What is a blood clot? A blood clot itself may not be something that you directly feel. However, the signs and symptoms of blood clots vary depending on their location. Normally, blood clotting is a natural mechanism of the body that prevents excessive blood loss when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets, proteins, and blood …

What is hepatitis? Common causes of hepatitis are viruses, infections, alcohol, drugs, toxins, and others. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can occur due to a variety of factors, but the most common cause is a virus infection. Hepatitis can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) and can have fatal complications. The liver is in the right upper …

What is insomnia? Three types of insomnia are acute, transient, and chronic insomnia. Insomnia is defined as repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, consolidation, or quality that occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep and results in some form of daytime impairment. What are the three types of insomnia? Acute insomnia Lasts up to one month Commonly referred to …

What is Lyme disease? 3 stages of Lyme disease are early localized Lyme, early disseminated Lyme, and late disseminated Lyme. Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted to humans via ticks. The ticks transfer, during their bite, spiral-shaped bacteria known as spirochetes. Spirochetes may enter the blood after remaining localized in the skin. Lyme disease has the potential to affect …

What is an ulnar nerve block? An ulnar nerve block is an injection of anesthesia to numb parts of the hand for surgery. An ulnar nerve block is a procedure to numb the side of the hand with the little finger. An anesthetic solution is injected adjacent to the ulnar nerve in the wrist or the elbow.  The anesthetic blocks …

What is leukemia? Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and blood-forming cells, such as white blood cells. Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells of the bone marrow. Patients with leukemia have an over-production of a particular blood cell type in the body, the white blood cells (cells that fight infection and provide immunity).  The excessive number …

What is dexamethasone, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Dexamethasone is a synthetic (man-made) corticosteroid. Corticosteroids are naturally-occurring chemicals produced by the adrenal glands located above the kidneys. Corticosteroids affect the function of many cells within the body and suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids also block inflammation and are used in a wide variety of inflammatory diseases affecting …

How is a video EEG performed? A video EEG (electroencephalograph) monitoring is a diagnostic procedure using EEG and video recordings simultaneously in order to monitor seizure activity. A video EEG monitoring is usually performed in a hospital. The duration of the video EEG monitoring depends on the frequency of the seizures. A video EEG (electroencephalograph) monitoring is a diagnostic procedure …

What is a migraine? The exact cause of migraines remains a mystery. However, several factors are associated with migraines. A migraine is a complex disorder that involves episodes of recurrent and severe headaches. A migraine headache is usually on one side and may be associated with visual or sensory symptoms, collectively called aura. The aura may occur before, during or …

How does HPV spread? HPV infections often resolve without treatment and do not cause any health problems. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection that is transmitted through sexual activity. Papillomaviruses are viruses that infect only humans. It is mainly a skin-borne disease. People can get an HPV infection by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone …