Universal Medicine

How sleep is the best painkiller. Have you ever suffered from some sort of pain then gone to sleep and woke up with the pain as a memory? New research has found an explanation for all of this. The research found that sleep deprivation increases the sensitivity of pain as it numbs the pain killing response. The effects of not getting enough sleep are endless from reduced memory, losing the ability to learn as well as cognitive impairment. Research Walker and Krause used 24 healthy, young participants and applied heat to their legs and scanned their brains examining the process of pain. The first time they completed this after participants had had a good night sleep and established the pain threshold, then again with no sleep. The researchers found that the brain's somatosensory cortex, a region associated with pain sensitivity, was hyperactive when the participants hadn't slept enough. This confirmed the hypothesis that sleep deprivation would interfere with pain-p...

As the exam period is upon us. Exams can be viewed as stressful times for many people and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Exam stress occurs when you feel an increased sense of panic or anxiety in the days, weeks or months before, during or after an assessment or test of some sort. Exam stress is most frequently short-lived – as soon as it is finished and you realise that you are free from studying for a few months, your stress levels usually diminish. So why not begin to try new techniques and activities to reduce this as Excess stress can play a role in headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis and many more. In recent years, particularly in Japan, spending time in forests has become the wellness trend. Forest bathing — a translation of the Japanese term shinrin yoku — is not a new idea, of course; ramblers have enjoyed forest walks for generations. The act goes beyond walking through nature, according to experts who explain that ...

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and interact with others. Autistic people view the world in a different way to others, they see, hear and experience the world differently from people without autism. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity. It affects people in different ways.  The main signs of autism are differences in how autistic people communicate and interact with others. There are 2 main signs: ·         difficulties with social communication and interaction – autistic people may find it hard to join in conversations or to make friends ·         repetitive behaviour, routines and activities – such as fixed daily routines, repetitive body movements and a hypersensitivity to certain sounds The possible signs of Autism in pres...

Amniocentesis is a procedure used to obtain a small sample of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus to diagnose chromosomal disorders and open neural tube defects (ONTDs), such as spina bifida. An amniocentesis is generally offered to women between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy who are at increased risk for chromosome abnormalities, such as women who are over age 35 years of age at delivery, or those who have had an abnormal maternal serum screening test, indicating an increased risk for a chromosomal abnormality or neural tube defect. The procedure involves inserting a long, thin needle through the mother's abdomen into the amniotic sac to withdraw a small sample of the amniotic fluid for examination. The amniotic fluid contains cells shed by the fetus, which contain genetic information. Although specific details of each procedure vary slightly, generally, an amniocentesis follows this process: The woman's abdomen is cleansed with an antiseptic   The doct...

Phantom limb If someone has had an area of a leg or arm amputated, there are many cases where the patient will still experience the pain of the limb. It is most common in leg and arm amputees but can also be present when other body parts are removed like breasts. The pain usually occurs within 6 months of the amputation and can last anywhere from a couple hours to years without treatment. The cause is not yet known, but researchers believe it is related to nerves in the brain and spinal cord rewire when they lose signal with the missing limb, its then believed that they will send pain signals as they sense something is wrong. It may also just be caused by the damaged nerve endings and damaged tissues. Phantom limb syndrome was first described in 1552 by French surgeon Ambroise pare, who operated on wounded soldiers and wrote about patients who complained of pain in amputated limbs. The same syndrome was later observed and noted by a Scottish physician William Porterfield who w...

  I don’t know about you, but i’ve always wanted a twin sibling, it would be so chaotic but also fascinating having someone that looks exactly like you. The bond between twins is a unique one on so many levels, being born together and having the same milestones is something that most of us cannot relate to. What about conjoined twins? Imagine having another human joined to you! Conjoined twins are 2 babies who are born physically connected to each other. They develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form 2 individuals. Although 2 fetuses will develop from this embryo, they will remain physically connected - most often at the chest, abdomen or pelvis. Conjoined twins may also share one or more internal organs. Just like typical conjoined twins experience an extreme type of special bond.  The specific anatomy of each pair of conjoined twins is unique, they may be joined at any of these sites: Chest (Thoracopagus) - twins are joined face to face at the ch...

Maple syrup urine disease is an inherited disease, where a newborn has built up substances in their urine and blood due to incapability to process amino acids. Classic MSUD, the most common form, is caused by the absence of a group of enzymes called “branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase” (BCKAD). The job of this enzyme group is to break down three different amino acids called leucine, isoleucine and valine which are called “branched-chain amino acids” (BCAAs) because of their “tree-like” structure. They are found in all foods that contain protein. Large amounts are found in meat, eggs, milk, and other dairy foods. Smaller amounts are found in flour, cereal, and in some vegetables and fruits. As breast milk is usually the staple food for a newborn, the risks are very high as a small baby is very sensitive and MSUD can be therefore life threatening. MSUD is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. It affects both boys and girls equally. In children with MSUD, a pair of genes nee...

Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, physical injury.There are many common causes of trauma, of which the main ones include: Psychological abuse – often being sworn at, put down, intimidated or insulted. (Linked to social neglect) Physical abuse – being pushed, slapped, and could be often causing marks or injures. Sexual abuse – being touched or forced to touch others in a sexual way, or perform a sexual act. Substance abuse – living with someone with a drinking or drug problem. Mental illness – living with someone who is mentally ill Domestic violence – witnessing a parent being hit, kicked, threatened or hurt. Criminal behaviour – having a household member in trouble with the law or in prison. Parental divorce – when the child is under 18 years old There were 16,939 child cruelty and neglect offences recorded by police in 2017-18, which is more than double in 2012-13, reported by the NSPCC. The charity’s helpline also received 19,937 calls last yea...

The effects of caffeine Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance but what is it really doing to our bodies? Some believe this is a drug we all abuse. Addiction to a classic drug is usually related to an increase in cerebral functions and dopamine release in the part of the brain responsible reward, motivation and addiction. Caffeine however, does not induce release of dopamine in this area of the brain instead dopamine is released in the prefrontal cortex- which is important for reinforcement. This may be something that explains why drinking caffeine has become such trend and obsession for many people. Psychologists have said that these people have become dependent on caffeine similar to drug dependence. This is where a pattern of behaviour focussed on repetition and compulsive seeking of the psychoactive drug.  This means that once the caffeine stops an individual will experience withdrawal reporting the following: -Headaches -Fatigue -Weakness -...

We all love and adore newborn babies, of course some more so than others, but majority of people just can't stop staring at their big eyes and cuddling them. However, how many of you are aware of how hard some newborns have to fight to survive. For most women, pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, babies born between 37 weeks and 40 weeks are considered as full-term and babies born before 37 weeks are considered as premature. Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality, the 3 primary causes are respiratory failure, infection and congenital malformation. There are some factors that could potentially cause premature birth, for example, the age of the mother (under 16 or over 35) or the use of tobacco during pregnancy, also pregnancy with twins/triplets can also lead to preterm birth, however, usually preterm birth cannot be explained. Although premature birth is uncommon it can cause many complications for the newborn. A premature baby might have complications breathing due to an...