Individuals who suffer from recurring panic attacks suffer from a condition called panic disorder. This condition can very often lead to agoraphobia (fear of open or public places). Having a panic attack means suffering an attack of fear or anxiety which comes on very suddenly for no apparent reason. As well as anxiety, panic attacks can be accompanied by the following symptoms: thumping heart or palpitations; sweating; chills or hot flashes; shortness of breath; feeling sick; chest pains; dizziness or feeling faint; fear of dying; fear of going mad; pins and needles or numbness; and, feelings of detachment.

Any physical symptoms associated with an attack do not indicate a physical problem with the chest, heart, abdomen, etc – they usually occur due to a rush of nervous impulses originating in the brain which go to various parts of the body during the attack.

It is known that at the very least, one in ten people have had an occasional panic attack, but to have a panic disorder means to have recurring panic attacks, the frequency of which varies in different people.

No treatments are usually necessary for the occasional panic attack, but for those who have a panic disorder the aim is to try and reduce the severity as well as number of panic attacks that occur and the main types of medication for these are antidepressants.

Panic Disorder

Osteoporosis can be described as a condition where the bones of an individual become thin and weak, leading to easy breaks of the bones. As there are no warning signs, it usually goes undiagnosed until a fracture eventually occurs, with the hip, wrist and spine especially vulnerable.

Some individuals are at a higher risk than others for getting osteoporosis. A good rule of thumb to know if a person is at risk is when an individual is able to answer yes to two or more of these questions: if a woman, have you had the menopause and if so, was it before the age of forty-five; if the person has had an eating disorder that has been sever enough to disrupt periods; any spontaneous fractures in the past; x-rays suggesting thinning of the bones; lost height in the last decade; on steroids for a longer period than six months; family history of the condition; any chronic illnesses; been immobile for any reason; and smoking or drinking a lot.

Once diagnosed with osteoporosis, a number of treatments are available. These include vitamin D and calcium supplements; hormone treatments including HRT and bisphosphonates (drugs that prevent bone breakdown).

Osteoporosis

Once a person nears or reaches middle age, preventative action is often very helpful for staving off the condition. This includes increasing calcium in the diet, increasing weight-bearing exercise, quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol intake.

Restless legs can affect movement and sleep.  A person with restless legs has an uncontrollable urge to move their legs; the condition is more common in women and it is also known to affect people more as they age.

The severity of symptoms can vary from person to person.  Symptoms can be quite mild or very debilitating although it is not life threatening. These can include an urge to move the legs, disturbed sleep or trouble getting to sleep, uncontrolled jerking of the legs or unpleasant feelings deep in the legs.

Symptoms usually occur at night when the body is at rest.  People have described feelings like prickling itching or tingling which can be relieved momentarily by movement.

The two types of restless legs syndrome are primary restless syndrome and secondary restless leg syndrome.  Primary restless legs syndrome can begin at any age but usually occurs in early adulthood.  It occurs naturally and is usually mild to begin with but symptoms can increase and become more severe in later life.

Secondary restless legs syndrome is normally a result of another condition such as kidney failure, alcoholism, pregnancy or iron deficiency anemia.  Antidepressants and antipsychotics have also been known to worsen the symptoms.

Restless Legs

Lifestyle changes can help with mild cases of restless legs syndrome but for more severe cases this can be treated with a mixture of lifestyle changes and medication. Lifestyle changes can include avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, increasing exercise early in the day, creating a regular sleeping pattern and avoiding any medication which can increase symptoms. Taking a hot bath in the evening can also help to relieve symptoms as can stretching the limbs.