Tag: wellness

• Cardiology

  Medicine has always been a huge passion for me, but it has mostly neurology and psychology that interested me the most. Yet, when I discovered cardiology, I realized just how broad and interesting all other topics of medicine are, and how useful they are, even if I won’t pursue them as a speciality.

  When I was convinced me to look into cardiology topics, I was bored. I probably wasn’t going to pursue that whatsoever, so I may as well deepen my knowledge on neurological topics. Yet, when I opened the several websites and textbooks, I was transported to a world of medicine I hadn’t had a clue about before. I mean, there were simple topics from the functions of the needs of cells or the synchronization of the two pumps of the heart, to extremely complex deep dives the interventricular septum structure or the wall between ventricles or the calculations of cardiac output.

  Cardiology, just like most topics in medicine, has so many sub topics for every topic there is in it, as they explore every nook and cranny of the heart.Take the venous system for example, which consists of every vein in the body, and is how veins connect with other blood vessels around the body. The venous system itself is separated into two main circuits; the systemic (left) and pulmonary (right). These both rely on blood vessels to keep blood moving and flowing through. Now in these circuits are the veins, and in the veins are the ones that carry and transport deoxygenated blood and the others that transport oxygenated blood, and this dive into veins is shallow compared to the deep dives into much more complex topics in cardiology.

  

  The above is one of the complex diagrams that are literally required viewing for anyone trying to get into cardiology, as the kind of diagrams simplify the relatively hard concepts, making it much easier for anyone to get into it. A simple diagram like this shows the two sides of the heart and the different arteries and sections. This also explains how blood is easily pumped and transported between the left and right ventricles, the several muscles and valves in every side and the different types of arteries, that each have a similar yet different purpose at the same time. Yet, it does get quite confusing at times due to the vast majority of cells, arteries, valves and whatnot, yet as you piece it together it really is one of the most intriguing organs in the human body.

  The one thing that is amazing about this topic is the difference in people across the world. While many bodily functions function similarly or exactly the same, whereas the heart can actually significantly differ from person to person, leading to several unique conditions, such as arrhythmia (where the heartbeats are irregularly paced) or heart failure (when the heart becomes too weak to complete the conditions needed to pump blood and several other functions).

  The main area of cardiology that intrigued me would easily be the electrical conduction of the heart’s system. Most organs don’t act like the heart, as the heart literally runs on its own electrical impulses, through structures such as the sinoatrrial node and atrioventricular node. Arrhythmia is actually caused by minor disruptions in this system, and it shows how fragile cardiology is. As I have said before, it’s really fascinating how something so mild can have life threatening consequences. Yet, the reason I enjoy cardiology so much is that it reaches far beyond anatomy into disease prevention. Conditions such as coronary artery disease for example, show the importantece of lifestyle management and early detection in patients, and without early detection can prove fatal. On the other hand, diseases like myocardial infractions demand immediate intervention.

  This balance is what appeals to me most in this field, and the immediate impact doctors have to their patients, and how the good it does is so much more overwhelming than the bad. Cardiology can change lives, and with the research that has been developing in recent years has the opportunity to influence many more.

  January 2, 2026

  diet, food, health, nutrition, wellness

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• The Google Meet

  Pediatric autoimmune encephalitis was always interesting to me from the day I heard about it. When I read about it in the acclaimed Sunflower pediatrics book, I was confused. Adding to the fact that it was quite a rare disorder, I was bedazzled how the brain can be suddenly attacked by the immune system, leading to a whole load of neurological symptoms (such as memory loss, repeated seizures and not to mention inflammation!). When I learned there was a Google Meet organized discussing this topic and it’s causes, I evidently signed up.

  Unlike the previous time, I was aware of this event quite a bit in advance, so I joined right in the nick of time, and saw several famous doctors that I have examined before in numerous pamphlets and medical papers. After some brief introductions, the board announced that over 300 people all over the world were attending this meeting, and I was absolutely flabbergasted by the amount of people, likely very similar to me. After recovering from that fact, the meeting went on.

