Acanthamoeba is a free-living protozoa that is found in soil and water. It is commonly found in drinking water, sewage, soil, and ventilation systems. It enters the body by inhalation or through the nostrils from swimming. In rare cases, the...
Pain in the neck and shoulder may result from a variety of causes. Pain in these areas may appear simultaneously, and can often affect other, nearby areas of the body. While many instances of neck and shoulder pain resolve on their own, some cases...
The National Cancer Institute states that cancer occurs in one to two out of every 10,000 children in the United States each year. While cancer is the leading disease cause of death in children under the age of 15, the NCI points out that cancer...
Because there are many causes of seizures in babies, determining the problem or disorder behind a particular child's seizures is important to properly treat them. Seizures do not typically cause permanent brain damage, especially if they last...
Migraines are a type of headache. The Mayo Clinic states that migraines are characterized by intense pain lasting for several hours or even days. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), migraines occur more often in...
Migraines are a form of severe headache with pain that can last anywhere from several hours to several days. Migraines appear to come out of nowhere; however, there is usually an onset warning such as seeing a flash of light, called auras, or...
To protect the brain from trauma, Mother Nature has surrounded it with fluid. The meninges are the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. These membranes produce fluid. The fluid serves to carry nutrients to the brain as well as offering...
The meninges are membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. These membranes can become inflamed due to infection by bacteria or viruses, leading to a condition called meningitis. Bacterial infections of the meninges are usually more severe...
According to "Sheehy's Emergency Nursing Principles and Practice," meningitis is the inflammation of the meningeal layers, which is the protective covering that surrounds the brain and spinal cord; it is a neurological emergency and an infectious...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the spinal cord and brain, and can be life threatening. Recognizing symptoms of the infection that can affect brain function is important for parents. Children with fever, stiff necks, irritability...
Folate is an essential vitamin. It was originally isolated from spinach, and was named based on plant "foliage" being the primary natural source of the vitamin. Folate is now available in a variety of different forms, including a synthetic folic...
The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and accompanying spinal cord. Because the CNS contains fragile and sensitive organs, it is protected by a physiological blood-brain barrier. In addition, the brain and spinal cord are contained...
Some illnesses can heal on their own---but that's not the case with meningitis. This infection, which can be caused by a bacteria, virus, fungus or other factors like cancer or an allergic reaction to medications, can be fatal without the proper...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is named after the famous baseball player who developed the condition. It is a degenerative neurological disease that destroys cells in the spinal cord and brain, affecting muscles and...
It is quite common for people to experience the occasional headache, brought on by stress or sinus pressure. Many people suffer from constant daily headaches that do not go away. Some chronic headaches do not appear to have an underlying cause,...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and it is caused by either a virus or bacteria. Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial meningitis and the symptoms, while similar, are generally not as...
Meningitis refers to inflammation of the meninges, or the layers protecting the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by medication or infection from bacteria, viruses or fungi. Meningitis becomes life threatening when inflammation damages the...
Ependymomas are brain tumors that come from ependymal cells in your child's central nervous system. They are classified into four different types, based on the tissue's appearance. Brain tumors are a mass of abnormal cells in the brain. This can...
Bacterial meningitis is caused by one of three types of bacteria: Neisseria meningitis, Haemophilus influenzae or Streptococcus pneumoniae. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that while Haemophilus influenzae used to cause the...
Spinal meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spine and brain. Meningitis is caused either by bacteria or a virus. Meningitis can be a life threatening condition, so early diagnosis and treatment is a must. Some types of...
Your doctor can use a rapid test approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007 that can diagnose a case of viral meningitis just a few hours after infection. Known as the Xpert EV test, the procedure is used in combination with other...
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 2 million people have epilepsy in the United States. But there are several causes of seizures, like tumors, brain damage or...
Meningitis, often called spinal meningitis, is the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, which, according to Medline Plus, causes changes in the cerebrospinal fluid. Meningitis exists in two forms--bacterial and viral....
Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord. Most cases of viral meningitis usually get better without treatment. However, bacterial meningitis is life-threatening medical emergency, which may cause brain...
When taking Coumadin, you need to be careful about some of your food choices. Foods high in vitamin K, such as kale and spinach, can decrease the medication's effectiveness. You may also need to be careful about what vitamins you take on Coumadin....
Snowboarding terminology is almost a language of its own, with terms covering everything from board specifications to different falls. Learning terminology for maneuvers is especially difficult because of all the variations and combinations of...
In order to diagnose your seizure type, you need to first provide your physician with a description of the episodes. If you are unaware of what happens during your seizures, have a friend or family member attend the appointment with you, so he...
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a cancer of the disease fighting system spread throughout the body known as the lymphatic system. The American Cancer Society reports that Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma accounts for nearly four percent of all cancers making it...
Retinoblastoma is a childhood cancer that occurs in the eyes of young children. Sometimes one eye is affected (unilateral retinoblastoma) and sometimes both eyes are affected (bilateral retinoblastoma). This rare eye cancer, which originates in...
