Every year, around 35,000 infants are born with heart defects in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Such malformations result in abnormal blood circulation through the four chambers of the heart and...
The heart pumps blood, nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. The sinus node, a group of specialized cells in the top right chamber of the heart, generates electrical impulses that travel through the heart muscle causing it to contract. The...
Your heart beats in a characteristic normal rhythm defined and identified by cardio-pulmonary function tests such as an electrocardiogram or ECG. Clinically identified abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias or abnormal electrical activity...
The leading cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease. When a heart attack is suspected, early diagnosis is imperative, since therapy to stop a heart attack with clot-busting drugs or stent placement are most effective within...
Heart rates vary from person to person. Athletes and people in extremely good physical condition will generally show a lower resting heart rate as well as possessing the ability to recover quickly after physical activity. Cardiac abnormalities and...
Cardiac abnormalities have many causes including structural defects, electrical conduction problems, and infectious processes. Although some cardiac abnormalities can occur at any time of life, many are present at birth. The American Heart...
There are many factors that can contribute to hypertension, including genetics, obesity, smoking and other stimulant use, as well as diet. Excessive sodium intake is one of the dietary factors that can contribute to hypertension. Research...
Lyme disease occurs when you are bitten by a tick infected with the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi. It can be diagnosed through a physical exam and blood tests. Early treatment can lead to a cure. If left untreated Lyme disease can lead to serious...
Barbiturates such as phenobarbital are used to treat epilepsy. These medications are a type of depressant and act on the brain to inhibit the misfiring of the brain in epilepsy. Barbiturates are also a common drug of abuse. Women who abuse...
Cantharis is a homeopathic remedy that contains a toxic substance called cantharidin from the insect Lytta vesicatoria, commonly known as the Spanish fly or blister beetle. People use cantharis topically to heal burns and blisters, and orally to...
Doctors use Cardiolite, with the generic name of technetium Tc99m sestamibi, to help them diagnose problems with the cardiovascular system in patients. The diagnostic drug can help in the detection of coronary artery disease as well as reversible...
Adrenal carcinoma is a malignancy of the adrenal gland and normally carries a very poor prognosis. These tumors are usually classified by their ability (or sometimes lack of, in the case of nonfunctional tumors) to secrete adrenal hormones, which...
Anticoagulants are medications prescribed to reduce the formation of blood clots within blood vessels in the body. They may be used in patients with a history or predisposition to deep vein thrombosis and certain cardiac abnormalities, after...
A personal trainer is not a medical practitioner. The International Sports Science Association defines a personal trainer as someone "who educates and trains clients in the performance of safe and appropriate exercises to effectively lead their...
Inflammatory heart disease---more commonly referred to as myocarditis---is an inflammatory condition that affects the heart. The cause of this uncommon condition is typically due to a bacterial, fungal or viral infection within the heart muscle....
Most women expect to receive at least one ultrasound during pregnancy. While the couple expecting a child look forward to the ultrasound as an opportunity to see their baby for the first time and often to learn whether they are having a girl or a...
Heat stroke is an emergent and life-threatening form of heat illness. According to "Sheehy's Emergency Nursing Principles and Practice," mortality as high as 70 percent is directly related to the speed and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment....
Ultrasound machines work by emitting very high frequency sound waves at 3.5 to 7 MHz, or megahertz. Sound waves change wavelength as they cross the line between mediums. With an ultrasound machine, a single beam of sound is emitted into the...
About one in six people in the United States go on a diet every year, according to Colorado State University. Obesity is a growing health problem, with two out of every three people considered overweight or obese. Extreme liquid diets seem to...
The FDA approved ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, in 1974. Drugs in the NSAID group are used to manage mild to moderate pain, inflammation and fevers. Pregnant women, however, should avoid taking ibuprofen and other...
Niacin, like all medications, can cause some undesirable side effects. In most cases, the side effects cause significant discomfort but are rarely medically dangerous. However, niacin can cause some potentially serious side effects, including a...
Between 30 and 50 percent of teens drink energy drinks, according to a 2011 article published in the journal "Pediatrics." However, these drinks are associated with a number of side effects and safety concerns for teens. As they don't provide much...
An effective pedometer or heart rate monitor is important in tracking exercise intensity and duration. By tracking your exercise with these tools, you can plan your future workouts more efficiently, which will improve the progress you make....
Knowledge of cardiac enzymes when used appropriately saves lives. These enzymes, also called cardiac markers, are substances found either exclusively or predominantly in the heart. When the heart is damaged or in distress, such as during or after...
During pregnancy, the mother's blood volume increases up to 40 to 50 percent, the heart rate increases by 10 to 15 beats per minute and the cardiac output or blood pumped by the heart rises 30 to 50 percent. These changes increase the risk of...
Zyrtec, or cetirizine, is an antihistamine drug used for the treatment of seasonal allergies and its symptoms, such as rhinitis (runny or stuffy nose), cough and allergic skin manifestations like atopic dermatitis or urticaria. Zyrtec works by...
The human body needs vitamins to develop and grow normally. Vitamins assist or enhance numerous bodily processes, and each vitamin has a specific biological function. Vitamins occur naturally in various foods, and can be taken as dietary...
Feeling your heartbeat and measuring your pulse is a good way to monitor your cardiac health for potential abnormalities, as well as to track your performance during exercise. However, both cardiac abnormalities and exercise can cause your...
Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, causes about 25 percent of deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. A number of different disease processes can cause heart disease,...
