Diarrhea: the basics

25Oct07

What is diarrhea?
Stools that are loose and watery, usually occuring more frequently than the usual bowel movements.
What causes diarrhea?
Most cases of diarrhea are caused by an infection of the gastrointestinal pathway, either viral, bacterial or parasitic. Other less common causes are as follows:

Eating foods that upset the digestive system
Allergies to certain foods
Medications
Radiation therapy
Diseases of [...]

Filed under: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, infection, infectious disease, treatment   |  1 Comment
Tags: dehydration, diarrhea, loose bowel movement, watery stools

Blighted ovum

28Sep07

A blighted ovum, or anembryonic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg never develops an embryo after attaching itself to the uterine wall. The gestational sac, however, continues to develop until a spontaneous miscarriage occurs or a dilatation and curettage is done.
Signs and symptoms:
The usual signs of early pregnancy may be present (missed period, nausea, [...]

Filed under: Gynecology, Obstetrics, diagnosis, pregnancy, treatment   |  7 Comments
Tags: blighted ovum, D&C

Hydatidiform mole

28Sep07

Hydatidiform mole (H. mole) is one of a spectrum of diseases classified as a Gestational Trophoblastic Disease. Gestational trophoblastic disease encompasses several disease processes that originate in the placenta. These include complete and partial moles, invasive moles, placental site trophoblastic tumors, and choriocarcinomas.
Hydatidiform mole is a relatively complication of pregnancy. Incidence [...]

Filed under: Gynecology, diagnosis, pregnancy, treatment, tumor   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: defective pregnancy, gestational trophoblastic disease, hydatidiform mole, pregnancy, pregnancy complication, suction curettage, tumor

Glaucoma – a thief in the night

19Apr07

This is an eye disease which is little understood by the general public. It’s a disease of the optic nerve, which usually affects the peripheral vision first then gradually going centrally. A rise in intraocular pressure is usually but not always noted.
Glaucoma may be acute or chronic.
In acute glaucoma, there is a sudden [...]

Filed under: diagnosis, eye, glaucoma, treatment   |  1 Comment