Types of Tonsillitis: An Overview of Causes and Treatments

Types of Tonsillitis: An Overview of Causes and Treatments There are 2 main types of tonsillitis: acute and chronic. Acute tonsillitis can either be bacterial or viral in origin. Subacute tonsillitis is caused by the bacterium Actinomyces. Chronic tonsillitis can last for long periods of time if not treated, and is mostly caused by bacterial infection. Symptoms of tonsillitis include a severe sore throat, (which may be experienced as referred pain to the ears), painful/difficult swallowing, coughing, headache, myalgia (muscle aches), fever and chills. Tonsillitis is characterized by signs of red, swollen tonsils which may have a purulent exudative coating of white patches (i.e. pus). Swelling of the eyes, face, and neck may occur. In some cases, symptoms of tonsillitis may be confused with symptoms for EBV infectious mononucleosis, known colloquially as mono(US) or Glandular Fever (elsewhere). Common symptoms of Glandular Fever include fatigue, loss of appetite, an enlarged spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, and a severe sore throat, sometimes accompanied by exudative patches of pus. It is also important to understand that symptoms will be experienced differently for each person. Cases that are caused by bacteria are often followed by skin rash and a flushed face. Tonsillitis that is caused by a virus will develop symptoms that are flu-like such as runny nose or aches and pains throughout the body. Even though the infection will not cure immediately, tonsillitis symptoms usually improve 2 or 3 days after treatment starts. Acute tonsillitis is caused by both bacteria and viruses and will be accompanied by symptoms of ear pain when swallowing, bad breath, and drooling along with sore throat and fever. In this case, the surface of the tonsil may be bright red or have a grayish-white coating, while the lymph nodes in the neck may be swollen. The most common form of acute tonsillitis is strep throat, which can be followed by symptoms of skin rash, pneumonia, and ear infection. This particular strand of tonsillitis can lead to damage to the heart valves and kidneys if not treated. Extreme tiredness and malaise are also experienced with this condition with the enlargement of the lymph nodes and adenoids. Chronic tonsillitis is a persistent infection in the tonsils. Since this infection is repetitive, crypts or pockets can form in the tonsils where bacteria can store. Frequently, small, foul smelling stones (tonsilloliths) are found within these crypts that are made of high quantities of sulfur. These stones cause a symptom of a full throat or a throat that has something caught in the back. A foul breath that is characterized by the smell of rotten eggs (because of the sulfur) is also a symptom of this condition. Other symptoms that can be caused by tonsillitis that are not normally associated with it include snoring and disturbed sleep patterns. These conditions develop as the tonsils enlarge and begin to obstruct other areas of the throat. A persons voice is generally affected by this type of illness and changes in the tone of voice a person normally has. While a person may only become hoarse, it is possible for laryngitis to develop if the throat is used too much while the tonsils are swollen or inflamed. Other uncommon symptoms that can be experienced with tonsillitis include vomiting, constipation, a tongue that feels furry or fuzzy, difficulty opening the mouth, headaches and a feeling of dry or cotton mouth. Causes Under normal circumstances, as viruses and bacteria enter the body through the nose and mouth, they are filtered in the tonsils. The tonsils work by surrounding them with white blood cells which causes the body to develop a fever that can become extremely high in children. Should the infection become serious, the tonsils will inflame and become painful. The infection may also be present in the throat and surrounding areas, causing inflammation of the pharynx. [2] This is the area in the back of the throat that lies between the voice box and the tonsils. Tonsillitis may be caused by Group A streptococcal bacteria, resulting in strep throat. Viral tonsillitis may be caused by numerous viruses such as the Epstein-Barr virus (the cause of infectious mononucleosis) or adenovirus. Sometimes, tonsillitis is caused by a infection of spirochaeta and treponema, in this case called Vincents angina or Plaut-Vincent angina.