A considerable amount of body fat is stored around your abdomen. This buildup of fatty tissue can be unpleasant to look at as well as a considerable health risk. Fat buildup around your mid-section can raise your risk for a lot of health problems....
The arteries are critical because they channel blood from the heart throughout the rest of the body. Most of the arteries carry oxygenated blood, which means that they are needed to supply oxygen to other tissues. Blocked arteries can cause oxygen...
Coumadin, the brand name for warfarin, thins blood and makes it less likely to clot. This reduces the risk of blood clots developing in blood vessels. Doctors prescribe anticoagulants like Coumadin for people likely to form blood clots in the...
Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke, kidney and heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it affects roughly 74.5 million people in the U.S. alone and contributed to the deaths of 326,000 Americans in...
Rectal bleeding almost always warrants expert evaluation. Several conditions, ranging from benign to serious, can cause this symptom. Exercise itself does not lead directly to rectal bleeding, so if you experience rectal bleeding after exercise,...
Hypovolemia is a potentially fatal condition and is always considered a medical emergency. Treating the underlying reason for the hypovolemia, as well as keeping the patient stable provides the best outcome. Generally speaking, treatment consists...
Your ascending aorta is a large artery attached to your heart that is vital for cardiovascular health. Aneurysm, or rupture, of such a large blood vessel can be deadly. Selenium, in small amounts, is an essential mineral for your body. It has...
People told to eat plenty of orange and red produce may overlook pumpkins. That's a shame, because pumpkins provide fiber, potassium and vitamin A. Pumpkins are also a good source of vitamin K, especially the canned variety. While serious vitamin...
Low platelets may result from a number of factors, but often this condition occurs in cancer patients from radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Most commonly known as thrombocytopenia, low platelet levels compromise your body's ability to...
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted by mosquitoes. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, four species of Plasmodium found in Africa and tropical and...
The number of warfarin prescriptions jumped 45 percent to nearly 31 million in 2004, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Although this blood-thinning drug has been widely used around the world to prevent blood clots, it's among the top...
Although milk thistle bears striking clover-like flowers, the herb gets its medicinal reputation from its seeds. Dried seeds contain a flavonoid called silymarin. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the silymarin in milk...
Whether from thin blood, internal hemorrhaging or an external wound, when blood does not clot bleeding can quickly become extremely dangerous and even life threatening. Fortunately, certain vitamins and herbs posses blood clotting, or coagulating,...
Nattokinase is an enzyme extracted from fermented soybeans, also called natto. It is made by the specific bacteria used in the fermentation process of natto and is not found in other soy products. There is some scientific evidence in humans that...
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that your large intestine naturally produces; it is also found in lesser amounts in certain foods. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the primary function of vitamin K is to aid...
Malaria, sometimes called malaria fever or blackwater fever, is a disease that affects the red blood cells. Mosquitoes that are infected with a parasite called a sporozoite can spread the disease to human beings. People can also become infected...
Coumadin, or warfarin sodium, is an anticoagulant prescribed to treat or prevent blood clots as in the case of a stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack) or status postsurgery. It also is used to keep clots from migrating to the lungs...
A lacerated spleen is a tear in the blood vessels leading to your spleen. Lacerations of your organs increase your risk of internal bleeding. Playing sports with a lacerated spleen could result in further damage, including internal bleeding and...
Molds are organisms that reproduce by releasing spores that create mold colonies when the spores settle on damp surfaces. The increased number of mold colonies can destroy the surfaces they feed off of and digest. During their life cycle, mold...
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps control blood coagulation and anti-coagulation. The body can store vitamin K in fatty tissue, though it rarely is stored at toxic levels. Vitamin K is produced by plants as phylloquinones and by...
An ulcer is an open sore. Though there are a variety of types and locations on the body where they occur, peptic ulcers are the typical kind, with an estimated 10 percent of Americans developing one at some point, according to MayoClinic.com....
The heart's job is to pump blood through a vast network of blood vessels to the tissues, supplying them with oxygen and other nutrients. Under normal circumstances, the heart beats regularly and consistently, but there are many things that can...
If you have a cerebral aneurysm, you may need to make some changes to your lifestyle to avoid complications of your disorder. If your doctor tells you to stop taking fish oil, she is most likely concerned about the effects fish oil has on your...
Heart attacks can strike without warning when a blockage in your arteries occurs. As you age, your artery walls can thicken and plaque deposits within the arteries can reduce healthy blood flow. According to the American Heart Association, if...
Several conditions, including liver problems, systemic infection and cancer, can cause an enlarged spleen, but the most common cause of an enlarged spleen is the virus mononucleosis, according to the textbook "Biology: Life on Earth With...
Many people believe that herbal stimulants are a safer alternative to illegally obtained stimulant medications. According to the Utah Poison Control Center, these herbal stimulants are used to elicit feelings of euphoria, increased awareness and...
Many diseases cause skin discoloration; the reasons for the discoloration are just as varied. A change in pigmentation can be the result of an accumulation of protein deposits in your skin, inflammation, the excessive release of hormones or from...
Sit-ups are a great form of exercise to work the abdominals, but they also can strain the nearby muscles, tissues and blood vessels, including the rectum. Rectal bleeding is not a condition but rather a symptom of an underlying problem. While most...
Hemorrhage, or bleeding, can occur in any part of the eye from the surface, or conjunctiva, to the clear vitreous fluid of the center of the eye globe or deep into the retina. Sometimes the exact cause of the bleeding isn't known. If the...