Conditions & Treatments

This is a deadly eating disorder that usually strikes younger women with type I diabetes. Statistics show that up to 50% of women ages 16-24 will have this condition (to some degree). This...

A Bleeding Time is a medical test that is performed on a patient to assess their platelet function and to detect qualitative defects of their platelets. In other words a Bleeding Time is a medical...

To reduce kidney disease starts with better health. Specially what you eat can play vital role in kidney health. Those who are at risk for kidney disease can be those with diabetes, high blood...

Nearly everyone forgets to take a medication from time to time. It is especially important that you know what to do if you forget to take your blood thinner to prevent complications.

All medications have side effects. Blood thinners can have some serious side effects – including bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, and purple coloring to your toes or fingers. To prevent these...

There are many myths about bloody noses and how to treat them. For example, tilting the head back to stop the bleeding. DO NOT DO THIS. It may slow the bleeding from the nose, but this is only...

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) occurs when there is an abnormally low level of glucose in the blood. It may happen two to five hours after eating a meal (reactive type) or as a result of not...

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system where the airway passages (bronchi) become constricted. Several inhaled medications help relieve the symptoms of asthma, and some therapies are aimed...

While headache is a possible symptom for high blood pressure, the condition often has no symptoms even when it reaches dangerously high levels. So it's wise to be informed of the risks, have your...

When your blood vessels dilate, the walls of your arteries impede the muscles from constricting and the walls from thinning. This allows blood to flow more easily throughout your arteries,...

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, diabetes is a disease which occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels, requiring the patient to perform the task through the...

Subcortical dementia is deterioration of areas in the brain beneath the cerebral cortex. Another name for subcortical dementia is Binswanger's disease. Dementia in the subcortical form is rare.

The auscultatory method is a method of measuring blood pressure. Although newer methods are present, this method is considered a very accurate way of measuring blood pressure and is still,...

The body's angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) helps regulate blood pressure. ACE levels might be tested to determine a variety of conditions, with elevated ACE often indicating the presence of...

WBC is an acronym for white blood cells. These cells, also called leukocytes, help prevent infection. There are five major types of leukocytes: eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, neutrophils and...

Meniere's disease is the term used to describe an inner ear condition that consists of reoccurring, spontaneous episodes of tinnitus (a ringing or noise in the ear when no outside noise is the...

Leg swelling occurs when there is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the legs. Swelling may be caused by medications. Some of these medications may include steroids, hormones, high blood pressure...

Ague is a condition that occurs when someone has been affected by malaria or other diseases of the blood. Malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Ague is pronounced as "egg." It is...

People with diabetes can drink, but they must be careful. Even small amounts of alcohol can effect blood sugar levels. Certain types of alcohol are especially problematic.

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in membranes of the body's cells. Cholesterol plays a vital role in manufacturing cell membranes and producing hormones and has...

High blood pressure restricts blood flow and can lead to many adverse health conditions. A normal high blood pressure reading is considered to be at or under 120/80 mm Hg; a high blood pressure...

Diabetes and other conditions that impair your immune system are risk factors for kidney infections. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage, and if the nerves around the bladder are damaged, you may...

Nearly 24 million Americans today suffer from diabetes, a disease whose numbers are predicted to double within the next 25 years. Second only to excessive thirst, insatiable hunger with weight...

Doctors normally prescribe one or more types of medications to treat high blood pressure: ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics or MAO inhibitors.

A myelogram is a detailed image of the spine that is produced by sticking a needle in the spinal canal and inserting contrast material or dye. The dye provides a better view of the spine as a...

If you have high blood pressure, you may be able to control it well with the proper diet and prescription medication. However, having high blood pressure may limit your choice of treatment for...

Plaque is a buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits in the arteries that restricts blood flow to the heart. Buildup of plaque in the arteries is also called hardening of the arteries or...

A deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins, usually in the legs. The condition can be very dangerous if the clot travels to the lungs. There are many risk...

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as the "silent killer" because the early stages usually cause no noticeable signs of a problem.

Cinnamon is a common spice that studies have shown has many health benefits, including lowering the levels of sugar and fats in the blood. Taking a half-teaspoon of cinnamon could be a way for...

If you're diabetic, you may grow weary of having to check your blood sugar levels throughout the day. But it's important to carefully monitor your health. Blood sugar spikes can lead to...

Taking blood pressure readings at the ankle, also known as blood pressure in the calf, is done when blood pressure cuffs are a poor fit for the size or shape of both arms and when blood pressure...

Because hair cannot grow in a scar, localized hair loss due to scalp lacerations is at least as common as natural balding. Balding may actually spread from the site of the laceration, depending on...

According to Medline Plus, high blood pressure "is an increase in the force of blood against the arteries in the body." Surprisingly, infants can suffer from high blood pressure, which can be...

Blood pressure measures how hard the heart works while pumping blood around the body. Blood pressure readings of unreasonably high or low numbers indicate various health problems.

While both men and women seek the same normal blood pressure reading of 120/80, variations can drive that number up or down naturally during everyday activities. There is no true average for...

Glucose or blood sugar tests can indicate whether a person suffers from diabetes. Glucose meters, however, can give varying readings. A reading can vary by up to 20 points and still qualify as...

Acute renal insufficiency is a rapid loss of kidney function that occurs suddenly. Another term for this condition is acute renal failure. Identifying this condition early makes it possible to...

If you ask people with diabetes what they dislike most about their disease, often the answer will be having to prick their finger to monitor their blood glucose levels. According to the US...

Heparin is an anticoagulant medicine, often called a blood thinner. Physicians prescribe heparin to treat and prevent blood clots in people with certain health conditions, to stop existing clots...

BUN and creatinine tests are done to monitor kidney function. If blood levels of these substances are high, kidney disease may be present. Test results can also be used to diagnose other medical...

Varicose veins occur most often in the legs and feet. The veins in the legs must pump blood back to the heart, which requires it to pump the blood upward against gravity. To do this, the leg veins...

Kidney disease makes it difficult for the kidneys to maintain fluid and electrolyte balances and filter waste products from the body. GFR is a useful measurement that describes how well a...

MELD, which stands for Model End-Stage Liver Disease, is a tool used to determine the degree of illness in patients waiting for liver transplant. The MELD scoring system, originally designed by...

Foot neuropathy occurs in diabetics and is a symptom of diabetic neuropathy, which is when nerve fibers in the body become damaged. This nerve damage can lead to poor circulation in the feet,...

Creatinine is a waste product that is produced during protein breakdown. The creatinine blood test determines how much of this substance is in the blood. The results are used to determine how...

Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders in which something goes wrong in your bone marrow and you don't produce enough healthy blood cells. Ringing ears, or tinnitus, is a symptom of...

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which some of the normally disc-shaped red blood cells are shaped like crescent moons. These abnormally shaped cells sometimes become stuck on the...

Duke University researcher James D. Lane, Ph.D. conducted a study that measured the effect of caffeine intake on 10 Type 2 diabetics. The participants ingested 500 mg. of caffeine daily--roughly...

It's not difficult to keep your heart healthy if you follow a few tips. Did you know that there are certain times of the day in which you're more likely to have a heart attack? For instance, first...