Tonsillitis, a common condition often referred to as a sore throat, is an inflammation of the tonsils caused by either a bacterial or viral infection. Treatment depends on the cause and usually is delayed until lab test results are known. If...
Infection of the breast, a condition called mastitis, can occur when microbes enter cracks in the skin and colonize within a milk duct, usually but not always at a time in life when the mother is nursing. Mastitis can be caused by bacteria,...
Group B streptococcus, also known as Group B strep or Baby Strep, is a common bacterial infection found in the vagina, rectum and lower intestine of many healthy women. Although the chances of a pregnant mother passing GBS to her baby during...
Cephalexin is the generic form of the antibiotic Keflex. Cephalexin is usually prescribed for upper respiratory, urinary tract, ear and skin infections. Most people don't experience many side effects from this drug; however, there are some. It's...
The labia are the skin folds that frame the entrance to the vagina. In toddler girls, this skin is not protected by hair and the sweat glands are not full developed. This creates increased exposure to urine and feces that may cause a rash....
Staphylococci--commonly called staph--cause a variety of human infections, including boils, skin infections (cellulitis), food poisoning, pneumonia, bone and blood stream infections and toxic shock syndrome. One species of staphylococci called...
A puncture wound occurs when a sharp object penetrates the skin barrier. Nails are the culprit in 90 percent of puncture wounds, most often on the bottom of the foot, according to FamilyPracticeNotebook.com. Although deeper structures such as...
Periorbital cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid and the surrounding tissues that causes redness and swelling. This condition affects infants and children more commonly and may be caused by a trauma to the area or the spread of an infection...
True drug allergies, which involve the body's immune system and histamine release, account for 6 to 10 percent of all adverse drug reactions, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, AAAAI. In contrast to local skin and...
Cellulitis refers to a skin infection that has spread through the dermis layer and into the tissues under the skin. The infection usually contains common skin bacteria such as staphylococcus or streptococcus. Cellulitis occurs at sites of skin...
The Food and Drug Administration describes the Lap-Band system as a specific device approved for use in the treatment of severe obesity for people who have failed with other weight-loss programs. The device consists of a silicone band that goes...
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a spherical bacteria that is commonly found in the digestive and lower genital tract of many individuals but may cause urinary tract infections (UTI) in newborns and in immunocompromised individuals. The common...
The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is widely prevalent in the environment, and can cause skin infections such as abscesses in susceptible individuals. It is spread by direct contact with infected patients or with the approximately 25 percent of...
The skin protects us from the outside world and forms an important barrier to infection. Wounds cause an opening in the skin that bacteria can use to penetrate into the deeper tissues of the body. Skin wounds can be due to trauma or from surgical...
Prescription medications are effective in treating or managing conditions ranging from high blood pressure to urinary tract infections. However, many prescriptions are expensive and difficult to afford without insurance coverage. Consult a list of...
Urinary tract infections are painful conditions caused by bacterial infection of the urinary tract. Each year, urinary tract infections are the reason behind approximately 8.3 million visits to the doctor, according to the National Kidney and...
MayoClinic describes a urinary tract infection, or UTI, as an infection of the urinary system, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Any of these structures can become infected, but the urethra and bladder are most commonly...