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Social anxiety disorder also known as social phobia is very much a real thing.It is a psychiatric disorder, and is very different from being shy or being an introvert. Social anxiety disorder or SAD, is an intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social or performance situation. People with SAD worry about acting or appearing visibly anxious, for example, stumbling over words, or being viewed as stupid or awkward or boring. As a result, they often avoid social or performance situations, and when a situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant anxiety and distress. This is again, different from your usual feeling of shame or distress at being awkward, people with SAD experience strong physical symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, nausea, and sweating, and may experience full-blown attacks when confronting a feared situation. People suffering from SAD recognize their fear as excessive and irrational, but often feel...

Stress has been known to aggravate illnesses since a long time. It is the same with many types of cancers, including cervical cancer and breast cancer . A study by a reputed medical association says that women who experience high levels of stress long term may be undermining their ability to fight off common STDs and be at increased risk of developing cervical cancer. HPV, or human papilloma virus has been known as a risk factor for cervical cancer in women, although it is not the causal agent. In most cases, HPV infection in healthy women will vanish suddenly over time, however, a small proportion of infected women will progress to having precancerous cervical lesions or even cancer, so the virus’ connection to cancer cannot be denied either.  Stress can trigger changes in immune functioning that make it more difficult for the body to get rid of the virus, the study suggests. The study looked at potential links between stress and immune response, and found that th...

Overview The cricopharyngeus muscle is a circular muscle that sits around the top of the food pipe, the tube that passes food from the mouth into the stomach. The muscle is responsible for opening and closing the food pipe. A Cricopharyngeal spasm occurs when the cricopharyngeus muscle gets overly contracted. The condition is usually harmless, apart from the nuisance and discomfort it causes. The most common symptom of the condition is that the affected individual feels a perpetual ‘lump’ in the throat, which is also known as globus pharyngeus.  Causes Cricopharyngeal spasms can be caused by a number of underlying conditions, such as: In some cases, cricopharyngeal spasms can be caused by neurological conditions or damaging events, such as a stroke, or they can occur because of cricopharyngeal dysfunction. In such cases, a neurologist is better consulted. When associated with cricopharyngeal dysfunction, muscle spasms may cause dysphagia or difficulty swallo...

Overview Virtual colonoscopy is a procedure usually done to look for polyps inside the colon. It is a procedure related to gastroenterology . Polyps that grow on the inside lining of the colon sometimes turn into colon cancer. It is recommended by gastroenterologists that both men and women begin screening for colon cancer at the age of 50, and continue every five years. In case of family history of colon cancer or other colon related problems, it is advised to start screening even earlier.    Why is it done? Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women. The reason for virtual colonoscopy is to find polyps and remove them before they become cancer or to find colon cancer at an early stage when it can be treated successfully. Also read: Colon Cancer – Understand it to Detect it What Are The Advantages Of Virtual Colonoscopy? As compared to conventional colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy has several advantages,...

Overview Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are medical illnesses that result in strange or bizarre thinking, perceptions like sight, sound, behaviours, and emotions. Psychosis is a brain-based condition that is made better or worse by environmental factors like stress. Children and youth who experience psychosis often say "something is not quite right" or can't tell if something is real or not real. It is a rare psychiatric illness in young children, although not uncommon and is hard to recognize in its early phases. Childhood Onset Most children with schizophrenia show delays in language and other functions long before their psychotic symptoms e.g. hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking, appear. In the first years of life, about 30% of these children have transient symptoms of pervasive developmental disorder, such as rocking, posturing, and arm flapping. Childhood-onset of psychosis may present with poor motor development, suc...