What is a Peptic Ulcer?

/

Apeptic ulcer is an open sore or hole that develops inside the lining of the stomach, esophagus, and the upper part of the small intestine (also known as the duodenum). It may be caused by a bacterial infection such as H. pylori, stomach acids, or even from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. A peptic ulcer may also be known as a duodenal ulcer, a gastric ulcer, or a stomach (gastric) ulcer. It is estimated that about 1 in every 50 people in the United States have peptic ulcers. 

Read More

What you should know about heat exaustion

/
What you should know about heat exaustion

Heat exhaustion is a condition that is caused by being exposed to high temperatures for a long period of time. It is a heat-related illness and is often accompanied by dehydration. Heat exhaustion may also be known as sunstroke. The main symptoms include a rapid pulse, heavy sweating, both of which are caused by your body overheating after being exposed to high temperatures. Heat exhaustion is preventable. It is estimated that heat exhaustion and heat-related illnesses in general affects millions of people in the United States at some point in their lives.

Read More

Ever Heard of Sleep Paralysis?

/
Ever Heard of Sleep Paralysis?

This may be the scariest thing you ever read on SamadiMD. There is a condition called Sleep Paralysis. No this is not insomnia or sleep apnea, this is a condition or phenomenon that occurs either when falling asleep or being awakened. It's thought to be a mix-up of normal REM sleep (the deepest sleep we achieve throughout the night.) People who experience it are in some sense conscious and aware that they're aware they're in bed for example. But some part of their body believes they're still asleep, in particular their muscles. The muscles become paralyzed, something that happens in REM sleep. Some scientists believe this is an evolutionary mechanism that prevents people from acting out their dreams. 

Read More

What is a Ganglion Cyst?

/
What is a Ganglion Cyst?

A ganglion cyst is a benign (noncancerous) lump or sac-like swelling that most commonly occurs on the tissues that line the tendons or joints of your wrists or hands. They also may occur in the ankles and feet. They are usually harmless. Ganglion cysts are the most common cyst of the hands and wrists. A ganglion cyst usually appears round or oval in shape and are filled with a jelly-like fluid. Ganglion cysts may be small or large. The larger cysts are usually about an inch in diameter. If a ganglion cyst grows near a nerve and puts pressure on that nerve, they can be painful. Depending on where they are growing, they may disrupt a person’s normal movement, especially within their joints.

Read More

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels?

/
What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels?

How does blood sugar work? How is sugar transferred into the blood? Sugar in the blood or also called glucose comes directly from what we eat. The digestive system breaks down that food into glucose and absorbs it into the blood. That's why eating foods high in carbohydrates provide most of the glucose in your diet. Once glucose enters the blood, cells throughout the body use it for energy. The pancreas produces insulin as soon as blood sugar levels begin to rise. Insulin is an important hormone that helps transport glucose into cells. 

Read More

What is Venous Insufficiency?

/
What is Venous Insufficiency?

We might take moving around with ease for granted, but the body has a lot of functions going on in the background just to help us get from point A to point B. one of these functions is that of circulation, where the blood circulates to and from the lungs, transporting nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells to and from the cells in the body.  The function of circulation is to provide our body and its cells with nourishment, helping it work properly.  Within the circulatory system, the arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart and lungs to the rest of the body, while veins carry deoxygenated blood away from the body and back to the heart and lungs to get oxygenated.

Read More

Learning About Agoraphobia?

/
Learning About Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is a condition that is characterized by the fear of open spaces or being in any environment where escaping is difficult. People with agoraphobia have an intense fear of being in open places such as in a crowd or on public transportation. It is considered an anxiety disorder and people develop it as a result of having a panic disorder. The condition can sometimes be so severe that it interferes with people’s daily lives because in some cases, agoraphobia causes people to never leave their house. It is estimated that about one percent of people in the United States suffer from agoraphobia.

Read More

Toxic Algae On West Coast Affecting Seafood

/
Toxic Algae On West Coast Affecting Seafood

Have you heard? Toxic algae is taking over the West Coast, and has become denser and more widespread and deeper than scientists predicting a few weeks back. According to surveyors aboard a National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration research ship found a coastal ribbon microscopic algae up to 40 miles wide and 650 feet deep in places. It seems to be growing rapidly in areas of the unusually warm Pacific Ocean. Now stretching from California to Alaska, the algae has even shut down larger fisheries. 

Read More

Lower Back Pain? This Could Be Why

/
Lower Back Pain? This Could Be Why

Lower back pain can be quite a debilitating issue that even young people experience. Lower back pain is not just caused by an injury or just a given. It can be caused by a variety of problems. The spinal muscles are a complex, interconnected network of nerves, bones, discs and tendons in the lumbar spine.  

