Diverticula, finger-like protrusions in weak areas of the intestinal wall, can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, but most commonly are found in the large intestine. Sometimes, diverticula become inflamed, a disease called diverticulitis,...
Arthroplasty refers to surgery to replace a joint in the body. Joint replacement may become necessary when painful surfaces develop in a moving joint. Surgeons remove these joint parts and replace them with metal, polyethylene or other...
Jaundice is a common medical condition that affects approximately 60 percent of infants within the first week following delivery, explains the National Health Service. This condition is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin, a yellow digestive...
According to the National Institutes of Health, eczema is a skin condition in which the skin is extremely itchy and scratching results in redness, swelling and at times infection with bacteria. The most common areas to be affected are the knees,...
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu is caused by the influenza virus and can cause illness and possibly death. The CDC estimates that over 200,000 people are hospitalized as a result of complications from the flu. Priority...
A colonoscopy is a medical procedure used to detect changes or abnormalities inside the colon or large intestine, using an instrument known as colonoscope. Colonoscopy usually takes about 20 minutes to an hour. According to a 2006 study published...
Venipuncture is the act of puncturing the vein for the purpose of adding a substance or removing blood. It is usually performed in the medical setting. Substances added via venipuncture include medication, fluids, blood and diagnostic agents such...
A cesarean section, commonly referred to as a C-section, is performed when a vaginal birth is considered not safe or possible for the mother or child. A surgical incision is made in the lower abdomen, enabling delivery of the baby. A C-section is...
A joint disorder, osteoarthritis results from wearing of the cartilage, which cushions the joints. Patients start to have osteoarthritis symptoms by middle age. MedlinePlus notes that before age 55 years, osteoarthritis occurs equally in men and...
Influenza is an ever-changing viral respiratory infection that causes illnesses between October and April. The heaviest period of flu illnesses is in January and February, according to Immunize North Carolina. Although the flu in most people is...
Shingles, a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster, usually affects people over age 50. The varicella virus lies dormant in cells for many years after the original infection, but...
Approximately 4 to 10 percent of Caucasian babies develop at least one hemangioma during the first few weeks following birth, explain health professionals with Children's Hospital Boston. A hemangioma is a noncancerous tumor that develops within...
For those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be more than occasional disturbances produced by your brain's impulses. They can cause complications that may have serious, long-term health repercussions. While some of these complications vary...
Plavix, also known by the generic name clopidogrel, is a prescription drug used to reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Plavix functions to prevent the formation of harmful blood clots that cause adverse cardiovascular events. The...
Alli is an over-the-counter medication available as a weight loss aid. According to the manufacturer, with more than 100 clinical studies involving 30,000 patients Alli is the most extensively studied weight loss drug in the world and continues to...
Two types of the herpes simplex virus, or HSV, can infect the human body. HSV-1 typically affects the mouth, and HSV-2 normally affects the genitals. The virus causes painful blisters that rupture and cause open sores. The sores occur on the area...
Kyphosis, defined by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons as more than a 50-degree curvature of the thoracic spine, has many causes. Kyphosis can be congenital and can be present from birth or acquired later in life. Kyphosis from...
The adrenal glands are responsible for synthesizing hormones like cortisol, aldosterone, epinephrine and male sex hormones. An imbalance in adrenal hormones leads to diseases such as Addison's disease, pheochromocytoma and Cushing's syndrome....
A cataract is a condition wherein a clouding on the lens of the eye occurs, affecting vision, according to the National Eye Institute. Presbyopia is a progressive condition that diminishes the eye's ability to focus on close objects. Both...
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, more than 22 million people are known to have asthma in the United States and of these people, six million are children. Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It causes constriction...
Gastroschisis, an abnormal opening in the abdominal wall that allows the intestines to extrude from the body, occurs in around 1 in 5,000 births, the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) states. The opening usually occurs to the right of the...
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the bladder. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria that enter through the opening to the bladder, or urethra, and travel upward, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Symptoms include...
No matter how technically skilled a surgeon is, there is always a risk of complications from surgery. Complications cost the health care system millions of dollars and can cost the patient grief, pain and anguish. Though most surgeries will yield...
Laminectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing the back portion of the vertebra, or spinal bones, called the lamina. Removing this portion of bone reduces pressure along the spinal cord, which helps alleviate sensations of back or...
Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure in which portions of a woman's vaginal lips--called the labia--are removed. This surgery is typically performed on women who experience recurrent pain or discomfort during daily or sexual activities due to...
Chickenpox is a common childhood disease caused by the varicella virus. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, stomachache and a characteristic rash of small, red, fluid-filled blisters called pox. Past generations of children would miss...
According to the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), Restylane is a safe and natural cosmetic dermal filler that returns fullness to the skin and corrects moderate to severe facial wrinkles. Restylane is made of non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid...
According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, acidosis is a condition where blood acids accumulate to abnormal levels. When the body produces acid beyond the blood's capacity to neutralize it, the condition is known as metabolic acidosis....
Flu complications can result when the body's immune system becomes compromised or succumbs to another type of serious infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 Americans require hospitalization...
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