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Symptoms could include:
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Bruises Easily
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Decreased Sensation in Hands
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Bloody stoolsBreath odorBrusing easilyChanges in mental statusor moodDecreased appetiteDecreased sensation, especially in the hands or feetFatigueFlank pain (between the ribs and hips)Hand tremorHigh blood pressureMetallic taste in mouthNausea or ...
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The four most common causes of chronic kidney failure include:.Diabetes. Diabetes mellitus(DM), both insulin dependant(IDDM) and non-insulin dependant(NIDDM), occurs when the body cannot produce and/or use insulin, the hormone necessary for the bo...
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The four most common causes of chronic kidney failure include:.Diabetes. Diabetes mellitus(DM), both insulin dependant(IDDM) and non-insulin dependant(NIDDM), occurs when the body cannot produce and/or use insulin, the hormone necessary for the bo...
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Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury(mmHg) and usually given as two numbers. For example, 120 over 80(written as 120/80 mmHg).The top number is your systolic p...
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The lower number is the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart is filling or relaxing before the next beat. Normal blood pressure for an adult is 120/70(on average), but normal for an individual varies with the height, weight, fi...
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Primary, or essential, hypertension is caused by external factors; secondary hypertension is related to an underlying disorder, such as a congenital heart defect or kidney disease. Factors that increase the risk of high blood pressure include age(...
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High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.
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Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
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Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.
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This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.
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High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
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When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?
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The National High Blood Pressure Education Program(NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900...
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While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.
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A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.
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Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?
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Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?
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Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.
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The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.
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What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.
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High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don't know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.
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Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?
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Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.
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For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.
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In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects almost one in three adults in the United States. But this serious health condition isn't limited to those ages 18 and older, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
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Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
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High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.
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If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.
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Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?
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The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries.
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Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.
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A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
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The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.
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Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.As blood flows through arteries it pushes against the inside of the artery walls.
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Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity, including feeling disoriented and having difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.Disorientation; Thinking- unclear; Thoughts- cloudy.Confusion may come on...
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Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day-- often with a strong tendency to actually fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.Sleepiness- during the day; Hypersomnia; Somnolence.Excessive daytime sleepi...
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Each year, at least 100,000 vehicular crashes and 1,550 deaths are caused by drivers who are impaired by sleepiness.
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When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.
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Hypersomnia refers to a set of related disorders that involve excessive daytime sleepiness.There are two main categories of hypersomnia: primary hypersomnia(sometimes called idiopathic hypersomnia) and recurrent hypersomnia(sometimes called recurr...
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Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.Your body has a few main ways to respond to an ever-changing, wide variety of invaders and irritants.
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Vomiting can deplete you of fluids and electrolytes, so repeated vomiting requires medical treatment if it results in a lasting lightheaded feeling or weakness.
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Persistent or recurrent nausea and vomiting should be checked by a doctor.A doctor should be called if nausea and vomiting occur in the following instances:.after eating rich or spoiled food or taking a new medication.It is important to see a doct...
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Persistent or recurrent nausea and vomiting should be checked by a doctor.A doctor should be called if nausea and vomiting occur:.after eating rich or spoiled food or taking a new medication.It is important to see a doctor if nausea and vomiting a...
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Nausea and vomiting are recognized as two separate and distinct conditions. Nausea is the subjective, unpleasant feeling or urge to vomit, which may or may not result in vomiting.
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Nausea (feeling queasy or sick to your stomach) and/or vomiting (throwing up) may happen from many causes with cancer, and may be worse if you are getting chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Nausea and vomiting may come on slowly or very quickly with cancer-related problems. Your doctor will treat the problem causing the nausea and vomiting, and treat the nausea and vomiting, too.
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Nausea or vomiting lasts for 24 hours or more You have trouble keeping fluids down
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Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat.Anorexia is common in cancer patients with reported incidence between 15% and 40%. Primary anorexia is especially prevalent in patients with advanced malignancy, and is frequ...
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Detailed information on anorexia, including causes, characteristics, types, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and prevention
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Your loss of appetite may be because of anxiety or depression, aging, medications or a health concern.
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A harvard Medical school physician answers your question about the prevalence of anorexia in men, and discusses the biological and environmental factors that influence the disorder in both sexes.
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Women suffering from anorexia nervosa may benefit more from general support than in-depth therapy, according to a recent study.
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Decreased urine output is defined as producing less than 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours.Although a significant decrease in urine output may indicate a serious, even life-threatening condition, adequate urine output can be restored with promp...
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Paleness is an abnormal loss of color from normal skin or mucous membranes.Unless pale skin is accompanied by pale lips, tongue, palms of the hands, inside of the mouth, and lining of the eyes, it is probably not a serious condition, and does not ...
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Abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs is called peripheral edema.Swelling of the ankles- feet- legs; Ankle swelling; Foot swelling; Leg swelling; Edema- peripheral; Peripheral edema.Painless swelling of the feet and ankles is a c...
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Edema is a condition of abnormally large fluid volume in the circulatory system or in tissues between the body''s cells(interstitial spaces).Normally the body maintains a balance of fluid in tissues by ensuring that the same of amount of water ente...
