Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. The appendix is a small, tube-like structure attached to the first part of the large intestine (also called the colon). It is located in the lower right portion of the abdomen, but it has no known function, and removal of it appears to cause no change in digestive function. Once appendicitis starts, there is no effective medical therapy, so appendicitis is considered a medical emergency....
An expiratory reserve volume (ERV) is the amount of air that can be breathed out after a normal exhalation. In other words, if you were breathing in and out normally, but then forcefully pushed out as much additional air as possible after an exhale, the extra air would represent your expiratory reserve volume. This is measurement is obtained during lung volume testing through spirometry, a type of pulmonary function test, or PFT....
The most common type of food allergy in adults is triggered by fruits and vegetables, not peanuts, tree nuts, or even shellfish. Although peanut and nut allergies tend to get the most attention, you’re actually more likely to be allergic to nectarines and apples than you are to nuts. Allergic reactions to fruits and vegetables stem from what’s called oral allergy syndrome (OAS), a condition that causes a reaction to foods that are structurally similar to allergenic pollens....
A person’s tobacco use can play a role in how much they pay for health insurance coverage even though the Affordable Care Act brought dramatic changes to the way individual and small group health insurance premiums are determined. Insurance companies can no longer base premium on an applicant’s medical history (or a small group’s overall medical history), and cannot reject an applicant based on their pre-existing conditions or overall health history....
Fanconi anemia is a rare inherited disorder that often leads to progressive bone marrow failure and increases the risk of cancer. FA affects multiple systems of the body, so at the time of diagnosis, it is important that patients are referred to a hematologist (a doctor specializing in blood disorders) with expertise in FA for medical monitoring and management. There is no cure for FA, and its management poses many challenges....
Joint pain has many causes, including many types of arthritis (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout) and some that aren’t arthritis-related (e.g., fibromyalgia, thyroid disease, Lyme disease, depression). Joint pain can feel different depending on the cause. It might feel like a sudden, sharp pain. You might notice stiffness, burning, or a dull ache. With so many causes, the reason for your joint pain can be hard to diagnose. And until you know the cause, you won’t know the best way to treat it....
If you have arthritis, joint pain relief is an important part of your treatment and management plan. Many treatment options are available, including arthritis medication, topical treatments, injections, and more. This article discusses joint pain causes and arthritis treatments that you may want to explore. Causes of Joint Pain The word arthritis means joint pain. It’s the name of a large group of diseases, and it’s also sometimes used to describe a symptom, such as when an illness like the flu causes joint pain....
What Is Merrem? Merrem (Meropenem) is an antibiotic medication administered intravenously (IV; into a vein) and delivered by a trained healthcare provider. Merrem is used to treat complicated skin and skin structure infections, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and bacterial meningitis in adults and children 3 months and older. Merrem belongs to a class of drugs called carbapenems. Carbapenems are antibiotics (medicines that fight bacterial infections in people and animals) used to treat complicated bacterial infections....
Myositis literally means “muscle inflammation.” The term myositis also describes the group of conditions—called inflammatory myopathies—that cause chronic muscle inflammation, damage, weakness, and (sometimes) pain. Myositis-type inflammation is caused by lymphocytes, white blood cells that typically protect the body’s immune system. With myositis, lymphocytes and foreign substances invade healthy muscle fibers. Chronic (ongoing) inflammation, over time, destroys muscle fibers, causing muscle function loss, immobility, and fatigue. Because of its rarity, a diagnosis of myositis isn’t always easy to make, and the cause of it is not always known....
Pencil-in-cup is a rare type of deformity associated with arthritis mutilans (AM), a severe form of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The term “pencil-in-cup” is used to describe what the affected bone looks like on an X-ray. The appearance is similar to that of a bone having worn away and now resembling a sharpened pencil that is facing a bone that also has worn away and is now in the shape of a cup....
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints. Fatigue is a very common symptom of PsA and often makes it difficult to do even the simplest activities of daily living. Fatigue can be caused by inflammation, PsA symptoms, or disease complications, such as anemia and depression. Here is what you need to know about what causes PsA fatigue and what you can do to preserve and improve energy levels....
Psoriatic arthritis mutilans is a rare subtype of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Fewer than 5% of people with PsA develop the condition. Though it’s most common in people with PsA it can also develop in those with rheumatoid arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis mutilans is also the most destructive form of PsA. In addition to common PsA symptoms, psoriatic arthritis mutilans damages and destroys the affected joints and bones. This article discusses causes, symptoms, and treatment for psoriatic arthritis mutilans, as well as coping strategies for living with this condition....
The wrist consists of two rows of carpal bones, one row on top of the other. The scaphoid bone is one of the eight small wrist bones. Because of its location and size, the scaphoid bone is the most common wrist bone to fracture. In most cases, falling causes the fracture. The location and severity of the break will dictate if casting or surgery is required for treatment of a scaphoid fracture....
Stem cell transplants are used to treat some types of cancer, particularly those of the blood or immune system such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, or lymphoma. The stem cells can be taken from a donor (allogeneic stem cell transplant) or they may be harvested from the person who is receiving the stem cell transplant (autologous stem cell transplant). The procedure involves harvesting (taking) healthy stem cells from bone marrow, blood, or cord blood (from a newborn)....
The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, better known as the ADI-R, is one of a battery of tests used to screen for and diagnose children with autism. Because there is no medical test for autism, evaluators rely on a variety of tools including checklists, observations, interactive tests, and interview questions that are administered to the parents of young children with possible symptoms of autism or an autism spectrum disorder. Some of the most commonly used tests include the Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (CHAT), the modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), the Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds (STAT), and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)....
Although once considered just a nuisance, insect bites can lead to serious medical problems. Not only can certain insects and ticks spread diseases like West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the bites themselves can become infected with bacteria, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). And now folks have the Zika virus to worry about, especially if they plan to travel to areas with active outbreaks, including South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean....
Are you currently experiencing irritation, itchiness, or vaginal skin peeling? If so, it is important that you know these symptoms are all common and normal. There are many potential causes of vaginal skin peeling, but the condition can be treated as soon as its cause is determined. Read more about how to diagnose and treat peeling skin in the vagina. Causes Multiple conditions may lead to vulvitis (inflammation of the vulva) or vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina)....
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pretty much everyone get a flu shot. However, there are certain groups of people for which the flu shot is not advised or who need to go over the pros and cons of a flu vaccine with their healthcare providers first. For these people, the vaccine may pose significant risks and even be life-threatening. Given the fact that the flu shot is the most effective method of preventing infection, it’s important to know if you truly fall into a group of people who should not get a flu vaccine....
In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland fails to produce enough of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (also called T4). Because T4 is critically important in regulating the body’s metabolism, digestive function, muscle function, and cardiac function, hypothyroidism is always a serious problem. The thyroid gland itself is regulated by the hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), which is produced in the pituitary gland. If the thyroid gland is not producing enough T4, the TSH levels increase in order to stimulate the thyroid to work harder....
Tea tree oil, honey, and turmeric are used as natural (homeopathic) treatments for Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Some people may choose to complement traditional treatments with natural (homeopathic) treatments. These home remedies won’t provide the proven results of traditional treatments, but some research and anecdotal evidence suggest they may provide some relief. In this article, we’ll discuss which homeopathic remedies can help manage hidradenitis suppurativa, and how to get the benefits....
