Health through Science

Neurotransmitters like Dopamine, behave like chemical messengers in the nervous system, by facilitating signal transmission between consecutive neurons or neurons to muscles. These molecules are essential to aid communication within our body, and are crucial to the diverse physical processes that go on in our body every day: mood regulation, cognition and motor control. Dopamine plays a very important role in regulating motor control and movement of muscles, especially in the case of controlled and smooth movements. People with Parkinson’s disease tend to lack this. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which shows progressive loss in the dopamine-generating neurons in brain tissue. The reduction in dopamine in the brain results in various symptoms like tremors, rigidity in movement, and something known as bradykinesia (basically slower movement than usual.) In persons with Parkinson’s, dopamine supplementation in the brain is a key aspect to their treatment approache...

Serotonin is one of the, if not most, discussed neurotransmitters in the world of clinical psychology and medical settings. Neurotransmitters like serotonin act as chemical messengers which transmit signals between consecutive neurons or neurons to muscles. They play a very important role in brain-body signaling and body-system regulation. Every neurotransmitter is released from a neuron. These neurotransmitters then travel across the synapse (space between two neurons) and bind onto receptors on the next neuron, which allows it to act as a transferrable message across the body. Serotonin, in itself, serves many functions in our body. It is responsible for regulating our mood, appetite, and sleep. It’s typically found in our gut (gastrointestinal tract) and the central nervous system (the brain, spine and peripheral nerves). In our gut, it is also responsible for bowel movement and bowel stability. Prosocial behavior talks about the ability of a person to do acts which will benefit...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks myelin (the protective covering of nerve endings) in the CNS (central nervous system, which consists of the spine and peripheral nerves attached to it.) Multiple sclerosis cannot be attributed to one sole cause; it is thought to be influenced by environmental, genetic, and most of all, immune factors. Sometimes specific genes are associated with multiple sclerosis, but the most commonly known lifestyle choice which causes MS is a vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D levels play a crucial role in triggering and exacerbating the condition. In patients with MS, because the immune system is attacking the myelin on nerve fiber, disrupting the electrical signal flow on the nerves, various symptoms occur in the body, most being neuron-related. For example, fatigue, difficulty in walking, numbness of muscles, muscle weakness, difficulty to see clearly, and huge problems with balancing the body or muscle-body coo...

Gouty arthritis, usually called gout, is a type of arthritis which manifests as swelling and severe pain in joints, typically the big toe. It is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Uric acid is produced by the decomposition of purines, which are found in certain foods and also occur in our body through natural processes. When there is an overproduction of uric acid and your kidneys cannot filter them out of the blood, crystals can form in the body, leading to inflammation and pain, especially in the joints. Hormones like insulin and estrogen play a crucial role in those with gout. People who have high levels of insulin (obese people, diabetics, and people with other metabolic disorders) tend to also have high levels of uric acid, albeit the mechanism is still not very well-understood in the medical world. On the other hand, estrogen works in the opposite way, people with high levels of estrogen tend to have lower risks of gout: a possible reason for why po...

Stargardt’s disease, sometimes called Stargardt macular dystrophy, is a rare form of macular degeneration (loss of function in the macula) in young people, most being children. It affects the macula, a small area in the center of the retina which allows one to have sharp, central vision. The disease is almost always diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, progressing through the loss of vision over time. Stargardt’s is usually caused due to mutations in a gene called ABCA4, which is responsible for the production of a protein which is extremely important to allow the photoreceptor cells in the retina to function properly. If these mutations occur in a child’s body, a fatty substance called lipofuscin tends to accumulate in the macula in the RPE cells (retinal pigment epithelium cells) and causes cell death, which leads to blindness. Hallmark symptoms of Stargardt’s disease include a gradual loss of central vision, but sometimes differentiate further into blurry or distorted vision (...

Hormonal acne in males can be a concerning illness for most men due to the cosmetic effects, inflammatory pain, and judgement from peers associated with acne. The disease is primarily triggered by fluctuations in particular androgens (testosterone, for example). These androgens tend to stimulate sebaceous glands (the oil glands on your skin), leading to increased oil/sebum production. Sebum, when in excess, combines with dead skin cells and clogs pores on the skin; This allows acne-causing bacteria to thrive, as this clogged environment is exactly what they need to reproduce and survive in. Hormonal changes during moments of stress, puberty, and even certain other medical predicaments can contribute to hormonal acne. The primary hormones involved in hormonal acne are androgens like testosterone. High levels of DHT, also known as dihydrotestosterone, a hormone derived out of testosterone, further contributes to more sebum production and leads to severe acne development. Acne caused by...

Trichomycosis, sometimes known as trichobacteriosis, is an uncommon but easily diagnosable bacterial infection that affects hair shafts, typically in your armpits (axilla) or pubic region. It is a benign and non-inflammatory condition, meaning that it won’t cause pain, but it can cause discomfort and cosmetic concern for many. This infection is bacterial, even though it has the word ‘myco’ in its name, which typically denotes fungi. Specifically, the bacteria which causes trichomycosis in most cases, is from a species called Corynebacterium, with corynebacterium tenuis the most common type. These bacteria tend to reside in the hair-covered regions of the body that have apocrine sweat glands (sweat glands that are coiled around your hair follicles underneath your skin) like your genitals and axillae (armpits). It can present with various symptoms, such as colored nodules covering your hair (white/yellow/pink/red/black) with the color being different based on the pigments of the bacte...

In a world where fungal infections are becoming more and more common with varying types of environments for fungal growth, itraconazole tends to come in handy for doctors and patients as a valuable tool to get rid of most stubborn, every-day fungi. This article discusses how it works, where itraconazole can be applied, how it’s applied, potential side-effects, and who should use this medicine. Itraconazole is an azole antifungal medication which works by inhibiting growth and fungi replication. It works by ensuring that ergosterol is not produced in fungal cell membranes (a core component of those membranes). Without ergosterol, these cell membranes get weakened and are more susceptible to damage, leading to eventual cell death. This medication is often used to treat diseases like onychomycosis (fungal nail infections), skin infections (ringworm, jock itch, and athlete’s foot), oral thrush (caused by candida), aspergillosis , histoplasmosis , and even some lung infections . A...