  Several doctors presented their case studies before we delved into the sub topics, but one case study really stood out to me over anything else. Before I present it, I have to state that pediatric autoimmune encephalitis is not a direct genetic disorder, meaning that a child can contract the disorder out of nowhere. While a family history of other autoimmune diseases can increase the likelihood, most patients have near no genetic history of these kind of diseases. As I was stating, the case study was of a young girl, aged around 9 years old, who suddenly contracted the disease, and with no family history surrounding her, the doctors weren’t able to diagnose where the disorder originated from. Luckily, a few days after she was in the hospital, they found out it was due to an exposure of the bacteria streptococcus, which can be found on skin and on animals.

  The part that really interested me in this case was it showed how deadly the disease actually is, as it starts of with brain inflammation symptoms, which can by itself kill you, but with so much more symptoms it is quite terrifying, predominantly such as impaired thinking, numbness, seizures and loss of consciousness (even leading to prolonged comas).

  

  Once we later moved on from the case studies, we delved right into treatment, ranging from antibody testing to therapeutic treatment, which really intrigued me due to the fact that it has proven to be very effective in these sort of cases, which is really heartwarming to me. Overall, it was just as fun as the previous meeting, and I’d love to delve in more.

  December 2, 2025

  chronic-illness, health, mental-health, nutrition, wellness

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• Neuroscience Surgery Use In Epilepsy & Treatments Research

  Before I went to the Epilepsy Awareness event, I had a minimal knowledge of it. All I know was that when children diagnosed with this were prone to seizures and sensitive to certain events such as loud noises or intense physical pain. After this event though, I have gained such a more understanding of this topic, reading neurosurgery research and brain books, gaining a much greater insight into epilepsy and neuroscience as a whole. What I am here to discuss is my research that covers Epilepsy treatments and how Neurosurgery can help with these treatments and epilepsy as a whole.

  Causes of Epilepsy should, foremost, be discussed first. In general, epilepsy, or seizures, are classified as sudden electric shock-bursts in the brain, leading to these patients having seizures or fits, where patients can suddenly not respond to anything, and certain physical traits are noticeable, such as eyes convulsing or arms and legs shaking vigorously. Though not all seizures are quite dramatic, as some patients can just stare blankly or slightly twitch. Many people can see these as just normal behaviors, so when these patients inform others, people do not usually believe them, which reminds me of how genuinely misunderstood and isolating this condition is. Epilepsy can also be caused due to other factors, like genetic disorders, infections like meningitis and brain malformations. Seizures can either be on one part of the brain, focal, or on both sides, generalized. Medication can help reduce seizures as a whole, though people who take medication can have balance/speech issues, evident that epilepsy can affect long-term development. 

  The second topic of this paper is treatments to epilepsy. 

  • Medication; Usually anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) such as Sodium valproate, carbamazepine, levetiracetam. They usually help reduce seizures but can cause side effects such as noticeable tiredness or unusual mood changes.
  • Surgery; this is for children whose seizures don’t respond to medicine, surgery is usually the second option. The most common form of neurosurgery for this is a “hemispherectomy”, where they disconnect and remove one brain hemisphere. This sounds quite extreme and fatal, but this neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt, especially with early rehab.
  • Therapy; while this isn’t essentially a ‘treatment method’, this evidently helps the patients mentally and physically. The three most prominent forms of physiotherapy used to heal an epileptic patient are “Physiotherapy; helps with movement and muscle strength”, “diet therapists, people who help with diets, such as keto (this diet with high fat is shown to reduce seizures in certain patients),” and “occupational therapy, which supports daily functioning”

  Neurosurgery also plays an important role in managing severe/drug-resistant epilepsy. When seizures start or originate from a certain area of the brain which can be able to be safely removed, such as a small legion or a scar, ‘focal resective surgery’ is permitted to be performed. In some more complex cases, where one hemisphere can cause all seizure activity, a functional disconnection may be vital, and these procedures are evidently more effective when done earlier, taking advantage of the brain’s plasticity, especially in children.

  In conclusion, epilepsy affects more than just the brain, it shapes our daily life, education, emotions and our surroundings. With early diagnosis, medication and therapy, most people can live completely fulfilling lives. Seeing clinicians work closely with families reminded me that treatment is about people, not prescriptions. I think my time at the Epilepsy Awareness event really showed me that. 

  June 26, 2025

  epilepsy, health, mental-health, neuroscience, wellness

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