5 Myths about Panic Disorders: Busted

Panic attacks are frightening and disruptive enough; you don't need the additional stress of worrying about whether common misconceptions about panic disorders are true.

Panic disorders cause sudden and repeated attacks of fear despite the absence of any real danger. Although panic attacks can seem interminable at the time, an attack generally lasts only a few minutes. About six million adults suffer from panic disorders. They generally begin in individuals' late teens or early adulthood years, and women are more likely than men to experience them.

Myth: Panic disorders only occur in people who are emotionally weak or who have serious mental illness.

Fact: Panic attacks can strike anyone, although they tend to run in families. There are also biological explanations for panic disorders. Studies have linked them to a specific hormone in a brain circuit that regulates vigilance. Too much of this hormone may lead to panic attacks. Other studies suggest that the brains of people with panic disorders are lacking in a type of serotonin receptor. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates emotion.

Panic disorders are not a personal weakness or sign of mental illness, and having occasional panic attacks don't necessarily lead to panic disorder.

Myth: Everyone will know I'm having a panic attack.

Fact: While the feelings of fear and anxiety are very real to you when you're having a panic attack, remember, they're just in your mind. The people you're with are not aware of them and may not know you're having a panic attack.

Myth: Specific situations trigger panic attacks.

Fact: It's common to associate specific places or activities with panic attacks if that's where (or when) they occurred. And while certain situations might trigger a panic attack, there are other triggers as well.

Myth:  Panic attacks produce physical symptoms but physical conditions do not cause panic attacks.

Fact: Many individuals do experience physical symptoms during panic attacks, such as a racing heart, sweating, or difficulty breathing.

However, physical conditions such as heartburn or a headache can also trigger a panic attack. Individuals with depression and anxiety may also have a predisposition to developing panic attacks after consuming high doses of caffeine. If you're concerned about panic attacks, it may be best to skip the coffee.

Myth: Drugs are the only treatment for panic disorders.

Fact: Medications such as antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs may be part of a patient's treatment for panic disorders. However, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy, is probably the most effective treatment. During CBT, a qualified therapist will gradually expose you to different experiences in a safe environment to help you learn to cope with anxiety-provoking situations.

Sources:

Brothers, Joyce MD. "Quiz helps dispel myths about panic disorders." Seattle PI. Web. 25 March 2008.

http://www.seattlepi.com/brothers/354263_joyce326.html

PanicAttacksDisorders.org. "Anxiety Disorder Panic Attack Myths Debunked." Web.

http://www.panicattacksdisorder.org/anxiety-disorder-panic-attack

National Institute of Mental Health. "Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms." Web. 18 January 2011.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms.shtml

Busko, Marlene. "Caffeine Challenge Induced Panic Attacks in Patients with Panic Disorder." Comprehensive Psychiatry 48 (2007): 257-263. Medscape Medical News. Web. 22 June 2007. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558744

National Institute of Mental Health. "Runaway Vigilance Hormone Linked to Panic Attacks." Science Update. Web. 28 December 2009.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2009/runaway-vigilance-hormone-linked-to-panic-attacks.shtml

National Institute of Mental Health. "Emotion-Regulating Protein Lacking in Panic Disorder." Web. 26 June 2008.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2004/emotion-regulating-protein-lacking-in-panic-disorder.shtml

View the original article here

Erectile Dysfunction: Myths vs. Facts

If you think erectile dysfunction (ED) strictly affects the aging population, think again. As it turns out, ED affects up to 30 million males of all ages in the United States each year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Although it was once a taboo subject, men are more willing to discuss and seek treatment for the condition today. Of course, understanding the facts is a critical component of treating and preventing ED. Here, we debunk the most common myths about the condition.

