What is atrial fibrillation? Atrial fibrillation is a medical condition that causes the heart to beat irregularly and rapidly. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly and rapidly. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers (the atria) beat irregularly without coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the...
What is the urea breath test? Readers Comments 4 Share Your Story The urea breath test (UBT) is a test for diagnosing the presence of a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in the stomach. H. pylori causes inflammation, ulcers, and atrophy of the stomach. The test also may be used to demonstrate that H....
Facts you should know about pseudogout Joint swelling and pain are signs and symptoms of pseudogout. Pseudogout is caused by crystals in a joint. Pseudogout causes arthritis (joint inflammation). Pseudogout can cause calcification of cartilage. The arthritis of pseudogout is diagnosed by detecting typical crystals in joint fluid. Treatment of pseudogout is directed at the...
What is breast cancer? Detecting breast cancer early can drastically improve treatment success. Regular checkups, self exams and mammograms as recommended by your doctor can help detect breast cancer early. Breast cancer develops from the cells of the breasts and can spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). It is one of the most...
What is rectal prolapse? Rectal prolapse is a condition in which the last part of your large bowel (rectum) comes out of your anus. This can happen in any of the following three ways: The entire rectum comes out of the anus Only a portion of the rectum is pushed through the anus The rectum...
What is endometriosis? Endometriosis may have no symptoms, or it may be characterized by intense pain and heavy periods, among other signs. Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium) grows at extrauterine sites. It is seen in the ovaries, uterine tubes, vagina, cervix or intestine. It is an extremely painful...
What is HIV? Initial symptoms of HIV are flu-like, but you may not have any symptoms at all, at first. That's why you should base your decision to get an HIV/AIDS test on your potential exposure history, not the appearance of symptoms. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the cells of the...
What is an arthroscopy of the wrist? Arthroscopy of the wrist involves surgical visualization to diagnose and treat disorders of the wrist joints. The use of a fiber-optic instrument, known as an arthroscope, helps the surgeon to visualize the inner parts of the joints. The wrist is a complex joint that consists of eight bones...
What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic medical condition that causes breathing difficulties. Asthma is a long-term medical condition that causes breathing difficulties due to airway narrowing, airway swelling, and excessive mucus production in the airway. An asthma attack is a reversible condition, but it may be severe. During an asthma attack, the muscles around...
What is HIV? The four stages of HIV are categorized by a blood count test of a certain type of immune cells called CD4+. The lower these levels fall, the worse your infection. Ultimately, the count may drop so low it's classified as AIDS, stage 4 of HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the cells...