Your body is an incredibly dynamic, adaptive organ that rapidly responds to changes in the internal environment. The respiratory system demonstrates this concept elegantly in its seamless, autonomous response to increased physical activity during...
The kidneys perform multiple functions vital to survival. Most people are not aware of the many risk factors for kidney damage. Kidney damage can lead to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Over 26 million Americans have chronic kidney...
The National Cancer Institute notes that research has shown that high temperatures can damage and kill cancer cells, usually with minimal injury to normal tissues. Hyperthermia is a treatment in which cancer cells are exposed to high temperatures....
Several types of chemotherapy are used to treat advanced melanoma (skin cancer), according to the American Cancer Society. Although chemotherapy is usually not as effective on melanoma as it is in some other types of cancer, it may relieve...
Chemical or pharmacologic stress testing is a common practice for assessing coronary perfusion; that is, for identifying any blockages in coronary arteries that would decrease blood flow to the heart. Chemical stress tests are used when patients...
A pulse oximeter measures the amount of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen. Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) between 96 and 100 percent are considered normal, according to nursing instructor Kathy Lawrence, M.S.N. of the...
Melanoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the skin and in rare cases the eyes, mouth or nose. The American Cancer Society estimates that melanoma accounts for fewer than 5 percent of skin cancer diagnoses; however, melanoma is the most serious...
Beta blockers are drugs that alter adrenergic response to catecholamines such as epinepherine and norepinephrine, by inhibiting beta adrenergic receptors; these receptors are found in various concentrations and are prevalent in the heart and...
A sudden drop in blood pressure (hypotension) is due to an environmental or internal factor affecting the vasomotor center (VMC) which controls the constriction and dilation of blood vessels. We will look at four different factors that can cause...
A greater than 2 percent body weight loss from water deficit constitutes significant dehydration, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. A person's overall health status determines what degree of water loss the individual can...
Your body is constantly adjusting its function in order to maintain the status quo, and preserve whole-body equilibrium. This is readily observable in the cardiovascular system, particularly regarding changes in pulse rate. Fluid replacement is...
Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, is defined as blood pressure less than 90/60 mmHg. One serious consequence of low blood pressure includes lack of adequate blood flow to the brain, which may lead to episodes of dizziness or fainting....
Hypertension is a chronic vascular condition that has long-term effects on heart and blood vessel health. Pullups are a strenuous, muscular exercise that may lead to increased high blood pressure symptoms, and should thus be avoided if you have...
Severe burns require careful fluid management. Because burns destroy the layers of skin that keep fluid inside the blood vessels, burn victims lose large amounts of fluid out of the leaking blood vessels. You must carefully calculate a burned...
HIV stands for human immune deficiency virus and is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV can be identified by its early symptoms that warn the body of the presence of the infection.
A life support machine is a combination of machines and therapies that work together to sustain human life. A major key in sustaining life involves feeding tubes. The feeding tubes provide nutrients to the body when a patient is not physically...
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recognize cardiovascular stress testing as an invaluable diagnostic tool for the determination of the presence and severity of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, stress...
The goji berry, its Latin name being Lycium barbarum, is a traditional medicinal plant of the Himalayas that has been recently recognized for its therapeutic properties. The "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine" notes that the...
According to "The Journal of the American Medical Association," heart and blood vessel disease is the leading cause of death in developed nations such as the United States. The purpose of cardiac stress tests is to make the heart work harder by...
Your breathing increases in direct proportion to the intensity of your workout. That happens because the oxygen you inhale has the simple job of carrying away the chemical fragments your body makes when you burn sugar for energy. Those fragments...
Angina is a condition that is characterized by chest pain or discomfort, and it occurs when an area of your heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. Arginine is an amino acid that is both synthesized in your body and found naturally in...
Coronary artery disease surpasses cancer as the leading cause of death in both men and women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risks associated with developing coronary artery disease are broken down into two...
The term "heart disease" refers to a wide variety of diseases involving the heart, including arrhythmias, congenital heart defects and heart infections. However, most people associate heart disease with coronary artery disease or cardiovascular...
Advanced Cardiac Life Support, or ACLS, is a life-saving skill set in which trained and certified personnel administer interventions to a person in cardiac arrest or other cardiopulmonary emergencies. The American Heart Association (AHA), the...
Asthma is a condition of chronic lung inflammation. Symptoms occur periodically, triggered among other things by colds and allergies. These symptoms include wheezing, cough and respiratory distress.
Infrared radiation is an electromagnetic (EM) wave generated at a specific wavelength and frequency that can penetrate the skin to produce effects on tissues. Diathermy describes continuous or pulsed EM waves used on patients for deep heating...
Stress testing is a diagnostic tool used by cardiologists to determine the presence of cardiovascular disease and establish an appropriate treatment plan for each patient. According to the American Heart Association and the American College of...
Inversion therapy consists of lying or hanging upside down at various angles with your feet and ankles secured. The object of this therapy is anti-gravity positioning of the neck, spine, hips and joints of the body, with the goal of relieving...
Your liver produces bile from cholesterol, acids, proteins, minerals and pigments derived from red blood cells. Certain toxins and waste products are also deposited in bile for export from your body. Bile helps break down fats in your diet and it...
Cardiogenic shock is the result of inadequate circulation of blood due to ventricle failure; learn about cardiogenic shock in this heart healthy video.