Erectile dysfunction is strictly a physical problem.
Although the majority of diagnosed ED cases are a result of physical diseases that cause damage to nerves, fibrous tissues, and arteries (such as diabetes, MS, vascular disease, and neurological disease), experts theorize that up to 20 percent of ED cases are due to anxiety, stress, depression, and other psychological factors, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse (NIDDK). One of the most common psychological causes of erectile dysfunction is performance anxiety that may result after several failed attempts at intercourse. The anxiety may increase, leading to more failed attempts, ultimately resulting in a cycle of anxiety and sexual failure. Erectile dysfunction should just be accepted as a natural part of the aging process.
The incidence of erectile dysfunction certainly increases with age, but it is in no way an inevitable part of the aging process. Changes in erections and in the amount of time it takes to achieve one are normal signs of aging and should not be confused with ED, which is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, and carefully monitoring chronic illnesses, like kidney disease or diabetes, can help decrease your risk of developing ED. Erectile dysfunction will go away naturally.
ED is treatable at any age, and increasing numbers of men are becoming aware of this fact. Treatment options are available, regardless of whether the cause is found to be physical or psychological. In some cases, surgery may be an option. However, there are many non-surgical treatments available, most of which work by increasing blood flow to the penis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved oral drugs, such as Cialis and Viagra, as one type of treatment. In addition, devices such as vacuums and implants are available. Some people have found success with sex therapy or herbal remedies. In other cases, properly managing the underlying disease or substituting certain prescription medications resolves the problem. Oftentimes, a man suffering from ED simply needs to eat better, exercise, and quit smoking in order to eliminate the condition. Alcohol makes you more relaxed and can increase your ability to maintain an erection.

While small amounts of alcohol can lower your inhibitions, heavy drinking can depress your central nervous system and lead to vascular problems, actually increasing your risk for erectile dysfunction.

Men under the age of 40 don't have to worry about erectile dysfunction.

Although ED is most common in men 65 and older, it can occur at any age. Statistics show that the majority of men experience erectile problems at some point in their lives, and 10 percent of the entire male population has persistent ED, according to the American Medical Association. Because diseases such as diabetes and heart disease interfere with blood flow and increase the incidence of developing ED, men who develop these conditions, no matter how young they may be, are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

View the original article here

5 Myths about Panic Disorders: Busted

Panic attacks are frightening and disruptive enough; you don't need the additional stress of worrying about whether common misconceptions about panic disorders are true.

Panic disorders cause sudden and repeated attacks of fear despite the absence of any real danger. Although panic attacks can seem interminable at the time, an attack generally lasts only a few minutes. About six million adults suffer from panic disorders. They generally begin in individuals' late teens or early adulthood years, and women are more likely than men to experience them.

Myth: Panic disorders only occur in people who are emotionally weak or who have serious mental illness.

Fact: Panic attacks can strike anyone, although they tend to run in families. There are also biological explanations for panic disorders. Studies have linked them to a specific hormone in a brain circuit that regulates vigilance. Too much of this hormone may lead to panic attacks. Other studies suggest that the brains of people with panic disorders are lacking in a type of serotonin receptor. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates emotion.

Panic disorders are not a personal weakness or sign of mental illness, and having occasional panic attacks don't necessarily lead to panic disorder.

Myth: Everyone will know I'm having a panic attack.

Fact: While the feelings of fear and anxiety are very real to you when you're having a panic attack, remember, they're just in your mind. The people you're with are not aware of them and may not know you're having a panic attack.

Myth: Specific situations trigger panic attacks.

Fact: It's common to associate specific places or activities with panic attacks if that's where (or when) they occurred. And while certain situations might trigger a panic attack, there are other triggers as well.

Myth:  Panic attacks produce physical symptoms but physical conditions do not cause panic attacks.

Fact: Many individuals do experience physical symptoms during panic attacks, such as a racing heart, sweating, or difficulty breathing.

However, physical conditions such as heartburn or a headache can also trigger a panic attack. Individuals with depression and anxiety may also have a predisposition to developing panic attacks after consuming high doses of caffeine. If you're concerned about panic attacks, it may be best to skip the coffee.

Myth: Drugs are the only treatment for panic disorders.

Fact: Medications such as antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs may be part of a patient's treatment for panic disorders. However, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy, is probably the most effective treatment. During CBT, a qualified therapist will gradually expose you to different experiences in a safe environment to help you learn to cope with anxiety-provoking situations.

