Often referred to as your thigh muscles, your quadriceps consist of four muscles in the front of your leg that help you lift your knee. If you aren’t able to use these muscles for some time, you can experience a condition known as muscle atrophy, in which your muscles shrink and become less toned.
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Heroin, a dangerous opiate derived from the drug morphine, is a highly addictive drug. Used to achieve a euphoric feeling, heroin users also experience severe and potentially fatal reactions to the drug.
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There are 206 bones and approximately 500 muscles in the human body. Most of these are skeletal muscles, which attach from one bone to another bone. One end of the muscle, the origin, attaches to a more stationary bone, while the other end, the insertion, attaches to a more movable bone.
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Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that may help with certain medical conditions. While you can get omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish, you can also buy fish oil as a supplement. As with any supplement, if you have any known allergies, you are at risk of developing allergic reaction.
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An abnormal buildup of fluid in the lower extremities is known as leg edema. It is a common problem, especially with increasing age. Leg swelling has many causes including inflammation, obesity, blood clots in the legs, or a weakened heart.
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Although once thought of only as a “rich man’s disease," gout can affect nearly anyone, either as a chronic condition or as a side effect of certain medications. You inherit the chronic type of gout. Secondary gout occurs sometimes when you suddenly start specific medicines.
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If you’ve been told that acidic foods, including soda pop, could cause stomach ulcers, you’ve been told a lie. For a while, even the medical community believed that eating highly acidic foods, stress and spicy food could cause stomach ulcers.
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A torn ligament can be a debilitating injury that keeps you from enjoying your favorite activities for several weeks or months. Recovering from a torn ligament requires patience and diligence to properly support your healing tissue while avoiding further damage.
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Red wine causes headaches often enough that the condition has its own name: RWH or Red Wine Headache. But according to Yale Scientific Magazine, no one is sure why it happens. Several components of red wine might contribute to headaches, but some white wines contain these same ingredients.
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Phenylalanine -- an amino acid and one of the building blocks of protein -- has no side effects as a component of food in healthy individuals. However, in those with a disease called phenylketonuria, or PKU, phenylalanine causes a variety of side effects.
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Reduced numbers of white blood cells, also known as leukopenia, means that you have fewer disease-fighting cells circulating throughout your body. Fewer than 3,500 white blood cells, or leukocytes, per microliter of blood is considered a low white blood cell count, although this number varies based on age and sex.
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Oxycodone is a prescription narcotic medication used for moderate to severe pain. It is believed to stimulate opioid receptors in the brain to increase one's tolerance to pain, thereby, decreasing the discomfort associated with pain, according to "Focus on Nursing Pharmacology."
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The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate food sources depending on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Foods are assigned a number between 0 and 100; higher numbers indicate the food will release energy quickly, causing blood glucose levels to elevate.
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There are many types of non-cancerous growths in the mouth, which occur in people of all ages. Growths may be in the form of a fluid filled cysts, excess bone growths, fibrosis tissues or lumps. They may be caused by different reasons such as irritation, an overgrowth of bone or infection.
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Coronary arteries carry blood to the heart muscle. In coronary artery disease, or CAD, LDL cholesterol builds up inside these arteries, forming plaque that causes them to become narrow, blocking or slowing the flow of blood and oxygen needed for proper heart function.
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A comedic pratfall invariably elicits audience laughter, but a bruised tailbone is no laughing matter. Falling backward onto your bottom or a blow to the tailbone incurred during sports activities can leave you with a painful bruised tailbone, or coccyx.
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General anesthesia is a treatment that uses a combination of intravenous drugs and inhaled gases in order to render patients unconscious during medical procedures, according to MayoClinic.com.
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Rashes are a common symptom in babies. Most rashes in babies are benign and will go away on their own or with symptomatic treatment with over-the-counter medicines or home remedies. A rash on a baby’s leg can indicate an infection, an inflammatory response or a sign of a serious condition.
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Johnson's Baby Lotion, a popular emollient for infant skin, contains ingredients formulated to protect skin from dryness without leaving a greasy residue.
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is commonly defined as a systolic, or top, reading higher than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic, or bottom, reading higher than 90 mm Hg. High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
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