[5] Although tonsillitis is associated with infection, it is currently unknown whether the swelling and other symptoms are caused by the infectious agents themselves, or by the host immune response to these agents. Tonsillitis may be a result of aberrant immune responses to the normal bacterial flora of the nasopharynx. The viruses that cause tonsillitis are often the ones that frequently affect the respiratory system or breathing. Most cases are caused by a virus and will only require treatment of sore throat remedies that can be bought over the counter. Bacteria-caused tonsillitis, however, is treated with prescribed antibiotic medication to reduce the risk for further complications. Tonsillitis most often affects children whose tonsils are responsible for fighting infections. This is also true because as we age, our tonsils become less active. Rare cases have been diagnosed with fungi or parasites being the cause. This generally takes place in persons with weakened immune systems. There is no research to state that smoking cigarettes causes tonsillitis, however it is widely accepted that smoking weakens the immune system. Also, children and adults who live in a smoke-prone environment may be exposed to factors that could result in a tonsillectomy. Treatment Treatments of tonsillitis consist of pain management medications and lozenges. If the tonsillitis is caused by bacteria, then antibiotics are prescribed, with penicillin being most commonly used. Erythromycin and Clarithromycin are used for patients allergic to penicillin. In many cases of tonsillitis, the pain caused by the inflamed tonsils warrants the prescription of topical anesthetics for temporary relief. Viscous lidocaine solutions are often prescribed for this purpose, and anaesthetic throat lozenges containing benzocaine, lignocaine, benzydamine and flubiprofen are widely avaliable without prescription. Ibuprofen or other analgesics such as aspirin or paracetamol can help to decrease the edema and inflammation, which will ease the pain and allow the patient to swallow liquids sooner.[6] When tonsillitis is caused by a virus, the length of illness depends on which virus is involved. Usually, a complete recovery is made within one week; however, some rare infections may last for up to two weeks. Chronic cases may indicate tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) as a choice for treatment. Additionally, gargling with a solution of warm water and salt may reduce pain and swelling. If you are suffering from tonsilloliths (Tonsil stones) try to avoid dairy products like milk, ice cream, yogurt etc. Complications An abscess may develop lateral to the tonsil during an infection, typically several days after the onset of tonsillitis. This is termed a peritonsillar abscess (or quinsy). Rarely, the infection may spread beyond the tonsil resulting in inflammation and infection of the internal jugular vein giving rise to a spreading septicaemia infection (Lemierres syndrome). In chronic/recurrent cases (generally defined as seven episodes of tonsillitis in the preceding year, five episodes in each of the preceding two years or three episodes in each of the preceding three years), or in acute cases where the palatine tonsils become so swollen that swallowing is impaired, a tonsillectomy can be performed to remove the tonsils. Patients whose tonsils have been removed are certainly still protected from infection by the rest of their immune system. Bacteria feeding on mucus which accumulates in pits (referred to as crypts) in the tonsils may produce whitish-yellow deposits known as tonsilloliths. These may emit an odour due to the presence of volatile sulfur compounds. Hypertrophy of the tonsils can result in snoring, mouth breathing, disturbed sleep, and obstructive sleep apnea, during which the patient stops breathing and experiences a drop in the oxygen content in the bloodstream. A tonsillectomy can be curative. In very rare cases, diseases like rheumatic fever or glomerulonephritis can occur. These complications are extremely rare in developed nations but remain a significant problem in poorer nations Bronchitis Bronchitis is an obstructive respiratory disease that may occur in both acute and chronic forms. Acute bronchitis: Inflammation of the bronchial passages most commonly caused by infection with bacteria or viruses. Acute bronchitis is generally a self-limiting condition in healthy individuals but can have much more severe consequences in individuals who are weakened with other illness or who are immunocompromised. Symptoms of acute bronchitis often include productive cough, dyspnea and possible fever. Chronic bronchitis: Chronic bronchitis is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that is most frequently associated with cigarette smoking (approximately 90% of cases). Chronic bronchitis may also be caused by prolonged exposure to inhaled particulates such as coal dust or other pollutants. The disease is characterized by excess mucus production in the lower respiratory tract. This mucus accumulation can impair function of the ciliated epithelium and lining of the respiratory tract and prevent the clearing of debris and organisms. As a result, patients with chronic bronchitis often suffer repeated bouts of respiratory infection. Chronic bronchitis sufferers are often referred to as blue bloaters as a result of the cyanosis and peripheral edema that is often present. Manifestations of chronic bronchitis Productive, chronic cough Production of purulent sputum Frequent respiratory infections Dyspnea Hypoxia, cyanosis Symptoms of cor pulmonale Fluid accumulation in later stages Treatment of chronic bronchitis Cessation of smoking or exposure to irritants Bronchodilators to open airway passages Expectorants to loosen mucus Anti-inflammatories to relieve airway inflammation and reduce mucus secretion Prophylactic antibiotics for respiratory infections Oxygen therapy Bronchial asthma Asthma is a