Sources:

Brothers, Joyce MD. "Quiz helps dispel myths about panic disorders." Seattle PI. Web. 25 March 2008.

http://www.seattlepi.com/brothers/354263_joyce326.html

PanicAttacksDisorders.org. "Anxiety Disorder Panic Attack Myths Debunked." Web.

http://www.panicattacksdisorder.org/anxiety-disorder-panic-attack

National Institute of Mental Health. "Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms." Web. 18 January 2011.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms.shtml

Busko, Marlene. "Caffeine Challenge Induced Panic Attacks in Patients with Panic Disorder." Comprehensive Psychiatry 48 (2007): 257-263. Medscape Medical News. Web. 22 June 2007. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558744

National Institute of Mental Health. "Runaway Vigilance Hormone Linked to Panic Attacks." Science Update. Web. 28 December 2009.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2009/runaway-vigilance-hormone-linked-to-panic-attacks.shtml

National Institute of Mental Health. "Emotion-Regulating Protein Lacking in Panic Disorder." Web. 26 June 2008.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2004/emotion-regulating-protein-lacking-in-panic-disorder.shtml

View the original article here

Dispelling the Top 10 Meningitis Myths

You've probably read the tragic news stories about the college kid or the young athlete who died from meningitis. Or you've heard the rumors about how you can catch it by kissing someone. But how much do you really know about the disease? Get the truth behind the top 10 meningitis myths.

Meningitis is caused most commonly by a virus. Bacterial meningitis is more serious because it can be deadly if not treated soon enough. On very rare occasions, the disease is caused by a fungus. Meningitis is sometimes called spinal meningitis, regardless of the cause.

Although kissing is one way to spread the disease and kissing multiple partners will greatly increase your risk of contracting meningitis, it can be spread in other ways, such as by drinking out of the same glass, coughing, or sharing items like lipstick or cigarettes.

Anyone can get meningitis. College students who live in dorms or group housing are at higher risk because of close contact and increased likelihood of sharing items, like drinking glasses and utensils, that could spread the disease. Before the introduction of the vaccine, meningitis posed a serious threat for young children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), viral meningitis is the most common form, but it is less severe. Because bacterial meningitis can be deadly, this type of the disease is more likely to receive attention from health officials and the press.

Bacterial meningitis must be treated immediately by a doctor or other health-care professional. Left untreated, it could result in brain damage, stroke, or death. Although viral meningitis does not require the same level of care, the symptoms of both types are so similar that only a doctor can diagnose the cause. Symptoms of meningitis include sudden fever, severe headache, stiff neck, light-sensitivity, drowsiness, confusion, and nausea or vomiting.

There are two different vaccines that protect against meningitis. The CDC recommends a new version of the vaccine, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (also known as MCV-4 or Menactra), for people ages 2 to 55. An older type of vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune) is also effective and is safe for people older than 55. Menomune lasts for about three to five years, while Menactra provides at least eight years of protection. Because the vaccine wears off, the CDC recommends being vaccinated when you may be exposed to a high-risk setting, such as moving into a college dorm or traveling to Saudi Arabia or certain parts of Africa. If you cannot afford the vaccine, call the CDC Contact Center at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) to learn more about receiving these vaccinations for free or at a discounted price. Meningitis symptoms come on very quickly. Sometimes the onset is as rapid as a few hours, sometimes it happens over one or two days. See a doctor as soon as you notice any of the telltale symptoms-sudden fever, severe headache, stiff neck, light-sensitivity, drowsiness, confusion, and nausea or vomiting. Antibiotic treatment for bacterial meningitis is about 90 percent effective. The sooner treatment can begin, the better the chances for recovery. The CDC says there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis, other than bed rest and drinking plenty of fluids, although a doctor may prescribe medication to relieve pain. Although meningitis is contagious, it can be spread only to people who have had direct contact with a sick person. In addition, due to the prevalence of the vaccine, it has become nearly unheard of for young children to contract meningitis, according to the CDC. It's possible to carry the bacteria in your mouth but not get sick. According to experts at the University of California, Berkeley, up to 10 percent of all people carry the bacteria in their noses or throats, but most don't get sick. Being tired, stressed, or sick from another illness will make you more susceptible.

View the original article here