Diseases & secondary effects
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During a colonoscopy, you are given a powerful substance to clear your bowel, which is commonly used to spot colon cancer. It helps in treating the cancer in time, so that it does not spread to other body parts. It may also be used to detect any small growths and polyps that may develop to become colon...
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Lymphocytes are small leucocytes or white blood cells occurring in the lymphatic system that the body produces to help fight back disease. When you have high lymphocytes it means that the body has taken out its defense mechanism and is letting you know that you may be battling an infection, autoimmune disease...
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Kidney infections are very bothersome ailments that affect a lot of people, mostly women. The most common symptoms include urinating more frequently each day, a small amount of urine accompanied by a burning sensation, and pain in the kidney area. To follow a proper treatment, a specialist will have to determine...
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low difficulty
Our body has five liters of blood which is transported by the veins and the arteries to all organs to provide nutrients, hormones and to regulate the pH levels inside us. Proper blood circulation is essential so that all organs function normally. Poor circulation will alter this necessary transportation and...
Irritable bowel syndrome or colitis is a syndrome that afflicts up to 20% of the general population and carries with it a bad disposal of feces, swelling and pain in the abdomen. Knowing how to live with this condition is about adapting your dietary needs at present to ease these inconveniences in the bathroom...
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low difficulty
The lungs are one of the most important organs of our body and are affected daily by air impurities, pollution of towns, smoke from tobacco, lack of exercise or the type of work carried out in certain professions. To do so we must cleanse it from toxins as much as we can, and there are methods within...
Sprains, known colloquially as twisted ankles, are injuries to the ligaments or joints. When you sprain your ankle the bones are unaffected and the joints and ligaments do not break. Therefore, a sprain is not considered to be a serious injury, although it requires treatment; this is because the affected...
When you receive a blow or a bruise, or when a foreign agent infects an area of your body, the body's reaction is to inflame the affected area as a defense mechanism. Inflammation isolates the agent causing the damage and simultaneously repairs the affected tissue by increasing the blood supply to the...
medium difficulty
medium difficulty
A pilonidal cyst, also known as pilonidal sinus, appears in the sacrococcygeal area, in the middle of back and very close to the inter-gluteal cleft. These cysts occur when a hair enters the subcutaneous tissue and a cyst is formed around the hair to isolate it. It tends to happen to people between 15...
Most food products tend to be sold with an expiration date on the label that will tell you for how long can you store it and consume it before food goes bad. Yogurt and cheese usually have a shortened expiration date after which they will start to rot or become moldy. Sometimes you will smell and taste...
There are some foods that can be eaten past the due date and will not cause you any health problems. When you have bought good high quality meat from the butcher but you start to see that it is going bad in the fridge you might be tempted to eat it. Spoiled meat might start smelling rancid, look slimy...
Sadly, every year, many incidents are being reported of victims ingesting alcohol or other drugs against their consent. The crimes cannot always be apprehended, as they are usually perpetrated in seemingly non-threatening settings, such as summer parties, nightclubs, festivals, 'date nights', fraternity...
Fatty lumps are cysts that grow under the skin. They are generally benign, and disappear on their own if you lead a healthy lifestyle. However, they are still unsightly and sometimes annoying. They can appear anywhere on our body and not always due to a particular cause, so we are not exempt from suffering...
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low difficulty
Fungi are microbes that live on our skin and in our dead tissue such as the scalp or nails. Fungal infections on skin begin with a small fungal infection rash of red bumps that gradually grows larger and becomes itchy. When fungal infections occur, they can then reach all areas of the body. Although fungal...
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Otitis media with effusion is the collection of fluid in the middle ear. The main difference from acute otitis media is that in otitis media with effusion the patient doesn´t present any signs of ear infection. It is most common in children under 2. Otitis media with effusion in adults is quite rare....
There are many diseases that can affect our lungs, but their symptoms are not always associated to respiratory problems that would allow us to establish that something is happening with this organ. In fact, most of the warning signs of lung diseases are diverse and can affect people of all ages and...
