You knew better. You shouldn’t have eaten the greasy fried chicken along with the fried onion rings and spicy dipping sauce at lunch. Eventually it comes back to haunt you in the form of heartburn, acid reflux or GERD. Whichever form it takes, it makes life unpleasant leading to feelings of stress, irritability and pain.
Read MoreAccording to the World Health Organization, all those diagnosed as HIV positive need access to antiretroviral AIDS drugs, to keep the HIV virus from progressing and becoming AIDS. The antiretroviral drugs halt the virus and allow those diagnosed with HIV to continue to lead relatively healthy lives. UNAIDS hopes to end the threat of AIDS pandemic by 2030, and has put a five-year, fast-track plan together making HIV treatment more available to those diagnosed, quicker. Thus far, their fast track plan has shown results, and we are hopeful it will mean less death by AIDS globally.
Read MoreAs for how Sheen contracted HIV, he says he is not sure how it happened. He also said that since being diagnosed, he has informed every sexual partner he’s had and that he was sure, in fact that it was “impossible” that he had not given it to them. There are two ways HIV is spread in the United States: sexual intercourse, and sharing needles. Although Sheen has a history of drug use, he denied any possibility of contracting the virus through sharing needles. He did admit to having frequent visits with prostitutes in his life.
Read MoreLegionnaires’ disease is a severe infection caused by Legionella species, primarily L. pneumophila. L. pneumophila is responsible for 90 percent of infections. The disease is a common cause of severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization. Symptoms may include a high fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, headaches, and diarrhea. In the United States, it is estimated that about 8,000 to 18,000 people hospitalized each year due to Legionnaires’ disease, however only about 3,000 cases are reported to the CDC.
Read MoreAsthma is a chronic lung disease that affects more than 25 million people in the United States. Asthma interferes with breathing by inflaming, thereby narrowing the airways. Asthma is typically characterized by episodes of breathlessness and wheezing. When these episodes are more serious, they are known as asthma attacks. Because the trouble starts from chronic inflammation in the airways that carry air to the lungs, it is good to know how these airways work.
Read MoreThe hair loss isn't permanent. Unlike age-related or natural baldness, alopecia areata does not damage your hair's ability to grow back. Your immune cells come in and surround hair follicles like a swarm of bees, which stops them from producing hair. But once your immune system settles down, hair often grows back just as before.
Read MoreEmphysema is a condition in which the alveoli at the end of the bronchioles of the lungs are destroyed as a result of damage that occurs with exposure to harmful substances. It is one of the most common conditions that cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. It is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in the lungs. It causes the airflow from the lungs to become obstructed. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is often caused by smoking. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have an increased risk of developing serious health conditions such as heart disease and lung cancer.
Read MoreDepending on where they appear, clots can cause deep vein thrombosis in the legs, strokes, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolisms. And although blood clotting is necessary to help stop bleeding after an injury, sometimes they can do more harm than good. A blood clot is a mass formed by platelets and fibrin in the blood to stop bleeding. However, with a blood clot disorder, blood clots may form in areas of the body that are abnormal.
Read MoreJaundice. Jaundice is a yellowish discoloration of the skin, eyes, and sometimes inside the mouth. It is one of the most common signs of an unhealthy liver and may even indicate liver disease. It is caused by a buildup of bilirubin inside the body. The liver normally processes and excretes bilirubin in bile. But when the liver isn’t functioning properly, the bilirubin builds up in the body. Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells are being broken down, which is a normal process in the body. When red blood cells are broken down excessively, jaundice can occur. This can happen even when the liver is functioning normally.
Read MoreThe signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may vary depending on the stage of the disease. The aforementioned are signs of early symptoms of the disease. People may have mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. The signs and symptoms of mild Alzheimer’s disease include wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, losing things or misplacing them in odd places, personality and behavior changes.
Read MoreHIV cannot be cured. Currently, there is no cure for HIV. However, there are treatments available to help keep virus levels low and help maintain your immune system. Some drugs work by interfering with the proteins that HIV needs to copy itself. Others work by blocking the virus from entering or inserting its genetic material into your immune cells.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to be iron deficient? An iron deficiency is a type of anemia. It is a condition in which the blood does not have enough healthy red blood cells, and therefore causes a shortage of iron in the body. Bone marrow needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without enough iron, the body can't produce enough hemoglobin for red blood cells. This type of anemia is often caused by blood loss, such as from heavy menstrual bleeding, an ulcer, cancer, a polyp somewhere in your digestive system, and prolonged use of aspirin or drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Read MoreHPV or human papilloma virus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US, affecting 75-80% of males and females in their lifetime. There are about 79 million Americans infected with HPV, and about 14 million people become newly infected each year. What most people don’t realize however, is that aside from being the leading cause of cervical cancers, it is also the leading cause of mouth and throat cancers.
Read MoreSleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts resulting in low oxygen levels in blood. Sleep apnea can cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night, but many sufferers claim they do not recall this restlessness the following morning. It also causes sleepiness and drowsiness during the day which can increase the risk of sleep deprivation related accidents and illness.
Read MoreHeart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart is not pumping blood as effectively as it should. It is estimated that there are more than three million cases of heart failure each year in the United States. It is also known as congestive heart failure and is a chronic condition. With congestive heart failure, the ventricles are unable to pump blood in ample volume. As a result, blood and other fluids get backed up inside the lungs, abdomen, liver, and lower body which can be life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure:
· Shortness of breath when you exert yourself or when you lie down
· Fatigue and weakness
· Swelling in your legs, ankles and feet
· Rapid or irregular heartbeat
· Reduced ability to exercise
· Persistent cough or wheezing
· Increased need to urinate at night
· Swelling of your abdomen
· Sudden weight gain from fluid retention
· Lack of appetite and nausea
· Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
· Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up pink, foamy mucus
· Chest pain if your heart failure is caused by a heart attack
Congestive heart failure may be caused by other health conditions that affect your heart such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or certain valve conditions. When your blood pressure is greater than 120/80 mmHg it can eventually lead to CHF if left untreated or not managed properly. With coronary artery disease, your heart’s coronary arteries become damaged by restricting blood flow. The arteries become blocked and narrowed as fatty substances build up. Valve conditions occur when the valves do not open and close correctly which causes the ventricles to work even harder to pump blood to the rest of your body.
Treatment for congestive heart failure may include ACE inhibitor medications, diuretics, heart muscle stimulants, beta-blockers, surgery, devices such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or a heart transplant.
Most heart attacks begin with mild symptoms. The initial feeling is a degree of discomfort that often is not described as pain. The chest discomfort may come and go, and therefore many people may not realize what is actually happening. They may think it is heart burn or indigestion. It is important to recognize when you may be having a heart attack as it could save your life.
Read MoreGraves’ disease is a type of autoimmunity in which the thyroid gland becomes overly active. People who have Graves' disease may have trouble sleeping, irritability, unexplained weight loss, eyes that bulge, sensitivity to heat, muscle weakness, brittle hair, light menstrual periods, and hand shakiness.
Read MoreThyroid disease occur when the thyroid produces too little or too much hormone. According to the American Thyroid Association, thyroid disease affects about 20 million Americans. It can affect people of all different ages and races, however, women are five to eight times more likely than men to develop it. Up to 60 percent of people with thyroid disease are unaware they have it.
Read MoreSometimes, women may even have a heart attack without experiencing any initial chest pain at all. In fact, women are more likely to experience signs and symptoms that are completely unrelated to chest pain. The signs and symptoms that women may experience prior to a heart attack include:
Read MoreA hip replacement may be done for various reasons. There are certain conditions that can damage the hip joint and result in needing to have hip replacement surgery.
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