Our fingernails' primary function is to protect our fingers. However, the fingernails are also an important indicator of current health; changes in fingernails may reveal previously undetected medical conditions. The color, shape and texture of...
Around nine out of 1,000 babies, or 36,000 American babies a year, are born with a congenital heart defect. While children can develop heart disease, most children with heart disease have congenital defects, the American Heart Association reports....
The interstitium is the tissue surrounding the lung's air sacs, or alveoli. In interstitial pneumonia, those tissues are inflamed and eventually become scarred or stiff, impeding the normal expansion of the alveoli. There are two groups of...
At one time, the producers of siding and roofing products added asbestos to give their products more strength, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. However, when health risks associated with asbestos were discovered in the early 1980s,...
Senna, also known as Cassia senna or India senna, is a strong laxative used to treat constipation, and is found in many over-the-counter laxatives. Senna tablets contain anthraquinone glycosides, which are chemicals that stimulate the colon, and...
Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a contagious infection that primarily affects the lungs. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While pulmonary tuberculosis is curable, it can lead to serious complications in certain...
Your nails and your skin have this in common: they both tell tales about your health. Not everyone has the same shape of nails, but certain things all healthy nails have in common. They are smooth, strong, and their color is neither white nor...
Senna has been used as a cleansing herb and as a laxative for hundreds of years. Senna leaves contain sennosides, which are types of hydroxyanthracene glycosides that stimulate the colon and provide laxative effects. Senna is most commonly used as...
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that is caused by myobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. TB usually invades the lungs but may also affect other parts of the body such as the spine, brain and kidneys. TB is transmitted through air droplets from...
There are numerous rare colon diseases. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the colon, also known as the large intestine, is a long, hollow tube at the terminal end of a person's digestive...
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, which means that it is the result of faulty genes being passed from parents to the offspring. Cystic fibrosis is the result of a mutation in a protein that moves chloride (a form of chlorine) throughout the...
Asbestosis is a condition of the lungs that results from exposure to high levels of asbestos fibers. These fibers were once used regularly in the construction industry, and while they are not used as often anymore, they are still in use in some...
Commonly called amniotic band syndrome, amniotic banding is a rare abnormality of the placenta that may affect up to 1 out of every 2250 live births, according to data from Carole Kenner, coauthor of the book "Comprehensive Neonatal Care."...
Asbestos poisoning takes place when tiny asbestos particle fibers are inhaled and they lodge in the lung. There is often no immediate symptom that lets you know this has taken place. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms can take up to...
Since children's bones are different from those of adults, the fractures are too. In fact, even if a child and adult have a fracture in the same place, the fractures can be different. This is because a thick fibrous sheath covers children's...