For patients and caregivers, understanding clinical progression, diagnostic imaging results, and pharmacological treatment options is vital for managing acute and chronic health conditions.
The liver is the largest gland in the human body and the sole internal organ that has the ability to regenerate itself. Its key functions include secretion of bile, storing vitamins, clotting blood and destroying bacteria.
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Natrilix SR is a diuretic that works to reduce high blood pressure, known as hypertension. High blood pressure occurs when blood pushes against the artery walls hard enough to result in medical problems such as heart disease.
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Nausea is a sensation of illness that causes vomiting, which is a forceful action that brings the stomach contents up through the esophagus and out of the mouth. Coughing is a forceful movement that removes substances from the airways.
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The kidneys play an important role in keeping the body healthy by filtering out wastes and reabsorbing essential substances, such as sugar. When the kidneys develop stones large enough to block the passageways in the renal pelvis and ureter, urine gets trapped and wastes start to accumulate.
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Managing diabetes effectively requires knowledge of the condition and the steps necessary to avoid complications. Blood glucose levels that are too high or too low for prolonged periods have detrimental effects on overall health and can lead to death. A diabetic seizure is a serious complication of this disease.
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When blood tests reveal you have a higher than normal number of white blood cells (WBCs), or leukocytes, this is known medically as leukocytosis. White blood cell counts usually fall between 4,000 and 11,000 cells per microliter.
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Itchy, festering ears can result from eczema, a skin condition that affects infants, children and adults. Eczema of the ears can affect the ear lobe, skin covering the folds of the outer ear and the external auditory canal which is the tube through which sounds travel to reach the middle ear.
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A ministroke is also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). While many of the symptoms of a TIA are the same as a stroke, the damage produced as the result of a ministroke is not permanent. If the symptoms last longer than 24 hours or the damage is permanent, physicians will classify it as a regular stroke.
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Saliva is a necessary part of the digestive process. It begins when enzymes are produced to initiate the breakdown of foods during chewing. The continual production of saliva keeps the mouth moist.
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When you have chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus that caused it remains in your system but lies dormant for years. When the virus reactivates, for any number of reasons, it appears as a localized rash called herpes zoster, or shingles.
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Sinus headaches develop due to inflammation or infection of the mucous membranes that leads to congestion, swelling and pain in the sinus cavity. Mucous or air that becomes trapped within the congested sinuses cause a headache.
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According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 34.3 percent of lesbian couples and 22.3 percent of gay male couples were raising children. The Census data also found that same-sex couples raising children live in 96 percent of the counties in the United States.
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Human viruses cause a variety of maladies, depending on the virus type and the tissues infected. All humans contract multiple viruses throughout the course of life. The severity of viral illnesses ranges from mild to lethal.
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Most women experience at least one vaginal yeast infection, and many deal with recurrent infections. Yeast called Candida albicans accounts for most of these infections, which usually clear quickly with topical antifungal medicine.
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Skin bleaching is popular with darker-skinned people to obtain a more even skin tone, but skin bleaching cream is also often used to lighten sun damage and age spots on the skin in people of all skin colors.
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With aging, the large intestine or colon may develop small pockets known as diverticulae -- or a single diverticulum, if you develop just one pocket. Doctors call this medical condition diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis never develop symptoms.
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Platelets are a component of the blood that help prevent bruising or stop bleeding. If you do not have enough platelets in your blood, you may need to have a blood platelet transfusion. This treatment infuses your body with blood platelets that have been donated by another healthy person.
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Hammer toes are caused when the tendons on the top and the bottom of the toe contract or become rigid. Typically, the second toe is most likely to be bent and to suffer from hammer toe syndrome.
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The stomach flu, medically known as viral gastroenteritis, is an infection of the intestines. Although most people catch the stomach flu by ingesting contaminated food or water, you also can pick up this infection by coming into contact with an infected person.
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Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms. Known as your gut microbiota, these friendly bacteria and yeasts help you digest food, produce vitamins and function as a vital part of your immune system.
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