The liver is a large organ located in the upper right side of the abdomen. Its function is to clear the body of harmful toxins that would otherwise build up in the body, as well as digest food and transform it into energy. Liver cysts are...
Vitamin A occurs in high concentrations in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, kale, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, collard greens, spinach, apricots, broccoli and cantaloupe. These foods are classed as provitamin A carotenoids, and...
Thrombocytopenia, a low platelet count, is the second most common blood disorder in pregnancy, affecting 8 percent of pregnancies, according the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine article "Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy." Platelets...
L-carnitine helps reduce oxidative stress and is used by your body as it turns fat into energy. It's found naturally in your body, in dairy products and in red meat as well as in supplement form. You may hear that supplemental L-carnitine will...
A cyst on the liver affects approximately 5 percent of the population, of which nearly 95 percent do not develop symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A liver cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops along the liver, the largest organ in...
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite known as plasmodium. It is spread through the bites of infected anopheles mosquito. The World Health Organization states that, in 2008, there were 247 million cases of malaria worldwide and...
Cirrhosis of the liver describes a disease of progressive tissue destruction characterized by the replacement of hard fibrous tissue riddled with nodules. This disease typically becomes chronic, and often patients are unaware of the disease...
Anabolic steroids, typically just called steroids, are drugs related to testosterone that increase muscle mass, strength and the ability to work out harder and for longer periods of time. While some athletes and bodybuilders see these effects as a...
Olympic swimmers compete in individual events and in group sports such as water polo. Competitive swimmers use all their large muscle groups, including the abdominal muscles, to propel themselves through the water. Several types of abdominal...
Naturally, chocolate is very bitter and contains a high concentration of antioxidants, which offer protection against free radicals. However, when most chocolate candy is processed sugars and fats are added to sweeten the flavor. These added...
Alesse (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) is an oral contraceptive. Alesse works by inhibiting ovulation while altering cervical mucus and the uterine lining. You should take Alesse at the same time each day. If you are over 35 years of age or...
Visit your doctor if you experience any of the warning signs of pre-eclampsia, eclampsia or HELLP syndrome: fatigue, upper abdominal pain, nausea with or without vomiting, severe headache, dizziness or double vision, hypertension, excessive...
The gallbladder is located under the liver and stores bile, which is used to help digest fats. Gallstones are small, pebble-like substances that develop in the gallbladder and block the ducts that carry bile. Eighty percent of gallstones are made...
Liver cancer can be classified into different forms, depending on the type of tissue that is being affected. For liver cancer, masses need to be seen on either the liver or the various structures that pass through the liver. Cancer can affect the...
Glandular fever is an older but still-used term for mononucleosis, an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Mononucleosis, sometimes called the "kissing disease" because it spreads by direct contact with saliva rather than respiratory...
Nandrolone decanoate is a man-made steroid hormone with a physical structure similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. The drug is administered as a deep intramuscular injection. After absorption into the bloodstream, the drug travels to the...
According to "Medical Surgical Nursing" the liver performs more than 400 functions, which makes it an extremely vital organ. Destruction of liver tissue eventually results in liver failure. This disease progresses over time and complications may...
While pregnancy is often one of the happiest times in a woman's life, determining which medications and supplements are safe during pregnancy can be difficult. For centuries, herbalists and holistic practitioners have used the oil of the evening...
The liver and gallbladder occupy the right upper abdomen. Infections, trauma, tumors and other conditions that adversely affect the liver or gallbladder frequently provoke right upper abdominal pain. The onset of pain may be gradual or abrupt,...
Testosterone cypionate is an injectable androgen, or male hormone replacement drug, that is prescribed for use in men with low testosterone levels. While testosterone cypionate and similar androgens are frequently used by people wishing to build...
Esophageal variceal sclerotherapy is a procedure used to treat bleeding from esophageal varices. A gastroenterologist performs sclerotherapy by using an endoscope to visualized the varices and injecting a sclerosing solution into the vein to stop...
Infectious mononucleosis, also called the kissing disease and mono, is viral infection. Although everyone is at risk for catching mono, it is most common for individuals between the ages of 15 and 35, according to the American Academy of Family...
Esophageal varices are abnormal enlarged veins in the lower part of the esophagus and they are common in people with cirrhosis of the liver and severe heart failure, according to MayoClinic.com. You can rupture a blood vessel in your esophagus...
Cirrhosis, a condition that occurs in the course of liver disease, consists of the buildup of scar tissue in the liver that significantly decreases the organ's ability to function. The American Liver Foundation indicates that chronic alcoholism...
The transport of oxygen throughout the body requires a protein called hemoglobin. Thalassemia describes a range of genetic disorders that cause poor hemoglobin function. Thalassemias are hereditary, which mean that they run in families. In some...
Hepatitis C is an infection involving the liver. The infection transfers from person to person through contact with infected blood. Sharing drug needles and sexual contact are common modes of transmission. Hepatitis C may cause an acute or chronic...
Patients with chronic liver disease may have changes in liver function that affect stamina, mental status, coagulation or nutritional status, according to a clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, in most cases,...
Ascites, which is accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, normally consists of clear fluid. Chylous ascites, which has a milky appearance, is caused by blockage or rupture of lymph glands and vessels around the abdominal cavity, resulting...
Blood consists of protein-rich liquid and platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells, collectively known as formed blood elements. A complete blood count, or CBC, includes counts of the formed blood elements along with other measurements...
