As the weather gets colder and days become shorter, you may notice you have less energy, feel a little less optimistic and spend more time alone. While this may not be a cause for concern, about 5% of the U.S population experience seasonal depression during the fall and winter months. Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a subtype of depression that begins and ends around the same time every… Continue reading What is Seasonal Depression?
Category: Conditions
Living with a health condition? On the PatientsLikeMe blog, find helpful health information and patient stories about being diagnosed, trying different treatments, and living day-to-day with a chronic condition.
6 Possible Causes of Multiple Sclerosis
If you’re living with multiple sclerosis, you probably have a lot of questions about your diagnosis. You might be wondering how you developed the disease and what your outlook is. While the course of the disease will vary from person to person, an exact cause has yet to be identified. Scientists have found that a combination of factors often causes multiple… Continue reading 6 Possible Causes of Multiple Sclerosis
Medication-Free Ways To Feel Better With Parkinson’s Disease
Getting a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis can be overwhelming. This neurodegenerative disorder affects movement and doesn’t have a cure, but with the right medications and complementary or alternative therapies, symptoms can be managed. Incorporating medication-free ways into Parkinson’s treatment can help people living with the condition improve their health and well-being, along with preserving physical function… Continue reading Medication-Free Ways To Feel Better With Parkinson’s Disease
9 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Fight Chronic Illness
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Eat Your Way to Relief: 9 Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Fight Chronic Illness If you’re living with a chronic illness, there’s a good chance your doctor has suggested altering your diet to help reduce or eliminate inflammation in the body. Increasing evidence suggests that there is a link between inflammation… Continue reading 9 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Fight Chronic Illness
MS and Stress: Managing the Holidays
Stress is a normal part of life for many people. For some, holidays can be especially stressful because of gift buying, traveling, and making holiday dinners. If you have multiple sclerosis, the stress of the holidays can be compounded by managing your illness on top of everything else. Living with MS is not only a… Continue reading MS and Stress: Managing the Holidays
Unexpected Warning Signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose because of the variety of symptoms it causes and the ways they present. Most people with MS experience their first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40. Sometimes, symptoms can come on suddenly and go away just as quickly. Other times, symptoms will start minimally and progressively get worse. Because MS effects everyone… Continue reading Unexpected Warning Signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
10 Early Warning Signs of Chronic Kidney Disease
How often do you think about your kidneys? Probably not very often. When your kidneys are functioning properly, it’s easy to forget what a key role they play in your health. But when your kidneys aren’t working as well as they should, your body will send you warning signals to let you know something is wrong. These warnings can be early indicators of chronic kidney disease. What is… Continue reading 10 Early Warning Signs of Chronic Kidney Disease
Risk Factors for ALS
Once considered a rare disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has become a common condition. About 6,000 new cases of ALS are diagnosed each year, and approximately four to six people per every 100,000 are living with the disease. Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, it’s a progressive illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and… Continue reading Risk Factors for ALS
3 Suicide Warning Signs to Look Out For
Suicide claims the lives of over 47,500 people every year in the United States. When a person dies by suicide, it affects family, friends, and communities, leaving them lost, confused, and in some cases, feeling responsible for their death. “Death by suicide” means intentionally ending your own life. It’s often a way for people… Continue reading 3 Suicide Warning Signs to Look Out For
5 Stages of Parkinson’s Disease and How to Treat Them
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disease, meaning the symptoms develop slowly over the course of several years. Although there are four main motor symptoms that occur with Parkinson’s, not every patient will experience symptoms in the same order and in the same way. However, there are patterns of symptom progression that most patients will experience. The… Continue reading 5 Stages of Parkinson’s Disease and How to Treat Them