condition characterized by reversible bronchospasm and chronic inflammation of airway passages. The incidence of asthma has been steadily increasing in recent years. Although the exact etiology is still uncertain, there appears to be a definite genetic predisposition to the development of asthma. A key component of asthma appears to be airway hyper reactivity in affected individuals. Exposure to certain triggers can induce marked bronchospasm and airway inflammation in susceptible patients. Individuals with asthma appear to produce large amounts of the antibody IgE that attach to the mast cells present in many tissues. Exposure to a trigger such as pollen will result in the allergen-binding mast cell-bound IgE, which in turn causes the release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes and eosinophilic chemotactic factor. Some Potential Asthma Triggers Allergens Pollen, pet dander, fungi, dust mites Cold air Pollutants Cigarette smoke Strong emotions Exercise Respiratory tract infections Clinical Classification of Asthma Mild intermittent Attacks occur 2 times per week or less Mild persistent Attacks occur more than 2 times per week Moderate persistent Attacks occur daily or almost daily and are severe enough to affect activity Severe persistent Attacks are very frequent and persist for a long period of time; attacks severely limit activity The response of a patient with asthma to these triggers can be divided into an early phase and a late phase. Early phase of asthma: The early phase of asthma is characterized by marked constriction of bronchial airways and bronchospasm that is accompanied by edema of the airways and the production of excess mucus. The bronchospasm that occurs may be the result of the increased release of certain inflammatory mediators such as histamine, prostaglandins and bradykinin that, in the early stages of asthmatic response, promote bronchoconstriction rather than inflammation. Late phase of asthma: The late phase of asthma can occur several hours after the initial onset of symptoms and manifests mainly as an inflammatory response. The primary mediators of inflammation during the asthmatic response are the white blood cells eosinophils that stimulate mast cell degranulation and release substances that attract other white cells to the area. Subsequent infiltration of the airway tissues with white blood cells such as neutrophils and lymphocytes also contributes to the overall inflammatory response of the late phase of asthma. Manifestations of asthma Coughing, wheezing Difficulty breathing Rapid, shallow breathing Increased respiratory rate Excess mucus production Barrel chest due to trapping of air in the lungs Significant anxiety Staging of the Severity of an Acute Asthma Attack Stage I (mild) Mild dyspnea Diffuse wheezing Adequate air exchange Stage II (moderate) Respiratory distress at rest Marked wheezing Stage III (severe) Marked respiratory distress Cyanosis Marked wheezing or absence of breath sounds Stage IV (respiratory failure) Severe respiratory distress, lethargy, confusion, prominent pulsus paradoxus Complications of asthma Possible complications of asthma can include the occurrence of status asthmaticus, which is a life-threatening condition of prolonged bronchospasm that is often not responsive to drug therapy. Pneumothorax is also a possible consequence as a result of lung pressure increases that can result from the extreme difficulty involved in expiration during a prolonged asthma attack. Marked hypoxemia and acidosis might also occur and can result in overall respiratory failure. Treatment of asthma The appropriate drug treatment regimen for asthma is based on the frequency and severity of the asthma attacks and may include the following: Avoidance of triggers, and allergens. Improved ventilation of the living spaces, use of air conditioning. 2. Bronchodilators (Examples: albuterol, terbutaline) Short acting Î’-adrenergic receptor activators. May be administered as needed in the form of a nebulizer solution using a metered dispenser or may be given subcutaneously. These drugs block bronchoconstriction but do not prevent the inflammatory response. 3. Xanthine drugs (Example: theophylline) Cause bronchodilation but may also inhibit the late phase of asthma. These drugs are often used orally as second-line agents in combination with other asthma therapies such as steroids. Drug like theophylline can have significant central nervous system, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects that limit their overall usefulness. 4. Anti-inflammatory drugs (Corticosteroids) Used orally or by inhalation to blunt the inflammatory response of asthma. The most significant unwanted effects occur with long-term oral use of corticosteroids and may include immunosuppression, increased susceptibility to infection, osteoporosis and effects on other hormones such as the glucocorticoids. 5. Cromolyn sodium Anti-inflammatory agent that blocks both the early and late phase of asthma. The mechanism of action is unclear but may involve mast cell function or responsiveness to allergens. 