepsy may be treated at large medical centers and neurology clinics at hospitals or by neurologists in private practice. Many epilepsy treatment centers are associated with university hospitals that perform research in addition to providing medical care.

Once epilepsy is diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. Research suggests that medication and other treatments may be less successful in treating epilepsy once seizures and their consequences become established.

If you see someone having a seizure with convulsions and/or loss of consciousness, here's how you can help:
1. Roll the person on his or her side to prevent choking on any fluids or vomit.
2. Cushion the person's head.
3. Loosen any tight clothing around the neck.
4. Keep the person's airway open. If necessary, grip the person's jaw gently and tilt his or her head back.
5. Do NOT restrict the person from moving unless he or she is in danger.
6. Do NOT put anything into the person's mouth, not even medicine or liquid. These can cause choking or damage to the person's jaw, tongue, or teeth. Contrary to widespread belief, people cannot swallow their tongues during a seizure or any other time.
7. Remove any sharp or solid objects that the person might hit during the seizure.
Note how long the seizure lasts and what symptoms occurred so you can tell a doctor or emergency personnel if necessary.
8. Stay with the person until the seizure ends.

Call 911 if:
1. The person is pregnant or has diabetes.
2. The seizure happened in water.
3. The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
4. The person does not begin breathing again or does not return to consciousness after the seizure stops.
5. Another seizure starts before the person regains consciousness.
6. The person injures himself or herself during the seizure.
7. This is a first seizure or you think it might be. If in doubt, check to see if the person has a medical identification card or jewelry stating that they have epilepsy or a seizure disorder.
8. After the seizure ends, the person will probably be groggy and tired. He or she also may have a headache and be confused or embarrassed. Be patient with the person and try to help him or her find a place to rest if he or she is tired or doesn't feel well. If necessary, offer to call a taxi, a friend, or a relative to help the person get home safely.
9. If you see someone having a non-convulsive seizure, remember that the person's behavior is not intentional. The person may wander aimlessly or make alarming or unusual gestures. You can help by following these guidelines:
10. Remove any dangerous objects from the area around the person or in his or her path.
11. Don't try to stop the person from wandering unless he or she is in danger.
12. Don't shake the person or shout.
13. Stay with the person until he or she is completely alert.

Many people with epilepsy lead productive and outwardly normal lives. Medical and research advances in the past two decades have led to a better understanding of epilepsy and seizures than ever before. Advanced brain scans and other techniques allow greater accuracy in diagnosing epilepsy and determining when a patient may be helped by surgery. More than 20 different medications and a variety of surgical techniques are now available and provide good control of seizures for most people with epilepsy. Other treatment options include the ketogenic diet and the first implantable device, the vagus nerve stimulator. Research on the underlying causes of epilepsy, including identification of genes for some forms of epilepsy and febrile seizures, has led to a greatly improved understanding of epilepsy that may lead to more effective treatments or even new ways of preventing epilepsy in the future. ]]> The most common but perhaps least understood of all mental illnesses are schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is actually a group of serious mental disorders characterized by disturbed thinking, emotional barriers, and a partial divorce from reality. https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=156 Tue, 01 Aug 2006 03:07:28 GMT https://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/kb/link.php?action=detail&id=156
Schizophrenia can develop suddenly or gradually and can affect people of any age. It is rare in children, where it is believed to be related to autism. Adolescents can become schizophrenic, but diagnosis is difficult because adolescence is naturally a time of rapid and major changes in personality and behavior.

People under 25 accounts for most episodes of schizophrenia and it rarely strikes for the first time in people over 45. Men are thought to be most susceptible during their 20s and 30s and women are more vulnerable during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder affecting a person's entire personality. People with the disease often exhibit many of the following symptoms:
· A distorted sense of reality and changing perceptions of people, actions, or the world in general;
· Delusions or hallucinations with beliefs or convictions that are seemingly untrue.
· Numbed emotions that make it difficult for them to relate to other people or to react to situations that normally would cause strong emotions - or an inappropriate show of emotions such as laughing in a sad situation;
· Feelings of isolation and a withdrawal from other people;
· Disordered thinking and an inability to concentrate, to make logical connections, or to speak coherently; and
· Feelings of fear, for the world of a person with schizophrenia are frightening, unpredictable, and unbearably lonely.

Some people with these symptoms can function fairly well without treatment; others may be suffering from other disorders. All of us experience one or more of these symptoms at one time or another, but with schizophrenia, the symptoms are severe and persistent.

One of the more prevalent misconceptions of a person with schizophrenia is that he or she has "a split personality." Split or multiple personalities is a symptom of an entirely different and extremely rare disorder.

People with schizophrenia are no more violent than other people. On the contrary, their disease often makes them timid, withdrawn, and less violent.

The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown; it is believed there is no single cause. Some of the suspected causes are physical in nature, such as chemical imbalances, birth defects, a virus-like infection, and heredity.

Schizophrenia, like other mental illnesses, is not caused by immorality or a weak will. It cannot be "willed away" or cured by "a good rest" or by being told to "get a hold of yourself."
Schizophrenia can be treated. Many of those who receive treatment are able to live full and productive lives. Treatment takes three forms:
· Drug therapy to control symptoms;
· Psychotherapy to help break down isolation, reestablish relationships, and develop a network of support; and
· Family and community support programs that include 24-hour crisis intervention, supported employment and housing, and training for families to help them provide the necessary support.

Some people with schizophrenia respond immediately to treatment. For others it may take months or years. A key factor is a person's ability to stay with a treatment plan. When supported by adequate and readily available community-based services that help a person stay with their treatment, individuals have a better chance of recovering.

Learn to recognize the symptoms of schizophrenia. Early and prompt treatment is more effective, costs less, and helps prevent relapses.

People with schizophrenia or any mental illness also face the stigma society attaches to their illnesses. This stigma causes discrimination against people with a mental illness in employment, housing, health care, and the ability to buy health insurance. By learning more about mental illness and the effectiveness of treatment, this discrimination can end, removing the stigma that acts as a barrier to successful treatment. ]]>