Learning About Avascular Necrosis

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Learning About Avascular Necrosis

Over 15,000 people are diagnosed with avascular necrosis every year in the United States. This bone disorder, also known as osteonecrosis, is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. Avascular necrosis can lead to tiny breaks within the bone and if it progresses enough will lead to the collapse of the entire bone.  There are several causes, like trauma to the bone itself when it is broken of dislocated.  But can also be caused by chronic use of medications like high-dose steroids.  It can affect anyone, but there is increased risk for people between the ages of 30 and 60.  If not treated early, this disorder can have significant long-term consequences.

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Understanding the Risks of Viral Meningitis

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Understanding the Risks of Viral Meningitis

Aseptic or viral meningitis is inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal core. A virus is usually the root cause such as fungi, diseases spread by insects and other conditions that trigger it. This type of meningitis is usually not as serious as bacterial meningitis, which is life-threatening. Symptoms range from headache, neck pain, stiffness, confusion, sleepiness, fatigue, fever, sensitivity to light, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and seizures. 

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Ever heard of Barbiturate Abuse?

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Ever heard of Barbiturate Abuse?

Also called, Amobarbital, mephobarbital, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, secobarbital, or tuinal abuse, Barbiturate Abuse brings on the feeling of being high, drunk or sleepy. Patients may slur their words, stagger or become confused. Chronic use can cause irritability, memory loss, and difficulty dealing with people. High doses of Barbiturates, a type of prescription sedatives, can even induce a coma, make it difficult to breath and even cause death. 

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What is amenorrhea?

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What is amenorrhea?

Amenorrhea is a condition in which a woman does not menstruate or experiences one or more missed menstrual periods. There are two types of amenorrhea: primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a girl does not get her period by age 15. Secondary amenorrhea is when a female has had a normal menstrual cycle, but stops getting them or has missed at least three consecutive menstrual periods. Less than one percent of girls in the United States have primary amenorrhea.

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What is an ACL injury?

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What is an ACL injury?

An ACL injury stands for an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It may also be known as a torn ACL. It is one of the most common types of knee injuries. There are about 200,000 people in the United States who have an ACL injury every year.

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Types of dementia

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Types of dementia

Vascular Dementia. Usually caused by a major stroke, or one or more silent strokes. The initial symptom is usually having poor judgement or difficulty planning, organizing, and making decisions. Other symptoms may include memory problems that disrupt your daily life, trouble speaking or understanding speech, problems recognizing sights and sounds that used to be familiar, being confused or agitated, changes in personality and mood, or problems walking and having frequent falls.

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How Alcoholism Develops

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How Alcoholism Develops

Many of us have a drink with dinner, or a few when going out with friends or at family gatherings.  But for some people, the occasional drink is not occasional at all, but habitual and excessive.  Alcoholism is a disease where the body becomes physically addicted or dependent on alcohol. For many alcoholics, as with other substance abuse disorders, drinking becomes a compulsion rather than a choice.  This means alcoholics continue to drink despite the deleterious effects on personal relationships, everyday life and overall health.  Many suffering from alcoholism may not even recognize that they have it, and can’t recognize the symptoms that they display.  About 8% of Americans are diagnosed as alcoholics. 

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What is an Achilles tendon rupture?

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What is an Achilles tendon rupture?

An Achilles tendon rupture is an injury that affects the back of the lower leg. It most common among people who play sports. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel. It is the tendon that is responsible for making it possible to walk, jump, run, and point your toes. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. If it is not used often, it can become weak. An Achilles tendon can tear or rupture if it is overstretched. The tear can be a partial tear or a full tear.  

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What is a benign lipoma?

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What is a benign lipoma?

A benign lipoma is a collection of fatty cells that form a lump, or a fatty tumor, underneath the skin. They are usually located between the skin and the muscular layer beneath the skin. Benign lipomas are not cancerous and are usually harmless. They are the most common type of soft tissue tumor. Benign lipomas are most often found on the shoulders, arms, trunk and back. However, they can occur anywhere in the body. Benign lipomas are very rare - about one percent of the population has at least one lipoma.

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How Athlete’s Foot is Contracted

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How Athlete’s Foot is Contracted

The name athlete’s foot sheds light on the origins of this skin condition, but don't let the name trick you. Anyone can get this itchy, bothersome condition, not just athletes.  In fact, about 70% of people will get athlete's foot at some point in their life. This makes the fungal infection, typically one that begins between the toes, very common.  To put this percentage into perspective, the United States sees more than 3 million cases per year.  

