What is leprosy? Share Your Story Leprosy, also termed Hansen's disease, is a chronic infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, a rod-shaped organism that stains reddish when an acid-fast stain is applied. Historians suggest leprosy was recognized as a disease as early as 600 BC; because of the disfigurement of individuals with untreated leprosy, people with leprosy have been...
Ultrasound for Pregnancy, Transvaginal & Other Types
What is an ultrasound? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story While the patient's history and physical examination are the initial steps of making a medical diagnosis, the ability to peer inside the body can be a powerful tool. Ultrasound is an imaging technique that provides that ability to medical practitioners. Ultrasound produces sound waves that are beamed into the body...
What Is Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)? Treatment, Symptoms, Causes
Introduction to trigeminal neuralgia (TN) The brain is connected to the body by the spinal cord with spinal nerves sending and receiving impulses and messages to and from the brain. However, there are twelve cranial nerves that directly connect to the body. These nerves are involved with the muscle and sensory function of the head and neck. (The exception is...
Melioidosis Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Melioidosis facts Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei. Melioidosis infection commonly involves the lungs. Melioidosis is diagnosed with the help of blood, urine, sputum, or skin-lesion testing. Melioidosis is treated with antibiotics. The overall mortality rate is 40%. What is melioidosis? What causes melioidosis? Melioidosis, also called Whitmore's Disease,...
Ultrasound for Pregnancy, Transvaginal & Other Types
What is an ultrasound? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story While the patient's history and physical examination are the initial steps of making a medical diagnosis, the ability to peer inside the body can be a powerful tool. Ultrasound is an imaging technique that provides that ability to medical practitioners. Ultrasound produces sound waves that are beamed into the body...
Sleep Related Breathing Disorders: Snoring & Sleep Apnea
What are sleep related breathing disorders? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Sleep related breathing disorders are a group of disorders that affect our breathing while we are asleep, and are characterized by disruptions of normal breathing patterns that only occur during sleep. Therefore, the person with the disorder may be the last to know he or she has a...
Is Dandruff (Seborrhea) Contagious? Remedies, Treatment
What is dandruff? Share Your Story Dandruff (also known as seborrheic dermatitis) is a scalp condition, usually chronic, in which skin on the scalp forms flakes that are then shed from the scalp. These flakes consist of dead cells, and while it is normal for dead cells to be shed, with dandruff, a large number of these cells are shed...
Is Scarlet Fever Contagious? Rash, Symptoms, Treatment
What is scarlet fever? Share Your Story Scarlet fever (also termed scarlatina) is an illness characterized by a bright red rash that can cover most of the body and is caused by a toxin secreted by group A streptococci, a type of gram-positive coccus-shaped (round) bacteria. Scarlet fever usually occurs in individuals that have had a strep throat infection or...
Is Dandruff (Seborrhea) Contagious? Remedies, Treatment
What is dandruff? Share Your Story Dandruff (also known as seborrheic dermatitis) is a scalp condition, usually chronic, in which skin on the scalp forms flakes that are then shed from the scalp. These flakes consist of dead cells, and while it is normal for dead cells to be shed, with dandruff, a large number of these cells are shed...
Sleep Related Breathing Disorders: Snoring & Sleep Apnea
What are sleep related breathing disorders? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Sleep related breathing disorders are a group of disorders that affect our breathing while we are asleep, and are characterized by disruptions of normal breathing patterns that only occur during sleep. Therefore, the person with the disorder may be the last to know he or she has a...