Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a foodborne illness associated with the mishandling of food -- particularly beef -- at some point during the preparation process. The symptoms of E. coli infection are uncomfortable, as well as dangerous for the...
The kidneys filter the blood removing waste products and excreting excess body water. Hence, kidney function affects the health of the entire body. When disease strikes the kidneys, local and body-wide symptoms may develop. The symptom pattern...
Acute renal failure is defined as a sudden inability of the kidneys to function. When this occurs, the kidneys are unable to remove salts, wastes and water from the bloodstream causing severe or life threatening medical consequences. The causes...
Due to its strong association with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, kidney failure proves far less common among children than it is among adults. Nonetheless, children affected by kidney failure face substantial health...
Nobody expects to get sick from eating food, but one in six Americans will have to deal with a bout of food poisoning this year, according to the website FoodSafety.gov. While most only experience acute complications associated with food...
Food poisoning develops when people eat food that is contaminated with bacteria or other toxins. Food can be contaminated when it is not handled or cooked properly. Most of the bacteria that cause food poisoning are commonly found in the...
Hemoglobin is the red pigmented, oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells. When hemoglobin is present in the urine, it is termed hemoglobinuria. Certain conditions and diseases can result in red blood cell destruction within the...
Colitis is the medical term that describes inflammation of the colon, or large intestine. Infectious colitis is inflammation of the colon caused by an infectious agent. These include bacteria, viruses and parasites. Infectious colitis is usually a...
Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a species of bacteria found naturally in the intestines of animals and humans. Some strains can cause illness and even death if they are consumed. Although E. coli lives in animals, it can end up almost anywhere....
Platelets are the smallest type of blood cell; platelets regulate the blood's ability to clot. Platelets are irregularly shaped, sticky cells that clump together at a wound site to stop bleeding. The normal platelet range is between 140,000 and...
Escherichia coli, more commonly shortened to E coli, is one of the most common types of bacterial food poisoning and the most common causes of traveler's diarrhea, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says. E coli enteritis is the result of...
E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines. Some E. coli strains are harmless and do not cause any problems, while other strains can cause serious problems, from diarrhea to death. E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the most serious strains,...
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are a large group of similar organisms. While most varieties of E. coli are not harmful, some produce toxins and can cause food poisoning. The illness caused by E. coli food poisoning can range from mild to...
When the kidneys become damaged, they are unable to filter waste from the blood. This is known as kidney failure, which can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Several medical conditions and chemicals can cause kidney failure in...
Meat and poultry that have not been safely handled and prepared can be contaminated and may cause food poisoning when eaten. Meat causes food poisoning when it is contaminated with bacteria, which then grow and multiply to cause illness in humans,...
Valtrex, generic name valacyclovir, is an antiviral prescription medication used to treat some herpes infections, including cold sores, shingles and chicken pox. It is also used to treat genital herpes, initially and as a preventative in recurrent...
Eating ground beef that is undercooked can make you sick. Bacteria can transfer to you when you handle ground beef or touch a person's hands or an object that was in contact with meat. Even grease carries bacteria. An audible rumbling in your...
Most cases of food poisoning are caused by one of many bacteria. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine (HMC) points out that the most common bacteria to cause food poisoning include salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, escherichia...
Foodborne illness affects an estimated 76 million people in the United States each year, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the most dangerous infectious agents is E. coli O157:H7 -- a strain of...
Toxins in food can cause a variety of unpleasant illnesses, ranging from mild to severe. Toxins develop when food is contaminated with bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the most commonly recognized food-borne...
Pat Buck remembers, all too well, the helpless bedside moments she spent with her daughter Barbara Kowalcyk and then-suffering grandson, Kevin. "You're graphically there. The smells are horrible. The sights are horrible. The cries are pitiful. And...
The liver is involved with many functions in the body, including the control of infections, the removal of toxins and bacteria from the bloodstream, the making of proteins that assist in the clotting of blood, the production of bile, and helping...
Genital and oral herpes is caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Infection with HSV causes outbreaks of sores on the genitalia, as well as in and around the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Food poisoning is an infection caused by microbes ingested from contaminated foods. Bacteria, viruses and parasites can contaminate fast food during any stage of their collection, processing or distribution. If this food is eaten raw or...
Potassium is an important electrolyte in the body's cells. Its functions include helping stimulate muscle contractions, maintain an appropriate fluid balance, and preserve the acid-base balance in the blood. Low potassium can cause weakness,...
Valacyclovir, sold under the brand name Valtrex, is a medication that treats herpes (viral infection that causes chicken pox or shingles) in children and adults, states Drugs.com. Tell your doctor whether you suffer from autoimmune disorders such...
Thrombocytopenia is the term used to describe a low platelet count. Platelets are the blood cells responsible for clotting off blood and preventing excessive bleeding. There are many reasons for a decreased platelet count, but in general,...
Leg cramps, painful contractions of the lower leg muscles and feet, often wake sufferers from a sound sleep. Leg cramps occur more frequently in older people and pregnant women. Nocturnal leg cramps, leg cramps that occur during the night, often...
Though quinine has been used therapeutically since the 17th century, it has not lost favor as one of the first-line treatments for malaria. Quinine works by binding to the DNA of the malaria parasite, preventing its replication. With the infection...
