The main job of platelets is to make blood sticky so that it can form clots. This is important when you are injured so that you do not bleed to death. When you bleed, platelets swarm to the area and attempt to stop the blood flow.
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For a person with diabetes, the top priority is to monitor his total carbohydrate intake per day and maintain his blood glucose level within safe parameters.
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The pasty, parched feeling of a dry mouth is annoying, particularly when you are running and need every drop of moisture you can get to keep from feeling overheated. A dry mouth, which is also called xerostomia, is usually a sign of other problems or a side effect of medications.
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Amateur bakers often wonder when to use cream of tartar and when to use baking soda. The two ingredients can even be listed in the same recipe together. Understanding how the two products are made and what chemical properties they possess can help you figure out which ingredient best suits your recipe.
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Every time you walk, run or stand, you're putting stress on your knee joints, and soccer players put more stress on their knees than non-athletes. The supporting elements of the knee joint are composed almost exclusively of soft tissues, such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage and small muscles that are prone to injury.
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Tennis elbow is a misnomer. While the condition is commonly associated with tennis, it's not exclusive to the sport. Repetitive motion of any type can cause the tendinitis that's termed tennis elbow. Swimming is one of a number of activities that can trigger tennis elbow.
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When you exercise, your pulse rate accelerates to help move blood and oxygen through your cells and tissues. Knowing your pulse rate can help you evaluate your exercise routine and maximize the benefits of your workout.
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A muscle strain is a stretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon. Strains can occur in joints and muscles across the body, but the shoulders in particular are very susceptible to strains.
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If you take a pregnancy test, most likely the kit you bought tests for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin hormones in your urine. This hormone, HCG, only occurs in your body under normal circumstances when you become pregnant.
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Little red bumps on your toes may seem like an alarming problem, but they're usually no cause for major concern. One of the most common reasons for little red bumps is a fungal infection known as athlete's foot. According to MayoClinic.
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Bloating is the feeling that your abdominal region is tight or distended. A common feeling after eating too much or eating foods that are hard to digest, it can also be caused by an allergic reaction to peanuts -- one of the most common food allergies.
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Ear congestion is typically more of an annoyance than a serious condition, resulting in difficulty hearing and ear pressure. It usually disappears on its own without treatment or can be managed with over-the-counter medications. However, if your symptoms persist or are severe, you may need to see your doctor.
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Many conditions can cause nerve pain in the hip and leg. According to MedlinePlus, nerve pain, also known as neuralgia, is pain that follows the path of a nerve. Although neuralgia can occur in people of all ages, older individuals are more likely to develop this condition.
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From the first menstrual period through the onset of menopause, women occasionally experience vaginal bleeding or spotting at unexpected, random times. While many of these irregularities are no cause for concern, the numerous "what-ifs" that accompany premenstrual spotting can leave a woman feeling uncertain.
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Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the chickenpox virus. If you’ve ever had chickenpox, you can develop shingles because the virus remains in your body. It can be dormant for many years and then unexpectedly become active again and cause shingles.
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Women who carry extra weight in their breasts may find losing it to be as beneficial as weight loss on other areas on the body. Excess breast fat can cause premature sagging, back pain and posture complications.
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Your abdominal muscles support and enable movements of your trunk and spine. A pulled abdominal muscle refers to a tear in the muscle fibers, which can range from microscopic tearing to a complete rupture.
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Muscle cells serve a remarkable variety of functions in your body, many of them occurring involuntarily. The specialized structure of the 3 types of muscle cells in the human body enables their functional purposes.
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Detoxing the liver is a popular pastime among adherents of alternative medicine and followers of a healthy lifestyle, but the concept has no basis in scientific fact. Your body has a natural detoxification system that involves your liver, kidneys and sweat glands.
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Whole blood consists of 3 types of blood cells, suspended in a liquid called plasma. Blood circulates through the arteries and veins with each of the blood cell types -- red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets -- performing different functions throughout the body.
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