The kidneys filter waste products and excess fluids from the blood to produce urine. The urine continually drains from the kidneys through the ureters and into the bladder---the balloon-like muscle that stores urine. Defects or diseases in the urinary tract system that interfere with the normal flow of urine from the kidneys can cause hydronephrosis---a condition characterized by the swelling within the kidney due to the buildup of urine, in adults.
Most nosebleeds originate from the nasal septum, but some can come from deeper in the nose. Although a nosebleed may be frightening, most conditions that cause nosebleeds are not serious or life threatening.
It consists of bones, cartilage and a nasal cavity lined with many small blood vessels. Nosebleeds occur when these small blood vessels break from trauma, irritation, infection or a number of other disorders. While most noseble...
There are numerous causes of adult ear pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, ear pain can be sharp, dull or burning. The NIH says ear pain can manifest in one or ...
Once thought to be the result of demonic or supernatural forces, seizures were regarded with fear by ancient societies and treated with magic or religion. Today, adult-onset seizures are known to be either a symptom of associat...
Cymbalta, also known by the generic name duloxetine, is an antidepressant medication. It is approved for use in major depressive disorder, fibromyalgia and nerve pain associated with diabetes, according to the manufacturer, Eli...
This increased resistance to insulin production raises blood sugar levels and increases health risks. In the Center for Disease Control’s 2003 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, adult onset diabetes is said to account for 90 ...
The causes of adult bedwetting are often related to illness or disease. In rare cases, there may be a genetic component to the condition. Also known as nocturnal enuresis, adult bedwetting affects 26 million adults annually, ac...
The liver processes bilirubin into bile, which is transported by the biliary network of tubes within the liver to the gallbladder. The gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine, where it aids in digestion. A variety of...
Dietary intake, infections and digestive disorders can lead to increased water in expelled feces, or loose stools. The content of ingested foods and intestinal infections often cause transient episodes of diarrhea. Digestive di...
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, known by its acronym ITP, is a blood condition and bleeding disorder. Individuals with ITP bleed easily because of the low number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are the blood's natural...
The "Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy" states approximately 1 percent of the population has nasal colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which occurs more frequently in the elderly, diabetics, dialy...
Irritability is an emotional state characterized by feelings of frustration or annoyance, according to the medical website Wrong Diagnosis. Irritability has many causes, the most common of which is a stressful life situation. I...
Hiccups or hiccoughs occur when the diaphragm spasms rhythmically. With each contraction of the diaphragm, the vocal cords suddenly close, causing the "hiccup" sound. Hiccups usually have a benign cause, but prolonged hiccups l...
Hives, also called urticaria, appear as itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin and are usually caused by an allergic reaction. Hives in adults start suddenly and go away quickly, can vary in size, appear anywhere on the bo...
A diverse variety of conditions and disorders can precipitate seizure activity in adults. Brain injury, brain swelling and increased pressure on the brain as well as chemical imbalances are common causes of adult seizure activi...
Glucose molecules need insulin molecules to escort them into the body's cells. Because they are matched one to one, their numbers should be about equal. When glucose outnumbers insulin, diabetes develops. If insulin outnumbers...
Links to genetic, environmental and lifestyle influences have been established, but there does not seem to be a single causative factor for developing the disease. Instead, each factor may play an interdependent role with the n...
Known also as nocturnal enuresis, bed-wetting in adults can be even more embarrassing than bed-wetting in children. Its cause can be a simple matter such as the size of the bladder or a serious health-related condition. Whateve...