Archive for the ‘Diagnostics’ Category
Mouth Ulcers
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
Recurrent oral canker sores (aphthous stomatitis) are a common condition affecting about 20% of the US population. Outbreaks vary from a single lesion, two or three times a year, to an uninterrupted succession of multiple lesions. While neither cancerous nor herpes infections (with which they are often confused), these small, shallow mouth ulcers are painful and quite bothersome. They appear either singly or in clusters on the lips, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, palate and/or throat. Ulcerations typically heal without scarring within 7–21 days.
Male Infertility
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
In the US, approximately 15% of all couples have difficulty conceiving a child. In about one-third of these cases, the man is infertile; in another one-third, both the man and woman are infertile; and in the remaining one-third, the woman is infertile. Current estimates suggest that 6% of men between the ages of 15 and 50 are infertile.
Male infertility is considered likely if, in the absence of female causes, a child is not conceived after 6 months of unprotected sex. In 90% of cases, male infertility is due to low sperm count. In an average ejaculate, a man will eject nearly two hundred million sperm, but because of the natural barriers in the female reproductive (more…)
Migraine
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
Migraine is a neurological and often hereditary disease in which the most prominent symptom is an intense, pounding headache. The headache, itself called a migraine, is usually felt on one side of the head and is accompanied by other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances. During a migraine attack, blood vessels in the head become hyperreactive and enter into a repetitive cycle of extreme constriction followed by rapid dilation. While a full understanding of the process that produces a migraine headache has not yet been reached, most scientists believe in the following basic scenario: a variety of triggers, which differ from individual to individual, imbalance brain chemistry causing nerve pathway changes, specifically in a major nerve pathway in the brain called the trigeminal system. (more…)
Kidney Stones
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
Crystallized particles that form in one or both kidneys and may travel into the ureters (the slender muscular tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), kidney stones may be as tiny as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball, and one or several may be present. Large stones usually remain in the kidney without causing symptoms, although they may damage the kidney. Tiny stones pass easily through the ureter to the bladder and are voided in the urine. Stones small enough to enter the ureter but too big to pass easily cause excruciating pain, until they are voided, typically in a few days. If a stone lodges and blocks the flow of urine, it must be removed to prevent kidney damage. Fortunately, a variety of nonsurgical options now exist including chemical dissolution, and various forms of lithotripsy (the crushing of a stone with focused sound energy).
Chronic Candidiasis
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
An overgrowth of the normally benign yeast (or fungus) Candida albicans, chronic candidiasis (also called the yeast syndrome) results in a wide variety of symptoms in virtually every system of the body, the most susceptible being the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, endocrine (hormonal), nervous, and immune systems. Normally, C. albicans lives harmoniously in the inner warm creases and crevices of the digestive tract and, in women, also in the vaginal tract. (more…)
Hepatitis
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
An inflammation of the liver, hepatitis can be caused by many drugs and toxic chemicals, but in most instances, is caused by a virus. The most common hepatitis viral types are A, B, and C. Other less common viral causes of hepatitis include hepatitis viruses D, E, and G, as well as herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein–Barr virus. Hepatitis A is transmitted primarily through fecal contamination. (more…)
Diabetes Mellitus
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
Diabetes is a chronic disorder of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism characterized by elevations in fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels. Diabetes occurs if the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin or if the cells of the body become resistant to insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the bloodstream into cells. In either case, diabetes results in high levels of sugar in the bloodstream and inadequate levels of sugar entering cells. This situation leads to serious complications including a greatly increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, loss of vision, senile cataracts, gangrene in the legs and feet, and impotence in men. (more…)
Attention Deficit Disorder
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
A pattern of behaviour in children characterized by short attention spans and impulsivity, with or without hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder (ADD) is implicated in learning disorders and estimated to affect 5–10% of school-aged children with incidence substantially greater in boys than girls (10 : 1). Over two million American school-aged boys take the drug methyl-phenidate (Ritalin) for ADD. Onset is usually by 3 years of age, but diagnosis is generally not made until later when the child is in school.
Autism
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
A biochemical and/or genetic disorder that causes an organic defect in brain development, autism occurs in early childhood (first diagnosis is typically no later than 30 months), and results in a neurological disorder that disrupts normal brain function, manifesting in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Autistic children are usually retarded in their intellectual development, have significant difficulty with both verbal and non-verbal communication, and do not develop social relationships. Compulsive, and in some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behaviour may be present. (more…)
Hypothyroidism
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
DESCRIPTION
Hypothyroidism refers to low function of the thyroid, an endocrine gland located in the front of the neck, just below the larynx (voice box). Through its production of thyroid hormones (T4 and T3), the thyroid gland activates over 100 cellular enzymes responsible for a multitude of functions in every cell of the body. Excessive secretion of thyroid hormones can increase metabolic rate up to 100% above normal, while if no thyroid hormone is produced, a 40% drop in metabolic activity can quickly occur. In most cases of hypothyroidism, thyroid function is simply less than optimal, but this results in a slowing down of cellular functions and a buildup of metabolic wastes in all body systems. (more…)