Here we’ll explain the symptoms of pancreatitis, how alcohol causes the condition and the other health problems it can lead to. You probably don’t pay much attention to your pancreas. But that small, tadpole-shaped organ behind your stomach and below your ribcage is pretty important. It produces two essential substances: digestive juices which your intestines use to break down food, and hormones that are involved in digestion, such as insulin, which regulates your blood sugar levels. Pancreatitis is when your pancreas becomes inflamed and its cells are damaged. Heavy drinking can cause pancreatitis. But if you drink within the government’s low risk unit guidelines, you should avoid upsetting this important organ.

The eyes A close up of a young person's eyes. The eyes are responsible for four-fifths of all the information our brain receives. Here you can find out a bit more about how they work, common problems that affect vision and the work Sightsavers does to treat and prevent avoidable blindness. You can also find out more about the people whose lives have been changed thanks to donations from people like you. How do eyes work? (click image to see enlarged version or click here for text alternative) Graphic of an eye with information about its different parts The images we see are made up of light reflected from the objects we look at. This light enters the eye through the cornea. Because this part of the eye is curved, it bends the light, creating an upside down image on the retina (this is eventually put the right way up by the brain). The retina is a complex part of the eye, but only the very back of it is light sensitive. This part of the retina has roughly the area of a 10p coin, and is packed with photosensitive cells called rods and cones. Cones are the cells responsible for daylight vision. There are three kinds – each responding to a different wavelength of light: red, green and blue. The cones allow us to see images in colour and detail. Rods are responsible for night vision. They are sensitive to light but not to colour. In darkness, the cones do not function at all. How do we see an image? The lens focuses the image. It can do this because it is adjustable – using muscles to change shape and help us focus on objects at different distances. The automatic focusing of the lens is a reflex response and is not controlled by the brain. Once the image is clearly focused on the sensitive part of the retina, energy in the light that makes up that image creates an electrical signal. Nerve impulses can then carry information about that image to the brain through the optic nerve.

Wound-closure technologies are becoming less painful and more efficient at closing wounds.

Worlds Most Amazing Medical Case

Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in your gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder holds a digestive fluid called bile that's released into your small intestine. Gallstones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Some people develop just one gallstone, while others develop many gallstones at the same time. Gallstones are common in the United States. People who experience symptoms from their gallstones usually require gallbladder removal surgery. Gallstones that don't cause any signs and symptoms typically don't need treatment.

Why Does Thinking Hard Make You Tired?

How to pull a wisdom tooth fully impacted

There are several things to consider when trying to decide between gastric bypass surgery and gastric sleeve surgery. Unlike the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (Lap Band), these two operations are both permanent, reduce hunger, and lead to the highest percentage of weight loss. To properly compare gastric sleeve surgery to gastric bypass surgery we will examine the following data : Expected weight loss. Speed of weight loss. Time of surgery. Gastric bypass benefits over sleeve. Gastric sleeve benefits over bypass. Risk of complications. Surgeon skill and preference.

General Considerations Because a discussion of reproductive issues may be difficult for some women, it is important to obtain the history in a relaxed and private setting. The patient should be clothed, particularly if she is meeting the provider for the first time. Ordinarily, the patient should be interviewed alone. Exceptions may be made for children, adolescents, and mentally impaired women, or if the patient specifically requests the presence of a caretaker, friend, or family member. However, even in these circumstances, it is desirable for the patient to have some time to speak with the clinician privately. The manner of address should be formal using the title Mrs., Ms., Miss, or Dr. with the patient’s surname, unless the patient requests otherwise. In some settings, it may be appropriate for nursing staff to be involved with history taking. A nurse may be perceived as less threatening, and may be able to take the history in a less hurried manner.1 The provider can verify the history and focus on areas of concern. Alternatively, it may be helpful to ask the patient to complete a self-history form on paper or by computer prior to speaking with the provider. This allows the provider to devote time to addressing positive responses, and ensures that important questions are not missed. Hasley2 showed that responses to a computer-based questionnaire designed to update a patient’s gynecologic history were equivalent to those obtained during a personal interview. Several studies involving patients in non-gynecologic settings have shown that patients are more likely to provide sensitive information when responding to a computer-based questionnaire as opposed to a personal interview or even a paper questionnaire.3 In order to increase a patient’s level of comfort during the interview, questions should be asked in an open-ended and nonjudgmental way. Assumptions should not be made about aspects of the patient’s background such as sexual orientation. At the conclusion of the interview, patients should be asked whether there are concerns that they would like to discuss that were not addressed previously in the interview.

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop as a complication of inadequately treated strep throat or scarlet fever. Strep throat and scarlet fever are caused by an infection with streptococcus bacteria. Rheumatic fever is most common in 5- to 15-year-old children, though it can develop in younger children and adults. Although strep throat is common, rheumatic fever is rare in the United States and other developed countries. However, rheumatic fever remains common in many developing nations. Rheumatic fever can cause permanent damage to the heart, including damaged heart valves and heart failure. Treatments can reduce damage from inflammation, lessen pain and other symptoms, and prevent the recurrence of rheumatic fever.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is a condition that results from the malformation of the kidney during fetal development. The kidney consists of irregular cysts of varying sizes. Multicystic dysplastic kidney is a common type of renal cystic disease, and it is a cause of an abdominal mass in infants.

ACE inhibitors Email this page to a friend Print Facebook Twitter Google+ Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are medicines. They treat heart, blood vessel, and kidney problems. How ACE inhibitors help ACE inhibitors are used to treat heart disease. These medicines make your heart work less hard by lowering your blood pressure. This keeps some kinds of heart disease from getting worse. Most people who have heart failure take these medicines. These medicines treat high blood pressure, strokes, or heart attacks. They may help lower your risk for stroke or heart attack. They are also used to treat diabetes and kidney problems. This can help keep your kidneys from getting worse. If you have these problems, ask your health care provider if you should be taking these medicines.

Early Signs that Cancer is Growing in Your Body

Diabetes insipidus (die-uh-BEE-teze in-SIP-uh-dus) is an uncommon disorder that causes an imbalance of water in the body. This imbalance leads to intense thirst even after drinking fluids (polydipsia), and excretion of large amounts of urine (polyuria). While the names diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus sound similar, they're not related. Diabetes mellitus — which can occur as type 1 or type 2 — is the more common form of diabetes. There's no cure for diabetes insipidus, but treatments are available to relieve your thirst and normalize your urine output.

Meningococcal meningitis - causes, features, symptoms and treatment

Herpangina is a common childhood illness caused by a virus. It is characterized by small, blister-like ulcers on the roof of the mouth and in the back of the throat. The infection may also cause a sudden fever, sore throat, headache, and neck pain.

This was a Nasogastric Intubation that went very wrong. The tube went up into the brain, causing severe damage, instead of going down through the throat.

Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (VF) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (VT). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a countershock) to the heart.

Acute compartment syndrome refers to ischemic tissue damage secondary to elevated pressures in the enclosed compartments of the lower legs or forearm. When the tissue pressure in an enclosed compartment exceeds the perfusion pressure, the resulting diminished tissue perfusion and compromised blood flow to the muscles and nerves inevitably lead to ischemic tissue necrosis. Majority of the cases involving the lower extremities are due to a traumatic event, most commonly tibial fractures. Other causes include a crush injury or other long bone fractures in a motor vehicle accident, a tight cast or dressing after trauma, and drug overdose.

American Cancer Society release new breast cancer screening guidelines