An inflammation of the brain, encephalitis commonly results from a viral infection, such as the herpes simplex virus. People can contract viral encephalitis by eating contaminated food or getting bitten by an insect carrying the virus.
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Birth control pills are a popular way for women to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. All types of birth control pills contain synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, though some pills may only contain one type of hormone.
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Emotions, like fear and love, are carried out by the limbic system, which is located in the temporal lobe. While the limbic system is made up of multiple parts of the brain, the center of emotional processing is the amygdala, which receives input from other brain functions, like memory and attention.
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Sight is a complex function of the brain that extends from the front to the back of the head. To produce sight, the eyes capture information and send it through the optic nerve to be processed by the occipital lobe.
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Anxiety disorders affect more than 18 percent of adults in the U.S. in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These disorders cause symptoms that can make daily activities difficult. Medications are sometimes used to help alleviate some symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
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Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone that is released by your adrenal gland during stressful situations. When the stress does not last very long, the levels of cortisol in your brain dissipate.
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Electrocardiogram, abbreviated as either EKG or ECG, is used to record the heart's electrical activity. The EKG is a valuable tool for doctors, as it can help diagnose heart problems, like heart attacks, arrhythmia and heart failure.
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When a patient suffers from a depressive disorder, the symptoms can interfere with her life. Such symptoms might include sadness, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue and inappropriate guilt.
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When people have pain, they can take a medication such as oxycodone or codeine. Both medications are opiate drugs and work by binding to the opioid receptors in the brain, which change how a person perceives pain.
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Dopamine & norepinephrine are two critical neurotransmitters that regulate your mood and behavior. Both dopamine and norepinephrine are in tricyclic antidepressant medications which are used to treat depression.
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A neurological condition that results in brain tissue loss, brain atrophy can occur in small parts of the brain or affect both hemispheres of the brain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
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A vitamin B-12 deficiency can occur if you do not get enough of the vitamin in your diet or if you have a condition, such as Crohn's disease, which affects your absorption of the vitamin.
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Depressant drugs are prescribed to relieve tension, anxiety and irritability. In addition, depressant drugs can treat insomnia. Orally taken, depressant drugs have a high potential for abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Pinched nerves can cause much discomfort, especially in the hip where the nerve is used in movement. According to the National Institutes of Health, a pinched nerve is defined as damage or injury to the nerve, such as through compression, constriction or stretching.
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Brain swelling, also known as brain edema and cerebral edema, is a serious consequence of a brain injury. When the brain swells, it affects the patient's cognitive and behavioral function. In addition, brain swelling puts the patient at risk for severe brain damage and death.
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You may take ibuprofen to help control pain, but too much of the medication may have adverse effects on your body. If you have a disorder involving the liver, you are at increased risk.
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Ritalin, also sold under the generic name methylphenidate, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While the drug is effective in treating inattention symptoms of ADHD, using Ritalin can result in mental and emotional changes in the patient.
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When people feel emotionally numb, they can feel emotionally disconnected from a situation—for example, a person in a sad situation who does not feel like crying. Emotional numbness can also cause a person to feel hopeless about her future.
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The National Cancer Institute says that in 2014, doctors diagnosed 12,360 women with cervical cancer and 21,980 women with ovarian cancer. Cervical cancer is the third leading type of cancer in women, while ovarian cancer is the fifth leading type of cancer in women.
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Learn about antidepressants that may cause weight loss, including citalopram (Celexa). Understand the reasons behind weight gain and discover natural tips for managing weight while taking these medications.
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