An antibody refers to a type of protein made in the body to defend the body against infection. This may be a bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection. Sometimes, these antibodies can go on overdrive and lead to an autoimmune disease in which they...
Though usually considered an adult disease, strokes do strike children. While there are many causes of pediatric stroke, they all result in brain damage due either to bleeding or blockage of the blood vessels. Bleeding strokes are known as...
Antibodies are proteins that the body makes in order to fight off infection or foreign substances; in other words, antibodies are the body's natural defense system. According to MedlinePlus, the body sometimes cannot tell the difference between...
Loss of a pregnancy, also known as a miscarriage, occurs in 15 to 20 percent of all pregnancies, often during the first trimester, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If you've had a miscarriage, chances are you...
Central retinal vein occlusion, also called CRVO, affects around 60,000 people in the United States each year, Weiss Eye Research Foundation reports. CRVO occurs when blood flow in the central retinal vein becomes blocked, forcing blood and fluid...
Pregnancy complications can be devastating to a woman who wants to have a baby. Whether she is suffering from infertility, has experienced recurrent miscarriages or is at risk of a serious pregnancy-related condition such as preeclampsia, she may...
Signs of miscarriage are not the same for every woman. Symptoms can occur over a matter of days, culminating in loss of pregnancy. Miscarriage is the result of improper development of the fertilized embryo in the womb in the majority of cases....
A stroke occurs when the blood supply, and therefore the oxygen supply, to the brain is interrupted, resulting in the death of brain cells. There are two main types of stroke: A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood vessels in or near the brain...
Normally, there is a balance between the formation of clots and their destruction. But there are times when that balance is not maintained. Cancer, infections, atherosclerosis, certain medications and injury can all cause blood clots to be formed....
Plavix, generic name clopidogrel, a medication used to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke, reduces your blood's ability to form clots. Clot formation can decrease blood flow to the brain and heart. Plavix belongs to a class of drugs...
Inside of you are proteins whose job is to fight against infections. Antibodies are these proteins, also called immunoglobulins, or Ig, because they are globulin proteins and are part of your immune system. Globulin proteins are a family or type...
A serum iron blood test identifies high iron levels within the blood circulation. Although it is not a routinely ordered blood test, the serum iron test is ordered when a physician suspects iron overload. Although iron plays an important role in...
Fish oil contains large amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. Outside of fatty fish, few foods supply an adequate amount of DHA and EPA. Supplements of DHA in particular may benefit...
Phosphatidylserine is a substance that occurs naturally in the inner surfaces of the cell membranes in your body. It's called a phospholipid because it's made up of phosphate and fatty acids, with the addition of an amino acid called serene. It's...