The bacteria called Haemophilus are a small gram negative bacillus which is normally found in the throat and nasal passages of a large percentage of adults. According to Elmer Koneman, M.D., prior to the availability of the Haemophilus influenzae...
The meninges are the protective layer of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. The illness meningitis is an infection of this protective layer. Bacteria or viruses can cause meningitis. While viral meningitis is more common, bacterial...
Hemophilus influenza type b, or Hib disease, can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening health problems in infants and young children. The Hib vaccine is very effective in preventing Hib disease. It is recommended for all children under five...
Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils due to a bacterial or viral infection. The tonsils are a lymphoid organ in the throat and is therefore susceptible to infection by pathogenic organisms that enter the mouth. Tonsillitis is...
Conjunctivitis, also called pinkeye or red-eye, occurs when an irritant enters the eye. BabyCenter.com suggests viruses to be the most common cause of pinkeye, but bacterium and allergens can also cause the inflammation. Treatment of pinkeye...
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society notes that the blood cancer leukemia strikes adults 10 times more often than children, with the average age of onset of adult leukemia at 67 years. A cancer of the bone marrow, adult-onset leukemia interferes with...
Diverticulosis is the disease process that occurs in the large intestine when a diveriticulum--a small bulging sack protruding from the large intestinal wall--becomes ruptured. You may begin to feel pain in the abdomen. You can have...
Surveillance data collected by the World Health Organization implicate Haemophilus influenzae as a major cause of death and disability among young children around the world. The development of an effective vaccine in 1988 virtually eradicated the...
The tonsils are lymphatic tissue situated at the back of your throat. An acute infection of the tonsils is called acute tonsillitis. An acute infection progresses rapidly and lasts for a short time. Acute tonsillitis is a common condition and...
Swollen tonsils are referred to as tonsillitis, which means inflammation of the tonsils. This condition is generally caused by bacteria or viral infection such as the common cold. Throat lozenges, cough medicines and antibiotics may be used to...
Unusual breath sounds can sometimes be heard when a person is breathing in or breathing out. Stridor is the abnormal whistling or wheezing sound heard when a person inhales. Alexander Leung and Helen Cho, authors of the 1999 "American Family...
Pinkeye, also known as red-eye or conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers and protects the surface of the eye and the insides of the eyelids. The name comes from the characteristic red or pink look that the...
When a baby's eyes produce a sticky, yellowish discharge, they are considered to be weeping. Weeping eyes sometimes produce tears despite the absence of crying, as well. Weeping eyes are commonly seen in newborns for the first few weeks or months...
High fevers accompanied by rashes can affect both infants and toddlers. These signs are often indicative of childhood infectious diseases, which can be as common and recognizable as a viral syndrome, or as severe as bacterial meningitis. The type...
Antibodies are protein molecules made by mature B cells called plasma cells. Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, come in several types, including immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM. Each type of antibody has a different role within...
Bacteria and other pathogens are nearly omnipresent in our world. While our immune system has the ability to protect the body from their harmful effects, it is when these invaders reach toxic levels that infection can occur. Bacterial and other...
One of the last things parents settling in for bed want to hear is the sound of their child crying from the pain of an earache. Nighttime earaches painful enough to awaken your peacefully sleeping child may not come frequently, but they're often...
Propolis is a sticky, greenish-brown, aromatic natural resin-like material that is collected by the honeybees from the buds of poplar and cone-bearing trees to strengthen their hives. Propolis possesses immense medicinal value and has been used...
