Evolution occurs as a result of the application of the "survival of the fittest" concept. Changing the living conditions causes some individuals from a population to thrive and pass along their DNA, leading future generations to adapt to the...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 million people ages 65 years and older lived in nursing homes in 2003. Medicare reports that 17,000 nursing homes meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service certification...
You work out at the gym as a way to get healthier, so the last thing you expect is to get sick from being there. But that is exactly what can happen if you contract a staph infection, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA,...
In 1990, the United States Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, which required the Department of Agriculture to set strict standards for the labeling of agricultural products as organic. The National Organic Program was established...
Zyvox, known generically as linezolid, is an antibiotic drug used to treat complicated bacterial infections. Zyvox is most commonly prescribed to combat pneumonia, urinary tract infections and infections of the skin or blood. The side effects of...
Alternative medical therapies can become mainstream treatments, depending on where you hang your hat. Sandalwood powder and rosewater have been used traditionally in the healing systems of India and ancient Greece, and modern research confirms...
There are several different types of bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections, or UTIs. The species Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a common cause in young women, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." Although it is in...
Sinusitis is the inflammation of the sinuses caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection. Healthy sinuses do not contain bacteria or other microorganisms. If too much mucus builds up in the sinuses, bacteria and other microorganisms grow more...
Of the 133 million prescriptions for antibiotics given out each year, about one-half are unnecessary, according to the American College of Physicians. Using antibiotics inappropriately is linked to the rise in bacterial infections that are...
Staph infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, and the most common form is Staphylococcus aureus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 30 percent of healthy persons carry these germs in their nose. They can also be...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is characterized by abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea that alternate with constipation and bloating. IBS usually occurs after an intestinal infection, such as typhoid fever, according to PubMedHealth....
Organic food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, according to the National Resource Defense Council. Produce that has been grown organically has not been irradiated and does not contain genetically modified organisms....
Ask your grandmother what to do for a sore throat and chances are she'll tell you to have warm cup of lemonade with honey in it. Lemons and honey have a long history in folk medicine, but you may be wondering if there is any real science behind...
Lyme disease is an illness that can occur after a deer tick bites a child. The California Lyme Disease Association says the illness is most common in boys ages 5 to 19. Although it also occurs in adults, 25 percent of Lyme disease cases occur in...
Taking natural antibiotics instead of, or in addition to, prescription antibiotics can help fight bacterial infection and prevent disease. There are many types of natural antibiotics, including live natural bacteria found in the body, as well as...
Boils and carbuncles are local inflammation, generally caused by infection, of a hair follicle. The slightly raised boil starts out looking like a small, irritated circle on the surface of the skin, much like a pimple. A carbuncle is simply two...
The idea of using bacteria to improve human health was first introduced by Elie Metchnikoff in the early 1900s, but was not fully embraced by the medical community until recently. With the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections,...
Garlic is available in fresh cloves or aged extracts and powders for supplement purposes, but the health advantages of this herb may differ according to how it is processed before you take it. According to MedlinePlus, the active ingredient in...
As newborn infants take their first feeding, bacteria are introduced into the bowels. Throughout life, a range of bacteria collectively known as the normal flora inhabits the bowels. Dr. Kenneth Todar notes in his electronic reference, "Todar's...
Vaginal yeast infections are painful, itchy conditions caused by the fungus Candida albicans. Though they are most common in sexually active adult women, babies are occasionally afflicted. Yeast thrives in moist, dark environments like those...
There are three categories of ear infection: outer, middle and inner. Middle ear infections—known medically as otitis media—are the most common, and they mainly affect children. Interest in alternative treatments for otitis media is...
Enterococcus faecalis is the most commonly isolated of the genera. According to Elmer Koneman, M.D., it is associated with 80 to 90 percent of human enterococcal infections. Enterococcus faecalis, as the name implies, is found normally in the...
An infection acquired while a patient is in a hospital is called a nosocomial infection, as opposed to one contracted outside a hospital, which is called a community-acquired infection. Nosocomial infections are not necessarily different from...
Chronic ear infections occur in the middle ear. This inflammation recurs causing possible long-term or lasting damage if left untreated, according to MedlinePlus, a website of the National Institutes of Health. The Eustachian tube runs from the...
Ear infections seem to be a part of childhood. KidsHealth.org estimates that more than 75 percent of children have at least one ear infection before they're 3 years old. Kids are vulnerable to these infections because the Eustachian tubes in their...
MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is an infection resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics, such as penicillin. Community acquired MRSA is a skin infection found in people without a recent hospitalization. Signs and...
Probiotics are defined by Drugs.com as "substances secreted by one micro-organism which stimulates the growth of another." The "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," or AJCN, describes probiotics as live bacteria that cause a health benefit a...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an antibiotic-resistant staph infection that occurs most often in people who have been in a hospital or other health care facility. A superficial MRSA infection might cause a swollen, red...
Garlic, not typically eaten like other vegetables, such as green beans, is mostly used in various dishes for its pungent and distinctive flavor and aroma. Garlic also offers many health benefits. It is nutrient-rich, high in vitamins and minerals....
Flesh-eating disease, or necrotizing fasciitis is a rare condition caused by a bacterium that has become resistant to antibiotics. Learn more about the symptoms and treatments of flesh-eating bacteria in this health video.
Staph infections cover a variety of skin infections, some more dangerous than others. Learn more about staph infection in this health video.
