Open fractures are injuries to the bone that occur when a broken bone is exposed outside the body. Open fractures, sometimes called compound fractures, can occur when there is a small cut to the skin that communicates to a fracture, or they can occur with severe soft-tissue injuries that threaten the survival of the limb. In an effort to make sense of these injuries, they are generally graded according to their severity....
The posterior segment of the eye functions by maintaining the shape of the eyeball, holding the lens in place, and triggering nerve impulses to the brain from photoreceptor cells on the back of the eyes. The retina, choroid (the vascular layer of the eye), and optic nerve comprise much of the posterior segment, with a number of HIV-associated disorders presenting within these ocular layers, more often in late-stage HIV disease....
Choriocarcinoma may be suspected when a patient with a positive pregnancy test has a larger-than-normal uterus, pelvic masses, or higher-than-expected levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG. This cancer is fast-growing and can spread quickly, so it is important to get a diagnosis right away. Early detection can improve your outcome. This article will explain more about the diagnosis process for choriocarcinoma. Self-Checks/At-Home Testing There are no at-home tests available for diagnosing choriocarcinoma....
Our Conversation Coach Can Help If you have a loved one who refuses to see a medical professional, be it skipping an annual check-up or resisting a visit when they’re hurt or sick, you might be worried about the effect their avoidance will have on their health. You may need to address the importance of seeking routine medical care with them, especially if they have risk factors for a silent condition (such as osteoporosis or arthritis) or if they are experiencing symptoms they think will resolve on their own (such as bone pain or joint pain)....
Infectious mononucleosis, or mono, is a disease spread through saliva and other bodily fluids. It is therefore also known as “the kissing disease.” Mono is common in settings where individuals are in close quarters, such as college dormitories. Although less common, mono can also be spread through sexual contact, blood transfusions, and organ transplants. Mono is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a type of herpes virus. Most commonly infecting young people, EBV can affect anyone....
Is testosterone therapy a good idea? A low level of testosterone has been associated with negative health effects as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides leading to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. However, testosterone replacement comes with its own set of concerns, in particular, potential negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Since 2015 the FDA has required that testosterone products be labeled to warn consumers about the potential increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke....
Rarely used today, mantle field radiation is a type of radiation treatment used for Hodgkin lymphoma that helped boost cure rates in the 1960s. Radiation was delivered to a large area of the neck, chest, and armpits to cover all the main lymph node areas in the upper half of the body. A part of the lungs, heart and the shoulders were shielded from the radiation beam to reduce the side effects....
If you have a mutation in the gene MTHFR, your body may have difficulty breaking down an amino acid called homocysteine. More than 40 MTHFR genetic mutations are linked to homocystinuria, a condition where the amino acid builds up in the bloodstream. Homocystinuria is associated with eye issues, thrombosis, bone fractures, and Alzheimer’s disease. While having one or more MTHFR gene mutations doesn’t necessarily mean you will have certain health problems, it’s thought to increase your risk....
If you’re experiencing chronic pain, a healthcare provider may recommend that you have a nerve block, a temporary or permanent procedure that disrupts specific nerve activity that can help diagnose or treat certain types of neuropathic pain, or pain caused by nerve dysfunction or damage. Nerve blocks may be performed by injecting chemicals or anesthetics to the area or by deliberately cutting or damaging certain parts of the nerve. Many people receive nerve blocks without even knowing it....
Understanding and preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in premature babies is an integral part of bringing a preemie home. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) discharge is a joyous occasion; no longer do parents have to follow the routines of the hospital’s special care nursery or NICU or be separated from their baby. Most importantly, going home means that the baby has made it through all of the immediate health problems caused by being born early....
Arthritis patients take several medications that increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. If you have taken one of these medications for a long time, you may be lulled into a false sense of security that all is well. It’s critical that you know the signs of gastrointestinal bleeding—because it can happen at any time and it can quickly become an emergency. What Is Gastrointestinal Bleeding? Gastrointestinal bleeding refers to any bleeding that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, which runs from your mouth to your anus....
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), scabies affects over 200 million people in the world at any one time. The condition is more common in young children and older adults, especially in poor communities that lack healthcare resources. This article covers what scabies rashes look like, other symptoms that may occur, causes, treatment, and prevention. What Does Scabies Look Like? A scabies rash can look slightly different from person to person but has some common features....
Sheehan’s syndrome is a rare condition that develops in some women who bleed excessively during childbirth. The extreme loss of blood affects and decreases the function of the pituitary gland, leading the women involved to experience the symptoms of hypopituitarism. In effect, Sheehan’s syndrome is a type of hypopituitarism. The pituitary gland, a part of the endocrine system, is the gland in the body that is responsible for the production of certain hormones that affect organs like the thyroid, kidneys, and sexual reproductive organs like the uterus....
The stabbing pain in your side is known as a side stitch, side ache, side cramp, or exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). It’s considered exercise-related pain, but exercise doesn’t cause side stitches. Side stitch is caused by stress or pressure on the diaphragm muscle. This article will explain the symptoms of side stitch, the causes of side stitch, and what treatment, including prevention, looks like. You’ll also learn when to see a healthcare provider....
Soft tissue injuries are trauma to any skin, muscle, tendon, or ligament in the body. These are neither fractures, which would be injuries of hard (bone) tissue, nor are these injuries to internal organs (brain, heart, stomach, intestines, etc.). The mechanisms of injury (MOI) can be acute trauma (external force applied to the body) or an overuse injury, which can be from physical activity, such as in sports or industrial settings....
Pinterest, a platform where users share and “pin” visual inspirations and recipes, contains pervasive misinformation on cancer nutrition, according to a new study. Key Takeaways Misleading cancer nutrition claims are prevalent on Pinterest, an image-focused social media platform.A new study found that almost 50% of the cancer nutrition content on Pinterest linked to a for-profit site.Misleading keywords like “cancer-busting” and “cancer-fighting” were used frequently in these pins. Researchers found that nearly half of the pins related to cancer nutrition were linked to for-profit websites and 34% of them sold supplements or similar products....
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that female surgeons are more likely to perform easier procedures than their male peers. Key Takeaways Female surgeons seem to experience systemic bias that puts a limit to their professional opportunities. Researchers hope this finding will help hospitals create more equitable opportunities for female doctors. The study, which was published in Annals of Surgery earlier this month, analyzed 551,047 case records of surgeries performed by 131 surgeons at MGH from 1997 to 2018....
The optic chiasm is an X-shaped structure formed by the crossing of the optic nerves in the brain. The optic nerve connects the brain to the eye. To biologists, the optic chiasm is thought to be a turning point in evolution. It is thought that the crossing and uncrossing optic nerve fibers that travel through the optic chiasm developed in such a way to aid in binocular vision and eye-hand coordination....
Thiamine (or vitamin B1) is one of many B-complex vitamins. It is required for proper metabolism and is necessary for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy used by every cell in the body. If you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you may not absorb thiamine properly, leading to a deficiency that can exacerbate fatigue, a common symptom of Hashimoto’s disease. Thiamine is not stored in the body, so it is necessary to get a consistent supply of it from food and, in some cases, supplements....
Thrombocytopenia is diagnosed when the number of platelets in the blood is low. Platelets are the cells in the blood that clot the blood and heal blood vessel walls in the event of bleeding. Having too few platelets can lead to bruising or active bleeding. Normal platelet counts are 150,000 to 450,000 per microliter of blood and can be discovered during a simple blood test. If a platelet count falls below 150,000 per microliter of blood, it is called thrombocytopenia....