6. Leukotriene modifiers (Example: Zafirlukast) New class of agents that blocks the synthesis of the key inflammatory mediators, leukotrienes. Emphysema Emphysema is a respiratory disease that is characterized by destruction and permanent enlargement of terminal bronchioles and alveolar air sacs. Well over 95% of all patients with emphysema were chronic cigarette smokers. Although the exact etiology of emphysema is still uncertain, it appears that chronic exposure to cigarette smoke causes chronic inflammation of the alveolar airways, which results in infiltration by lymphocytes and macrophages. Excess release of protease enzymes such as trypsin from lung tissues and leukocytes can digest and destroy the elastic walls of the alveoli. Alveolar air sacs become enlarged and distended as their structure is affected and their elasticity lost. Levels of a protective enzyme ÃŽÂ ±-1-antitrypsin have been shown to be lacking in certain individuals who are chronic cigarette smokers. This enzyme inactivates destructive protease enzymes in lung tissue. In fact, a rare form of emphysema occurs in individuals who are not cigarette smokers but who have a genetic lack of ÃŽÂ ±-1-antitrypsin. Manifestations of emphysema: The major physiologic changes seen in emphysema are a loss of alveolar (lung) elasticity and a decrease in the overall surface area for gas exchange within the lungs. Manifestations include the following: Tachypnea (increased respiratory rate): Because the increased respiratory rate in these individuals is effective in maintaining arterial blood gases, one does not usually see hypoxia or cyanosis until the end stages of the disease. Patients with emphysema are often referred to as pink puffers because of their high respiratory rates and lack of obvious cyanosis. Dyspnea Barrel chest from prolonged expiration Lack of purulent sputum Possible long-term consequences, including cor pulmonale, respiratory failure Chronic bronchitis Emphysema Mild dyspnea Dyspnea that may be severe Productive cough Dry or no cough Cyanosis common Cyanosis rare Respiratory infection common Infrequent infections Onset usually after 40 years of age Onset usually after 50 years of age History of cigarette smoking History of cigarette smoking Cor pulmonale common Cor pulmonale in terminal stages Types of Emphysema Cough Reflex The bronchi and trachea are so sensitive to light touch that very slight amount of foreign matter or other causes of irritation initiate the cough reflex. The larynx and carina (the point where the trachea divides into the bronchi) are especially sensitive, and the terminal bronchioles and even the alveoli are sensitive to corrosive chemical stimuli such as sulphur dioxide gas or chlorine gas. Afferent nerve impulses pass from the respiratory passages mainly through the vagus nerves to the medulla of the brain. There, an automatic sequence of events is triggered by the neuronal circuits of the medulla, causing the following effect. First, up to 2.5 liters of air are rapidly inspired. Second, the epiglottis closes, and the vocal cords shut tightly to entrap the air within the lungs. Third, the abdominal muscles contract forcefully, pushing against the diaphragm while other expiratory muscles, such as the internal intercostals, also contract forcefully. Consequently, the pressure in the lungs rises rapidly to as much as 100 mm Hg or more. Fourth, the vocal cords and the epiglottis suddenly open widely, so that air under this high pressure in the lungs explodes outward. Indeed, sometimes this air is expelled at velocities ranging from 75 to 100 miles per hour. Importantly, the strong compression of the lungs collapses the bronchi and trachea by causing their non-cartilaginous parts to invaginate inward, so that the exploding air actually passes through bronchial and tracheal slits. The rapidly moving air usually carries with it any foreign matter that is present in the bronchi or trachea. CO Poisoning Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced during the combustion of fuels such as gasoline, coal, oil, and wood. As you know, CO is a poison that may cause death if inhaled in more than very small quantities or for more than a short period of time. The reason CO is so toxic is that it forms a very strong and stable bond with the hemoglobin in RBCs (carboxyhemoglobin). Hemoglobin with CO bonded to it cannot bond to and transport oxygen. The effect of CO, therefore, is to drastically decrease the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. As little as 0.1% CO in inhaled air can saturate half the total hemoglobin with CO. Lack of oxygen is often apparent in people with light skin as cyanosis, a bluish cast to the skin, lips, and nail beds. This is because hemoglobin is dark red unless something (usually oxygen) is bonded to it. When hemoglobin bonds to CO, however, it becomes a bright, cherry red. This color may be seen in light skin and may be very misleading; the person with CO poisoning is in a severely hypoxic state. Although CO is found in cigarette smoke, it is present in such minute quantities that it is not lethal. Heavy smokers, however, may be in a mild but chronic hypoxic state because much of their hemoglobin is firmly bonded to CO. As compensation, RBC production may increase, and a heavy smoker may have a hematocrit over 50%.

