Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function.Source: MedicineNet/iStock Why are blood creatinine levels checked? Readers Comments 100 Share Your Story The kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range. Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. Elevated creatinine level signifies impaired kidney...
What is hepatitis C (hep C)? Share Your Story Hepatitis C virus destroys the liver. Hepatitis (hep C) is a form of viral hepatitis. Hepatitis C causes acute and chronic liver disease. Hepatitis C is transmitted when the virus in infected blood from one person infects another person. Hepatitis C disease is caused by a...
What can cause nausea and vomiting? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Drugs used to treat nausea and vomiting are called antiemetics. Many types of antiemetics can decrease the severity of nausea. Nausea and vomiting occur for many reasons. Common causes include motion sickness, self-limited illnesses (viruses or food poisoning) that last a few hours...
What is hepatitis A? Share Your Story Hepatitis A is an infection that can cause liver failure and death. Hepatitis A is a type of liver infection caused by a virus termed hepatitis A (HAV). For clarity, the disease will be termed hepatitis A while the viral cause will be termed HAV. Hepatitis A is...
What Is Ulcerative Colitis? Ulcerative colitis is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease. It affects the lining of the large intestine, or colon, and rectum. The rectum is the last section of the colon and is located just above the anus. People with ulcerative colitis have tiny ulcers and abscesses in their colon and rectum. These...
Eggs and the Mediterranean diet Egg yolks may be bad for pancreatitis due to their high-fat content. However, egg yolks may be swapped for egg whites in a regular diet because they are low in fat. Although fatty foods, such as egg yolks, won’t damage the pancreas, they do contribute to high triglyceride levels that...
What is a colonoscopy? Virtual colonoscopy is a technique that uses a CT scan to construct virtual images of the colon. Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables an examiner (usually a gastroenterologist) to evaluate the appearance of the inside of the colon (large bowel). This is accomplished by inserting a long flexible tube (the colonoscope)...
Laxatives and constipation definitions and facts Fruits and vegetables can act as natural laxatives. The definition of constipation is infrequent bowel movements that may be painful or difficult, along with hard stool. Common causes of constipation include diets low in fiber, side effects of medications (such as narcotics, antidepressants, iron supplements, calcium channel blockers and...
What is Crohn’s disease? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Crohn's disease can occur anywhere along the digestive tract. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bowels, mainly involving the small and large intestines. Additionally, Crohn's disease may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Crohn's disease...
What is familial adenomatous polyposis? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited disorder characterized by cancer of the large intestine (colon) and rectum. People with the classic type of familial adenomatous polyposis may begin to develop multiple noncancerous (benign) growths (polyps) in the colon as early as their teenage...