Allergies are a reaction of the immune system to harmless substances. Allergies may take the form of allergic rhinitis, hives, bronchial asthma or even as anaphylaxis, a severe form of allergy that may be fatal. Most mild allergies can be...
Naproxen sodium is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication used for short-term pain relief. This drug should not be used chronically, or for long periods, due to the adverse effects it can have on the gastrointestinal system such as ulcers...
A fever is an abnormal temperature elevation beyond a person’s normal baseline. In general, fevers are part of the body’s immune system, an alert to the presence of infection or inflammation. According to an article in "Scientific...
Formulating a diagnosis is an ongoing, dynamic and flexible process. Your health care practitioner may start with a medical history, which includes aspects of the present illness, past illnesses, surgeries, medications, social habits such as...
The same mechanism causes perennial and seasonal, or indoor and outdoor, allergies and their symptoms. Therefore, the available allergy medicines may be used for the itching, sneezing, runny nose and congestion that accompany hay fever or...
A colonoscopy is a diagnostic procedure performed by a gastroenterologist with the purpose of examining the lower intestine or colon. A colonoscope, which is a long flexible device, is inserted into the rectum and passed through the large...
Pneumonia is a condition characterized by the inflammation of the lungs. This inflammation is typically caused by an infection, bacteria or a virus. If not treated in a timely manner, pneumonia can cause long-term lung damage and even turn fatal....
Fever is a common symptom of many conditions, including infections, thyroid problems, heat stroke and autoimmune diseases. While the cause of a fever might be serious, a fever in and of itself is usually not dangerous. However, fevers are...
If you have been suffering from unexplained fatigue, swollen glands and a general feeling of malaise, your doctor may send you for blood tests to see if you have Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that causes mononucleosis and may be associated...
Motrin (ibuprofen) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication used to reduce fever and treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as headache, toothache, back pain, arthritis, menstrual cramps or minor injury, reports...
Having achy legs with red bumps under the skin can have one single cause or several separate causes. It may indicate a serious condition that should be diagnosed and treated by your physician. Most of the conditions that cause both of these...
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that relieves fever and pain. Aspirin works by inhibiting cyclooxygenase, an enzyme involved with the body's inflammatory process. Aspirin has been used...
Pain signals that something is wrong in your body, whether it be an injury or illness. Regardless of where pain originates, the pain message is processed in the brain. Nerve endings at the site of the injury or illness transmit the pain messages...
According to Mosby’s Drug Consult, Advil is a brand-name medicine marketed by the pharmaceutical company Wyeth Consumer Healthcare that was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1984 as tablets. Advil products include...
Both Motrin and Midol are well-known medications utilized for their ability to treat pain. Motrin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is utilized to treat fever, aches and pains related to illness, headaches or toothaches. Midol...
Fatty liver disease is a condition in which fat deposits build up within the liver tissue. Fatty liver disease can occur as a result of chronic alcoholism or can be classified as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is normally...
Nausea and vomiting are two of the most dreaded side effects of chemotherapy, according to the American Cancer Society, but patients do not have to just suffer. Antiemetic drugs are medications that can prevent or inhibit nausea and vomiting for...
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a disease characterized by a painful rash. It occurs when the virus that causes chicken pox, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), is reactivated. Approximately one in three Americans will develop shingles, primarily those who...
Five to 20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with influenza each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to World Health Organization epidemiological records there has been an average of three flu...
As the most prevalent mineral in our body's cells, potassium is vital to our health and well-being. Potassium helps to control the body's fluid balance, transmit nerve signals and help the muscles contract. Although most people don't need to...
Swine flu, also known as the H1N1 flu, is a contagious viral infection that first made its mark in the spring of 2009, according to the Mayo Clinic. This flu virus enters the body via the eyes, nose or mouth. Its specific symptoms include a fever,...
Vasculitis and Raynaud's syndrome both affect the blood vessels in your body, yet in different ways. Vasculitis affects the arteries, veins and capillaries due to inflammation, while Raynaud's syndrome only affects the arteries and causes...
Police use breathalyzers to measure a driver's blood alcohol content after a vehicle stop. If the breathalyzer shows the driver's blood alcohol content to be higher than the legal limit, she may be charged with DUI or DWI -- driving under the...
