People who are underweight may be at as much health risk as those who are overweight, according to the U.K.'s National Health Service. Objective symptoms of malnourishment are visually and physically tangible -- things your friends and family can...
Kidney stones are hard mineral-salt deposits that accumulate in the urinary tract, particularly in the kidneys. About 80 percent of these stones are primarily made up of calcium, according to Dr. James Balch and Phyllis Balch, authors of...
Recurrent use of the opiate heroin can cause your body to become physically dependent upon the drug. Estimates are 9 percent of the U.S. population abuses opiate drugs, which can include certain prescription drugs, at some point in their lives,...
Cymbalta, or duloxetine hydrochloride, is a drug used to treat certain medical conditions. These conditions include depression, GAD or generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy. The drug targets the chemicals in the brain...
A generic drug contains the same active pharmaceutical ingredient as the original innovator drug product. It is bioequivalent and comparable to the original including intended use, quality, performance, characteristics, dosage form, strength and...
Prostatitis is a painful condition for men. It is characterized by inflammation of the prostate gland, which results in pain and painful urination. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearing House (NKUDIC) lists four different...
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are antidepressant medications used to treat depression. The Mayo Clinic says these medications can also manage headaches and panic disorders. Specifically, MAO inhibitors interfere with monoamine oxidase, a...
Colitis is the inflammation of the colon. Colitis may be caused by viral or bacteria infections, food poisoning, decreased blood supply to the colon, bowel radiation treatments, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's...
The main function of the excretory system, also referred to as the urinary system, is to maintain a proper balance of body fluids through the excretion of waste products. Other functions include salt balance in the body and blood and the...
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells and the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the bone marrow to produce large numbers of abnormal white blood cells. The abnormal white blood cells flood the bloodstream, but they do not perform...
A variety of factors can affect the look or odor of your urine. Sometimes your urine can give indications that you have other health problems, such as dehydration, liver disorders, urinary tract infections or potential toxins that are in your...
Acute prostatitis refers to a bacterial infection of the male prostate gland, which is located between the bladder and rectum. According to a large-scale study conducted at University of Wisconsin in 1998, the prevalence of acute prostatitis among...
Avoiding the flu is something that everyone tries to do during flu season. The swine flu or H1N1, is a particular type of flu virus that normally affects pigs but can affect humans too, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
The kidneys play an important role in keeping the body healthy by filtering out wastes and reabsorbing essential substances, such as sugar. When the kidneys develop stones large enough to block the passageways in the renal pelvis and ureter, urine...
Alkeran is a chemotherapeutic medication that contains melphalan and is effective against certain types of cancer including ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma. This chemotherapy drug is an alkylating agent that helps prevent cancer cells from...
Adderall is a combination of the prescription drugs dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Adderall is commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The side effects of Adderall are typically mild; however, certain...
Like the security system that protects a house, the bone marrow produces white blood cells to protect the body against bacterial or fungal invaders. The Mayo Clinic says these white blood cells must a reach a specific quantitative low of 3,500...
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, over half of women are likely to experience a urinary tract infection--or UTI--at some point in their lifetime. UTIs are less common in men. While vitamin C--or ascorbic acid--is not a...
Vitamins are good for your body when taken correctly, but if you take too many, you may experience side effects from it. When taken in excess, certain vitamins such as vitamin C and D, can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea can occur for a variety of...
Enlarged kidneys are uncommon and are usually related to a few specific disorders that are caused by birth defects, structural abnormalities, infection, pregnancy, blockage and injury. An enlarged kidney can only be felt occasionally during an...
There are three types of blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an estimated 139,860 people in the United States were diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2009. Every 10 minutes...
The kidneys are responsible for removing excess water and waste products from the blood in the form of urine, which contains a variety of chemicals that keep all of the waste products dissolved in fluid and prevent crystals from forming. When the...
The American Lung Association reports that lung cancer is the most common type of cancer around the blog, accounting for 1.3 million deaths annually. The United States spends approximately $9.6 billion per year on lung cancer treatment. The...
Urine, made up of water and waste products filtered by the kidneys, is usually clear and pale yellow to deep amber in color. According to MayoClinic.com, most changes in urine color are harmless and result from some prescription medicines,...
Fiber is generally known as a beneficial food for the digestive system, preventing constipation, diarrhea and more. Soluble fiber even helps control your cholesterol level. Psyllium fiber, a soluble type, has all those benefits and also helps...
Leukopenia, also known as a low white blood cell count, is a medical condition that can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. Because low white blood cell count can increase susceptibility to infections, it is important to find and...
Cancer refers to a medical condition in which cells within the body multiply rapidly and form tumors. Sometimes, these tumors can spread to the rest of the body. The Mayo Clinic states that symptoms of cancer include unintentional weight loss,...
Diarrhea is an uncomfortable and irritating condition where you experience increased watery and loose stools. Everyone experiences diarrhea at some point in their lifetime. Diarrhea typically lasts for a few days and will subside on its own,...
The testicles are the male sex glands that are located behind the penis and are contained in a sac called the scrotum. The main functions of the testicles are to produce sperm, the male reproductive cell, and the male hormone testosterone. Swollen...
