Surgical removal of both ovaries is medically known as bilateral oophorectomy. Since the ovaries manage hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle, including estrogen and progesterone, removing the ovaries causes surgical menopause.
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Painful but uncommon injuries that develop most frequently in people with chronic intestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, anal fistulas usually require surgery to heal.
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Pain in the calf when you're pregnant generally occurs for one of two reasons, one quite serious and one merely annoying. Leg cramps or muscle spasms -- the merely annoying type of pain -- often cause calf pain during the night when you're pregnant.
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The pupil is the central opening in the iris, the colored part of the eye. Pupil size modulates the amount of light entering the eye. In lighted conditions, the pupil opening is normally relatively small. Pupil-dilating drops temporarily override normal control of the pupil size, causing it to open widely.
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In a normal menstrual cycle, a woman releases a mature egg from a follicle that develops in the ovary. Luteinizing hormone (LH) matures the egg inside the follicle and causes the follicle to burst, releasing the egg.
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Asthmatics use inhaled corticosteroid inhalers, sometimes daily, to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airways.
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Cinnamon, one of the oldest Chinese medicine remedies, comes from the bark of a small Asian evergreen tree. Cinnamon comes in dried powdered form, usually used for baking, as an extract and as an oil. The oil form is much stronger than the powdered bark form. The main ingredient in the oil is cinnamaldehyde.
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Endometriosis is the migration of endometrial tissue, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, to areas outside the uterus.
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A pulse oximeter measures the amount of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen. Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) between 96 and 100 percent are considered normal, according to nursing instructor Kathy Lawrence, M.S.N. of the University of Texas Medical Branch.
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With the advent of probiotics sold as health supplements, it has become common to refer to bacteria in the intestinal tract as "good" bacteria or "bad" bacteria. The average person hosts around 100 trillion bacteria in the gut, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. "Good"
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The herb parsley, whose scientific name is Petroselinum crispum, has a reputation among herbalists as an emmenagogue, a substance that stimulates the uterus and may lead to uterine contractions.
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One of the biggest thrills of pregnancy is feeling your baby move -- at least until the kicks start keeping you awake at night.
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Hot flashes, which can cause you to alternatively fling off extra coverings and huddle under them just minutes later, are more commonly associated with menopause than pregnancy. But pregnancy can also cause hot flashes; both hormonal changes and other factors can contribute to hot flashes in pregnancy.
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CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. CPAP is used by people with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) during the night to help keep their airways open. CPAP can be delivered either by mask or by nasal cannula.
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Lotemax, a corticosteroid ophthalmic drop used to treat dry eye as well as to decrease inflammation after eye surgery, is a potent medication that can have serious side effects on the eye in some people.
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With more than 50 million Americans suffering from some type of allergy, according to Dr. Arthur Schoenstadt, allergy medications make up a high proportion of both prescription and over-the-counter drug sales.
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It's hard to sleep when you can't breathe through a stuffy nose. If you have a cold, sinus problems or allergies, you may have difficulty breathing when you lie down. Gravity contributes to the problem and can also help relieve it. Elevating your head on a few pillows may make it easier to breathe.
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Shiitake mushrooms, a traditional food also used as a medicine in Asian cultures, are the third most popular mushroom in the United States, according to ScienceDaily. The mushrooms, which grow on oak logs, are low in calories but high in minerals such as potassium and zinc.
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Endometriosis is the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Endometrial tissue is normally found of the inside of the uterus, but can travel to other locations. The ovary, because of its proximity to the uterus, is one of the most common locations for endometriosis.
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Triglyceride levels rise and fall depending on how much fat the body stores. Doctors are generally more concerned about high levels of triglyceride, described as a blood level of 150 mg/dL or higher, than they are about low triglyceride levels. Michael Miller, M.D.
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