Hdkino Health and Medical Information

What Is an LVAD? Readers Comments 2 Share Your Story The left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, is a mechanical pump that is implanted inside a person’s chest to help a weakened heart ventricle pump blood throughout the body. Unlike a total artificial heart, the LVAD doesn’t replace the heart. It just helps it do …

Sporotrichosis facts* *Sporotrichosis facts medical author: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD Sporotrichosis (also termed rose gardener’s or rose handler’s disease) is an infection caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenckii, found throughout the world; it is usually associated with minor skin cuts and scrapes that occur when handling vegetation (moss, hay, wood, sharp-stemmed plants like rosebushes). The first symptom of sporotrichosis …

What is the urinary tract? The urinary tract is the body's drainage system for removing wastes and extra water. The urinary tract includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra. Blood flows through the kidneys, and the kidneys filter out wastes and extra water, making urine. The urine travels down two narrow tubes called the ureters. The urine …

Noonan syndrome facts* *Noonan syndrome facts medical author: Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM Noonan syndrome is a genetic disorder that may cause short stature, distinctive facial features and heart abnormalities. Aside from face and heart abnormalities, there may be associated bleeding abnormalities, scoliosis, infertility in males, lymphedema, and intellectual disability. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease, meaning that …

What is a hepatic hemangioma? Hepatic hemangiomas are thought to be present in as many as 7% of healthy people. Hemangiomas are four to six times more common in women than in men. Female hormones may promote the formation and growth of hemangiomas. Hemangiomas, although referred to as tumors, are not malignant and do not become cancerous. Hemangiomas are not …

Hodgkin’s lymphoma facts* Readers Comments 27 Share Your Story *Hodgkin's lymphoma facts medical author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system). The most common symptom of Hodgkin's lymphoma is a painless swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin. Some of those affected have other symptoms like fever, …

Newborn jaundice and kernicterus facts Jaundice in newborns is yellowing of the skin due to excessive bilirubin. Kernicterus is a type of brain damage due to excessive bilirubin in the blood. Signs and symptoms of jaundice include skin yellowing of the face, then chest, abdomen and extremities; the whites of the eyes may become yellowish. Contact your baby’s doctor if …

What is primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)? Health care providers use the term POI when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40 years of age.1,2 Many women naturally experience reduced fertility when they are around 40 years old. This age may mark the start of irregular menstrual periods that signal the onset of menopause. For women with POI, …

Treating Influenza (Flu) in People with Health or Age Factors That Increase Their Risk of Complications Treating the flu in people with health risks facts* *Treating the flu in people with health risks facts medical author: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD People with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes and chronic heart disease are more frequently hospitalized if they get the …

Introduction Psychotherapy is often the first form of treatment recommended for depression. Called “therapy” for short, the word psychotherapy actually involves a variety of treatment techniques. During psychotherapy, a person with depression talks to a licensed and trained mental health care professional who helps him or her identify and work through the factors that may be causing their depression. Sometimes …