Cushing’s disease is a rare condition that is caused when the body is exposed to high hormone cortisol for a long period. Also known as hypercortisolism, this disease is usually caused when the body produces too much cortisol hormone. Cortisol is a hormone that is essential for the smooth functioning of the body and is made by the adrenal glands. It largely affects body tissues and controls the body’s use of nutrition such as proteins and fats. It is necessary to help an individual deal with situations that include illnesses and stress.

Cushing’s disease can cause several complications such as an increase in blood pressure, loss of bone density and in some cases Type 2 diabetes. The Cushing’s disease symptoms depend on the levels of cortisol produced in the body. Here are few typical Cushing’s disease symptoms that may be experienced by an individual who suffers from the condition:

Gain in body weight – Increase in body weight is one of the most common Cushing’s disease symptoms. An individual begins to suddenly bloat, especially in the upper parts of the body. This includes the arms, chest, and abdomen.

Back-hump – A lump begins to form in the upper portion of the back, between the shoulders. This lump tends to increase in size with each passing day.

Acne – Acne may appear on the face and the back. It may also develop around the shoulders and the breast area. However, this symptom is not a major indicator, and acne develops in the later stages.

Stretch marks – The development of stretch marks on the skin of the body is one of the popularly reported Cushing’s disease symptoms. Unlike typical stretch marks, the pinkish purple stretch marks develop on the abdomen, thighs, breast, and arms.

Slow healing – There is a delay in the natural process of healing. Wounds that are caused by cuts, insect bites and infections take a long while to heal.

Irregular menstrual cycle – One of the most common Cushing’s disease symptoms in women includes an irregular or absent period cycle.

Fatigue and weakness – People who suffer from the condition are bound to experience fatigue. The muscles feel weak and there is lack of enthusiasm. Most importantly, one loses control over emotions and tends to slip into depression and anxiety.

Not all people will have the same symptoms and signs. While one individual may have mild symptoms, the other may suffer from more severe symptoms. In case one notices any of the symptoms, consulting a medical professional as soon as possible is essential.

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a chronic malady whose exact cause is unknown and therefore, it is termed idiopathic. In this progressively worsening condition, the lungs get scarred, and the healing process for unknown reasons repairs the damage with scar tissue, an inelastic fibrous connective tissue. These scar tissues cannot be replaced. Pulmonary fibrosis is not very uncommon. The individual types are rare and difficult to identify.

It is believed that various factors interact in the development of this disease, with heredity having an important role. Exposure to certain toxic chemicals, certain medications, and medical conditions, coal and silica dusts, asbestos fiber, heavy metal dust, radiation therapy, grain dust, and animal and bird dropping are all the major contributors. Long term smoking also seems to be a factor. With loss of elasticity the lungs cannot expand and contract restricting breathing. Loss of normal tissue affects the gas transfer resulting in shortage of oxygen in blood. As the disease progresses the lung becomes more and more scar tissue and restricts the blood flow leading to pulmonary hypertension which drags the heart into complications.

The disease normally starts with shortness of breath, inability to breathe deep, and reached a stage when breathing itself becomes painful. Constant tiredness, a dry hacking cough, weight loss which has no discernable cause, ache in muscles and joints and clubbing of fingers and toes are other symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. The intensity of symptoms and the course of the disease vary widely among patients.

The progress of the disease can, in some cases, be slowed down by some modern drugs like pirfenidone and nintedanib the former produces rashes, nausea and diarrhea while the latter produces diarrhea and nausea. There are newer drugs for pulmonary fibrosis treatment which may have greater effects but have not got FDA approval yet. Some of the complications are pulmonary hypertension with later right ventricular failure –cor pulmonale and finally respiratory failure.Lung transplant in certain case can be an effective pulmonary fibrosis treatment.

It is fairly clear this is a disease with inferior prognosis and lots of suffering. Many studies are being conducted to find a cure to this illness and only time can tell how successful these would be.

Your living room deserves an amazing home audio system. If you have a comfortable couch and a big flat screen TV, the only thing you’re missing is a loud home audio system. It is the one thing that can change your living room into a home theatre or a music hall. If you are having a party, it can hardly be a success without music. But having said all of that, finding a home audio system that fits your room space and your budget is not very easy to find. So, here is a list of the top home audio systems in the market. If you are looking for a high end acoustic HD sound equipment to give you a theatre-like feel or a low budget one, you will find it on this list. Read along:

• Best overall: Nakamichi shockwafe pro 7.1 400W 45” sound bar
  It is the best home audio system in the market right now, if you are not restricted by a budget. It does not give you any hassle of space as it does not have a full receiver, the sound bar is aesthetically pleasing and has an amazing audio output. It has a massive 7.1 channel 400-Watt output which is ideal for your living room, no matter if you are watching movies or listening to music. It might not blast music into the room, but it definitely gives you a rich sound experience. The bar has five sealed speaker chambers and six DSP chipsets, it creates an acoustic wideness that gives life to your media with DSP EQ modes. It sets up with 11 tuned speaker drivers as well as an included eight-inch wireless subwoofer.
• Second best overall: Bose SoundTech 30 Series III
  Bose is known all over the world for its amazing sound quality and the enthralling atmosphere it creates around the room. It has the capacity to capture every single music tone, lyric, guitar strum, bass note and pin-drop from the music. This is a one-piece system so setting up is not an issue at all, and its patented technology is engineered to bring deep and robust sound quality to any room, large or small. These speakers are Bluetooth-enabled and can be added to other speakers, making your room a music blast. There is a SoundTouch app that allows you to connect to these speakers through your home Wi-Fi from your smartphone or your computer. And not just that, you also have access to music services like Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM in just one touch.
• Best Budget: Sonos Play 1
  This speaker is by far the best speaker in its category, it earns the ‘best budget speaker’ title with ease. However, it only has a Wi-Fi support and no other connectivity, but that could also be seen as a blessing in disguise. It loses some marks on the design, but has amazing sound output and is complete value for money product. It is the cylindrical shape, but isn’t designed for portability as it is 4.7 inches wide, 6.4 inches deep and weighs 4.1 pounds. The setup for this product is really simple, you just need to download the Sonos app and follow the basic instructions. Although you might have to stick to the sonos app for the music as it does not support either Airplay or Bluetooth. You can still stream the music through all the music streaming apps. It is tiny, but it can power up an entire room with volume and sound all it requires is a wall outlet connector.
• Best Under $75: Logitech surround speakers Z506
  This speaker is the most affordable speaker in the market, given the fact that it is priced below $75. It is a complete package with 6 speakers, wired two-channel sourced 5.1 and a 3D stereo surround sound system. Even if it does not have bluetooth connectivity, this speaker comes with enough sound to fill up a room with music and in some cases, rattle a few windows.