Before you put your blinker on to turn into the drive-through, you should consider what fast food is really doing for your body. Sure, it might satisfy that immediate craving, but eating fast food on a regular basis can pack on the extra calories,...
The urine dipstick test analyzes components in a urine sample. The components of urine have normal and abnormal levels. Furthermore, there are components that do not belong in the urine, which would render abnormal results. Some components...
A liver function test is a group of blood tests that physicians use to evaluate liver function. Some tests included in the liver function panel include albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, urine...
The liver is an essential organ for the function of the human body. Blood that leaves the digestive tract passes through the liver, which extracts and absorbs nutrients and toxins from the blood before it reaches the rest of the body. The liver...
Hemolytic anemias are red blood cell deficiencies caused by the premature destruction of these cells in the circulation. The normal circulatory lifespan of a red blood cell is approximately 120 days. Premature hemolysis--the term for red blood...
Doxycycline is medication for bacterial infections including acne, Lyme disease and anthrax, as well as pneumonia and certain respiratory infections. According to Medline Plus, this medication halts bacterial growth and spread. Doxycycline has...
Hepatitis refers to liver inflammation. There are several types of hepatitis caused by viruses, such as A, B or C. Acute hepatitis can be caused by such a virus or by medications, alcohol or chemicals that damage the liver. Hepatitis cases are...
The liver is the largest organ in the human body. It helps protect the body against infection by filtering toxins from the blood. If an infant's liver is unable to function normally, he can be diagnosed with a condition called liver failure....
Doxycycline is medication for bacterial infections, acne, Lyme disease and anthrax. Bacterial growth and spread is halted by the medication, according to MedlinePlus. The drug does have various side effects that should be considered when given to...
Jaundice refers to the yellowing of the skin, mucus membranes and/or the eyes. It occurs because the blood contains excess levels of bilirubin, a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells, according to the Mayo Clinic (see References below)....
Cholestatic liver disease is a condition that causes an obstruction of bile flow. Liver cells produce bile, which passes through a tubular transport system within the liver to the gallbladder. Bile moves from the gallbladder into the small...
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection. One of the viral infections that may occur in the liver is hepatitis B. This contagious virus can spread from person to person by touching infected body fluids. The infection...
The liver is the largest organ within the human body, and it has many functions. It removes toxins, stores iron and makes bile, plasma proteins and clotting factors. The two kidneys make vitamin D and the erythropoietin hormone, eliminate waste,...
Autoimmune liver disease is a chronic condition wherein the immune system erroneously attacks and destroys liver cells. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports the disorder most often presents in young adults....
According to the March of Dimes, newborn jaundice occurs in 60 percent of all newborns. Most newborns do not need any treatment for the jaundice to resolve. Often, frequent feedings are encouraged to help speed up bilirubin elimination from bowel...
Cholestatic jaundice, also called obstructive jaundice, is a complication of cholestasis, a medical condition in which bile is unable to flow through the liver normally. People who have certain medical conditions, such as hepatitis or liver...
The term jaundice refers to the yellow tinge that stains the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is common in newborns but may also be present in adults as a result of disease or illness. The yellow coloring is produced by an excess of...
Orange urine and elevated liver function blood tests are caused by a number of liver diseases. Urine that appears orange or darker than normal occurs in people with jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice comes from bilirubin, a...
Although only around 32,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer develop each year, the cancer has a deadly track record, with a five-year survival rate of only 4 percent, according to the Robert Freelove, M.D. of the University of Kansas. At the time...
An elevation of the liver enzymes indicates damage or inflammation to the cells in the liver. These enzymes are normally found inside the liver cells, but when the liver is damaged, the enzymes leak out into the blood stream, where they can be...
The liver is a large organ that is essential for the normal functioning of the body. This organ produces the substances that digest fats and carbohydrates, and helps to clear the body from toxins. When a man has severe problems with the liver,...
The gallbladder is a sac that sits in the right upper abdomen, just below the liver, and stores bile produced by the liver. Gallstones may form in the gallbladder or an infection may occur in the organ. Gallstones or gallbladder disease is rare...
According to National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, cirrhosis is the condition of slow deterioration of the liver. This occurs due to the replacement of the healthy tissue with the scarring tissues and involves the blockage of...
The National Cancer Institute explains that in 2009, doctors diagnosed 22,620 people with liver or bile duct cancers. Four types of primary liver cancers exist: hepatocellular carcinoma, bile duct cancers, cancers in the blood vessels of the liver...
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver contracted by coming in contact with an infected individual's blood. Effects of Hepatitis C result from an inflammation of the liver interfering with its normal function of waste product removal,...
Jaundice is “a condition characterized by yellowness of skin, whites of eyes, mucous membranes and body fluids due to deposition of bilirubin in the blood,” according to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. Several possible...
Jaundice is caused by a substance called bilirubin, which is a byproduct of old red blood cells. As red blood cells die and the body makes new ones, the old cells travel to the liver. The liver processes these old cells, which eventually pass out...
Jaundice is common in newborns--it typically begins on the second or third day of life, and goes away after one to two weeks. However, some children experience persistent jaundice, which can damage the liver and other organs. For these children,...
End stage liver disease is an irreversible condition that results from chronic liver disease and signals that liver failure is imminent. Chronic liver diseases including alcohol cirrhosis of the liver, viral hepatitis infections, liver cancers,...