Disease Guide: Diagnosis, Symptoms & Clinical Treatment Protocols

For patients and caregivers, understanding clinical progression, diagnostic imaging results, and pharmacological treatment options is vital for managing acute and chronic health conditions.

Unhappy sad man holding his stomach

What Are the Treatments for a Rib Muscle Injury?

A rib muscle injury can be more difficult to treat than a pulled muscle in other areas. There are [three layers of muscles](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/part_4/chapter_20.html) located between each rib -- the external intercostal muscles, internal intercostal muscles, and innermost intercostal muscles.

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Strong young woman exercising with kettlebell

A Pulled Muscle in the Armpit

Several converging muscles and the chest wall form the armpit, or axilla. Major muscles forming the axilla include pectoralis major in the front; latissimus dorsi, subscapularis and teres major in the back; and serratus anterior overlying the chest wall.

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half apricot with stone, macro shot

Symptoms of Allergy to Stone Fruit

Compounds within stone fruit may cause allergic reactions in some people shortly after they eat cherries, peaches or plums. Usually the resulting allergy symptoms are confined to the digestive tract, but some cases include systemic symptoms, which can affect other organs and tissues of the body.

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Heart Pounding After Waking

Events caused by sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation, two disorders that share many of the same risk factors and symptoms, can wake you up to a pounding heart. Unless you have an emotional condition, such as anxiety, your increased pulse rate may have these physical causes.

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Kidney bean,soybean,green bean,red bean,corn and mung bean

How Much Potassium Should You Take to Lower Blood Pressure?

If your blood pressure is higher than normal, a mineral imbalance in your diet may be at least partially responsible. Most Americans consume improper amounts of the potassium and sodium that regulate the force exerted on the walls of your arteries by blood pumped from the heart.

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close up with  lentil

Are There Foods That Speed Up the Digestive System?

When you eat too many animal-based protein foods, it takes your digestive system longer to break down their large molecules. As food lingers in the gastrointestinal tract, you may feel bloated and suffer from gaseous pressure.

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Young lady sleeping on bed

Pain From Sleeping Positions

The wrong sleeping positions can affect your whole body, causing immediate pain and long-term damage. Poor sleep posture interacts with existing conditions, such as shoulder injuries and osteoarthritis, to make them worse.

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Salt Shaker Down

Can Salt Intake Affect Blood Pressure Immediately?

Commercial table salt consists mainly of sodium chloride, an electrolyte mineral compound that directly affects human blood pressure. When you consume salt, it dissolves in food liquid and stomach fluid, and your body absorbs the minerals when they reach your small intestine.

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THC0014261

The Effects of Smoking on Your Respiratory System

The major health problems caused by smoking affect the nicotine delivery system: the airways, blood vessels and lungs in the human respiratory system. During normal breathing, air is ingested through the nose or mouth and travels through the bronchial tubes to the lungs.

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naked man  having a heart attack

Allergies and Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations during an allergic reaction may indicate the onset of a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Anaphylactic allergy symptoms can occur following contact with certain foods, drugs, insects and plant products, such as latex.

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Effervescent vitamin C tablet bubbles in glass of water

Vitamin B-12 for Lymph Node Health

Your lymph nodes, located primarily on either side of your neck, under your chin and in your armpits and groin, are usually not noticeable. If yours become swollen, they might indicate either a passing infection or serious chronic disease.

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Phlebotomist Drawing Blood

High Liver Enzymes, Fasting and Blood Tests

When your body stores too much iron, your liver may be affected and release certain enzymes into your bloodstream. Your health-care provider may wish to test your blood for any or all of several liver enzymes or for various indicators of your iron levels.

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Healthy superfood beverage rooibos african tea with spices

Can I Drink Tea If Fasting for a Glucose Lipid Panel Blood Test?

Getting your blood drawn requires a trip to the lab, so health care providers often request that several tests be performed on one blood specimen. Common blood work for multiple issues includes glucose tolerance tests to check for diabetes and lipid panels to assess your cardiovascular risk.

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Sick ill woman in autumn park sneezing in tissue.

Allergic Reaction to Pine Trees

People who develop sensitivities to pine allergens can have allergic reactions from touching, inhaling or consuming these allergens. Pine species with light pollen grains may cause hay fever symptoms, whereas heavy sap is more apt to produce allergic manifestations upon contact with skin.

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pears

Pear Allergy Symptoms

Identifying pear allergies can take some detective work, because pears produce relatively few allergic reactions. In fact, allergists often place this rarely allergenic tree fruit on the menus of control diets to help patients identify other allergies.

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soft, weightless, gentle bird plumage texture for pillow

Down Pillow Allergy Symptoms

The most common signs of an allergy to down pillows mimic those of hay fever. Itching and breathing problems occur when patients ingest the allergens in down and other bird feathers. These bird products break down over time, until tiny particles become airborne, which can then be inhaled.

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Hip Alignment & Leg Pain

Because the bones of the musculoskeletal system are all connected, an imbalance in one area, such as hip alignment, can cause pain elsewhere. This is also true because misaligned bones can trap nerves, sending impulses to other areas of the body, such as the legs. In some cases, a hip deformity may be to blame.

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