According to the American heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disease-related death. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two major risk factors that contribute to the development of heart disease. Many...
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the skin, and in some cases, the joints. The skin cells reproduce too quickly and accumulate into rough, hard lesions. Drug treatment for psoriasis includes a combination of topical...
Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is the sensation of difficult or labored breathing. It has many possible causes that can be roughly broken down by organ system. Shortness of breath can results most often from problems in the airway,...
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to reduce fever, pain and inflammation. NSAIDs are helpful for people with chronic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. NSAIDs stop pain and inflammation by blocking...
It is winter and you are bundled up in a wool scarf, leather gloves and cotton thermals. Your nostrils feel tight and painful as you breathe in all the cold, dehumidified air. You are glad you have saline nasal spray handy because it serves to...
A spirometer is a basic type of medical testing equipment that is used to measure and analyze lung functions. The simple plastic device measures how much air the lungs can hold and how well the patient can move air in and out of them. People who...
According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 98.6 million Americans have total cholesterol levels above 200 milligrams/deciliter, the threshold for being diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia. While the total cholesterol value is...
Sickle cell anemia causes pain in infants' hands and feet. When you get older, you will have to face having recurring pain crises, problems with your spleen, numerous infections, hip pain and the possibility of having seizures and strokes. All of...
Atherosclerosis is a type of a generalized cardiovascular disease called arteriosclerosis that affects primarily the coronary arteries in the heart. It can also play a major role in the carotid arteries and arteries of the lower extremities. The...
Acute renal failure means the kidneys are quickly losing their ability to function. It can happen in a matter of weeks or in just a few days. Acute renal failure has three categories: renal, postrenal and prerenal. The renal category includes...
Human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG for short, is a hormone used to sustain the placenta during pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle in females. The HCG diet involves daily injections of this hormone, which is meant to increase fat metabolism....
Cetaphil is a popular line of over-the-counter skin products manufactured by Galderma Laboratories. Their products include moisturizers, cleansers and a body wash designed for those with sensitive skin. Cetaphil products are often recommended by...
According to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It is responsible for more than 440,000 of the 2.4 million deaths due to heart disease. Smoking cigarettes...
High cholesterol is considered one of a number of silent killers--diseases that put people at risk for premature death before their first symptoms occur. By the time symptoms do appear, the disease may have progressed to the point where expensive...
The glands in your ear canal naturally secrete wax. It helps protect your ear canal from foreign particles, such as dust and microorganisms. The ear canals have an antibacterial and self-cleansing property by which earwax, dust and skin cells...
Colds or allergies can cause sinus infections. The sinuses are spaces in the skull that are air-filled and lined by mucus membranes. When the cilia, or tiny little hairs, that line the sinuses do not work properly, a sinus infection can occur....
Hyperlipidemia -- excessive fat content of the blood -- is most frequently caused by a diet high in fats but can also be passed down through family genes. This is an insidious disease, meaning hyperlipidemia may be not show signs or symptoms. A...
According to Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 500,000 coronary artery bypass graft--CABG--procedures are done yearly. Fifty to 75 percent of these surgeries have an uncomplicated postoperative course. The risk of suffering a complication is usually...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in the United States. With over 47 percent of heart attack victims dying before they reach emergency medical facilities, proper...
Any drug can cause an allergic reaction. It doesn't matter if you've taken a drug in the past and not had a reaction to it; allergic reactions don't always occur on the first exposure to a drug. What people refer to as "allergies" to drugs are...
Diabetes is a systemic disease characterized by increased blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia. It causes damage to many of the body's organs including the eye. Effects increase with age as the damage accumulates. According to a February 2008...
There are numerous problems associated with coronary artery disease. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI--a division of the National Institutes of Health--coronary artery disease, or CAD, is the most common type of...
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disease related death in America. High cholesterol is one of many factors that can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Cardiologists set specific cholesterol goals for patients who have had...
Soy is a species of legume native to tropical Asia. This legume is widely cultivated across the United States, which grows 90 percent of the world's crop. Soy is high in oil and protein. Soy protein contains high amounts of isoflavones,...
In the United States, 8 to 12 million people have symptomatic peripheral artery disease or occlusive disease of the arteries. The number-one cause of this disease is cholesterol deposits in the arteries, or atherosclerosis. Other risk factors...
The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdomen. The aorta functions as the pathway the blood passes through to supply the whole body. In some cases, the abdominal aorta becomes weakened and starts to bulge. This weakening is called an...
An unhealthy diet fails to provide your body with the correct amounts and types of nutrients for maximum health. The average American diet contains too many calories and not enough fruits and vegetables. In addition, certain types of foods are...
High-density lipoprotein, a special carrier that transports fats through the bloodstream so they can be delivered to various cells. HDL is also known as "good" cholesterol. Unlike low-density lipoprotein, elevated levels of HDL do not contribute...
High cholesterol has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It leads to the development of atherosclerotic plaques, which, over time, can occlude blood vessels, causing an increased workload for the...