Read More

10 ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE

/
10 ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE

1. Legionnaires’ disease got its name from a 1976 outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. After returning home from the convention, a number of Legionnaires began experiencing mysterious symptoms like fevers that reached 107 degrees, as well as pneumonia (a lung infection). By the following month, 6 of the 14 infected men had died, reports the Times, yet laboratory tests couldn’t determine a cause for the illnesses.The outbreak quickly made front page news amid fears of an epidemic. Six months after the initial cases were identified, doctors discovered that the illness was caused by a bacterium, which they named Legionella pneumophila. Legionella grows in warm water, and the outbreak at the convention was spread by the hotel’s air-conditioning system.

Read More

Do you have cystitis?

/
Do you have cystitis?

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder. The inflammation of the bladder is caused by a urinary tract infection or UTI, which is a bacterial infection. Cystitis more commonly affects women, however men can get it too. In either case, cystitis can affect a person’s quality of life and therefore requires treatment. Men who suffer from an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), kidney stones, or a urethral stricture have an increased risk for cystitis. 

Read More

What is pemphigus?

/
What is pemphigus?

Pemphigus is a rare disease and autoimmune disorder that is characterized by group of skin disorders that cause blisters and sores on the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, mouth, and genitals. It is not contagious. There are two main types of pemphigus: pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. Pemphigus vulgaris is the most common type. Pemphigus can occur at any age, however, people who are middle aged or older are most often affected. It is estimated that about 1 in 20,000 to one in a million people develop some form of pemphigus each year.

Read More

Local Anesthetic Toxicity

/
Local Anesthetic Toxicity

When we receive local anesthesia, for a small procedure, biopsy or stitches we never expect that we are in danger. And in general, these local anesthetics are safe, but in some special cases getting local anesthesia can prove to be toxic.  Toxicity can occur if the anesthetic is administered inappropriately, that is at higher than normal doses or in the wrong tissue type than it is intended. Toxicity can also occur in some people even when the local anesthetic is properly given, if for instance the body has an allergic reaction to the anesthetic.  If a person does get toxicity from a local anesthetic, the reaction can fall into two categories: local or systemic. 

Read More

What is pancreatitis?

/
What is pancreatitis?

ancreatitis can either be acute or chronic. Acute pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes suddenly inflamed, which only lasts for a few days. Symptoms can be mild, severe, and even life-threatening. With proper treatment, acute pancreatitis can be treated. But if acute pancreatitis is left untreated, this can lead to infection, bleeding, cysts, or severe tissue damage, and can also being to affect the kidneys, heart, or lungs.

Read More

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

/
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

You’ve probably heard of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease and a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. But what about when this happens in children under 17, not at the usual over 40?   This persistent joint pain, swelling, and stiffness in children is known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  Interestingly, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects about 50,000 children in the United States alone.

Read More

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

/
Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is deterioration in the central area of the retina, called the macula. The macula is a part of the eye within the retina which is responsible for giving us sharp, central vision.   Because of the central location of the macula, the effects of macular degeneration can be debilitating to those who suffer from it.  Moreover, macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss for those over 50, effecting over 10 million Americans.

Read More

Restless Leg Syndrome

/
Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease affects up to 15% of people in America.  The disorder can cause itching, burning, and aching in the legs when you are at rest and lead to major issues with your sleep patterns.   This sleep-related movement disorder gets its name from the overpowering urges to move the legs while at rest.   These urges for movement can cause uncomfortable sensation in the limbs and oftentimes hurt. 

Read More

Do You Suffer From Insomnia?

/
Do You Suffer From Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by the inability to fall asleep, having extreme difficulty falling asleep, or problems staying asleep. People who suffer from insomnia often wake up and can never get back to sleep or are never able to get to sleep in the first place. As a result, they often feel a lack of energy which can interfere with a person’s daily routine. It can also affect your mood, quality of life, and overall health. It is very important for people to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. It is estimated that about 30 percent to 50 percent of people in the United States will have insomnia at some point in their life.

Read More

What is intussusception?

/
What is intussusception?

Intussusception is a serious condition that occurs as a result of part of the intestine sliding into an adjacent part of the intestine. When this happens, the intestine becomes blocked and food and fluids are unable to pass through. Intussusception also causes the intestine that the condition is affecting to be cut off from its normal blood supply. This condition can result in a tear in the bowel (also known as perforation). It can also result in an infection and death of bowel tissue.

Read More

Tips to Sleep Better with GERD

/
Tips to Sleep Better with GERD

GERD is also another name for acid reflux. Acid reflux can affect everyday activities. Not everyone’s reflux is triggered by the same foods or drinks.  If the items listed above don’t seem to get your acid churning, keep a food journal and note the meals that brought on reflux symptoms.  Once you have identified the food that is bringing on acid reflux, you can try to avoid it. If you frequently suffer from acid reflux at night, you may find relief is as simple as avoiding big meals before bed and raising the head of your bed.  More prone to reflux when laying down or bending over. When we are standing, gravity lends a helping hand in keeping food down in the stomach.  When we lay down, we lose the effect of gravity and will often experience worse acid reflux.

Read More