Josephine Baker: Racial Refugee Comes Home

One hundred years ago a star was born, but its light, like that of real stars, took many years to reach us. Josephine Baker, dancer, actress and singer, shone on the stages of France long before she was accepted here in her native country. Having escaped from the poverty of her early childhood, Baker became a legendary performer in France only to be dismissed by American audiences of the 30s. Her story, fortunately, does not end there, as the changing social climate led to Baker’s eventual return and her efforts in the civil rights movement.Though it took decades, the â€Å"Black Venus† finally claimed her place in the history of American entertainers. Baker’s early family life was a world away from the life of glamour she was to later lead in France. Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906, Baker was subjected to the racial prejudices of the times as a result of her mixed Native American and African-American origin. Sources vary on the ident ity of Baker’s father, but the official version lists Eddie Carson, a vaudeville drummer, and Carrie McDonald, a â€Å"washerwoman,† as Baker’s parents.As an infant, Josephine was taken by her mother to winerooms and vaudeville houses where her father performed (Haney 1981, p. 6). St. Louis had an important music scene at the time, and this certainly had quite an impact on the young Freda. Carson soon abandoned mother and child, and Baker’s mother married another man, Arthur Martin, with whom she bore a son and two more daughters. Martin, often unemployed, could not support the household, and so Baker’s childhood was spent cleaning, babysitting and waitressing.Baker describes working for the â€Å"Mistress,† a wealthy white woman, in her autobiography, where she was required to get up at five in the morning (Baker and Bouillon 1977, p. 3): â€Å"There was coal to fetch, the stove to stoke, chamber pots and spittoons to empty, bed to make wo od to cut, the kitchen clean. † She did manage to go to school, but then worked after school as well, sleeping in the Mistress’s cellar at night. Baker was only seven years old. Haney (1981, p.10) suggests that Josephine’s mother harbored resentment against her daughter, blaming her for the loss of Carson; perhaps this, along with the family’s poverty, explains why Carrie McDonald sent her daughter to the Mistress. Josephine finally returned home after the Mistress was arrested for physically abusing her, but Josephine wound up living much of the time with her grandmother and aunt as her relationship with her mother deteriorated even further. Baker’s feelings for the country of her birth were always to be influenced by the experiences of her youth in Missouri.In her autobiography, she recounts the story of seeing her neighborhood go up in flames and seeing a black man beaten when whites decided to avenge the alleged rape of a white woman in July of 1917. Upon leaving her house to find the conflagration, Baker said she thought she was looking at the Apocalypse (1977, p. 2). Jean-Claude Baker and Chase (1993, p. 30) reject Baker’s claim to have witnessed the St. Louis race riots, arguing that she only learned the story later from others. In any case, such an event was to leave a lasting impression on Josephine.Not surprisingly, she was to leave St. Louis at a young age in search of a more promising future. In Josephine’s youth, a brighter future was not available to her through education – she could only escape through marriage. At the age of only 13, Josephine married Willie Wells, a man more than twice her age (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 36). The marriage was illegal and short-lived (to be followed by five more marriages over the years), and Josephine was destined to return to her mother’s house. Her true escape came when she joined the St. Louis Chorus line, where she was an instant hit.Baker was soo n touring with vaudeville troops, performing skits. Though audiences loved Josephine, she faced racism in town after town, where she faced the Ku Klux Klan and segregation (Haney 1981, p. 29). Baker continued her rise to stardom, though, when in 1921 she landed a role in the Broadway production of Shuffle Along, despite original concerns that she was too dark for the part. As the show became a hit, Josephine made an enormous salary for the time. When the production came to St. Louis, Josephine performed before a mixed audience, but the blacks were restricted to the balcony seating.Josephine’s biological father, Eddie Carson, reportedly showed up to ask to be hired for the show, only to be rejected (Haney (1981, p. 39). Baker followed up her success with a role in The Chocolate Dandies in 1924 and became a legend in connection with the Harlem Renaissance in 1925 at The Plantation Club. The real turning point came later in 1925, though, when Baker made her debut in Paris with J oe Alex