The first step to treating peritonitis is often a course of strong antibiotics. Peritonitis is the inflammation and infection of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is a thin covering that protects the organs in your abdomen, and can become infected...
Educate yourself about the symptoms of peritonitis, an inflammatory, potentially life-threatening condition in which the peritoneum membrane that covers your abdominal organs becomes infected. One of the most recognizable symptoms of the disorder...
Keep on top of your health to prevent peritonitis, a painful and potentially life-threatening infection of the membrane that contains the organs in your abdomen. If you suspect you may have inflammatory bowel and gastrointestinal conditions like...
The organs of the body are covered by connective tissue called the pleura (in the chest) or the peritoneum (in the abdomen). Sometimes this tissue can develop genetic abnormalities that cause the cells to divide more rapidly than normal and to...
The peritoneum is a layer of protective tissue in the abdomen, which is made up of a specialized type of tissue known as mesothelium. The mesothelium supports organs and prevents them from directly rubbing against each other. In some cases, the...
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that occurs in the lining of tissues in the chest, abdomen and other parts of the body. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen, is a very aggressive form of cancer and difficult to treat.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that is found in the lining of the abdomen, which is called the peritoneum. It can also be called abdominal mesothelioma.
Healthy kidneys remove wastes from the blood. For patients with chronic kidney disease, the kidneys no longer perform this function efficiently. If kidney function becomes so impaired that it no longer sustains life, dialysis can keep patients...
The thin fibrous tissues lining the abdominal and chest cavities and covering the contained organs are the peritoneum and the pleural, respectively. Mesotheliomas represent rare cancers arising from these tissues. Heavy occupational asbestos...
Dialysis replaces some of the many different functions of the kidney, but it does not replace them all. Patients who begin peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis are still monitored regularly, which includes routine blood and urine tests -- if the...
Many conditions can cause left lower abdominal pain with palpation. According to MayoClinic.com, the abdomen is a common source of pain or discomfort. The abdomen is divided into four quadrants. Pain in any one of these quadrants can provide clues...
There are many causes of intense stomach or abdominal pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. Acute abdominal pain is usually more severe than...
Numerous conditions can cause pain in the left lower abdominal quadrant. Most causes of abdominal pain are not medical emergencies. However, abdominal pain that is so severe that a person cannot find a comfortable position may indicate the...
Many conditions can cause abdominal pain with palpation. The abdomen is a part of the body that is easily examined by palpation or touch. Certain abdominal conditions cause tenderness when a specific point in the abdomen or the entire abdomen is...
Peptic ulcer describes a sore, or lesion, in an area where hydrochloric acid and pepsin are present. Most peptic ulcers occur on the lining of the stomach, known as gastric ulcers, or the upper portion of the small intestine, known as duodenal...
Diverticulitis is a condition caused by swelling or perforation of pouches known as diverticula commonly found in the large intestine. According to the Mayo Clinic, while some cases of diverticulitis cause only mild symptoms that are easily...
Numerous conditions can cause abdominal pain without bleeding. According to MayoClinic.com, it's often difficult to determine the exact location or source of abdominal pain. Structures in one area of the abdomen may cause pain locally or in...
A considerable amount of body fat is stored around your abdomen. This buildup of fatty tissue can be unpleasant to look at as well as a considerable health risk. Fat buildup around your mid-section can raise your risk for a lot of health problems....
Colonoscopy is a test that enables the inspection of the entire colon using a fiberoptic tube known as colonoscope. A colonoscopy is used to detect abnormalities in the colon such as colon cancer and inflammation. Colon perforation occurs when the...
The digestive system functions to break down food into a form that the body can use for energy. In addition to breaking down food particles, the digestive system moves the food through the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, which expels...
During gastrectomy surgery, a surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen and removes all or part of the stomach, according to Medline Plus. The procedure is commonly performed to treat stomach cancer, bleeding gastric ulcers, stomach perforation or...
Intussusception, the most common cause of abdominal blockage in children under age three, the Merck Manual reports, occurs when one part of the intestine telescopes into another. Males more often develop intussusception than females, with 65...
Kidney dialysis cleans the blood of people whose kidneys have failed. It is often the only thing that stands between a patient in renal failure and certain death. That being said, it is not without negative effects, most of which are determined by...
Gastric ulcers, also known as peptic ulcers, are sores that form on the thin lining of your stomach, intestines or esophagus, says the Mayo Clinic. Typical symptoms of a gastric ulcer include a burning pain anywhere between your chest and navel...
A perforated bowel is a serious condition, and immediate action such as surgery needs to be taken to prevent infection and death, according to the Merck Manual. Bacteria from the bowel can spill into the abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis, an...
Most hernias in the human body occur in the abdominal wall and are a result of weaknesses in the wall musculature. There are a multitude of different types, and ventral hernias occur when abdominal cavity contents (usually intestine) protrude...
According to the Merck Manual, ascites is defined as an accumulation of fluid containing protein in the abdominal cavity. The abdomen can swell and become very large, causing shortness of breath and other complications. Diuretics, or medications...
Chemotherapy is a form of cancer treatment in which cancer fighting drugs are administered to cancer patients orally, topically or by IV or injection. Treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs can cause bowel or intestinal complications in certain...
There are a variety of factors that can harden the lower section of the abdomen. In many cases the lower section of the abdomen is hardened due to physical exercise. In other cases it is the sign of health problems. Check with your health care...
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people. Learn about Diabetes and what it is like to live with the condition in this video.