A hyperextended knee takes place when your knee starts expanding beyond its limits. In most cases, the knee bends itself backwards, thus causing injury in the ligaments. Usually, the injury heals itself in around 4 weeks, but sometimes it may call for a surgery. It is important to identify a hyperextended...
There are many ways that we can cook food to make it tastier and easier to eat. For instance, vegetables can be blended into thick soups so that they are easier to swallow by small children. Other times, this process helps to prevent people from choking on olive pits or fish bones that are naturally...
It is not that common for people to go by several days with food stuck in the throat mainly because often drinking some fluid or eating some other food will eventually push it down the esophagus. Whether that is down the throat or out of the mouth, food particles will eventually make their way out of...
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Dry eyes are caused by a shortage or lack of tears in the eye cavity. This can be further aggravated by certain daily activities, such as working in front of a computer screen, being exposed to dry air, allergies, use of contact lenses, or some medications.
These can cause what is known as "dry eye syndrome"...
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Laxatives are a a kind of medicine used to relieve constipation for people who have trouble as a result of different conditions or digestion problems. Laxatives can be very useful in relieving these problems in the short term, and can be taken in the form of tablets, capsules or liquid solutions, usually...
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low difficulty
Nausea can arise as a result of many things, e.g. taking certain medications, pregnancy, aggressive medical treatments (such as chemotherapy), dizziness or simply because the stomach is unsettled.
When you feel nauseous you shouldn't force yourself to eat or drink. Rather, you should eat every two or...
Pink eye is another term used for the medical condition known as conjunctivitis that results in an inflamed and swollen eye. Conjunctivitis mustn’t be confused with the pink eye that often results from an environmental allergy. Both of these conditions share similar symptoms but often the causes and...
Most eye product manufacturers will specify that it is safe to wear contact lenses for up to 8 hours in a day. If you sleep with the same contact lenses that you have been wearing all day you will easily bypass the amount of time that it is recommended by experts. Forgetting to remove your contact lenses...
Balanitis is a common medical condition among the male population that is characterized for the inflammation and swelling of the head of the penis. Many men often don’t seek treatment for this condition, which can lead into the development of further diseases or complications.
Balanitis has been argued...
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One of the benefits of wearing contact lenses is that you can put them on just after you wake up and forget about them for the rest of the day. However, you still need to remember to remove your contact lenses before you go to sleep at the end of the day. While some people claim that they sleep with their...
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If you are still wearing glasses then you might be missing out on the benefits of wearing contact lenses. Glasses are bulky and will tend to fall off when exercising or as a result of sweating on those really hot days. However, learning to put on contact lenses effortlessly takes some practice. If you...
The spleen is the organ responsible for filtering blood, remove germs and cope with numerous diseases making it very important for the lymphatic system, although we will inevitably get sick sometimes. In fact, its swelling is one of the most common disorders it can suffer and we must be careful with this...
Hemophilia or haemophilia is a genetic disorder that does not allow blood to clot. This will usually cause spontaneous bleeding in a person affected by it. You may know of someone affected by this condition or have it yourself and, as you may have heard, there are more men than women that have this...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Multiple sclerosis usually shows some early signs and symptoms that indicate the possible offset of the disease. However, it is easy to mistake many of the symptoms for other diseases...
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As a result of a bacterial infection of the bladder and urinary tract a person can contract a urinary tract infection (UTI). The bladder and kidneys are responsible for transporting urine outside of the body; thus if you have a UTI you may experience symptoms such as a burning sensation when urinating,...
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A stye is a bacterial infection which causes the appearance of a painful lump on a lower or upper eyelid. It's not a serious condition, but is actually very common, especially in children although anyone can get one
Because it's a bacterial infection, certain measures can be taken into consideration...
Kidney infection is a condition experienced more in women and it occurs when bacteria adhere to them, causing great discomfort when urinating. Suffering from low defenses, being diabetic, having anemia or living from an abnormality in the kidney are the most common causes for suffering from this infection....
