Category: Diseases and Conditions

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disorder that does not improve with rest and deteriorates with physical activities. It can occur after an infection or illness. And has been observed that more women have complained about it than men.

Sometimes there are no causes for it and develops gradually in people. The condition is most common among people in their 40s and 50s, but it can affect people of all ages.

Symptoms or chronic fatigue syndrome are a flu-like condition that can drain patient’s energy and this can sometimes go on for years. People previously healthy and full of energy may also undergo CFS.

People with chronic fatigue syndrome show symptoms similar to common viral infections. And unlike viral infection this does not get any better or show improvement with time.

Symptoms of CFS can last much longer. It has been reported that these symptoms may disappear and re-surface frequently with no fixed & identifiable pattern. Continue reading “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Causes and Treatment”

Many people are unaware of how lockjaw occurs and how it can be treated.

It is a potentially lethal disease of the nervous system.

Also known as tetanus it is caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani.

This bacteria’s spores live in the soil and can be dangerous and infectious for up to 40 years.

Worldwide, it causes up to one million deaths including those of newborns.

Continue reading “How Is Lockjaw Treated?”

Heart attach is not a jock! It’s an issue synonymous with `urgency and immediate help. Whether it is about calling ambulance or inhaling sprays until medical help arrives the action has to be immediate. The issue here is to learn to read the signs right. Is the chest pain due to gas or is it really a heart attack?

In some cases heart attacks are sudden and intense and the signs point towards it while person is undergoing it, but sometimes, actually many a times heart attacks take a slow start, where the patient experiences a mild pain or discomfort. And this is where things go wrong mostly especially the delay in calling for medical help.

People experiencing it or around the person undergoing it aren’t sure about the signs and wait a bit too long before dialing their doctor’s number and seeking help. Continue reading “How To Read Heart Attack Symptoms”

More and more people in the United States, especially children, are getting kidney stones. Doctors attribute this to poor diet, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.The kidneys are located behind the abdomen and are the size of two small fists.

They flush out toxins from the blood in the urine. Men are more prone to suffer from this condition than women and it is generally diagnosed between 30 and 50 years of age.

They are formed by the concentration of urine and can be found anywhere in the urinary tract. They can be of different sizes and cause obstruction, pain, and infection. Most stones are made up of calcium combined with phosphate or oxalate. Continue reading “Kidney Stones How They Are Formed and What They Are”

Pulmonary arterial hypertension or PAH is not a common disease that people are aware of readily although it affects perhaps close to 800,000 people in the USA at least those that are diagnosed. Women are more at risk than men for this disease. A mutation in the BMPR2 gene is said to cause PAH.

What happens is that the pulmonary artery, which carries blood from the heart to the lungs, is affected by hypertension. This latter happens because the small arteries in the lungs become narrower in diameter so naturally there is an increase in resistance of the blood flow through the lungs.

To combat this situation pressure goes up in the artery and in the right ventricle, which helps to pump blood into the artery. Continue reading “Be Aware of PAH”

Sickle cell disease is a type of blood disorder that affects the red blood cells. Normally, red blood cells are round and move around the body through small tubes delivering oxygen. In sickle cell disease the red blood cells become rigid and gluey and take on the shape of sickles. This happens because of a material in the red blood cells, which actually carries the oxygen.

A small change in this matter results in the hemoglobin forming long rods in the cell when distributing oxygen. These rods cause the sickle shape. They cause an obstruction in the blood flow so body tissues and organs are deprived of oxygen. This can cause terrible pain, which is known as the sickle cell crisis. Continue reading “How To Identify Sickle Cell Disease”

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that is usually caused by an infection. It can attack any age group and it can be life threatening.Anyone can get pneumonia even the young and fit.

However, it is more common and usually more serious in the very young and the elderly. It can be more serious with people who smoke and especially anyone weakened by long-term illness, especially if the illness interferes with the body’s normal defenses against infection.

There are many different germs that can cause the infection which results in pneumonia.

Some germs, particularly viruses, are breathed into the lungs because they are present in the air; it is an infection and can be passed on by other people especially if they have the infection and are coughing or sneezing. Others, including some bacteria, already live in the throat. Continue reading “Pneumonia and the Symptoms to Look For”

Not many people are aware of this disease until perhaps they or someone they know is diagnosed with it.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any portion of the digestive system though it typically attacks the large intestine or the lower part of the small intestine. The areas affected may become swollen and be affected by ulceration.

Later, scar tissues form, which cause obstruction by making the intestine narrow.This condition can be accompanied with asthma and may lead to the development of arthritis, psoriasis, and bronchitis.

People with Crohn’s disease are at risk of developing a rare kind of cancer of the bowel called small bowel cancer and also colorectal cancer. People of any age are affected by it but it is generally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. Continue reading “Infection from Crohn’s Disease”

Fever, especially in a child, is not really a serious symptom and not something to get into a lather about. It is generally the body’s way of warding off and indicating an indication. Fever is the increase in body temperature above the normal level and is regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain. Both children and adults can get fever.

In children, fever is sometimes due not to infection but immunization or being overdressed. It is common to most diseases. The cause can generally be related to lifestyle habits such as food and exercise, and the standard of hygiene. Fever, in any case, whatever causes it, should not be ignored. Continue reading “Simple Facts about Fever”

It is very easy to be tested for HIV. After reading the ways of coming into contact with it, if you have any doubts or worries then a test will put your mind at rest. Or if the test was to prove positive then the earlier it is found the easier it is to get treatment and advice that will help you to keep your body as healthy as possible.

It is important to go for testing at a clinic or hospital that also provides counselling about HIV and AIDS. Continue reading “Testing for HIV Infection”