Diseases & Health Conditions

Oxycodone is a medication in a classification of drugs known as narcotic pain relievers. Oxycodone is used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It may be used for chronic pain or pain following a surgical procedure. Oxycodone comes…
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Drinking is socially-acceptable in many societies; therefore it may be hard for someone to recognize that they or a loved one is affected by alcoholism. Knowing the signs and identifying there is a problem is the first step to overcoming…
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Symptoms of childhood anxiety include worry, distress, anxiety, fear and panic. Four anxiety disorders affecting children include generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, separation anxiety and panic disorder. Symptoms range from mild to debilitating and may include physical symptoms such as…
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Prostatitis refers to an infection of the prostate, a male reproductive organ that surrounds the urethra (a part of the urinary tract). The Mayo Clinic says that symptoms of prostatitis include trouble urinating, painful ejaculations, pain in the testicles or…
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Asperger’s syndrome (AS), a mild form of autism, afflicts a child’s development and pervades through adulthood. According to Ami Klin, Fred R. Volkmar and Sara S. Sparrow, editors of the book Asperger Syndrome, an Austrian pediatrician, Hans Asperger took an…
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Arthritis is the inflammation and breakdown of cartilage in the joints, according to the Mayo Clinic. Normal cartilage protects the joints from wear and tear by acting as a protective barrier between the bones in the feet. When this cartilage…
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Overview Osteomyelitis is a bone infection caused by a bacteria or fungus. The infection can be acute or chronic, but both types are treatable if they are caught early enough. A bone can become infected when a nearby skin or…
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Tylenol is a common over-the-counter (OTC) medication available in drugstores. This medication is used to reduce fever and pain. Tylenol works by altering certain chemical signals in the brain that are related to fever and pain. According to Drugs.com, no…
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Autism affects a toddler’s behavior, communication and social abilities. This developmental disorder, considered among a group of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), usually appears before the age of 3 and continues throughout an individual’s lifetime. Autism affects one in 110 people…
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Marshmallow herb thrives in moist ground and is mostly found in Western Europe and Asia, as well as the northeastern area of the United States. It has been used for over 2,000 years as a folk medicine and as food…
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Bipolar disorder is a type of mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania or depression. These episodes typically last two or more weeks at a time; however, some patients experience rapid mood shifts. According to the National Institute of Mental…
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Overview The virus varicella-zoster causes chickenpox. Spreading through direct contact or by airborne transmission of infected droplets, this highly contagious disease used to infect about 4 million American children per year, according to the Mayo Clinic. Recent development of a…
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Protonix (pantoprazole) is a medication in a classification of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors work by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Protonix treats gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erosive esophagitis and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome….
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According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, “genetic testing” covers a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical tests and includes testing of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Breast cancer genetic tests use blood samples or tissue samples to assess these…
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Overview Most people have a love-hate relationship with body hair, which seems bizarre, considering our entire bodies are covered with it. If you look very closely, you’ll see a think, peach fuzz-like layer in most areas. Moles pop up on…
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Doxycycline is medication for bacterial infections including acne, Lyme disease and anthrax, as well as pneumonia and certain respiratory infections. According to Medline Plus, this medication halts bacterial growth and spread. Doxycycline has various side effects ranging from mild and…
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Depression is a mood disorder that can range in severity from mild to debilitating. It can be classified as both a change in mood and as a medical diagnosis requiring intervention. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMN) states that…
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Back pain and aches cause more visits to doctors or absences from school or work than any other illness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Acute back pain can last a few days or up to three months, but a chronic…
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Overview The avian influenza virus causes avian bird flu in humans. Primarily found in the intestines of wild birds, these viruses rarely affect them. The avian bird flu virus in domestic poultry, however, is transmittable to human beings and can…
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According to the Mayo Clinic, a dust mite allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a protein found in dust mite byproducts. Dust mites are tiny insects that typically colonize warm and moist environments such as carpet, bedding and…
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Rocky Mountain fever or Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a serious infection which can cause a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea and a skin rash. Without treatment, a severe case of this disease can lead to kidney…
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1. Characteristics of Wheat Gluten Wheat gluten is the substance in flour that keeps the dough stretchy and elastic. When making and kneading bread and other yeast and non-yeast dough, the wheat gluten makes it so you can pull and…
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Overview Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, is the result of a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which occurs when the esophageal muscles become weakened and gastric juices can flow up from the stomach and into the…
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A human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, infection critically weakens the human immune system, which ultimately culminates in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Because of the compromised immune system, infected individuals are susceptible to secondary infections. The virus is transmitted…
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Alcoholism is a disease that is caused by the body’s dependence upon alcohol. This happens over a long time as more alcohol is consumed. The inability to stop drinking and knowing when to stop can cause serious problems at work,…
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The possibility of recurrence is something that breast cancer survivors do not want to think about. Yet, according to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 11 percent will suffer a recurrence within five years of the initial diagnosis and 20…
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Nerve pain, or neuralgia, is a pain that follows the path of a nerve. It can have many causes, including certain medications, diabetes, inflammation of the nerves, inflammation surrounding the nerves, renal insufficiency, structures pressing on the nerves–including bone spurs,…
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Overview According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking accounts for approximately one of every five deaths in the U.S every year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals that 90 percent of…
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People of all ages can get diarrhea. Symptoms include frequent and loose stools, abdominal cramping or pain, thirst, nausea and weight loss if diarrhea is severe. Should you experience bloody stools or have diarrhea for more than a few days,…
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A mood disorder that causes patients to have both mania and depression, bipolar disorder also impacts behavior. The type of behaviors that bipolar disorder patients display depend on their mood. For example, during mania, patients are energetic and have high…
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