Conditions

What are the signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia?  The symptoms exhibited at different stages are different. The symptoms do not appear suddenly. They creep in stealthily and may be present for weeks to months before they progress to a full blown state. Stages of Schizophrenia elaborates how the symptoms progress. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia are broadly grouped into two: Positive symptoms  Negative symptoms. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are behaviors and…

Stages of Schizophrenia The symptoms of Schizophrenia progress slowly. There are broadly two stages in terms of the progression of Schizophrenia:   Prodrome Stage Acute Stage Prodrome Stage In the very beginning there are some “Behavioral changes” which can pass for normal variations in daily life. It is very difficult to state that at this stage they clearly indicate a disorder. These changes are not just a set of particular symptoms but a definite variation in the routine…

What is Schizophrenia “A slowly progressive deterioration of the entire personality which involves mainly the affective life and expresses itself in disorders of feeling thought and conduct and a tendency to withdraw from reality”          -  Eugen Bleuler  Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe multi-faceted and complex disorder of the mind, now being increasingly considered a brain disorder. It affects approximately 1% of the world population and has a…

Effective management of schizophrenia always involves a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists and  families. Medication is the mainstay of treatment in schizophrenia. There is a wide range of medication to choose from depending on the person’s age, nature of illness, affordability, side effect profile etc. Treatment in schizophrenia does not stop with symptom control. It extends to include rehabilitation and reintegration back…

What causes schizophrenia? There is no single cause for this ailment. Several factors play a role in the causation of this illness.  First and foremost are the genetic factors which are in place right from a person’s intra-uterine life. Then come the environmental factors which include adversities in life.  A combination of genetic predisposition, inherent vulnerability and the presence of environmental factors such as prolonged stress seem to lead to schizophrenia. Other…

Are there investigations to diagnose Schizophrenia? There is no single diagnostic test to confirm this illness. The information provided by an observant family member combined with the doctor’s clinical acumen go a long way in arriving at a diagnosis. As a family member watch out for these signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia. Then how is this condition diagnosed? Like seizures or migraine this is a clinical entity which is diagnosed purely by a good psychiatrist’s diagnostic skills. The…

There is no documented way to prevent Schizophrenia but if you are at a high risk due to genetic and environment factors, counselling may help. Also, early treatment is helpful in getting the symptoms under control and preventing full blown development of the condition. It is also important to stick to the treatment plan to prevent relapses. The treatment plan may include complementary therapies that help calm the mind like meditation, martial arts, art therapy, music therapy.  

This section coming soon Refer to Schizophrenia Management for more information

Your doctor may recommend the following tests: Spirometry: This measures the amount of airflow obstruction in COPD patients and it is a commonly used test to diagnose these conditions. This test is performed with a hand- held device, called a spirometer. The patient is asked to inhale deeply, then rapidly blow out the air. Based on the amount of exhaled air, the stage of COPD can be diagnosed. Chest X-ray Complete blood count: This is to exclude the presence of other…