Life Token

De Clerambault’s Syndrome, also called erotomania, is a psychological condition in which the sufferer is under the delusion that a certain person is in love with him or her. Typically, the object of this delusion is of a higher social class than the sufferer and is merely an acquaintance – at the most – in [...]

Named after a British doctor, Battle’s sign — also known as mastoid ecchymosis — is a physical sign of trauma to the head that might be suggestive of brain trauma. Ecchymosis is bruising which appears on the surface of the skin and is caused by the escape of blood into the tissues from ruptured blood [...]

Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects about 1 in 500 people. Middle-aged women are more predominantly affected than men, comprising about 90% of those affected. The most common symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome are excessively dry eyes and mouth due to lower tear and saliva production. Other symptoms of Sjogren’s syndrome occur in varying [...]

Schmorl’s nodes are small protrusions of vertebral disk tissue that bulge through the ends of weakened vertebrae. They can emerge due to direct trauma to the spine, age-related disk degeneration, or an autoimmune condition that weakens vertebral tissue. In most cases, Schmorl’s nodes themselves are painless and unnoticeable to the naked eye. Pain, stiffness, and [...]

Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a serious neurological disorder that results primarily from a deficiency of the nutrient thiamine, also known as vitamin B-1. It was named for Dr. Carl Wernicke, who first described it in 1881. It is comprised of three main symptoms: mental confusion, lack of muscle coordination, and a paralysis of the muscles which [...]

Calculating a person’s body mass index (BMI), which is a number attained from a mathematical equation factoring a person’s height and weight, has proven to be a reliable indicator for screening weight problems that could lead to health problems. When calculating an adult’s BMI, the number becomes an indicator of whether a person is overweight [...]

A Curling’s ulcer is a type of ulcer that affects a portion of the small intestine called the duodenum. This type of ulcer typically develops when a patient has suffered severe burns on his skin or sustained serious injuries to his body. A Curling’s ulcer is described as a stress ulcer because it results from [...]

The primary difference between an allergy and a sensitivity is that an allergy is characterized by an immune system reaction to a substance, while a sensitivity involves no immune response. Both, however, can be quite serious, as can intolerances, and a range of symptoms can be caused by allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances. For this reason, [...]

Klumpke’s palsy, sometimes called Dejerine-Klumpke palsy, involves damage to the nerves which supply the small muscles of the hand. It results in the hand having a clawed appearance. Nerve supply to the arm and hand comes from what is known as the brachial plexus, a network formed from nerve roots in the spinal cord. Injuries [...]

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a disorder that causes the blood vessels in the fingers and toes to constrict, which results in discoloration, numbness and/or throbbing or tingling. The attacks are triggered by exposure to cold temperatures or, sometimes, emotional stress. When someone with Raynaud’s phenomenon is exposed to cold or experiences a stressful situation, blood flow [...]