Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infection caused by a slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The infection usually affects the lungs but may spread to other parts of the body. According to the University of Michigan Health...
Graviola is a tropical fruit-bearing tree native to the Amazon, South America, Southeast Asia and Africa; some of its more common names include custard apple, soursop, guanábana and Brazilian paw paw. Graviola has been used by indigenous...
Salmonella is a bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness with diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever. Salmonella species are categorized by serotypes. There are more than 2,500 serotypes of Salmonella. Salmonella can infect humans through...
Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, is a life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, antibiotics commonly prescribed for typhoid fever are ampicillin,...
Ambien, also known as zolpidem, is a sedative-hypnotic approved for short-term treatment of insomnia and other sleep disorders. Available both in regular tablets and as an extended release formulation called Ambien CR, the drug acts directly on...
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA, is a type of bacteria that can cause a serious infection. Staph bacteria are a common source of infections, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...
A tuberculosis infection can become fatal if left untreated. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, prior to the discovery of specific antibiotic drugs in the 1940s, tuberculosis was the number one cause of death in the United...
Bone cancer can affect any bone in the body, including the hip bone. Primary hip bone cancer originates in the bone, and secondary hip bone cancer starts in another organ, like the liver or lung, and spreads to the hip. If a patient's cancer is...
Parasites are organisms that infect the blood, lungs, liver, digestive tract and eyes, among other sites. Parasites can be debilitating and difficult to treat, even with the use of pharmaceutical medications. Several folk remedies and herbs have...
The presence of yeast, or Candida albicans, often occurs as a result of an underlying health problem or as a side effect of taking medication, such as antibiotics, which disrupts the normal balance of the digestive system. Controlling or...
The National Cancer Institute reports that prior to the year 2000, 5-fluorouracil was the only drug available for use in adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with colon cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes, called stage III colon cancer. (See...
Tuberculosis, or TB, is caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The airborne germs are spread by coughing and sneezing. The immune system may fight off infection or wall off bacteria to keep it dormant, sometimes for years. In active...
Tuberculosis is a lung disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Mtb, but it doesn't develop in everyone who harbors the bacteria. About 10 percent of people with Mtb go on to develop active tuberculosis, according to the National Institute...
St. John's Wort, also known as hypericum perforatum, is a popular herbal supplement that is often used as an alternative self-prescribed treatment for depression and anxiety. The mechanism of action of St. John's Wort is not well understood, but...
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades key white blood cells called T-lymphocytes and replicates, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system that increases vulnerability to opportunistic infections and cancers. Acquired Immunodeficiency...
If you have just been prescribed chemotherapy, it means your doctor wants you to take medications to treat your cancer. Your doctor might explain how it can check the spread or growth of cancer. It may be given alone or either before or after...
You may have once -- or many times -- wished you could lose weight without trying. However, if you've found yourself rapidly losing weight and being unable to stop it and gain any back, you need to see your doctor to find out what underlying cause...
Apricot kernel refers to the seed of the fruit of Prunus armeniaca, more commonly known as the apricot tree. Because the seed is encased in an exceptionally hard shell, it is often called a "stone." In any case, apricot kernels flavor baked goods...
Nigella sativa is an annual herbaceous plant believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region. It now grows throughout Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The seeds and oil have long been used in folk and traditional medicine for the...
Planning a healthy diet that includes meat usually incorporates chicken breast. This poultry is low in fat and calories and contains a variety of B vitamins and healthy minerals. Its sodium content is relatively low as well. In addition to its...
Cayenne pepper isn't just hot because of its fiery taste. Also known as red pepper, Capsicum, hot pepper, tabasco pepper and Louisiana long pepper, cayenne not only tastes good, but is good for you, too. Native Americans have used cayenne pepper...
Graviola, or soursop, is the common name of a tropical fruit tree known botanically as Annona muricata. The 30-foot-tall bushy plant has had many traditional uses. The seeds have been used to kill head lice and the fruit juice to treat leprosy....
Vitex negundo, commonly known as chastetree, is a large, aromatic flowering shrub that possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and analgesic properties potentially useful in the treatment of superficial injuries, skin infections and...
Graviola is a tree indigenous to the rainforests of the Amazon basin and Caribbean islands, where its fruit is enjoyed fresh or used to flavor beverages, ice cream and other foods. The plant is also a traditional medicine in those regions. In...
Certain herbs are used in Chinese medicine to support liver health. Scientific studies have found that some of the herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine have been able to help prevent the spread of liver cancer. However, consult with your...
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. Although turmeric, and by extension curcumin, has a long medicinal history, only recently has it become the subject of scientific scrutiny. Consult your doctor before buying this supplement because it...
For thousands of years, people lived in an agrarian society and drank raw milk. But as society became industrialized, dairy farms became crowded and unsanitary. Milk was becoming infected because of cow feces coming in contact with it, dirty...
Bronchitis is the acute or chronic inflammation of the air passages that lead to the lungs. While acute bronchitis usually occurs as a consequence of respiratory viral infections, and is commonly seen in the very young and the very old, and in...
The milk pasteurization debate rages on in America, although many people remain unaware of the growing ranks of raw milk converts. Raw milk aficionados, who often have to buy their milk clandestinely, since only half the states in the United...
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a dangerous infectious disease commonly targeting the lungs and caused by mycobacteria. Learn more about TB including treatments and symptoms in this medical video.
