Diseases & Health Conditions

Finding appropriate activities for Alzheimer’s sufferers is extremely important for their mental health, happiness and overall well-being. Determine what kind of activities they used to do and what they might enjoy doing on a regular basis, but most importantly, remember…
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Aerobic bacteria require oxygen for respiration purposes. Without oxygen, there’s no adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production; ATP provides energy to the cellular processes in the bacteria. Bacteria vary in the amount of oxygen needed to carry out chemical reactions. Some bacteria…
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Heart conditions affect children, adolescents, young adults and seniors. Congenital heart defects may show up at birth, or they may manifest later in life. Heart disease is any condition that affects the normal function of the heart’s rhythm and its…
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Asthma is a disease that involves inflammation of the airways. It leads to symptoms like difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing. Pulmonary function tests are used in the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. Some of these tests involve breath tests. “Positive…
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Overview Ibuprofen is an effective pain relief medication used for a number of conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, available over-the-counter as a suspension and in tablet, capsule, chewable tablet, and liquid…
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Allergies can be caused by a variety of things, from pollen to pet dander. Some allergies are merely annoying, while others may be life threatening. Although no true cure for allergies exists, a wide range of treatment options are available…
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1. Listen to Your Body for Clues If you have osteoarthritis, the bad news is that it gets worse at different stages. The longer you have it, the worse it can get. Luckily, if you catch it early enough you…
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Overview Dual diagnosis refers to co-existing problems of substance abuse and mental illness. According to Rebecca Woolis, author of “When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness,” for most clients with severe psychiatric disabilities, any use of street drugs, alcohol,…
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Overview Sometimes it seems as if anxiety and stress are rampant in our society. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 6.8 million American adults suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. As for stress, the American Psychology Association reports…
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A mild stroke causes only a few symptoms, which generally improve over time. A type of mild stroke is a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, which is a brief disruption in blood supply to the brain. Symptoms occur suddenly and…
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The flu starts suddenly-so suddenly that many people are able to pinpoint the exact time when they became sick, according to Dr. Raphael Dolin in “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.” But the beginning symptoms of the flu are different from…
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Colon cancer is a potentially curable disease if caught early. Cure rates are up to 95 percent and 85 percent for stage I and stage II disease respectively. The American Cancer Society, ACS, recommends screening for colon cancer at age…
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Overview The drug Kaletra helps fight the human immunodeficiency virus, known as HIV, by inhibiting proteins vital to the virus’ life cycle. The drug has many side effects, some of which can be lethal. The common and more benign side…
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The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates the number of new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2009 at almost 200,000 with over 27,000 deaths. Drugs, surgery and radiation therapy are some of the treatment options open to patients…
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Overview Poppy seeds come from an opium poppy, the same plant from which morphine and codeine are produced. The edible poppy seeds are thought to contain only traces of these substances. However, a 2006 study by the Federal Institute for…
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Obstructive lung disease, commonly referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is a group of respiratory disorders which block airflow into the lungs and make breathing difficult. Disorders include emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Symptoms include difficulty…
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If you smoke cigarettes, it can damage just about every organ in your body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette smoke also is harmful to the people around you, especially babies and youngsters. Nonsmokers can suffer…
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Overview Each year more than one and a half million people in the United States undergo treatment for alcohol dependence, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Most of these people experience alcohol withdrawal, a condition that…
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Flu-like symptoms are defined as cough, sore throat and fevers. It is easy to find effective over-the-counter treatments for flu-like symptoms to help you feel better. When buying medications, pay close attention to the active ingredients on the label. Often…
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“Congenital heart disease” is a broad term that describes any defect or malformation of the heart that is present at birth. Heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect, according to Medline Plus. Such a defect may…
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Inflammatory breast cancer, often abbreviated IBC, is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer that differs from typical cancers of the breast. Unlike the more common ductal and lobular breast tumors, IBC does not produce any lumps or masses in…
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Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affect the lymphocytes, also called white blood cells. There are a number of white blood cell types that make up the immune system. Lymphomas are generally categorized based on the grade or aggressiveness…
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The most common cause of cancer deaths in America, for women and men, is lung cancer. In 2008, 215,020 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 161,840 people died from this disease, according to Patricia Cornett, M.D., professor of medicine…
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Overview Alcohol and drug abuse occurs when a person uses mind-altering substances in a reckless or irresponsible manner. Many factors may play a role in substance abuse, such as genetic influences, childhood trauma and underlying mental disorders. Spreading information about…
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Alcoholism is a disease of denial. Treatment is sometimes delayed for years as the alcohol abuser refuses to accept the reality of their affliction. Often, the alcohol-dependent person must suffer great losses and reach their life’s lowest point before they…
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Ciprofloxacin 500 mg is an antibiotic classified as a fluoroquinolone. Physicians prescribe ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets for many kinds of bacterial infections. They also may prescribe it in the treatment of anthrax exposure. The Mayo Clinic reports, however, that the…
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Aspiration pneumonia is a specific variant of pneumonia caused by inhalation of a noxious substance. Accidental inhalation of stomach contents is a frequent cause of aspiration pneumonia. Impaired consciousness is a major risk factor for aspiration pneumonia. Head injury, seizure,…
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Colon polyps left untreated can become a host to the development of colorectal cancer, which, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, is the second most common cancer–asymptomatic in most cases, and deadly. However, many individuals do not have, or…
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The prostate is a small gland that sits under a male’s bladder and supplies important substances to aid in reproduction. Cancer of the prostate is common, affecting 1 in 6 men, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Many treatment options…
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Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that is transferred to humans by ticks. The bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is spread to humans when a tick bites the patient and transfers the bacterium to the patient’s bloodstream. Most tick bites do…
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