and the Danse Sauvage in La Revue Negre at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. The audience loved Baker, who danced wearing only a feather skirt.From there, she went on to tour Europe and eventually star in La Follie du Jour at the Follies-Begere, often appearing with her pet leopard and dancing in a skirt made of bananas. She was to star in two movies, ZouZou and Princess Tam-Tam in the mid-thirties, by which time she was one of the highest paid entertainers in Europe (Official Site). In 1936, though, Baker was to be forcefully reminded of the barriers African-Americans were facing in her native country when she returned to the United States to star in the Ziegfield Follies.Unpopular with American audiences and critics, Baker was eventually replaced by Gypsy Rose Lee. In fact, Josephine met the realities of American racism as soon as she got off the boat from France, as she was refused a room in several New York hotels because of her color. Miki Sawada, Baker’s maid at t he time, was with her and described what happened (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 191): â€Å"I could not believe this could be the same woman I had seen in Europe, standing triumphant on the stage, showered with flowers.Here she was huddled before me on the floor, weeping. † In publicity photos for the production, Baker was lit so that she would appear lighter. She wrote to a friend, â€Å"†¦be assured, if I want to make a telephone call in the street, I’m still a negresse† (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 196). After the newspaper critics panned her performances, the show closed and Baker returned to France. Despite her experience in the thirties, Baker returned to America in the fifties and sixties to work to advance civil rights for people of color.The most famous instance occurred when Baker worked with the NAACP to protest segregation at The Stork Club. Animosity brewed as a result between Baker and gossip columnist Walter Winchell, which led to Baker’s nam e being tainted in the Red Scare of the McCarthy era. Baker found other ways to combat racism as well, adopting twelve multiethnic children who came to be known as the â€Å"Rainbow Tribe. † The first of her children, a son, was an â€Å"occupation† baby, a baby of mixed Japanese and Western race from Tokyo.Other adoptees hailed from Finland, Columbia, Canada and Israel (Baker and Bouillon 1977, p. 192-196). By the time of her death in 1975, Josephine Baker had accomplished more in her lifetime than anyone could possibly have imagined was possible for an African-American woman born at the beginning of the century. Not only did Baker manage to overcome the poverty and social limitations of her youth, she emerged as legendary entertainer, a champion of civil rights and a mother to so many who came from homes and situations as bleak as her own had been.Despite the many occasions on which her fellow Americans rejected her, Baker never gave up on her homeland and used her e xperiences as motivation to work toward a better society. The spate of biographies and the documentary of her life that have sprung up in the last two decades are a sign of the changing social climate and racial relations in America, as well as a sign of the longevity of Baker’s legacy. Bibliography Baker, J.and Bouillon, J. (1977) Jospehine. New York, Harper & Row Publishers. Baker, J. C. and Chase, C. (1993) Josephine: The Hungry Heart New York. Random House. Biography. Available from: The Official Site of Josephine Baker, Josephine Baker Estate c/o CMG Worldwide [Accessed 19 October 2006]. Haney, L. (1981) Naked at the Feast: A Biography of Josephine Baker. New York, Dodd, Mead & Company.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 1615 Words

Generalized Anxiety Disorder About three percent of men and women in the U.S. suffer from Generalized anxiety disorder (APAA). It is one of the most common forms of anxiety and seems to be the most left untreated because people don’t know that it can be treated. GAD, although it affects many, is a disorder that can be detrimental to the quality of life of an individual. With the regard to the quality of life, the level of severity that a person experiences is a great factor in determining more information. The accumulated information is a defining feature in figuring the dissimilarity of the normal fight or flight response and the diagnoses of GAD. The disorder itself is that of excessive worry (AnxietyBC) about everyday things like, financial situations, school, family, or health (APAA). Having three or more symptoms such as nausea, shaking, sweating, hot flashes, headaches, and many others, is what contributes to the diagnosis (Patel). Symptoms listed above along with, not being able to sleep to being so nervous that one feels like they are about to become sick. It is a problem when these symptoms become recognizable as a part of