Jacob Bogatin: Bechterew's disease

The symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis may be initially very similar to the banal manifestations of osteochondrosis. The patient complains of pain in the lumbar region. And these pains are often quite modest. They are easily removed by means of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and do not cause the majority of doctors together with Jacob Bogatin doubt: "Osteochondrosis in pure form." Doubts begin later, when added to the lumbar pain swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. An experienced doctor in this situation should pay attention to the "inflammatory" nature of back pain and joint pain: the pain intensifies during the second half of the night, between three and five o'clock in the morning, and slightly subside during the day, especially after noon.

Jacob Bogatin tells us that in addition to the typical rate pain on a possible diagnosis indicates a pronounced morning stiffness, lower back, also disappear at lunchtime, and the young age of the patient - osteochondrosis generally ill elderly people, and ankylosing spondylitis usually starts at 20 - 30 years.
In addition to approximately half of the patients at the very onset of the disease can be detected and eye inflammation (redness and their sense of "sand in the eyes), fever and weight loss.

Still, the main sign of the disease is increasing spine stiffness and limited mobility of the chest during breathing movements. According to Jacob Bogatin a sick person is moving, as if instead of the spine had inserted a stick - rotate and tilt the patient has the whole body.

In the initial stage of the disease disappears the normal lumbar curvature of the spine, lower back becomes flat and straight. At a later stage, "freezes" strongly hunched over, thoracic spine – Jacob Bogatin calls such a condition as a "beggar attitude". Patient's legs when walking always remain slightly bent at the knees.

Such patients in the advanced stage of disease it is difficult to confuse with osteochondrosis patients - especially if the defeat of the spine combined with inflammation of the joints and the diagnosis at this stage, most physicians set without difficulty. Unfortunately, and to treat such a disease is already running virtually useless - too many changes taking place at this time in the body. Jacob Bogatin confirms that the treatment of Bechterew's disease should begin much earlier, has not happened yet, "ossification" of the spine and inflamed joints. And this requires, of course, as soon as possible to make the correct diagnosis.

Bogatin Y. Myths about an epilepsy and an objective reality

One of the most widespread diseases of nervous system is the epilepsy. Apparently this disease state accompanies a human race on all extent of its existence. The first known mention of an epilepsy to us from 500-700 BC In Babylon were stone plates which contained the detailed description of disease, types of the attacks, provoking factors, after-attack symptoms are found out. Antique Greeks saw a supernatural divine phenomenon in an epilepsy and named its sacred illness. In their opinion, only God could throw the person on the earth, deprive of its feelings, causing spasms and to return it back by a life practically healthy. However there was also other point of view according to which during attacks in patients the evil ghost was created; such people were called as afflicted with a devil, expelled from temples. In the Gospel from St. Mark and from St. Onions healing by the Christ of the boy from the devil installed in its body is described. In 450 BC Hippocrat for the first time has declared, that disease has quite natural reasons and originates in the brain.

Bogatin Yakov says that that fact, that many great people (Socrat, Platon, Caesar, Jean D’ Ark, Van Gogh, etc.) suffered from an epilepsy, has served as the precondition for distribution of the theory that sick of an epilepsy the big mind. However subsequently (XVIII century) the epilepsy began to be identified quite often with madness and weak-mindedness. Sick of an epilepsy violently hospitalised in houses for mad separately from other patients. Hospitalisation sick of an epilepsy in houses for mad and their isolation proceeded up to 1850.

Bogatin Yakov admits that there was a point of view, that the epilepsy is necessarily hereditary disease and that «the epileptic gives rise to the epileptic». This point of view has existed very long. So in the USA, up to end of the Second World War, in some states there were the laws forbidding the introduction into marriage sick epilepsy, a birth of children and even calling for their compulsory sterilisation.

Now representation about an epilepsy has essentially changed. On modern data, an epilepsy - group of the different diseases which basic display are repeated spontaneously arising epileptical attacks. Also exist as good-quality, and prognostically adverse forms of an epilepsy. In most cases the intelligence sick of an epilepsy normal, and mental development does not suffer. Bogatin Yakov desclares the fact that the majority of forms of an epilepsy are not hereditary. The risk of a birth of the sick child if one of parents is sick of an epilepsy, makes no more than 8 %. At an epilepsy the child-bearing is not recommended only at accompanying diseases (oligophrenia, mental infringements) or under social indications.