What Is Nuclear Sclerosis?
Nuclear sclerosis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS) is a condition characterized by unexplained physical and mental exhaustion. It affects approximately 1% of the population, but according to some estimates it could affect up to 5%. There are no clear causes for this illness, although scientists have proposed many theories. Some believe that it may result from radiation exposure during the Cold War. Others think it’s due to genetic factors, environmental toxins, or even brain damage caused by heavy metal poisoning. However, there is still no cure for this disease.
The term “nuclear” refers to radioactive materials such as uranium and thorium found naturally in soil and water. These substances are present in low levels throughout the world; however, they’re concentrated near nuclear power plants where they’re used to generate electricity. Radiation exposure can cause cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses.
In addition to being exposed to high doses of radiation, people with nuclear sclerosis are often subjected to long periods of isolation. They experience severe pain when they move around their homes or offices and sometimes suffer from hallucinations and delusions. The symptoms last for years after the person stops working at a nuclear plant or spends time away from their home.
Some people develop memory loss while others lose all sense of smell and taste.
Symptoms of Nuclear Sclerosis
The following are the most common symptoms of nuclear sclerosis:
extreme fatigue, especially after minor physical exertion
insomnia
unexplained weight loss
muscle aches and pains
poor memory and concentration
irritability, sadness, or apathy
mood swings and feelings of hopelessness or anxiety that last for months or even years without an obvious cause
The severity and combination of symptoms varies from person to person.
What are the causes of Nuclear Sclerosis
Nuclear sclerosis is caused by long-term exposure to low levels of radiation. This progressive condition is related to the normal aging process and isn’t contagious or inherited. As people age, their bodies naturally produce fewer functioning cells.
Cells are the basic building blocks of life, and they give us energy, take in nutrients, eliminate waste, and keep our organs functioning properly. Our bodies have about 37 trillion cells, and every single one of them is important.
Aging affects every part of our bodies, including our skin and organs. It also affects our minds, leading to memory loss, confusion, and an increased risk of developing dementia (usually Alzheimer’s disease). In addition, the brain shrinks as we grow older, and that can lead to a loss of mental function.
Nuclear sclerosis doesn’t have a cure, but there are treatments available to help manage the symptoms. The earlier you seek treatment, the greater the chance of a full recovery. In some cases, the condition is fatal.
How to diagnose Nuclear Sclerosis
No single test can confirm a diagnosis of nuclear sclerosis. Instead, your doctor will use several different methods to reach a conclusion.
The process often begins with a detailed medical history followed by a physical examination. Your doctor may suggest various imaging tests such as a brain scan or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which uses magnetism to produce detailed images of your brain.
Your doctor may also suggest blood tests to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms.
Treating Nuclear Sclerosis
There is no known cure for nuclear sclerosis. Treatment focuses on relieving the main symptoms as well as providing emotional support.
Your doctor may prescribe a medication to increase the amount of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is a vital chemical that transmits messages between your nerves and helps regulate your body’s movements, emotional responses, and ability to feel pleasure and pain.
Lifestyle changes can also help relieve some of the symptoms of nuclear sclerosis, such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Staying mentally and physically active can also help keep your mind sharp and ward off feelings of sadness, depression, or apathy.
The symptoms of nuclear sclerosis may resemble those of other medical conditions. Consult a doctor if you have concern.
What is Nuclear Sclerosis: Useful Information
Nuclear sclerosis is slowly destroying the vision cells in your eyes, making it more difficult to see in bright light.
Nuclear Sclerosis is curable, however the earlier you catch it, the easier it is to reverse.
Most of the time, treatment involves taking drugs that increase the dopamine in your brain.
In most cases, the disease is slow moving and painless.
The common causes of the disease are old age, genetics, smoking and sun exposure.
Nuclear Sclerosis has no major symptoms, but some common ones are blurred vision and blind spots.
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience hallucinations, memory loss, confusion, and an increase in depression.
Treatment is only needed when the symptoms are active.
Living with Nuclear Sclerosis: Some Things You Can Do
Nuclear sclerosis is slow moving, so there’s no need to rush into treatment. If you experience minor symptoms, there are some things you can do to live a normal life:
Get regular eye checkups. The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it is to treat.
Protect your eyes when exposed to bright sunlight or harsh lighting conditions. Wear UV-rated sunglasses when outside.
Practice good “eye-health” habits. Eat a nutritious diet and limit drinks and foods that are high in sugar.
Don’t smoke. Nicotine and tar damage the eye and reduce blood flow to them.
Don’t drive at night or in reduced lighting conditions if you experience visual disturbances.
You should also seek medical advice if you experience any of these symptoms:
Difficulty balancing while walking.
Difficulty recognizing faces.
Difficulty judging distances.
A sudden, unexplained decline in vision.
Feeling depressed or experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or unhappiness.
Sudden, unexplained feelings of dread, fear, or paranoia.
Seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations).
Confusion about the time or place.
If you feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else.
Frequent falls.
Difficulty walking in darkened areas.
A loss of vision in one eye.
Seeing double images or having a shadow following you.
Trouble concentrating.
Forgetting common words or numbers.
Bumps or marks on the skin that are red, blue, purple, or brown in color.
Numbness, pain, or tingling in parts of the body.
Feeling agitated, fearful, anxious, restless, or suspicious for no reason.
It is also important to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, herbal remedies, or recreational drugs you are taking.
Sources & references used in this article:
Nuclear sclerosis after vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membranes by S de Bustros, JT Thompson, RG Michels… – American journal of …, 1988 – Elsevier
Progression of nuclear sclerosis and long-term visual results of vitrectomy with transforming growth factor beta-2 for macular holes by JT Thompson, BM Glaser, RN Sjaarda… – American journal of …, 1995 – Elsevier
Nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery: a strategy to prevent postoperative nuclear sclerosis by Y Saito, JM Lewis, I Park, Y Ikuno, A Hayashi, M Ohji… – Ophthalmology, 1999 – Elsevier
Assessment of nuclear sclerosis after nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery by M Sawa, Y Saito, A Hayashi, S Kusaka, M Ohji… – American journal of …, 2001 – Elsevier
Nuclear sclerotic cataract after vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membranes causing macular pucker by GM Cherfan, RG Michels, S de Bustros, C Enger… – American journal of …, 1991 – Elsevier
Discrete nuclear sclerosis in young patients with myopia by BJ Kaufman, J Sugar – Archives of Ophthalmology, 1996 – jamanetwork.com
An automatic system for classification of nuclear sclerosis from slit-lamp photographs by S Fan, CR Dyer, L Hubbard, B Klein – International Conference on Medical …, 2003 – Springer
Polygenic effects and cigarette smoking account for a portion of the familial aggregation of nuclear sclerosis by AP Klein, P Duggal, KE Lee, JA O’Neill… – American journal of …, 2005 – academic.oup.com
Myopic refractive shift represents dense nuclear sclerosis and thin lens in lenticular myopia by YK Cho, W Huang, E Nishimura – Clinical and Experimental …, 2013 – Wiley Online Library
