Lipid Metabolism Disorders

Metabolism is the process your body uses to make energy from the food you eat. Food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Chemicals in your digestive system (enzymes) break the food parts down into sugars and acids, your body's fuel. Your body can use this fuel right away, or it can store the energy in your body tissues. If you have a metabolic disorder, something goes wrong with this process.

Lipid metabolism disorders, such as Gaucher disease and Tay-Sachs disease, involve lipids. Lipids are fats or fat-like substances. They include oils, fatty acids, waxes, and cholesterol. If you have one of these disorders, you may not have enough enzymes to break down lipids. Or the enzymes may not work properly and your body can't convert the fats into energy. They cause a harmful amount of lipids to build up in your body. Over time, that can damage your cells and tissues, especially in the brain, peripheral nervous system, liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Many of these disorders can be very serious, or sometimes even fatal.

These disorders are inherited. Newborn babies get screened for some of them, using blood tests. If there is a family history of one of these disorders, parents can get genetic testing to see whether they carry the gene. Other genetic tests can tell whether the fetus has the disorder or carries the gene for the disorder.

Enzyme replacement therapies can help with a few of these disorders. For others, there is no treatment. Medicines, blood transfusions, and other procedures may help with complications.

Living with HIV

What are HIV and AIDS?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harms your immune system by destroying a type of white blood cell that helps your body fight infection.

AIDS is the final stage of infection with HIV. It happens when the body's immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS.

Are there treatments for HIV?

There is no cure for HIV, but there are many medicines to treat both HIV infection and the health problems and infections (called opportunistic infections, or OIs) that come with it. The medicines allow people with HIV to have long, healthy lives.

How can I live a healthier life with HIV?

IIf you have HIV, you can help yourself by:

• Getting medical care as soon as you find out that you have HIV. You should find a health care provider who has experience in treating HIV.
• Taking your medicines every day.
• Letting your provider know if you get any new symptoms or health problems.
• Keeping up with your regular medical and dental care.This includes staying up to date with your recommended health screenings and vaccinations. Your provider can let you know which ones you need.
• Managing stress and getting support, such as from support groups, therapists, and social service organizations
• Trying to live a healthy lifestyle, including:
• Eating healthy foods.This can give your body the energy it needs to fight HIV and other infections. It can help you manage HIV symptoms and medicine side effects. It may also improve absorption of your HIV medicines.
• Getting regular physical activity. This can strengthen your body and immune system. It may also reduce the risk of depression.
• Getting enough sleep. Sleep is important for your physical strength and mental health.
• Not smoking. People with HIV who smoke have a higher risk of developing conditions such as certain cancers and infections. Smoking can also interfere with your medicines. Talk to your provider if you need help quitting smoking.
• Avoiding heavy drinking or taking illegal drugs. They can damage your liver, which means your HIV medicine may not work as well. They can also make it harder for your body to fight infections.
• Protecting yourself from OIs. Talk to your provider about medicines and vaccines that prevent certain OIs. Also, be careful to avoid exposure to contaminated food and water.

It is also important to reduce the risk of spreading HIV to other people. You should tell your sex partners that you have HIV and always use latex condoms. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.

Mental Disorders

What are mental disorders?

Mental disorders (or mental illnesses) are conditions that affect your thinking, feeling, mood, and behavior. They may happen over a short period of time or come and go. Some can be chronic (long-lasting). They can affect your ability to relate to others and function each day..

What are some types of mental disorders?

There are many different types of mental disorders. Some common ones include:

• Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias
• Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia

What causes mental disorders?

There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such as:

• Your genes and family history
• Your life experiences, such as stress or a history of abuse, especially if they happen in childhood
• Biological factors such as chemical imbalances in the brain
• A traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Prenatal (before birth) exposure to viruses, toxic chemicals, or other substances such as alcohol and drugs.
• Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
• Having a serious medical condition like cancer
• Having few friends, and feeling lonely or isolated

Mental disorders are not caused by character flaws. They have nothing to do with being lazy or weak.

Who is at risk for mental disorders?

Mental disorders are common. Many Americans will be diagnosed with a mental disorder at some time in their life.

How are mental disorders diagnosed?

The steps to getting a diagnosis include:

• A medical history
• A physical exam and possibly lab tests, if your provider thinks that other medical conditions could be causing your symptoms
• A psychological evaluation. You will answer questions about your thinking, feelings, and behaviors.

What are the treatments for mental disorders?

Treatment depends on which mental disorder you have and how serious it is. You and your provider will work on a treatment plan just for you. It usually involves some type of therapy. You may also take medicines. Some people also need social support and education on managing their condition.

