Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, is considered chronic if the condition persists for an extended period of time such as years, according to MayoClinic.com. A normal pancreas produces enzymes that aid with digestion and hormones that...
It may not be your favorite routine health task, but you need to at least glance at your stool. Changes in diet and possible medical conditions can be indicated by the color of your stool. Often, it is nothing to worry about. For example,...
The medical community continues to make strides in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the median predicted age of survival rose to 37.4 years in 2008, up from 32 years in 2000. The March of Dimes notes...
Stool color can change daily. The color of your stool usually changes based on your diet, as well as by the amount of bile in your stool, according to MayoClinic.com gastroenterologist Dr. Michael F. Picco. However, yellow stool, also known as...
Most of the brown color of the normal stool is a result of old blood cells being broken down into a substance known as bilirubin and released by the liver through bile production into the intestines. The National Institutes of Health states that...
Diarrhea is an unfortunate fact of life for babies and children at various times in their lives. The most common cause of diarrhea is viral gastroenteritis, also known as stomach flu, but diarrhea can also result from food poisoning, certain...
The gallbladder, located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen and just below the liver, stores bile produced by the liver. The bile helps in digestion. As bile excretes from the gallbladder, it travels through the common bile duct. At times...
Hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease caused by one of three viruses: hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis A, which is also referred to as infectious hepatitis, is the most common form of this disease in...
Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. Transmitted through exposure to blood or sexual contact with an infected person, or from mothers to infants at birth, hepatitis B and its long-term...
Liver swelling and inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a medical condition known as hepatitis C. This virus is typically transmitted through contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, semen or vaginal fluids. There are two...
The color of your bowel movements, or stools, can change every day, but normally it's some shade of brown. Mustard yellow or pale stools in adults may indicate certain health conditions or may be due to medication. Babies may have yellow stools,...
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 70 to 80 percent of people with this virus do not experience symptoms. People who experience...
Hepatitis B is a contagious, inflammatory liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. This virus is most commonly spread through engaging in sexual activities with an infected partner. Men who are intimate with other men, especially men who...
The gallbladder is located on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. This organ holds bile, a digestive fluid that is released to the small intestine to aid in digestion. Hardened deposits of bile, called gallstones, can form in...
Nausea is simply defined as having an uncomfortable urge to vomit. Nausea often occurs along with vomiting, or before vomiting starts, but you may experience nausea without ever vomiting. Nausea is described as a way that the body reacts to a...
Pancreatitis is a medical condition characterized by severe inflammation of the pancreas--an organ that produces enzymes and hormones that aid in digestion. This inflammation occurs when the enzymes produced by the pancreas abnormally attack and...
The liver is the largest organ in the human body. It helps protect the body against infection by filtering toxins from the blood. If an infant's liver is unable to function normally, he can be diagnosed with a condition called liver failure....
In the United States, approximately 3.2 million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This virus causes long-lasting liver inflammation in affected people. Though many people...
Hepatitis is the swelling and inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis may be caused by alcohol abuse, infections from viruses such as hepatitis A, B and C, ingesting poisonous substances, and medication such as an overdose of acetaminophen. Chromium...
Hepatitis C, the most common chronic blood borne illness in America, affects more around 4 million people in the United States and causes 8,000 to 10,000 deaths each year, according to the University of San Francisco. Seventy-five percent of...
Seroquel, whose generic name is quetiapine, is an antipsychotic medication. Seroquel is in a class of medications known as atypical antipsychotics and works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain. Seroquel is used to treat symptoms of...
Tamoxifen, also known by the brand name Soltamox, is used to treat breast cancer in both men and women. Tamoxifen is also administered to help lower the chance of breast cancer in women who are at high risk. Typically, 20mg of tamoxifen solution...
Liver disease known as cirrhosis commonly occurs in two stages, compensated and decompensated. In first stage of liver damage, the liver still has the ability to function normally or compensate for the damage. When extensive damage occurs and the...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports an estimated 3.2 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis C infection. While the disease varies in severity from person to person, the American Gastroenterological Association...
Much controversy often surrounds the safety of herbal supplements. Because the FDA does not regulate the safety, purity and efficacy of these supplements, the products vary widely with respect to quality standards. Herbalists have used black...
Dark urine and weight loss occurring together are symptoms that should not be ignored; both of these can indicate serious medical conditions, usually involving the liver or kidneys. Normal urine is the color of yellow straw, and doctors generally...
The pancreas is a vital organ that produces the digestive hormones insulin and glucagon and other enzymes necessary to digest food. Symptoms such as sweating and weight loss can accompany a number of diseases and conditions that affect the...
Jaundice results from an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment that's a byproduct from red blood cells that have died. About 1 percent of all red blood cells die each day, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Jaundice is linked to...
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that rests in a depression on the bottom of the liver. The gallbladder collects and stores bile from the liver. When fat is present in the digestive system, the gallbladder releases bile through...