Homeostasis & Balance
What is homeostasis & balance?
Homeostasis is a tendency of a system to maintain internal balance by regulating its inner environment. Homeostasis in humans generally refers to maintaining a relatively constant condition including: pH levels, blood glucose levels, and temperature.
Homeostasis is a tendency of a system to maintain internal balance by regulating its inner environment. Homeostasis in humans generally refers to maintaining a relatively constant condition including: pH levels, blood glucose levels, and temperature.
Alexander Disease does not directly affect the traditional sense of homeostasis in a human body (temperature, blood glucose levels, and pH levels), and rarely affects the balance our internal environments. However, some symptoms of Alexander Disease may lead to cause other diseases which might disturb the balance in the patient’s body as well as disturb homeostasis. Although it is difficult to determine just exactly which of the symptoms affects homeostasis in the patient’s body, symptoms such as chronic stress and sleep apnea may disturb homeostasis. In addition, a condition known as Hydrocephalus may impact upon the balance and the homeostasis within the patient’s body.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus refers to a medical condition in which the affected individual has an abnormally large amounts of cerebrospinal fluids (clear and colorless fluid designed to protect the brain inside the skull) accumulated in the brain. As the excessive fluid accumulates in the brain, the fluid causes increased pressure of the brain the skull, as well as cause the progressive enlargement of the skull. Without treatment, the problem is usually fatal, however even with treatment the brain is usually permanently damaged. Although hydrocephalus has a number of causes including: strokes, head injuries, and tumors, patients suffering from Alexander Disease also have had an increased chance of suffering from hydrocephalus. Some symptoms of hydrocephalus include: headaches, bladder control problems, vomiting, and balance problems. Depending on the location of the damaged brain, the problem can also continue to affect the individual’s ability of homeostasis.
Treatments are mostly surgical. The most popular method of treatment is the surgical removal of the excess cerebrospinal fluids from the patient's skull (creating an opening in the skull). (13)