The Mirena coil is one of two intrauterine devices approved for the use of preventing pregnancy. Mirena provides protection from pregnancy in two ways. Drugs.com explains that the intrauterine device works to prevent pregnancy by thickening a...
Impotence describes a condition in which a man cannot achieve or maintain an erection. Although an erection seems like a simple sexual response, it actually requires a specific sequence of events. An erection occurs due to a complex interaction...
The ankle joint is a common site of fracture and dislocation injuries. The bones of the ankle joint are the tibia, fibula and talus. These bones can break in a wide variety of patterns and cause different types of complications. Overall,...
Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 is beneficial to health, particularly for the heart. CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell of the body within the mitochondria. Higher levels are concentrated in the liver, kidneys and heart. RD411.com explains that CoQ10 is...
CQ10, also referred to as coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, or the medical term ubiquinone, is a vitamin-like substance found in the energy-producing center, or mitochondria, of your cells. It is often recommended for use in the prevention and treatment of...
Your liver is your largest internal organ, performing many important functions such as storing energy, making blood proteins, cleaning your blood of toxins and other potentially harmful substances, and making bile for digestion. Liver cancer is a...
All tissues in the human body require oxygen to function properly. The circulatory system, which includes the heart, blood and blood vessels, deliver dissolved oxygen gas to the body through arteries. There are two main pairs of arteries that...
Charcot joint--neurogenic arthropathy--is a condition that occurs when nerve injury leads to destruction of a joint. There is bilateral involvement in between 9 percent and 35 percent of cases according to the "AAOS Comprehensive Orthopaedic...
In a given year, 18 percent of women and six percent of men experience migraines, according to the Merck Manual. These throbbing headaches occur periodically, and may last between four and 72 hours. For some individuals, migraine occurrences...
Cushing's disease is caused by an adenoma, which is a benign tumor, on the pituitary gland. An excessive secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is caused by the pituitary tumor. ACTH signals the adrenal gland to produce high amounts of...
A hip arthroplasty, commonly called a total hip replacement, is performed when the hip joint is functioning poorly and causing the patient considerable pain or decreased range of motion. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or arthritis following...
The facial skin disease called rosacea differs from acne in two ways, according to "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2010." First, comedones, or blackheads, commonly appear in acne but not in rosacea. Second, rosacea's flushed appearance...
According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes are prone to developing various foot problems. The most common causes are from reduced circulation, changes in the shape of the feet and toes and/or nerve damage, also known as...
Diabetic amyotrophy is one type of neuropathy that diabetic patients may suffer after experiencing damage caused by their disease. The symptoms can range from pain and numbness in the extremities to problems involving the digestive system,...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a support structure in the knee that prevents the forward and backward movement of the bones of the knee. It is often injured in athletic activities or during traumas such as motor vehicle accidents. The...
Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot properly make or use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Neurovascular events such as stroke can result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. A stroke can produce aphagia, or difficulty in...
L-taurine or taurine is a non-essential amino acid found in fish, meat and dairy products. Taurine plays a role in several important body functions and can benefit you in both healthy and diseased states. In your body, taurine can ramp up proteins...
Splints are used to immobilize broken bones, also called fractures, and for severe sprains. According to "Sheehy's Emergency Nursing Principles and Practice," the splint helps to minimize further damage or complications secondary to bone fragments...
About a third of Americans have high blood pressure according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. In 2006, high blood pressure was the contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans. High blood pressure has no warning...
A hernia is a protrusion of an organ or soft tissue of an organ through the cavity that normally contains it. The types of abdominal hernias include direct inguinal, indirect inguinal, femoral, umbilical, incisional, diaphragmatic, hiatal,...
There are numerous causes of right shoulder pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, swelling, inflammation or tearing of the tissue surrounding the shoulder joint can cause shoulder...
The largest artery in the body, the aorta, extends from the heart to the lower abdomen where it divides into a branch for each leg. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons state that an aneurysm is a weak section in the wall of the aorta that causes the...
The principles of acute fracture management involve stabilizing the patient who may have other injuries more life-threatening, checking the neurovascular status of the patient, performing a reduction or attempting to correct the anatomic...
Certain herbs may help prevent or treat brain damage. Brain damage can be caused by a number of factors, including the lack of oxygen. Some herbs have a protective effect on brain cells, according to the findings of scientific studies. However,...
Peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness, pain and tingling sensations in your hands and feet, is caused by nerve damage that can result from injury, infection, and disease, including diabetes. If you experience unusual tingling, weakness or...
Cayenne pepper has a long and illustrious history as a culinary and medicinal herb. A native of Mexico, where it was revered for its health benefits, it has been consumed by humans since at least 7000 B.C. Columbus brought cayenne pepper to...
Glucose is a simple sugar that forms the molecular foundation of large carbohydrate molecules. The carbohydrates in grains, for example, contain hundreds or thousands of glucose units chained together. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrate...
Coronary artery disease or CAD, also referred to as arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, occurs when plaque forms and causes narrowing or clotting of the arteries, which are the small blood vessels supplying oxygen and...
According to the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium, more than 5 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. Due to an aging U.S. population, the number of people with the disease is expected to top 7.7 million by 2030....
