Syringomyelia, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Diseases
By Kenneth Kee
()
About this ebook
Syringomyelia is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord
This cyst called a syrinx puts pressure on the spinal tissues and nerve blocks
Damage to the spinal cord often leads to progressive weakness
In the back, shoulders, and extremities, syringomyelia can cause stiffness.
Congenital cause is due to a brain abnormality called an Arnold–Chiari malformation
Acquired syringomyelia occurs as a traumatic, meningitic, hemorrhagic complication
Symptoms include pain, numbness, weakness, and temperature disruption
Syringomyelia can also adversely affect bowel, bladder and sexual function
Diagnosis of syringomyelia is now by (MRI) magnetic resonance imaging,
The first step after diagnosis is finding a neurosurgeon for removing the syrinx.
Surgery results in stabilization or modest improvement in symptom.
Draining syrinx fluid uses a shunt of CSF from the brain to the abdomen.
-An original poem by Kenneth Kee
Interesting Tips about the Syringomyelia
A Healthy Lifestyle
1. Take a well Balanced Diet
2. Treatment of Syringomyelia:
Surgery is usually recommended for individuals with syringomyelia.
The type of surgery and its location depend on the type of syringomyelia.
In Chiari malformation, the main goal of surgery is to provide more space at the base of the skull and upper neck without entering the brain or spinal cord.
This results in the primary cyst becoming much smaller
Surgery results in stabilization or modest improvement in symptoms for most individuals with Chiari malformation.
Delay in treatment may result in irreversible spinal cord injury.
Recurrence of syringomyelia after surgery may make additional operations necessary; these may not be completely successful over the long term.
In some individuals it may be necessary to drain the syrinx, which can be accomplished using a catheter, drainage tubes, and valves.
This system is known as a shunt.
Shunts are used in both the communicating and non-communicating forms of the disorder.
First, the surgeon must locate the syrinx.
Then, the shunt is placed into it with the other end draining the syrinx fluid into a cavity, usually the abdomen.
This type of shunt is called a syringoperitoneal shunt.
A shunt of CSF from the brain to the abdomen is called a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and is used in cases involving hydrocephalus.
By draining syrinx fluid or CSF, a shunt can halt the progression of symptoms and relieve pain, headache, and tightness.
3. Keep bones and body strong
Bone marrow produces our blood
Eat foods rich in calcium like yogurt, cheese, milk, and dark green vegetables.
Eat foods rich in Vitamin D, like eggs, fatty fish, cereal, and fortified milk.
Eat food rich in Vitamins B and C such as green vegetables and fruits
Zinc and other minerals are important to the body
4. Get enough rest and Sleep
Avoid stress and tension
5. Exercise and stay active.
It is best to do weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights for 21⁄2 hours a week.
One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week.
Begin slowly especially if a person has not been active.
6. Do not drink more than 2 alcohol drinks a day for a man or 1 alcohol drink a day for a woman.
Alcohol can affect the neurons and brain cells.
7. Stop or do not begin smoking.
It also interferes with blood supply and healing.
Chapter 1
What is syringomyelia?
Syringomyelia is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord.
This cyst called a syrinx expands and elongates over time, destroying a portion of the spinal cord from its center and expanding outward.
As a syrinx widens it compresses and injures nerve fibers that carry information from the brain to the extremities.<
Kenneth Kee
Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 70. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com This autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical disorders. He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"
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Syringomyelia, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Diseases - Kenneth Kee
Syringomyelia
A
Simple
Guide
To
The Condition,
Treatment
And
Related Diseases
By
Dr Kenneth Kee
M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)
Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)
Copyright Kenneth Kee 2014 Smashwords Edition
Published By Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated
To my wife Dorothy
And my children
Carolyn, Grace
And Kelvin
This book describes the Syringomyelia, Treatment and Associated Diseases or in vernacular terms
(What You Need to Treat Syringomyelia)
This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.
If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Introduction
Ode To Syringomyelia
Syringomyelia is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord
This cyst called a syrinx puts pressure on the spinal tissues and nerve blocks
Damage to the spinal cord often leads to progressive weakness
In the back, shoulders, and extremities, syringomyelia can cause stiffness.
Congenital cause is due to a brain abnormality called an Arnold–Chiari malformation
Acquired syringomyelia occurs as a traumatic, meningitic, hemorrhagic complication
Symptoms include pain, numbness, weakness, and temperature disruption
Syringomyelia can also adversely affect bowel, bladder and sexual function
Diagnosis of syringomyelia is now by (MRI) magnetic resonance imaging,
The first step after diagnosis is finding a neurosurgeon for removing the syrinx.
Surgery results in stabilization or modest improvement in symptom.
Draining syrinx fluid uses a shunt of CSF from the brain to the abdomen.
-An original poem by Kenneth Kee
Interesting Tips about the Syringomyelia
A Healthy Lifestyle
1. Take a well Balanced Diet
2. Treatment of Syringomyelia:
Surgery is usually recommended for individuals with syringomyelia.
The type of surgery and its location depend on the type of syringomyelia.
In Chiari malformation, the main goal of surgery is to provide more space at the base of the skull and upper neck without entering the brain or spinal cord.
This results in the primary cyst becoming much smaller
Surgery results in stabilization or modest improvement in symptoms for most individuals with Chiari malformation.
Delay in treatment may result in irreversible spinal cord injury.
Recurrence of syringomyelia after surgery may make additional operations necessary; these may not be completely successful over the long term.
In some individuals it may be necessary to drain the syrinx, which can be accomplished using a catheter, drainage tubes, and valves.
This system is known as a shunt.
Shunts are used in both the communicating and non-communicating forms of the disorder.
First, the surgeon must locate the syrinx.
Then, the shunt is placed into it with the other end draining the syrinx fluid into a cavity, usually the abdomen.
This type of shunt is called a syringoperitoneal shunt.
A shunt of CSF from the brain to the abdomen is called a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and is used in cases involving hydrocephalus.
By draining syrinx fluid or CSF, a shunt can halt the progression of symptoms and relieve pain, headache, and tightness.
3. Keep bones and body strong
Bone marrow produces our blood
Eat foods rich in calcium like yogurt, cheese, milk, and dark green vegetables.
Eat foods rich in Vitamin D, like eggs, fatty fish, cereal, and fortified milk.
Eat food rich in Vitamins B and C such as green vegetables and fruits
Zinc and other minerals are important to the body
4. Get enough rest and Sleep
Avoid stress