Lung cancer continues to be the number one cancer killer in the United States today. Lung cancer is often found in late stages, which limits treatment options. End of life care becomes important when current treatments fail, the cancer has spread...
Pennyroyal's pretty name and mint flavor disguise the fact that it is actually a highly toxic and potentially deadly herb. Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family, but that's where the similarity ends. Pennyroyal in any form is not safe for...
Blood poisoning is the lay term for septicemia, which is the presence of bacteria and/or toxic products of bacteria in the blood. The infection nearly always begins elsewhere and gets into the bloodstream as a secondary complication. Septicemia is...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the thin layer of tissue that surrounds the brain. Bacteria and viruses cause most cases of meningitis in children. Health providers can diagnose meningitis clinically and by doing a lumbar puncture,...
Congestive cardiac failure, also called heart failure, occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient levels of blood through the body. The complications of congestive cardiac failure can be life-threatening. Nearly 300,000 people die from...
APAP is the scientific abbreviation for acetaminophen, commonly known by the brand name Tylenol in the United States. Acetaminophen, sold over the counter, is a safe drug when taken in doses of less than 4,000mg per day for adults. Doses of...
The National Cancer Institute projects that over 155,000 people will die from lung cancer in 2010. End-of-life symptoms of lung cancer relate to the part of the body affected by the cancer. However, lung cancer may spread to the bone, liver and...
Discoloration of the eyes or skin can be caused by a range of medical conditions, including Raynaud's syndrome, blood poisoning or oxygen starvation. Liver failure causes the skin and eyes to appear yellow; failure of multiple organs can lead to a...
Gastric cancer, or stomach cancer, develops when the cells that make up the stomach lining acquire genetic mutations and proliferate rapidly and uncontrollably. The National Cancer Institute reports that stomach cancer caused over 10,500 deaths...
The liver contains billions of specialized cells, called hepatocytes, that work together to process chemicals and detoxify the body. Liver cancer, called hepatocellular carcinoma, develops when hepatocytes begin to proliferate uncontrollably,...
Women of all ages have historically used emmenogogues--herbs that stimulate menstrual flow--to regulate the menstrual cycle. Herbal emmenogogues can act as emergency contraceptives or as treatments for oligomenorrhea (light, infrequent...
Methamphetamine (also known as "ice" or "glass") intoxication occurs when you introduce a lethal dose of drugs into the system. A lethal dose can vary from person to person, as each individual may have a different threshold for intoxication. When...
Quinine is a medication that is used to treat malaria. Quinine is a naturally occurring plant substance that is native to South America. Currently, treatment of malaria is the only approved use of quinine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
Ventral hernias are caused by loops of intestine bulging into weakened areas on the abdominal wall. A hernia that develops at an old surgical incision site is called an incisional hernia. Ventral hernias can also be caused by obesity, pregnancy,...
Painkillers (analgesics) are available over-the-counter and by prescription, and are used to treat the pain and discomfort associated with injury, surgery or various medical conditions. There are two types of painkillers: narcotics (opioid...
After a period of medically induced starvation for weight loss or a period of prolonged inability to eat, such as cancer treatment, it's essential to follow a refeeding diet, a diet that re-introduces food. A refeeding diet must be done slowly and...
Stage IV melanoma consists of cancer that has spread from the skin to other parts of the body. The top five sites of common spread, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, include other areas of the skin, lungs, liver, brain and small...
Stage IV melanoma occurs when the cancer spreads beyond the skin to another area of the body. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most common sites of melanoma spread include other areas of the skin, lung, liver, brain and small...
A surgical wound infection is an infection that occurs after a surgical or invasive procedure. According to The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, at least 5 percent of patients undergoing surgical operations develop surgical...
Tylenol (acetaminophen), is one of the most popular over-the-counter pain reliever in the United States. When taken as directed, your body can eliminate acetaminophen safely and harmlessly. Too much of the drug, however, overwhelms the system. The...
Acetaminophen, or Tylenol, is one of the most commonly used medications in the world. It is widely taken as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and as a fever reducer. But like any medications, Tylenol can have serious side effects, particularly...
Lamictal, generically known as lamotrigine, is a medication that treats convulsions and bipolar disorder (psychiatric disorder characterized by fluctuations in mood). Tell your doctor if you have an existing kidney, liver or heart condition...
Obstetricians and midwives advise extreme caution to pregnant women who take medication. Although seemingly harmless, "natural" products such as eucalyptus oil can cause unanticipated side effects during pregnancy. No compelling evidence exists...
Cancer is one of the most serious and deadly diseases of today's society. While surgery, chemotherapy and radiation form the basis for most cancer therapies, many cancer patients have found additional hope and relief in alternative cancer...
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a ubiquitous bacterium normally found in the mouth, throat, skin and especially the intestines of most healthy people. Klebsiella can become a problem and cause serious infections in those with compromised or weakened...
Cirrhosis of the liver signals permanent damage to the organ. Cirrhosis, or scarring, typically takes years to reveal itself and by the time symptoms become apparent, patients have chronic liver failure nearing the end-stage of the disease...
Ovarian cancer can develop from any of the cell types within the ovaries. The National Cancer Institute indicates that ovarian cancer caused more than 14,000 deaths and led to more than 21,500 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2009....
As populations age, unique and complex medical problems need to be considered. Elderly patients require a different set of assessment skills to meet their needs. Geriatric trauma patients are predisposed to a serious chain of events leading to...
Excessive weight loss may be intentional or unintentional. People, mostly female, who suffer from anorexia may deliberately lose excessive amounts of weight. Depression, cancer treatment, HIV and other conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, can...
Pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition that occurs when pancreatic digestive enzymes become active within the gland and attack the pancreas itself. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for pancreatitis in this...
