Just Got an Autism Diagnosis; What Do I Do Next?
You just got your official Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.
Might Madonna Have Had a Urinary Tract Infection that Spread?
A UTI can cause a life threatening infection if it spreads.
When a UTI occurs in older people, it won’t cause typical symptoms and thus, can spread throughout the body before the individual even knows it.
According to various news outlets, Madonna was recently hospitalized in the ICU for a “bacterial infection.”
However, it’s certainly possible that this infection could have started in Madonna’s urinary tract.
She’s 64, and despite her high level of fitness, this near-senior age begs the speculation:
The singer may have had a UTI that went unnoticed — because in older people, it does not cause the very hard-to-ignore physical symptoms.
In people of senior age, a UTI typically causes only cognitive symptoms rather than burning with urination, a frequent need to urinate and pain in the bladder area.
But the age cutoff for which a UTI would produce only cognitive changes is not clearly defined, says Michael Ingber, MD, board certified in urology, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, and founder of The Center for Specialized Women’s Health, division of Garden State Urology.
“This is highly variable,” he says, in an article I interviewed him for about the age cutoff when urinary tract infections cause cognitive and not physical symptoms.
“In general, children and the elderly who have UTI’s may have atypical symptoms,” says Dr. Ingber, “including generalized abdominal pain, diarrhea, and in the elderly, confusion or mental status changes.”
If Madonna, indeed, had a UTI, it’s quite possible that at her age (just one year shy of being considered “elderly”), her only symptoms were mental status changes.
Mental status changes from a UTI could get mistaken for the mental fog of stress, especially if someone is preparing for a world tour, as was in Madonna’s case.
The mental status changes from a urinary tract infection wouldn’t necessarily be dramatic, either.
When my mother began exhibiting some mental fog (over age 65), we took her to her primary care physician.
Though my mother had not reported any discomfort related to urination, increased urgency, pelvic pain or back pain, her doctor immediately suspected that a UTI was behind the rather sudden-onset of mild cognitive impairment.
A urinalysis confirmed the presence of a bacterial infection; she was prescribed antibiotics; the mental status change cleared up almost immediately.
“There is no real age cutoff,” says Dr. Ingber in the original article, “but we practitioners typically just want to be cognizant of these concerns.”
It’s not a far leap to speculate that with all the hustle and bustle of preparing for a world tour, any mental fog that Madonna may have experienced simply went unnoticed or attributed to stress – all while a stealthy UTI was spreading to her kidneys and beyond.
Entertainers with grueling schedules have been known to ignore new symptoms, blaming them on stress, poor diet or physical demands.
Many people of elderly age “write off complaints and don’t come in [to see a doctor] until it’s too late,” says Dr. Ingber in another article about elderly people and UTI’s for which I interviewed him.
Sometimes, by the time an older person comes to the emergency room, “they are already septic,” continues Dr. Ingber.
We tend not to see entertainers such as Madonna, complete with a buff body and dancing on stage, as “elderly,” even though they’re in their 60s, even 70s.
As more news is disclosed about Madonna’s crisis “health scare,” it’ll be intriguing to learn just what the nature was of her reported bacterial infection.
Dr. Ingber is board-certified in Urology and Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery; is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. The Center for Specialized Women’s Health, division of Garden State Urology & Atlantic Medical Group.
specializedwomenshealth.com
(973) 537-5557
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: chrisweger, CC BY-SA 2.0/creativecommons.org/Wikimedia Commons
Autism: Then and Now – Autistic YouTuber’s ASD Pride
The first time I heard the word autism was when I was five and I asked my mother a very important question: Why am I different?
Why Do Autistics Congratulate when One Gets the Diagnosis?
I did it again: congratulated an adult when he said he just got his autism diagnosis. (more…)
Four Autistic Adults Who Are Running Thriving Businesses
The person you recently did business with just might be autistic!
Autistic people are everywhere and, like it or not, it’s time neurotypicals accept this.
Autistics should not be regarded as some separate, inferior or “less than” species of human being.
We are just a variation of the majority.
You could be doing business with an autistic individual and not even know they’re on the Spectrum.
Neurotypicals even have Autistics to thank for the advancements in technology throughout the ages!
For instance, Nikola Tesla’s inventions have changed the world, and according to his biography, this genius screams Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Four Autistic Adults with Flourishing Businesses
Jason San Souci has always been deeply fascinated by drones.
Recognizing the need for neurodiversity in the workplace, he now offers opportunities for autistic people who love drones to land jobs in the drone science field.
Demi Rivera operates a very unique business in Denver, CO. She owns Talking Hairs, a hair salon that services adults and kids on the Spectrum, as well as anyone with sensory issues or a need for other accommodations.
However, if you’re typical and want sensational rainbow hair, Demi will welcome you all the same.
Ben Levin had his first novel published when he was a teenager. At one point he wasn’t too thrilled about being autistic.
But eventually he came to embrace his neurodivergent way of thinking and seeing the world.
Jeremy Samson owns Time 2 Train, a fitness studio dedicated to giving one-on-one exercise sessions to autistic people.
He recognizes the importance of physical fitness for people on the Spectrum, and trains them for improved neuromuscular coordination, muscle strength and fitness.
Autism Is to Be Accepted, not Cured
Look, it’s this simple: Autism is nature’s way of offsetting the excessive number of boring people in this world!
And if man is ever able to figure out a way to leave the solar system, you can bet that Autistics will be leading the way!
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder.
.
Top image: Freepik.com/katemangostar
Why Do Shark Attack Victims Die a Day or Two Later?
