Tendinitis develops when a tendon -- a thick cord connecting a muscle to a bone -- becomes inflamed or irritated. While tendinitis can occur in any tendon, it commonly affects the shoulder, elbow, knee, wrist, thumb and ankle.
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Allergies and swollen lymph nodes can both be unpleasant, but the two are generally not related. An allergy occurs when your immune system erroneously overreacts to a harmless substance. An allergy-triggering substance is called an allergen.
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Stomach ulcers are small sores that form in the lining of the stomach. They are often caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Stomach ulcers can also result from frequent or long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, a group of medications that help reduce pain and inflammation.
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Passing a kidney stone can be incredibly painful. Kidney stones are hard, crystal-like masses that typically cause spasms of pain in the lower back, side and groin and blood in the urine. Some kidney stones will pass on their own and some require removal by a doctor.
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White blood cells are infection-fighting cells produced in the bone marrow. When a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil is lowered in the body -- a condition called neutropenia -- the immune system is weakened and a person becomes vulnerable to infections.
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Nerve cells send signals along long wires called axons, which are insulated with a fatty substance called myelin. The myelin sheath allows signals to be transmitted rapidly from the nervous system to the rest of the body. When myelin is destroyed -- called demyelination -- nerve signals are slowed or stopped.
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A boil is a tender, warm and swollen red bump on the skin that resembles a pimple. It contains a white material called pus, which is a sign of bacterial infection. Boils -- also known as furuncles -- arise from a deep infection of the hair follicle.
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Calcium makes up 1 percent to 2 percent of adult body weight. While over 99 percent of calcium is found in teeth and bones, the rest is present in blood, muscles and other tissues. Calcium deficiency is commonly caused by vitamin D deficiency or by dysfunction or surgical removal of the parathyroid glands.
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