The Social Stigma of Migraine Headaches: Worse Than Epilepsy, According to New Jefferson Study Newswise (PHILADELPHIA) A groundbreaking study lead by William B. Young, MD, a neurologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Headache Center, shows that patients with migraine (a combination of severe headache, nausea, light sensitivity, and other factors) suffer social stigma from their disease similar to the stigma experienced by patients with epilepsy. The study, to be released on January 16, 2013 in the online journal PLOS ONE, is one of the first to study the social cost of this frequently debilitating and misunderstood illness. The study was co-authored by Joanna Kempner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Social stigma occurs when society disapproves of a person because they are different in some wayeither externally, as with a birthmark, or in an unseen way, as with migraine. Stigma can hurt peoples personal relationships, their work prospects, and their state of mind. When people treat my patients as if they are to blame because they have a severe, debilitating disease, they are contributing to the problem and making life harder for them, commented Dr. Young. The authors conclude that the high level of … Continue reading →

Healing Autism - Meet Jamie Now: A Life Free of Autism HD http://www.HealingAutism.com Krista Vance was born in Southern California and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her family. At fifteen, she moved to New York City, where she modeled. At nineteen, she moved to Los Angeles, where she acted. These days, Krista keeps busy with two sets of twins. In her spare time, she writes. Her articles have been published in Well Being Journal, Organic Family Magazine, and Alternative Medicine. Krista is a member of Autism Today and FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment). She also supports the philosophy of the Autism Research Institute. In 2005, she created http://www.healingautism.com. Krista continues to devote her energy to researching the impact of nutrition and environmental factors on health and wellness. She actively supports a variety of nonprofits, contributing to numerous fundraising events for organizations devoted to autism, cancer, and diabetes, to name a few. Krista and her husband, James, are managing partners of Snowed Inn LLC, which owns and operates nine businesses. She relaxes by exercising, dancing, and enjoying time with her family. By: HealingAutism6 … Continue reading →

Healing Autism - Meet Jamie Now: A Life Free of Autism http://www.HealingAutism.com Krista Vance was born in Southern California and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her family. At fifteen, she moved to New York City, where she modeled. At nineteen, she moved to Los Angeles, where she acted. These days, Krista keeps busy with two sets of twins. In her spare time, she writes. Her articles have been published in Well Being Journal, Organic Family Magazine, and Alternative Medicine. Krista is a member of Autism Today and FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment). She also supports the philosophy of the Autism Research Institute. In 2005, she created http://www.healingautism.com. Krista continues to devote her energy to researching the impact of nutrition and environmental factors on health and wellness. She actively supports a variety of nonprofits, contributing to numerous fundraising events for organizations devoted to autism, cancer, and diabetes, to name a few. Krista and her husband, James, are managing partners of Snowed Inn LLC, which owns and operates nine businesses. She relaxes by exercising, dancing, and enjoying time with her family. By: HealingAutism6 … Continue reading →

Treating Autism: Jill Maxwell visits with Tom Sumner to discuss Autism Treatment Jill Maxwell of Maxwell Physical Therapy visits with Tom Sumner on his radio show to discuss Autism Treatment options. The focus of the discussion is treatment for children with Autism. Maxwell Physical Therapy is a leading physical therapy treatment center in Michigan that also specializes in Pain Management, Headache TMJ Pain, Fibromyalgia Therapy, Senior Health and many other common and not so common areas of treatment. Maxwell Physical Therapy accepts most insurances and you can find out more about them and the services they offer at http://www.maxwelltherapy.com. By: perry222777 … Continue reading →

The Future of Autism - The Autism Society Like Autism Live on Facebook at facebook.com Autism Society of America President Scott Badesch talks candidly about the need to view Autism as a civil rights issue and not just a treatment issue. Badesch also talks about the growing need for services that help individual transition from teen years to adulthood and aide in job skills and placement. Also discussed is the need for an Autism Summit and the obstacles that continue to plague such an effort. Disparity in services between the "haves" and the "have nots" are also discussed. Autism Live is a production of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), headquartered in Tarzana, California, and with offices throughout the United States and around the globe. For more information on therapy for autism and other related disorders, visit the CARD website at centerforautism.com By: AutismLive … Continue reading →

