Mumps is a contagious viral infection that affects the parotid glands. The parotid glands are one of three pairs of salivary glands that are located below and in front of your ears. When a person develops mumps, they will experience painful swelling in one or both of the parotid glands. Mumps may also be known as a parvovirus infection.
Read MoreMononucleosis is also known as mono, Epstein-Barr virus infection, or “the kissing disease”. Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. The condition is transmitted by an infected person’s saliva. Therefore, you can catch the condition by sharing saliva with someone either by kissing, sharing a drink, sharing food utensils, or being close to someone who has mono and coughs or sneezes. Mono can last anywhere from ten days to three months. Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment for mono. Treatment often includes treating the symptoms and getting plenty of rest. Otherwise, mono usually goes away by itself.
Read MoreMenorrhagia is a condition that affects women and is characterized by having very heavy menstrual periods with prolonged bleeding. Menorrhagia is more severe than just having an abnormally heavy period once in a while because with menorrhagia, women experience a heavy loss of blood during every menstrual period. While it is concerning in general for premenopausal women to experience heavy blood loss, most premenopausal women do not experience such a heavy blood loss to be considered menorrhagia. It is estimated that about 10 percent of women in the United States have menorrhagia.
Read MoreLaryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. Your larynx is more commonly known as your voice box. The condition occurs as a result of developing an infection, irritation, or simply overuse of the vocal cords. There vocal cords are found inside the larynx. The vocal cords normally open and close smoothly which produces our normal talking voices. However, when you have laryngitis, the vocal cords become irritated and inflamed. As a result, the vocal cords swell and this produces an abnormal talking voice which sounds hoarse. In severe cases of the condition, you may lose your voice completely.
Read MoreKidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease, is a life-long condition in which the kidney gradually loses function. About 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Millions of others are at an increased risk for developing the disease and are not aware of it. With the progression of kidney disease, wastes build up in your blood. As a result, complications can occur such as high blood pressure, high potassium levels which can impair heart health, central nerve damage, anemia, poor nutritional health, weak bones, and a decreased immune response.
Read MoreSimply put, retinoblastoma is a rare malignant tumor of the retina that most commonly affects young children. It is a cancer of the eye that starts in the retina, and although considered an early childhood cancer, it can occur (rarely) in adults as well. This type of eye cancer effects the retina, as mentioned, which is the part of the eye that is responsible for sensing light and sending images of what you see to the brain. The layer of nerve tissue that makes up the retina sends signals of the light it senses through the optic nerve to the brain. It is in the brain that these signals are translated into the images we ultimately see.
Read MoreHirsutism is a condition that occurs in women and is characterized by unwanted body hair in the male-pattern form. The condition causes an excessive amount of body hair that appears in areas on women’s bodies where men usually grow body hair such as the back, chest, and face. It is estimated that about one in twenty women in the United States has hirsutism.
Read MoreHistoplasmosis is a fungal infection that is caused by inhaling fungal spores into your lungs. The spores of a fungus are often found in the fecal matter of birds and bats which is often found in soil. People are most commonly exposed to histoplasmosis when these fungal spores are airborne during cleanup or demolition projects. It is most often found in the mid-Atlantic, southeastern, and central regions of the United States. The illness can either be mild or life-threatening. Histoplasmosis most often affects your lungs. However, if the infection is severe, it can spread throughout the entire body. There are about 250,000 people in the United States who get histoplasmosis each year.
Read MoreHepatitis A is an extremely contagious infection of the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis A virus and causes inflammation of the liver which affects the liver’s ability to function. It is one of three of the most common types of hepatitis viruses: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A is the mildest form of hepatitis. There are about 20,000 people in the United States who get hepatitis A every year.
Read MoreJust the thought of spiders is enough to make most of us queasy, but what about getting bit by one? Is this bite something to be worried about? And if you are bitten, what should you do? Getting bitten by a spider is usually not something to worry about, unless it is a large spider such as a tarantula that may be able to puncture the skins surface, or a spider that produces venom. Venomous spiders include the brown recluse spider, and the infamous black widow spider which we will describe here.
Read MoreMaybe it’s the middle of the night, you wake up coughing, choking. Or perhaps you are at work, you have a big greasy meal for lunch, and all of a sudden you feel a burning, stabbing, insistent pain in your chest.
Sound familiar?
If these scenarios do sound familiar, you could be one of the 15 million Americans who suffer from heartburn and acid reflux daily.
Read MoreAn autoimmune disease is a disorder that arises from an unusual immune response of the body against healthy body tissue. Essentially, it is the body mistakenly attacking and destroying itself. This may be restricted to certain organs or involve a particular tissue. Immunosuppressants, medications that decreases the immune response, are typically the treatment for the more than 80 different types of autoimmune diseases. Some examples of autoimmune diseases that may sound familiar are Celiac disease, thyroiditis, fibromyalgia, Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Read MoreChagas disease is a potentially life threatening disease that typically found in parts of Latin America. It is also called American trypanosomiasis named after the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which it is caused by. This parasite and disease is spread through a 6 legged vector, or insect dubbed the “kissing bug” which carries the parasite. You might be asking yourself why the triatomine bug is nicknamed the “kissing bug”, and the reason is not as cute as the name might let on. They are called “kissing bugs” because their favorite place to feed, or suck blood, is the face.
Read MoreWest Nile virus is caused by a virus that is commonly spread by infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get infected after biting infected birds. While West Nile virus is usually found in other parts of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, India and parts of Asia, the virus is present in the United States as well. There are about 1,000 cases of West Nile virus reported in the United States each year. However, these numbers can vary.
Read MoreWernicke’s syndrome is a type of brain disorder that is caused by a long-term, inefficient amount of vitamin B1 (thiamine). It is also known as Wernicke's encephalopathy or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The condition most often occurs among people who suffer from alcoholism. However, it can also occur among people who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, are vomiting chronically, have an eating disorder, or have had bariatric surgery. Wernicke’s syndrome is actually two separate conditions, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome.
Read MoreAcute respiratory distress syndrome is the sudden failure of the respiratory system, or breathing. It can occur in anyone who is critically ill with a different illness or who is suffering from major injuries. Most people who develop this syndrome are already being hospitalized for something else. The most common symptoms people experience are quick breathing, low levels of blood oxygen, and trouble getting enough air when breathing.
Read MoreOver 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.
Read MoreAseptic 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.
Read MoreAlso 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.
Read MoreAmenorrhea 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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