Heart disease and stress introduction Are stress and heart disease related? Does stress increase the risk of heart disease? Stress is a normal part of life. But if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including: heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heart beats. How Does Stress Increase the Risk for Heart...
What Are the Seven Warning Signs of Cancer?
Knowing the early symptoms of cancer helps for diagnosis and treatment The seven common warning signs of cancer include: Sudden weight loss in a short time. Change in bowel or bladder habits: Sudden onset of loose motions or constipation. Stomach, pancreatic, colon and ovarian cancers may change the bowel and bladder habits in an individual. A sore that does not...
When Do Babies Start Teething? Symptoms, Signs, Pain Remedies
Facts you should know about teething Teething can cause significant pain in babies. Teething is the process by which a baby's teeth erupt, or break through, the gums. Teething generally occurs between 6 to 24 months of age. Symptoms of teething include irritability, tender and swollen gums, and the infant wanting to place objects or fingers into the mouth in...
Travel Medicine: Travel Vaccines, Cholera, Malaria & Other Risks
Why should travelers see a physician before they leave on a trip? Share Your Story Travelers should see a physician before leaving for a trip if they are going to developing countries, they are visiting sites that are not on the usual tourist routes or traveling to high altitudes, they have chronic diseases that could be affected by travel, they...
What Is TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt)?
What is TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)? Readers Comments 4 Share Your Story Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt or (TIPS) is a shunt (tube) placed between the portal vein which carries blood from the intestines and intraabdominal organs to the liver and the hepatic vein which carries blood from the liver back to the vena cava and the heart. What is...
What Are Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Symptoms & Diagnosis
Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) include delay of normal menstruation (primary amenorrhea), the presence of fewer than normal menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea), or the absence of menstruation for more than three months (secondary amenorrhea). The principal signs and symptoms of PCOS are related to menstrual disturbances and elevated levels of male hormones (androgens). Menstrual disturbances can include delay of normal...
Pacemaker of the Heart: Surgery, Precautions & Procedure
Pacemaker definition and facts* A pacemaker is a small device that's placed in the chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. This device uses low-energy electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are problems with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the...
Pancreatitis: 19 Common Symptoms, 16 Causes, 7 Treatments & 5 Tests
What is pancreatitis? Pancreatitis is when the pancreas develops swelling due to the destruction of the pancreatic tissue. Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas develops swelling due to the destruction of the pancreatic tissue by its own enzymes. Digestive enzymes travel from the pancreas to the small intestine through the pancreatic duct. Usually, they are not activated until...
Success Rate of Mitral Valve Repair
The success rate of mitral valve repair surgery is around 95% With proper patient selection and timely intervention, the estimated success rate of mitral valve repair surgery is around 95%. Almost 95% of patients are free of reoperation for 10 years. At 20 years, around 90% of people do not need reoperation for mitral valve repair. What is percutaneous mitral...
How Quick Is the Recovery After Fibula Flap Surgery?
What is a fibula flap transfer? Generally, recovery after fibula flap surgery takes three to four weeks and includes 10 to 14 days in the hospital. The fibula is a long, thin bone of the outer leg alongside the shinbone. It is sometimes used to harvest bone that can be used in certain reconstructive surgeries of bone. The fibula can...