infectious disease

The main risk factor for alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is drinking heavy amounts of alcohol. Normally, only about 10 percent of the liver anatomy is fat. Hepatic steatosis is having more than 10 percent accumulated fat in your liver, which is otherwise called fatty liver disease.  Drinking too much alcohol can cause alcoholic fatty …

Outlook for hepatitis C Hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver. Hepatitis C used to be difficult to treat and often resulted in the loss of life, but there are greater chances of curing or managing this condition thanks to modern medicine and research. Between three and five million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C. …

Opportunistic infections can be viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic in nature Opportunistic infections occur in people with weakened or impaired immune systems. When the immune system is compromised, almost any infection can become an opportunistic infection.  Opportunistic infections can be viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic in nature. Here are common examples by category. What are examples of opportunistic infections caused …

Getting the hepatitis B vaccine is the only way to prevent the disease. Learn about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment Hepatitis B is caused by HBV, or the hepatitis B virus. Most HBV infections resolve within 1-2 months even without active treatment. If the infection lasts longer than 6 months, it can progress to chronic HBV, which can lead to serious …

In most cases, recovery from vertigo takes a few weeks after the onset of symptoms. The symptoms may last for many days and manifest themselves severely. After about one to two weeks, they often go away. However, if the issue persists for a longer time, a person may need therapy for symptom relief. A person may get another episode of …

Ramsay Hunt syndrome may be triggered by conditions that weaken the immune system, such as COVID-19 or the shingles virus. Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus in the facial nerve. In most individuals, the varicella zoster virus may stay dormant by immune system activity. What specifically triggers the reactivation of the virus …

Some people with hepatitis do not show any symptoms and are unaware of their infection. Hepatitis is a term used to describe inflammation or swelling of the liver that occurs when liver tissues are injured or infected. It can be caused by several viruses (viral hepatitis), chemicals, drugs, alcohol, certain genetic disorders, or an overactive immune system (autoimmune conditions) that …

Learn the six most common opportunistic infections in the United States. Most of the microorganisms that cause opportunistic infections (OIs) are extremely widespread, and a person may already be infected with many of them. Keep clean and avoid recognized sources of the bacteria that cause OIs to lower the risk of new infections. Even if a person has some OIs, …

What causes chickenpox? Both chickenpox and shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The difference between chickenpox and shingles is that chickenpox usually occurs first, and shingles are a result of a reactivation of chickenpox later on. Even though chickenpox and shingles are usually spoken of together, they are very different illnesses. Some think only kids get chickenpox, and only …

Taeniasis vs. cysticercosis Tapeworms are parasitic worms that find their way into your body and live in your digestive system. Get a tapeworm out of your body by taking antiparasitic medications. Tapeworms sound like monsters from a science fiction movie. They’re parasitic worms that find their way into your body and live in your digestive system — sometimes without you …