Involuntary urinary leakage, medically known by the term urinary incontinence, is a problem that affects many people, the majority of whom are women. Advanced age, pregnancy, menopause, obesity, cystitis, nervous system disorders... these are just some of the conditions that can trigger unwanted urine...
Surely you've ever heard that if you are prone to suffer from nasty urinary tract infections, you should be knocking back the cranberry juice. This is a very old remedy that is based on the properties of this delightful fruit, which has the magical properties to help us deal with the main bacteria causing...
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Type 2 diabetes can be avoided if you start adopting preventative measures now. Even though type 2 diabetes often occurs as a result of excessive weight gain, obesity or a sedentary lifestyle, its development is not due solely to food. Whether you develop type 2 diabetes will also be influenced by other factors...
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Eye health very important and special care sould be taken when using contact lenses. Unhygienic habits when when handling your contact lenses can result in eye infections and can lead to vision problems or can even cause cause injuries to your eyes. If your contact lenses are irritating or bothering you,...
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We can get pins and needles for many different reasons, but sometimes there is a specific feeling of pins and needles in our fingers. This sensation is called paraesthesia and for most people the feeling is mildly uncomfortable, but for others it can become very painful. Others experience this feeling from day...
Syphilis is a chronic sexually transmitted bacterial infection. Treponema palladium is the name of the bacteria, which is responsible for causing the primary apparition of a chancre, followed by a rash, and spreading eventually in the entire body, causing organ damage, which could potentially lead to death,...
Records of vaccinations a person has already had is very important. It is often necessary for paperwork during entry into school, summer camp, college, employment or even for international travels. When you receive vaccinations, you are also given a paper record. If either you or your parents have somehow...
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that attacks the human body of someone who has come into contact with the bacteria Treponema pallidum during close contact with the genitals. When this occurs, the disease rapidly spreads through the body and leads to serious complications if left untreated. At...
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Eye contacts are a viable and preferred alternative to wearing glasses. They sit directly on the eye giving a wider range of vision and can be worn during physical activities without the risk of falling off or breaking. However, contacts impact the amount of oxygen reaching the eye, which can contribute...
Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes severe breathing problems due to the obstruction of airflow in the lungs. It can be of two types: acute and chronic. People who don’t have a good understanding of the disease become fearful and anxious when they can’t breathe properly. A thorough understanding...
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Hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume that is composed of red blood cells. This level differs in men and women: it should be at around 45% of blood for men and 40% women. Increased blood hematocrit levels involve the risk of thrombosis due to the accumulation of red blood cells, so you run the...
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Losing the voice or aphonia is a common problem that occurs when we are forced to speak to the excess, or to specified conditions such as temperature changes or certain diseases. However, for some people, especially for those working with their voices, this condition can become a real problem. In these cases,...
The red bumps that appear on our upper arms are medically known as keratosis pilaris, a harmless skin condition. This condition doesn't usually cause any symptoms on the sufferer aside from itchiness in the area, however, it is quite unsighty and the majority of sufferers want to get rid of it. While there...
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The spleen is an organ inside the human body totally important for our lymphatic system, since its functions are to protect us from diseases, purifying our body and filtering germs from the blood. But there are times when our spleen has a turn and stops working well. One of the most common disorders of...
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Roundworms commonly refers to an infection of the intestine caused by white and fine parasites, which, to be more specific, live in the large intestine. They then lay their eggs around the anus, which leads to symptoms such as intense itching, irritation and redness in that area. Anyone can contract pinworm...
Photosensitive skin conditions rosacea and lupus have lots of common symptoms like facial redness and photosensitve skin. Both skin conditions even show elevated antinuclear antibodies in blood tests. Due to these similarities sometimes dermatologists get confused between rosacea and lupus. But wrong diagnosis...
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Tapeworm is a parasitic worm that can can grow up to 10 metres in size and live in our digestive tract for up to 25 years, feeding on our nutrients. Once it enters the body, its head sticks to to gut wall and feeds on our food in order to grow. The worm consists of segments that fall off and are eliminated through...