Lung cancer, an aggressive disease that either begins in the lungs or spreads to the lungs, occurs most often in people between the ages of 45 and 70. It is the leading cause of cancer in Americans, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical...
Renovascular hypertension is a type of high blood pressure caused by a narrowing of the arteries that connect to the kidneys. It is treatable by diet and exercise in the beginning stages. The Mayo Clinic reports that continued high blood pressure...
Ambien, known generically as zolpidem, is classified as a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic used to treat difficulty sleeping, according to the drug’s manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis U.S. It is indicated for short-term treatment. Difficulty sleeping...
Nicotine affects the central nervous system as a stimulant, although some people claim they feel calm from it. It increases blood pressure, respiration and heart rate, and constricts blood vessels. Nicotine suppresses hunger and causes an...
Sickness and injury are a regular part of life, and when they occur, the related expenses can sometimes be overwhelming. To help reduce these expenses and be prepared for unexpected health issues, many Americans turn to health insurance. When...
Burns require specific emergency care and continuous treatment. Preference is given to fluid hydration, swelling and its complications, establishing and maintaining an airway, nutritional supplements, a catheter for monitoring urine output, X-rays...
Insurance policies are designed to help people save money on costs and services, and may even provide funds for spouses and/or surviving family members in the event an accident causes long-term or permanent injury, or even death. Understanding the...
In the United States, people tend to obtain health insurance through their employers. In a group insurance plan, as such an arrangement is called, participants enter without regard to their health status or preexisting conditions. Typically, the...
A gymnast with a passion for the sport cannot contain practice to the gym. A cement curb becomes a balance beam, while a living room's the place for a floor exercise. Practicing gymnastics without the proper equipment, however, can be dangerous....
Robitussin is one brand of medication containing dextromethorphan and guaifenesin as active ingredients. Many other brands are available, including Pediacare, Nycoff, Simply Cough and Vicks 44, but Robitussin is a brand many people are familiar...
Seniors in Seattle who have difficulty affording health care may rely on Social Security retirement benefits or live on other very low incomes. Several programs help seniors pay for medical care and numerous medical and dental clinics in Seattle...
Texas leads the nation in the number of people without health insurance, affecting emergency room care and pro-bono hospital services statewide. Texas has quality hospitals, but staffing shortages continue. Substance abuse among young people is...
Riding a bike seems as innocent as any customary rite of passage of childhood or recreational activity, but every year nearly 1,000 people die from injuries related to bicycle crashes. Even more disturbing is that 62 percent of those deaths are...
If you spend much time outdoors in the summer, the delicate canvas of your skin is wide open to a variety of minor injuries, such as insect stings, barbecue burns and scrapes from a biking accident. Key to healing your skin is acting promptly by...
Nosebleeds are a common occurrence, according to the National Institutes of Health, and are rarely a major medical concern. The blood vessels in the nose are small in size and can bleed when an infection is present, if you sustain an injury to...
As a parent, you hope that your children will always stay healthy; however, at some point you may have to deal with a feverish baby. While this isn't the way you want to see your child, a fever can actually help your child fight off germs that...
Whether you work in an emergency room, intensive care unit, surgical floor, maternity ward or long-term care facility, a career in nursing requires a thorough understanding of patient care. To ensure appropriate patient care, nurses are required...
Health care costs more than doubled in the years between 1990 and 2007, according to AARP, chewing up ever-larger portions of the average family's income. Fewer people today have health insurance, meaning that fewer people have easy access to...
Emergency care facilities are stocked with the tools needed to treat most situations, ranging from accidental injuries to heart attacks and strokes. Health care providers trained in triage and onsite emergency treatment procedures staff such...
Depression is a serious medical illness that affects millions of Americans every year. Depression affects the thoughts, moods, feelings and actions of the individual and touches every aspect of her life. The cause is unknown, but heredity and...
According to The State of Connecticut Office of Health Care Access, acute care hospitals are facilities that provide treatment or surgical services for people on a short term basis for disease or trauma. An acute care hospital requires a license...
Norepinephrine is a potent sympathomimetic drug. This means it mimics the effects of epinephrine, a natural stimulant produced in the body. Because the effects of norepinephrine work on the cardiovascular system, it is used to treat severe...
In a medical emergency, rescue workers can help a patient breathe using a squeezable bag with a face mask called the Ambu bag. Before its invention, rescue breathing attempts were often futile. Those efforts, including mouth-to-mouth...
Fentanyl is the generic name of a narcotic analgesic, or pain killer medication, that may be prescribed as a pill, lozenge or patch on your skin. As a patch, it may be used in the treatment of chronic or long-term pain. This and any long-time use...
Cat scratch fever is a bacterial infection that is known in the medical community as Bartonella henselae. Bartonella henselae is present in the saliva of infected cats and is spread to humans through bites, scratching, or licking open wounds on...
Dopamine is a potent drug that must administered at a closely calculated drip rate. It is usually given by a registered nurse or physician in the emergency room or intensive care unit. It is used to treat a patient that has gone into shock after a...
With health care costs on the rise, politicians and voters are focused on health care reform. Some favor a universal health care system; others oppose increased government control. Universal health care is a complex and sometimes confusing issue,...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized for influenza each year--a figure that does not include visits to the emergency room, urgent care centers or physicians'...
Phentermine is a prescription appetite suppressant that is used to help with weight loss. If you have a body mass index of 30 or more and don't have any health problems, you may be able to take phentermine. However, if you have health problems...