Porphyria -- a rare but potentially serious condition -- is made up of several disorders. It occurs when chemicals called porphyrins accumulate in the body. There is no cure for porphyria, which is caused by a genetic mutation. A 2011 article...
Vitamins play a range of beneficial roles in your health, helping to maintain your tissues and prevent disease. In addition, some vitamins might play a role in the treatment of medical conditions, helping to reverse or minimize the symptoms of a...
Acute intermittent porphyria is a rare genetic disorder that causes porphyrins to build up in the body. This can lead to acute AIP attacks, characterized by severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, psychosis and, in severe cases, paralysis and...
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs says that Agent Orange is a combination of herbicides used during the Vietnam War. The United States military sprayed these chemicals over trees so that the leaves would fall. This would allow...
The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement from May 1989 concludes, "It is ingrained in humans to love light and, indeed, since mankind's first wanderings from the caves, worship of the sun has been a fundamental...
A high-carbohydrate diet is a doubled-edged sword. Eating the right types of carbohydrates may help you lose weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. If you consume the wrong types of carbohydrates, the diet could cause you to gain weight...
Infection with the hepatitis C virus, or HCV, resolves without treatment in at least 15 percent of cases. Liver disease does not become chronic or lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or extrahepatic complications. However, for up to 85 percent of...
Activated charcoal is often taken by mouth to treat various types of poisonings. You might need to take an activated charcoal treatment after accidentally ingesting a toxic substance. Your doctor will tell you how and when to take activated...
Also called photosensitivity, sun sensitivity can occur for a variety of reasons, causing skin rashes, spots and blotches that might itch or burn. You may have sun sensitivity due to an underlying medical condition like porphyria, lupus or...
According to the Mayo Clinic, ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the innermost lining of the large intestine. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss. There is no cure for ulcerative...
Gentian violet is a topical, over-the-counter antifungal treatment indicated to treat thrush, a fungal infection of the mouth or skin. This medication works by preventing the growth and spread of the Candida mycosis. Before using this topical...
Chloramphenicol is a powerful antibiotic that can cause many adverse side effects. Chloramphenicol is indicated for bacterial infections that have tested positive for a sensitivity to the drug, according to Drugs.com. The drug is also indicated...
Plaquenil is the brand name of hydroxychloroquine classified as a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, or DMARD. Hydroxychloroquine should be started within the first three months of the onset of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
According to the eHealthMD.com website, patients who suffer from seizures usually begin long-term treatment with anti-seizure medications after they have had two or three seizures. In most cases, the seizures respond to a single drug, and doctors...
Hydroxychloroquine is a medication used to treat malaria, lupus, porphyria, and rhematoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic and Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology. The trade name for hydroxychloroquine in the U.S. is Plaquenil....
Gentian violet treats yeast and fungal infections. These include Candida albicans, also called thrush, which affects the mouth of infants and can also cause nipple pain for the mother if she is infected by her child. In the case of thrush, both...
Bronchitis refers to a medical condition in which the lungs become inflamed. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, some signs of bronchitis include a fever, fatigue, wheezing, yellow or green phlegm and a sore throat. Sometimes,...
Chloroquine phosphate is a medication typically given as prophylactic (protective) treatment against malaria, a mosquito-borne disease. It can also treat amebiasis, a condition in which amoebas (small-celled parasites) attach to the walls of your...
Stomach ulcers are open wounds that tend to develop in the stomach lining. A burning pain in the abdomen experienced for a few minutes to several hours is the most common symptom of a stomach ulcer. For a long time, stress and spicy foods were...
Biaxin is an antibiotic prescription medication usually prescribed by a doctor to treat a bacterial infection in the skin and respiratory systems. From time to time, doctors also prescribe Biaxin to treat stomach ulcers. If your doctor has...
Your body needs ferritin to store iron. Levels of this protein increase as iron levels increase, making it a good indirect measure of your iron levels. You can get your ferritin levels tested with a simple blood test if you think your iron may be...
Tuberculosis refers to a chronic lung problem in which the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria leads to coughing up blood, unintentional weight loss, trouble breathing, chest pain and wheezing. Additional symptoms include fatigue, fever and...
Chloroquine is a medication that is often used to treat or prevent malaria, which is a disease in which parasites infect and attack red blood cells. Although many strains of malaria are resistant to chloroquine, it can still be used as emergency...
If you've noticed an appearance of small, white bumps under the skin on your thumb, you may have milia. Most milia is found on your face. However, it's possible to have a milia breakout anywhere on your body. Milia is not life-threatening but can...
Burning and tingling sensations in the feet are called paresthesias. You experience these sensations because your nerves aren't processing signals properly. A paresthesia is caused by something interfering with the proper functioning of a nerve,...
Milia are small harmless white skin bumps that most often occur across the nose, cheeks and chin, but can appear anywhere on the body. Infants are most prone to milia, but children and adults can also be affected, with older women having a higher...
Bactrim is grouped as a sulfa drug and goes by many brand names. Some of the other names are Bethaprim, Cotrim, Septra, Sulfatrim and Uroplus. The generic name for Bactrim is Trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole since the ingredients are two antibiotics,...
Seizures are bouts of violent shaking, reduced alertness or rapid changes in your attention or behavior that are caused by abnormal brain function. According to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, seizure disorders can manifest at any age,...
Neuropathies are disorders of the peripheral nerves--those outside the brain and spinal cord. Hereditary diseases, trauma, toxins, infections, medications and systemic and autoimmune diseases can cause neuropathy. Sensory and motor functions...
Photosensitivity is an abnormal sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet light, usually following exposure to certain oral or topical drugs or to other sensitizing chemicals and resulting in accelerated burning and blistering of the skin. Learn...
