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Stop Laughing---U may Die: |
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Written by Madhuparna
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Thursday, 07 August 2008 |
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 Sounds somewhat odd but its true.From decades we have learned from our elders the more we laugh the more we gain life.Even researches have proved that more we laugh we get relieved of our depressions ,frustrations and thus our heart beats normally,our mental condition improves and hence we live more.But alas that’s not the case of Anastasia Lagalla,a 3year old Long Island girl.When Lagalla was just 10months old her mother noticed that at a gap of 2-3 hours duration Lagalla was laughing in an abnormal way.Unable to follow the root cause of her laugh as such a tender age her parents overlooked the matter.But as days passed Lagalla’s unusual act attracted her parents attention.
Anastasia’s parents first noticed the problem
in May 2006. What began as a few episodes a day of 10-15-second
duration grew to major seizures that took place an average of about 12
times a day. As time progressed, Anastasia also would lie on the floor,
kicking and screaming, in what appeared to be uncontrollable temper
tantrums, according to her parents.
In
January 2007,Anastasia’s parents brought her to a neurologist who
advised magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and it detected brain tumour.
Anastasia Lagalla suffered from a rare condition known as hypothalamic
hamartoma (HH),a benign tumor located in the brain’s hypothalamus (or
control center) causes a rare form of epilepsy called gelastic seizures
that produces uncontrollable laughter. If left untreated, it could
result in progressive deterioration.On detection of this critical
disease Anastasia was brought to Steven Schneider, MD, co-chief of
pediatric neurosurgery at Schneider Children’s Hospital. Dr. Schneider
operated her for the first time by splitting the brain in half from the
very top to the bottom without creating any significant deficits.He
removed the tumor using a special surgical navigating system (very much
like a GPS for the brain), which allows pinpoint accuracy deep within
the brain.
Few
such cases are found recently.One such case is of Cadell.He too has got
a rare form of epilepsy,which causes strange bouts of laughter-and
could one day kill him.According to his father Hoggan,Cadell may sound
that he is laughing but his eyes are panic-striken. Children with
gelastic epilepsy can suffer more than 200 acute seizures a day;
leaving them so exhausted they pass out and/or stop breathing.The
epilepsy is caused by a benign tumor called hypothalamic hamartoma,
which is located in the center of his brain. Doctors told Hoggan that
Cadell will eventually need the tumor removed, as the severe laughing
fits could literally end his life.Technology is advancing day after
day,life is becoming too complex and giving birth to various unknown
diseases like the above ones.Hope in the run for money
& success we wont forget to give attention to our near & dear
ones,otherwise children like Anatasia & several other would die
unattended.And trust me Laugh as much as u can for a reason or without
any reason because its good for health.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 09 August 2008 )
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