Sacroiliitis is inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, where the hip bones are connected to the sacrum and spine. It causes low back pain, which sometimes is quite severe. It is linked to inflammatory arthritis of the spine but can also be due to...
Gastroparesis, or slow digestion, is a digestive disorder that can strike anyone, including the young, old and those who are healthy. Diagnosing digestive disorders can be tricky, due to the vague and sometimes overlapping symptoms of each...
The main endocrine glands in the body are the thyroid, adrenal, pituitary and thymus glands as well as the pancreas, ovaries and testes. Hormones are chemical substances that elicit certain responses from particular organs. They are secreted into...
There is no single test that can diagnose cancer. A cancer diagnosis is made after conducting several diagnostic tests, performing a physical exam, and careful consideration of patient history. According to the Caring4Cancer website, extensive...
Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, is an imaging modality that utilizes radiofrequency and a strong magnetic field to obtain diagnostic images. Many people may not realize that all MRI machines or scanners are not the same or manufactured by the...
Educate yourself about the symptoms of peritonitis, an inflammatory, potentially life-threatening condition in which the peritoneum membrane that covers your abdominal organs becomes infected. One of the most recognizable symptoms of the disorder...
Neural foraminal narrowing, often referred to as neural foraminal stenosis, is a condition that affects the spinal cord and the associated spinal nerves. The condition is due to a narrowing of the foramen, resulting in eventual nerve compression.
Radiation can disrupt both healthy and cancerous cell growth. The reason you wear a lead vest and the dental hygienist steps out of the room when she gives your teeth an x-ray is because too much radiation on your body can have negative effects....
Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in developed nations in both men and women. Coronary artery disease, or CAD, causes almost 25 percent of all deaths in women, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. The...
Those who are involved in a marriage that is fraught with problems and is the source of hostility and fights are more likely to take their problems out on their children in the form of abuse or neglect than those who are in good marriages. These...
If you think you have suffered any kind of neck trauma, no matter how minor it may seem, it is best to see a doctor immediately. Only a physician is qualified to determine the appropriate steps to keep your neck and spinal cord safe. If you are...
According to Baylor College of Medicine, approximately 15 percent of all natural and man-made types of radiation experienced by people in the United States are from medical procedures. X-rays from these devices are measured in two ways, as...
Diagnostic imaging in the medical field has many tools, and one of them is the CT scan. The letters CT stand for computed tomography. CT scans work in a way that is similar to x-ray scans, the kind that produce images of cavities in teeth. CT...
Nasal squamous cell cancer is comprised of extremely aggressive tumors that begin as thin skin cells. Most often discounted as allergies, the symptoms mimic seasonal hay fever and congestion with headaches. The Center for Advanced Head and Neck...
Cervical kyphosis is a condition that affects the natural curvature of the spine at neck level. The condition may be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, degenerative disc diseases or some type of injury. In some cases, the condition...
Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is a blood clot in one or more of the deep veins of the body. DVTs most often occur in the deep veins of the legs, but may also occur in the arms. Serious injuries, surgery, lack of movement, birth control pills,...
It has been estimated that as many as 75 percent of women have uterine fibroids at some point in their lives. Many women will never know they have them, however, because they do not always cause symptoms. When they do, the symptoms can vary...
Shoulder and bicep pain can be caused by a pinched nerve. Despite the location of the pain, this pinched nerve is often located in or near the neck, and causes pain to radiate down the arm as far as the fingers. A pinched nerve can be difficult to...
The adrenal glands, also known as the suprarenal glands, are small hormone-producing organs located on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands produce several hormones, including adrenalin, cortisol and aldosterone. Adrenal gland enlargement is...
Cardiovascular technologists are health professionals who work closely with physicians on providing diagnostic testing and treatment of conditions related to the heart and vascular system. These professionals may be trained to provide a multitude...
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and is as big around as a human finger, according to Steven R. Garfin, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Orthopaedics at the University of California, San Diego. He explains the term...
People are exposed to several forms of radiation every day, including ultraviolet radiation from the sun and radiation from cell phone towers. Upon exposure to high levels of radiation, energy absorbed by the cells of the body can lead to cellular...
A diagnosis of epilepsy involves a combination of observation and diagnostic tests. The doctor will listen to a description of the seizures a person has, and perhaps monitor the patient using video for a few hours or days to try and observe a...
Your gallbladder is a small organ located just below your liver aiding in the digestion of fat while storing bile. When your gallbladder begins to show signs of strain, you can experience painful symptoms. A painful gallbladder attack is an...
Ablation involves removing or destroying with heat, evaporation or erosion. Medical ablation refers to eliminating diseased or unwanted tissue or destroying function. According to a review in the American Journal of Roentgenology current...
Pain while bearing weight can often mean a stress fracture, a majority of which occur in the weight-bearing bones of your foot and lower leg, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Stress placed on your lower extremities is...
Although the kidneys occupy a protected area toward the back of the abdomen, these vital organs remain subject to traumatic injury. Motor vehicle accidents, falls and other high-force trauma to the abdomen or back can cause kidney injury. A...
A barium enema is a diagnostic imaging test used to visualize the lining of your colon and rectum. Typically, this test is performed when a bowel disease such as irritable bowel syndrome or colitis is suspected. Your colon must be clean and empty...
Barium sulfate is opaque to X-rays, which means that X-rays don't pass through it. Doctors use barium sulfate to provide contrast in radiographic examinations of the gastrointestinal tract. Body structures containing barium sulfate stand out...
The bile duct is a long tube-like structure that connects the liver to the intestine and transports bile. Learn about bile duct cancer including possible causes, and treatment options for bile duct cancer in this video.