In some cases, you may need more intensive treatment. You may need to go to a psychiatric hospital. This could be because your mental illness is severe. Or it could be because you are at risk of hurting yourself or someone else. In the hospital, you will get counseling, group discussions, and activities with mental health professionals and other patients.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

What is myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems. Another name for it is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). ME/CFS can often make you unable to do your usual activities. Sometimes you may not even be able to get out of bed.

What causes myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

Researchers don't yet know what causes ME/CFS. There may be more than one potential cause. It is also possible that two or more triggers might work together to cause the illness.

Researchers are studying many possible causes, including:

• Infections
• Immune system changes
• Physical or emotional stress
• Changes in the way cells in the body get their energy
• Genetics; the illness can sometimes run in families

Who is more likely to develop myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

Anyone can get ME/CFS, but it is most common in people between 40 and 60 years old. Adult women are more likely to develop it than adult men.

What are the symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

The primary, or core, symptoms of ME/CFS are:

• Not being able to do activities that you used to do before the illness, along with severe fatigue. The fatigue must last six months or longer, and it is not improved by rest.
• Post-exertional malaise (PEM), which means that your symptoms get worse after any physical or mental activity.
• Sleep problems.

Along with the primary symptoms, to be diagnosed with ME/CFS, you need to have one or both of these symptoms:

• Problems with thinking and memory.
• Worsening of symptoms while standing or sitting upright. This is called orthostatic intolerance. It can cause you to feel lightheaded, dizzy, weak, or faint while standing or sitting up.

Some of the other symptoms that ME/CFS can cause include:

• Pain, including muscle pain, joint pain, and headaches
• Sore throat
• Tender lymph nodes (glands) in the neck or armpits
• Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome
• Chills and night sweats
• Allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals, light, or noise

ME/CFS can be unpredictable. Your symptoms may come and go. They may change over time; sometimes they might get better, and other times they may get worse.

How is myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) diagnosed?

ME/CFS can be difficult to diagnose. There is no specific test for ME/CFS, and other illnesses can cause similar symptoms. Your health care provider has to rule out other diseases before making a diagnosis of ME/CFS.

Your provider will do a thorough medical exam, which will include:

• Asking about your medical history and your family's medical history.
• Asking about your current illness, including your symptoms. Some questions they may ask could include how often you have symptoms, how bad they are, how long they have lasted, and how they affect your life.
• Thorough physical and mental status exams.
• Blood, urine, or other tests to check for other illnesses which could be causing your symptoms.

Your provider may also ask you to see a specialist to check for other conditions which can cause similar symptoms.

What are the treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

There is no cure or approved treatment for ME/CFS, but you may be able to treat or manage some of your symptoms.

You, your family, and your provider should work together to decide on a plan. You should figure out which symptom causes you the most problems and try to treat that first. For example, if sleep problems affect you the most, you might first try using good sleep habits. If those do not help, you may need to take medicines or see a sleep specialist.

Strategies such as learning new ways to manage activity can also be helpful. You need to make sure that you do not "push and crash." This can happen when you feel better, do too much, and then get worse again.

When you have ME/CFS, it can be hard to help develop a treatment plan. It can also be difficult to try to take care of yourself. So it's important that you have support from family members and friends.

There are also various resources and strategies that might be helpful to you, such as:

• Getting counseling to help you cope with the illness and its impact on your life.
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Nutritional supplements, if your provider suggests them.
• Complementary therapies such as meditation, gentle massage, or relaxation therapy.

Make sure to talk to your provider before you try any new treatments. Some treatments that are promoted as cures for ME/CFS are unproven, often costly, and could be dangerous.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Optic Nerve Disorders

The optic nerve is a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers that carry visual messages. You have one connecting the back of each eye (your retina) to your brain. Damage to an optic nerve can cause vision loss. The type of vision loss and how severe it is depends on where the damage occurs. It may affect one or both eyes.

There are many different types of optic nerve disorders, including:

• Glaucoma is a group of diseases that are the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises and damages the optic nerve.
• Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. Causes include infections and immune-related illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
• Optic nerve atrophy is damage to the optic nerve. Causes include poor blood flow to the eye, disease, trauma, or exposure to toxic substances.
• Optic nerve head drusen are pockets of protein and calcium salts that build up in the optic nerve over time

Contact your health care provider if you are having vision problems. Tests for optic nerve disorders may include eye exams, ophthalmoscopy (an examination of the back of your eye), and imaging tests. Treatment depends on which disorder that you have. With some optic nerve disorders, you may get your vision back. With others, there is no treatment, or treatment may only prevent further vision loss.