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Symptoms of Bell's Palsy

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Symptoms of Bell's Palsy

Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes muscle weakness or paralysis in the facial muscles. When a person has Bell’s palsy, it looks like their face is drooping on one side. It is possible for Bell’s palsy to affect both sides of the face, however this is rarely seen. Bell’s palsy is also known as facial palsy. It is unclear what causes Bell’s palsy, however some believe that it is caused by inflammation and swelling that occurs in the nerve that controls the muscles on the side of the face that it affects.

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Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

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Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Snoring can be an annoying habit, especially for your partner or roommate, but might not be as harmless as some background noise.  For those living with sleep apnea, snoring can be a serious symptom.  Sleep apnea is when people stop and restart breathing multiple times while sleeping. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is often linked to obesity, especially in the U.S.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are over 18 million Americans who suffer from sleep apnea.

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What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

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What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD) is behavioral disorder that often occurs in children. It is one of the most common childhood behavioral disorders. However, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can also occur in teenagers and adults. With attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is very hard for a person to concentrate, control their impulses, and act in a calm manner. Even though it is most common among children, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is often not diagnosed until adolescence or adulthood. 

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Foodborne illness outbreaks: How to stay safe

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Foodborne illness outbreaks: How to stay safe

Food-borne illness, also referred to as food poisoning, results from eating food contaminated by infectious organisms and/or their toxins.  These infectious organisms can contaminate food throughout the production process: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, transporting or cooking.  Contamination does not necessarily only happen at one point in the process, but could have occurred at multiple points.  Their rough, porous skin is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. 

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What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

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What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is also known as OCD. It involves having irrational thoughts, fears and obsessions that cause a person to have compulsions, or repetitive behaviors. Some people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder may only have one or the other (obsessions or compulsions). About 1 in 50 people in the United States has OCD.

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Understanding Shingles

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Understanding Shingles

Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus.  This viral infection may sound foreign, but it is actually the virus that causes chickenpox, the bane of everyone’s childhood.  Shingles in essence is a reoccurrence of this original chickenpox, but at a later time. But why or how does this happen?  Following the resolution of chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus lies dormant in the spinal dorsal root ganglia, or the spinal cord nerves until something triggers a reactivation is triggered.  This is important as 95% of adults have antibodies to varicella zoster virus and all those individuals are vulnerable to reactivation of infection.

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10 Surprising Risk Factors for Kidney Stones

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10 Surprising Risk Factors for Kidney Stones

The risk of kidney stones is higher in the United States than it is in the rest of the world. Although these stones do not normally cause any permanent damage, passing them can be quite painful.  Depending on the size of the stone, surgical intervention may be necessary. Kidney stones are a relatively common occurrence, especially in the United States.  They affect approximately one in ten people throughout their lifetime, and the incidence of kidney stones has actually increased over the past few decades. 

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Eating disorders – Would you recognize one if you saw it?

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Eating disorders – Would you recognize one if you saw it?

Recognizing an eating disorder may not be as easy as you think.  Individuals with an eating disorder can become very good at hiding their condition and individuals close to them may not be attuned to know what to look for or realize what’s going on. An eating disorder is any range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.  They involve having an obsession with food and weight that harms a person’s physical and emotional well-being.  

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Autism On The Decline, Diagnoses On The Rise

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Autism On The Decline, Diagnoses On The Rise

Autism is a disease that affect millions around the world and about 1 in 68 children.  The rate of Autism has steadily grown over the last 20 years. According to a new study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, it is not Autism that's on the rise, it's actually Autism diagnoses. How we understand Autism Spectrum Disorder has evolved over the past 15 years. More children are being diagnosed with autism than ever before due to recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V).

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What You Need to Know About Scabies

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What You Need to Know About Scabies

When we hear the word scabies, we think of a medieval disease that couldn’t possibly find its way into a modern home or life.  The reality is, scabies is still present in modern day, and presents itself as an itchy, red skin condition stemming from superficial burrows in the skin.  This infection of the skin is caused by a tiny burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. When exposed to the mite, a person experiences intense itching on the area of the skin that the mite decides to burrow in.  This mite, or the scabies that it causes, is very contagious and can easily be spread to anyone within close physical contact.

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