The spleen is located behind the stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It is approximately five inches long by three inches wide, and just under two inches thick. Although it has many functions---including filtering blood, destroying...
Vaccines are not without side effects, and that includes the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. Cervical cancer has been linked to certain strains of the Human papilloma virus (HPV), and the Gardasil vaccine protects against HPV. Essentially, the...
Childhood immunizations are given primarily as recommended by pediatric organizations and your child's physician. Vaccinations serve a purpose in protecting your child from serious illnesses, but, in certain cases, immunizations are not...
Before the introduction of polio vaccine, the U.S. reported 13,000 to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio each year. Although 95 percent of people infected with poliovirus show no signs of disease, the virus causes permanent paralysis--which can lead...
A compromised immune system increases your risk of contracting viral or bacterial infections -- like the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu. Young children's immune systems are typically weaker, increasing their risk of disease. Certain...
The Influenza vaccine is available in two types: inactive influenza injection and active nasal spray. The injection contains dead virus cells and is U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved for healthy people and those with chronic illness older...
All children get sick from time to time, and hopefully these sniffles, spots and rashes will pass in a relatively short time. However, long-term chronic and acute diseases in children can alter a child's life forever. With the economy making it...
The hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the United States in 1981, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis B vaccination has been a routine part of childhood vaccination since 1991. Since the introduction of...
The Center For Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, divides travel vaccinations into three categories: routine, recommended and required. Depending on which area of Europe you are traveling to, you may not need any additional vaccinations. Always...
According to a 2008 article in the journal "Vaccine", influenza strains are constantly evolving and mutating through two processes known as "antigentic shift" and "antigenic drift" genes. Therefore, laboratories around the world routinely collect...
The cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, has the amazing ability to prevent cancer from occurring. Researchers developed the vaccine because of statistics which show that cervical cancer affects approximately 10,000 women a year in the US....
Vaccinations are common during childhood but they're also somewhat controversial. According to KidsHealth website, some parents fear the effects of vaccine in the body and as a result question the idea of vaccinating their children. If you're...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the best way to prevent flu infections is to get vaccinated each year. Yearly vaccinations are recommended as the formula changes each year in anticipation of newly...
A pneumococcal vaccine is an injectable treatment administered to patients to help prevent pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia or meningitis. There are two types of this vaccine: conjugate and polysaccharide. The conjugate pneumococcal...
How do I know if I need any travel immunizations? If you are traveling outside the continental United States, Hawaii or Alaska, it would be wise to visit your healthcare provider to determine if you indeed need vaccinations. Before your visit, you...
Each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues guidelines outlining the type of influenza vaccine recommended for specific groups of individuals sorted by age, medical status and other factors. In 2009, the CDC carried...
Disease is an unfortunate fact of human life, but it is not always inevitable. Many diseases can be prevented with the tools and knowledge accessible to everyone in the modern era. Avoiding disease involves maintaining awareness of your own...
Smoking can damage the lungs and lead to respiratory conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. If you develop a chronic lung condition, it makes you much more susceptible to lung infections. Even if you don't have a chronic lung...
Vaccines and flu shots generally are considered safe by health officials. However, like any medication, a vaccine or flu shot can cause side effects, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is possible for your toddler to have...
Meningitis is a condition in which the meninges, which is a layer of tissue around the central nervous system, becomes inflamed. Meningitis can be caused by viral and bacterial infections. There is a vaccine for one form of bacterial meningitis,...
In 1982, the first hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the United States. That year, the first official recommendations were issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The aim was to immunize children and adults who were at a high...
"Flu" is a generic term for a syndrome of respiratory infection produced by several distinct influenza viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the flu vaccine for children who are six months or older. There are two forms of the vaccine--an injection and an inhaled version that's placed inside the nostrils. The flu shot...
Gardasil, otherwise known as quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18 recombinant vaccine, guards against genital warts, cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities leading to cervical cancer. The vaccine is recommended for...
The pneumonia vaccine works by introducing the body to a small quantity of the bacteria responsible for the illness. MayoClinic.com reports that the bacteria helps the body build antibodies to defend itself against future exposure to the illness....
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. Instead of being cleared from the body as most viruses are, VZV remains dormant long after recovery from chickenpox. In some people, the virus may...
HPV is the acronym for (genital) human papillomavirus, the most commonly transmitted sexual infection. Like other viruses, HPV cannot reproduce on its own but must get inside another host cell and take it over. There are 40 varieties that infect...
According to Immunization Action Coalition, the first seasonal influenza vaccine in the United States became available in 1945. The flu vaccine is recommended to provide seasonal protection against the influenza virus. The influenza virus is a...
Flu vaccines come in two forms: a shot and a nasal spray (marketed as FluMist). The main difference is that the spray contains weakened live virus and the shot contains killed virus. Both forms are effective, but the spray is not recommended for...
A pap smear is a gynecological test designed to detect premalignant and malignant processes in the cervix and uterus. Get tips and advice on preventing, diagnosing, and treating cervical and uterine cancer in this medical video.
Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus and usually contracted by consuming contaminated food or water. Learn more about hepatitis A, including symptoms and treatments, in this video.
Rubella, or German measles, is an often benign outbreak of little red bumps that usually pass in one to five days. Learn more in this health video.
Measles, also called rubeola, is primarily a respiratory infection caused by a highly contagious virus found all over the world. Measles can be serious, especially in small children. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and...
