Epilepsy describes a neurological condition that affects patients who experience at least two unprovoked seizures that occur at different times, as described by the Merck Manuals. A seizure occurs when the normal electrical impulses in the brain...
A brain aneurysm is a blood-filled bulge in a blood vessel that occurs as a result of a weakening of the blood vessel wall. While most aneurysms do not cause any symptoms or problems, some can leak or rupture, causing blood to spill into the...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the tissue covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Bacteria and viruses are the most common causes of meningitis in children, although fungi can cause it in children with a weakened immune system....
Hypoglycemia, which is a complication of diabetes, is the medical term for dangerously low blood glucose. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by a blocked or burst vessel in the brain. Strokes kill brain cells and...
Ephedra is an herb that has been traditionally used in Asian folk medicine as a treatment for a variety of respiratory problems. Ephedra became popular in Western countries as a dietary supplement that retailers purported could increase your...
Glucose is main source of energy for the body's various metabolic processes. This sugar comes from the carbohydrate-rich foods we eat like rice, milk, fruit, bread and sweets. The levels of glucose in the bloodstream vary depending on the foods...
Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin, or is unable to utilize the insulin it produces to maintain appropriate blood glucose levels. Insulin is a hormone that the pancreas produces to drive glucose, the main...
Methamphetamine, also called crystal meth, tweek, crank or glass, is a highly addictive and dangerous drug. Methamphetamines can cause heart attack or stroke due to the dramatic increase in heart rate and blood pressure that accompanies taking the...
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, involves a combination of chest compressions and rescue breathing to keep oxygenated blood flowing throughout the body after the heart stops beating. When properly performed, CPR can help prevent brain damage...
Addiction to drugs can take a heavy toll on the addict as well as on his family. There are many potential medical complications, which depend on the type of drug used and the route by which it is taken. Some drugs have long lasting psychological...
Chickenpox is often thought of as just a benign children's disease, but chickenpox in children and adults, including pregnant women, can have devastating consequences. Chickenpox, a blistering rash, is caused by the varicella zoster virus and is...
Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks a large quantity of alcohol within a short period of time. Binge drinking, drinking five or more drinks very quickly, is the most common cause of alcohol poisoning, according to MayoClinic.com. Alcohol...
Convulsions, or motor seizures, can occur at any age and come in many forms. A seizure can occur while a patient is conscious and be limited to one limb. It can involve loss of consciousness and convulsive movements of the entire body. Seizures...
The violence in boxing has led many people to question whether the sport is safe enough for people to participate in it. People have died as a result of head trauma from boxing, and some have questioned whether long-term brain damage happens as a...
Heat stroke occurs when your body becomes over heated. This can happen on days that are very hot and/or humid. If you work or exercise outside on these types of days your body may not sweat enough to cool itself down properly. If your body...
The human body depends on a balance of sodium for homeostasis. Despite variations in food and water intake, the body seeks to balance sodium. Both high and low sodium diet levels influence electrolytes as well. Some of the causes of low sodium, or...
Epilepsy is classified as a brain disorder where there are repeated and spontaneous seizures. Seizures are caused by abnormally excited electrical signals in your brain. During these periods, there is disturbed brain function that results in...
Jaundice is a medical condition characterized by an abnormal yellow coloring of the skin and whites of the eyes. This condition is caused by the buildup of bilirubin--a digestive fluid produced by the liver--within the body. Jaundice is common in...
The National Cancer Institute notes that surgery often is the first treatment for a brain tumor. Patients with epilepsy, a cerebral aneurysm, pressure in the brain, bleeding in the brain, abnormal blood vessels or other damage to the brain may...
Bicycling provides excellent opportunities for families to get outdoors and exercise together. However, the ThinkFirst Foundation reports that one of seven children will receive a head injury as a result of a bicycle crash. A head injury can...
According to scientific site, Earth Sky, the concentration of salt in the body is about 75 percent less than you would find in sea water. This means that drinking seawater would significantly increase the amount of salt in your bloodstream and the...
Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential nutrient that your body, and especially your brain, needs for proper functioning. Your body cannot produce thiamine, so you must supply it in your diet. The daily recommended amount is 1 mg/day,...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 300,000 sports-related brain injuries occur every year in the United States. Contact sports such as football and boxing cause the most sports-related brain injuries, although...
It takes only eight minutes without oxygen to cause permanent brain damage. According to the American Heart Association "unintentional choking and suffocation are the leading cause of all injury death in infants." CPR can sustain life and prevent...
Dizziness is a feeling of imbalance that may come on suddenly. There are many causes of dizziness in the elderly. A change in vision or an eye disease such as macular degeneration can confuse the visual system and cause a loss of balance. Other...
The MMR shot provides an injection of weakened viruses for measles, mumps and rubella. Receiving this injection helps immunize infants and children from the three illnesses. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the...
Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition in which there is too much bilirubin in the blood. Most bilirubin comes from the normal breakdown of old red blood cells. Babies are not easily able to get rid of the bilirubin and it can build up in the blood,...
Good nutrition is important for staying healthy and preventing illness. Eating a diet that lacks essential nutrients can have the opposite effect -- it can cause a decline in health and may even contribute to disease. The American Dietetic...