Here we have compiled more than a thousand health information articles so you can have information that is efficient, professionally reviewed, authoritatively sourced, and constantly updated. Search for any topic that interests you, then customize print outs or PDFs.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative brain disorder. Symptoms usually start around age 60. Memory problems, behavior changes, vision problems, and poor muscle coordination progress quickly to dementia, coma, and death. Most patients die within a year.
The three main categories of CJD are :
Cattle can get a disease related to CJD called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease." There is concern that people can get a variant of CJD from eating beef from an infected animal, but there is no direct proof to support this.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Computed tomography (CT) is a type of imaging. It uses special x-ray equipment to make cross-sectional pictures of your body.
Doctors use CT scans to look for:
During a CT scan, you lie still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large X-ray machine. The test is painless. During some tests you receive a contrast dye, which makes parts of your body show up better in the image.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
E. coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers' diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems.
You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. Symptoms of infection include:
To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste.
Most cases of E. coli infection get better without treatment in 5 to 10 days.
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders. They involve severe problems with your thoughts about food and your eating behaviors. You may eat much less or much more than you need.
Eating disorders are medical conditions; they are not a lifestyle choice. They affect your body's ability to get proper nutrition. This can lead to health issues, such as heart and kidney problems, or sometimes even death. But there are treatments that can help.
What are the types of eating disorders?Common types of eating disorders include:
The exact cause of eating disorders is unknown. Researchers believe that eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of factors. These include genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.
Who is at risk for eating disorders?Anyone can develop an eating disorder, but they are more common in women. Eating disorders frequently appear during the teen years or young adulthood. But people can also develop them during childhood or later in life.
What are the symptoms of eating disorders?The symptoms of eating disorders vary, depending on the disorder:
The symptoms of binge-eating include:
The symptoms of bulimia nervosa include the same symptoms as binge-eating, plus trying to get rid of the food or weight after binging by:
Over time, bulimia nervosa can cause health problems such as:
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:
Over time, anorexia nervosa can cause health problems such as:
Anorexia nervosa can be fatal. Some people with this disorder die of complications from starvation, and others die of suicide.
Some people with eating disorders may also have other mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety) or problems with substance use.
How is eating disorders diagnosed?Because eating disorders can be so serious, it is important to seek help if you or a loved one thinks that you might have a problem. Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:
Treatment plans for eating disorders are tailored to individual needs. You will likely have a team of providers helping you, including doctors, nutritionists, nurses, and therapists. The treatments may include:
Some people with serious eating disorders may need to be in a hospital or in a residential treatment program. Residential treatment programs combine housing and treatment services.
NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
Endoscopy is a procedure that lets your doctor look inside your body. It uses an instrument called an endoscope, or scope for short. Scopes have a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside an organ. Sometimes scopes are used for surgery, such as for removing polyps from the colon.
There are many different kinds of endoscopy. Here are the names of some of them and where they look.:
It's your life - Live it independently! It is inevitable, the more miles we put on our bodies, the more challenging it becomes to do the things we simply took for granted in the past. Sometimes, family members and friends are unavailable to help out. As a result, living independently becomes difficult, and you may experience problems with everyday tasks.
When home health services covered by Medicare or your insurance company are not enough, you or your family may benefit from our private duty services. We can provide nurse and aide services to supplement the care you are receiving to speed your recovery or simply give your family a break. Our services include: RN and LVN Visits Case Management, Home Health Aides, Private Duty...
Many patients who have had surgery are not prepared to care for themselves following discharge from the hospital or outpatient surgery center. Imagine if you or your family did not have to go through the recovery process alone. Uptown Homecare provides professional surgery recovery services, customized to your indidivual needs. Managed by an RN, our personalized service ensures that you...