inhibiting someone from being able to perform essential and simple talks (AnxietyBC). What may be a normal thing to stress about for one person may be physically and mentally strenuous for another person. For that person, school can be an ongoing stressor with strict deadlines, not knowing how to pay loans, being a loner, presentations, notShow MoreRelatedGeneralized Anxiety Disorder771 Words   |  3 Pagescountry are affected, it is estimated that â€Å"5% - 6% of teens ages 13-18 are affected by this troubling disorder, not including the teens that receive no treatment,† (â€Å"Generalized†). Youth that receive no treatment could be considered are under privileged. Meaning that they do not have the resources or are very limited to resources that could help them get the pr oper treatment for their disorder. Many of those adolescents are children that come from low income families, single family homes, or fosterRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder Essay1602 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Case Analysis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Bryan Wood Abnormal Psychology Professor Powell April 14, 2015 Bryan Wood Mr. Powell PSY 322 April 14, 2015 Case Analysis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) â€Å"During a panic attack, the first thing you want to do is get out of the situation that is causing it. 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This disorder can be illustrated by excessive anxiety and worry that lasts a minimum of six months and deals with various events or activities. People who struggle with this disorder have difficulties controlling their worry; this worry can permeate into every action or thought which leads to increased anxiety. Moreover, people with generalized anxiety disorder exhibit at leastRead MoreQuestions On Generalized Anxiety Disorder1151 Words   |  5 PagesRunning Head: GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER 1 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Chinelo Onyekere Delaware County Community College Abnormal Psychology 210 Professor Doran August 8, 2015 GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER 2 Presenting Problems Joe Steven, is reported a continuous and extensive worry about his family responsibilities. TheRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder ( Gad )1782 Words   |  8 PagesGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder marked by extreme anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) over a period of at least 6 months. It is accompanied by at least three of these six somatic or psychological symptoms: feeling on edge, fatigue, problems with concentration, feeling irritable, physical tension, and problems with sleep. Allgulander2012 GAD pervasive cogn dysfunction w/focus on threat and risk tow indiv/family Tension worry muscle pain sleep dist irritability PsychRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder1142 Words   |  5 PagesGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder of shared self-reported symptoms. It goes with tension, uncontrollable worrying, sometimes muscle pain, trouble sleeping, and irritability that all together impair work ability, relations, and leisure activities. It is a common condition and there are psychological and pharmacological treatment options are available for anxiety disorders but not all patients respond to the same treatment as others. Finding a good treatment can take many months or sometimesRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder ( Gad ) Essay2397 Words   |  10 PagesReview Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder in which an individual may feel persistent, excessive, and worry about everyday things that may not even happen. Individuals with this disorder may feel worry, excessive anxiety, and have thoughts of the worst even when there is no need for concern. A person experiencing GAD may expect a disaster. They may worry about their finances, money, health, family, work, or any issue that may come to mind. This disorder mayRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder ( Gad )999 Words   |  4 PagesGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most diagnosed mental disorders today, and can often be closely linked to concurrent symptoms or disorders including physiological, behavioral, other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. (Merino, Senra Ferreiro, 2016) (Cacioppo Fregberg, 2013, p. 688). GAD most notably produces symptoms of excessive worry and anxiety related to non-specific risks, which often leads to functional decline both socially and professionally (Roberge etRead MoreGeneralized Anxiety Disorder2902 Words   |  12 PagesGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. This excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, family problems, friend problems, relationship problems or work difficulties.[1]