A new study from the University of Connecticut suggests its actually possible for some children, accurately diagnosed with autism during early childhood, to lose their diagnosis as they get older. So is it true? Can a child outgrow autism? I think the answer is yes, and I say this out of personal experience, having cared for my son for the last 15 years. As many of you may know, my son was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) at the age of 2, and ever since then, my entire life has been focused on his growth and development. My wife and I have been very hands-on parents, and we have been very fortunate in being able to provide Ryan with early intervention treatment, which continues to this day. RELATED: Can children 'grow out' of autism? However, I do see sides of his personality that have emerged, which are distinct and different from some of those autistic behaviors he had in the past. And these positive changes were not completely due to the early intervention but rather through his socialization with the family and friends at school. One of the advantages that Ryan has had is that he has an older … Continue reading →

Health Experts warn about limitations of genetic screenings, such as the test sold by a university startup that funded the research. In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers have discovered 24 new "high impact" gene changes missing or duplicated stretches of DNA linked to autism, and confirmed 31 known markers. University of Utah scientists who collaborated on the study and have a financial stake in Lineagen Inc., which paid for it say the findings show the companys genetic screen for all these markers is ready for clinical use. U. of Utahs stake in Lineagens autism test Announcing its genetic research published in PLOS ONE this week, the University of Utah heralded how the research will be used to validate a commercial test sold by Lineagen, Inc. The U. has a financial stake in the private, for-profit Lineagen, which was launched in 2002 based on technology discovered at the university. Bryan Ritchie, executive director of the U.s Technology Commercialization Office, declined to discuss the details of Lineagens licensing of U. research. But he said in such deals, the U. typically earns 3 to 10 percent of profit in royalties. The school also usually owns an equity stake in … Continue reading →

By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Some children who are diagnosed with autism at an early age will ultimately shed all signs and symptoms of the disorder as they enter adolescence or young adulthood, a new analysis contends. Whether that happens because of aggressive interventions or whether it boils down to biology and genetics is still unclear, the researchers noted, although experts suspect it is most likely a combination of the two. The finding stems from a methodical analysis of 34 children who were deemed "normal" at the study's start, despite having been diagnosed with autism before the age of 5. "Generally, autism is looked at as a lifelong disorder," said study author Deborah Fein, a professor in the departments of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Connecticut. "The point of this work was really to demonstrate and document this phenomenon, in which some children can move off the autism spectrum and really go on to function like normal adolescents in all areas, and end up mainstreamed in regular classrooms with no one-on-one support. "Although we don't know exactly what percent of these kids are capable of this kind of amazing outcome, we do … Continue reading →

LYONS, GA (WTOC) - Ava Bullard can do most of the everyday things other eight year olds can do. But her early years weren't as hopeful. "From six months to two years, there was very little development," explained her mom, Anna Bullard. "She was non-verbal and it was obvious something was wrong. At age two, after six months of doctors visits, the Bullards got the diagnosis they already suspected - autism. But they got little else with the doctor's pronouncement. "I was expecting to get the 1-2-3, the pamphlet of here's where you go. Cause I told them I want the best, the treatment that everybody's getting and saying that it works and she said you can't get that in Georgia. I was stunned." the mom recalled. Georgia is not one of the 31 states that require coverage of autism treatment in health insurance policies. Anna worked with the national organization Autism Speaks to draft a bill to include it. So far, she hasn't found a legislator to introduce it for debate. "They tell us they'll co-sponsor it, they'll vote for it, they'll get on board. But they hesitate to be the first one," she noted. "Nobody wants to be … Continue reading →

Up to two million - mostly elderly - have atrial fibrillation (AF), in which the heart beats slightly irregularly. That causes blood to linger in a heart chamber, forming clots that can then be pushed into arteries and get stuck, resulting in stroke. Every year some 12,500 people suffer AF-related strokes. However, although it can cause dizziness, palpitations and shortness of breath, hundreds of thousands do not know they have it as they have no symptoms. Of the two million estimated by the Atrial Fibrillation Association to have it, some 600,000 are undiagnosed. Professor Carole Longson, from Nice, said the device could increase the detection rate of AF compared with taking the pulse by hand. She added: The guidance is not about screening for AF, but about the benefits that the device offers in helping to pick up AF by chance in being with suspected high blood pressure. Nice estimates it could save the NHS 26 million a year. Dr Clare Walton, of the Stroke Association said: "Unfortunately not everyone who has AF will know they have it, yet we know that around 4,500 strokes each year could be prevented if AF patients received appropriate treatment. A blood pressure testing … Continue reading →