Healthy blood requires a balance of iron, oxygen, and regulated sugar levels. Learn how diet, stress, and exercise influence your white blood cell count, platelet levels, and overall circulatory health.
A broken blood vessel in the brain is known as a hemorrhagic stroke. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of all first strokes are the result of a broken blood vessel in the brain, according to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Stroke Council.
Read more →
The jaw is connected to the temporal bone on the side of the skull, and can be moved out of position -- known as a dislocation -- or broken on the lower portion -- known as a fracture.
Read more →
When your blood sugar is not controlled, you can experience symptoms ranging from irritability and palpitations to severe pain in your hands and legs. Both a low and a high blood sugar level can indicate serious medical conditions, such as tumors and diabetes, and as such, an evaluation by a physician is recommended.
Read more →
Platelets are the blood clotting elements of the blood that prevent the body from bleeding out for excessively long periods after an injury. Platelets also bandage small tears in the inside layers of blood vessels. Normal platelet levels are between 150,000 and 400,000 per microliter.
Read more →
Acids and bases are chemical substances that release ions when dissolved in water. Acids are compounds that release positive hydrogen ions in water. Bases release hydroxide ions, which are compounds made of an oxygen and a hydrogen.
Read more →
Fried foods affect your blood sugar because fat slows down digestion. When you eat simple carbohydrates, your body can quickly convert them into glucose and your blood sugar levels rise. Fried foods usually contain carbohydrates, but the fat slows digestion.
Read more →
Antibodies are protein molecules that attach themselves to invading pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, marking those pathogens for destruction by other components of the immune system.
Read more →
People with diabetes often switch to sugar-free products if they want to indulge a craving. For example, they might try sugar-free cookies or diet products that are made especially for diabetics or contain no added sugars. Based on that concept, switching to drinking Diet Coke might seem like the best choice.
Read more →
Spleen enlargement, or splenomegaly, is not actually a disorder but rather the symptomatic manifestation of different disorders such as repeated parasitic infections, certain metabolic disorders or cirrhosis of the liver.
Read more →
Both creatinine and BUN counts provide an overall picture of a person’s kidney function. Low levels are generally a good thing, while high levels can indicate varying degrees of kidney problems. A few lifestyle changes as well as medical management can help get your creatine and BUN counts under better control.
Read more →
Caffeine addicts must pay special attention to their doctors' orders for blood tests needed for routine health checks and diagnostics. Depending on the type of blood work, typical laboratory protocols can upset your coffee-shop routine with temporary dietary restrictions.
Read more →
Diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin or to use it effectively to control blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can damage various body systems.
Read more →
When humans eat carbohydrates, the body converts them to sugar. The sugar fuels every cell in the human body, but it’s important that sugar levels be neither too high nor too low. Low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, can cause brain damage and even shock. High blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia, is another matter.
Read more →
Constriction of your blood vessels can occur for many reasons. Most often high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the underlying cause. Unfortunately, there are no symptoms to indicate blood vessel constriction. Left untreated, this can lead to heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
Read more →
Blood consists of protein-rich liquid and platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells, collectively known as formed blood elements. A complete blood count, or CBC, includes counts of the formed blood elements along with other measurements that help doctors interpret the test results.
Read more →
Kidneys are complex organs that perform many functions. In addition to filtering blood, they secrete hormones that regulate blood pressure and maturation of red blood cells. Many of the filtration functions also have secondary effects, such as maintaining bone health and controlling the acid-base balance in the body.
Read more →
Supplements or prescription medications that cause the blood vessels to dilate or open are called vasodilators. Vasodilators are used to treat various medical conditions, such as hypertension and coronary artery disease, a heart condition that causes narrowing of the vessels supplying blood to the heart.
Read more →
If you are have diabetes, attaining near-normal blood sugars is a goal of therapy. Diet is an essential component of blood sugar management, so it’s important to learn how specific foods affect your numbers.
Read more →
Together with the heart, blood vessels represent the main component of the circulatory system, which consists of an elaborate network of tubes throughout the body.
Read more →
Most toddlers are pint-sized bundles of energy that never seem to stop moving. You are used to your child's extreme moods: the highs that occur after a period of excitement like a birthday party, and the cranky low times when your toddler needs a snack or a nap.
Read more →