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Edema is a condition of abnormally large fluid volume in the circulatory system or in tissues between the body''s cells(interstitial spaces).Normally the body maintains a balance of fluid in tissues by ensuring that the same amount of water enterin...
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Appetite is the desire to eat. A decreased appetite is when you have a reduced desire to eat.
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Loss of appetite is a loss of the desire to eat. Not eating can lead to weight loss. Weight loss can cause weakness and fatigue, which affect your ability to perform normal activities. Proper nutrition also helps your body prevent and fight infection. Weight loss or lack of appetite may be due to the cancer or sometimes to treatments for the cancer.
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Decreased consciousness is reduced alertness or awareness.Stuporous; Mental status- decreased; Loss of alertness; Decreased consciousness; Alertness- decreased; Changes in consciousness; Obtundation; Coma; Unresponsiveness.Many conditions can caus...
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A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare.
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A headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom.
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This report helps you identify the cause of your headache and learn what to do about it. Includes the latest treatments, such as new medications and mind/body techniques.
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Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches
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A headache involves pain in the head which can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.There are three types of primary headaches: tension-type(muscular contraction headache), migraine(vascular headaches), and cluster. Virt...
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About 90 percent of all headaches are harmless episodes that can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, either alone or together with rest, ice packs or relaxation techniques.
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A headache involves pain in the head that can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself.Headaches can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary headaches occur independently and are not the result of another medical pro...
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Most headaches in kids are caused by tension, not disease. Your pediatrician can determine what kind of headache your child has.
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Headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom of an underlying medical condition or disease. The medical term for headache is cephalalgia.
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When seeking treatment for headaches, start with your primary care provider. Most people who suffer from headaches tell their doctors about their pain only as an afterthought. And 31 percent have never seen a health care provider for their condition, according to the National Headache Foundation (NHF). The result is a lot of needless suffering.
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Youngsters' most common head pain is a tension headache—a dull ache that feels like pressure around the head.
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Detailed information on headaches, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Can dehydration cause headaches?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
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An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
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Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches
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A seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.Secondary seizures; Reactive seizures; Seizure- secondary; Seizure- reactive.There are a wide variety of possible sy...
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A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception(sense of feeling) or motor activity(movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizure...
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Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception(sense of feeling) or motor activity(movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizure...
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Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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The intense, involuntary muscular contractions that often accompany seizures are referred to as convulsions. Seizures normally last three to five minutes, with a period of unconsciousness that may last for up to 30 minutes.Seizures can result from...
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Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Children with epilepsy may have seizures only once in a while, or every day. Though seizures can be scary for parents and caregivers, they aren't painful and are usually brief.
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A seizure results from a sudden rush of abnormal electrical signals in the brain. Symptoms may range from a minor daze to uncontrollable muscle spasms (convulsion). In some cases, the victim may even lose consciousness. A seizure can be caused by a high fever, head injury, drug reaction, or condition such as epilepsy.
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Although not a psychiatric disorder, epilepsy has a psychiatric aspect. The link is manifested in similar, often overlapping, symptoms, so it is important that caregivers diagnose and treat their patients with care.
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People with certain mental conditions can experience seizures that appear to be epilepsy but are actually psychogenic seizures. Studies are finding ways to distinguish between the two types to facilitate proper treatment.
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How does estrogen use and menopause affect someone with a seizure disorder?
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Breath odor is the scent of the air you breathe out of your mouth. Unpleasant, distinctive, or offensive breath odor is commonly called bad breath.Some disorders will produce specific, characteristic odors to the breath.A fruity odor to the breath...
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Bad breath, sometimes called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath.Bad breath is likely to be experienced by most adults at least occasionally. Bad breath, either real or imagined, can have a significant impact on a person''s social and pr...
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Detailed information on halitosis (bad breath), including causes and treatment Halitosis is an oral health condition characterized by consistently odorous breath. Often identifying the cause of bad breath is the first step toward treating this preventable condition.
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Bad breath, also called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Usually it is due to poor hygiene, but it can be an indication of underlying health problems.Bad breath is likely to be experienced by most adults and many children, at least ...
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Although it's rarely a sign of a major medical problem, bad breath can cause embarrassment, low self-esteem and even social isolation.
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Includes up-to-date information on disease prevention, fillings, gingivitis, periodontitis, pulp diseases, root canal therapy, implants, bridges, orthodontics, and cosmetic procedures.
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If you have bad breath, take heart. It's likely caused by a family of foul bacteria encamped upon your tongue.
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A hiccup is an unintentional movement(spasm) of the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs. The spasm is followed by quick closing of the vocal cords, which produces a distinctive sound.Hiccups often start for no apparent reason and usuall...
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Hiccups are the result of an involuntary, spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by the closing of the throat.Hiccups are one of the most common, but thankfully mildest, disorders to which humans are prey. Virtually everyone experiences t...
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Hic. Hic. There it goes again. Hic. Although a momentary nuisance for most people, hiccups have engendered a legion of home remedies, each with its own army of true believers.
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Whether sensible or amusing, hiccup remedies work by interrupting the hiccup reflex.
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Hiccups are the result of an involuntary, spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by the closing of the throat.Virtually everyone experiences hiccups, but they rarely last long or require a doctor''s care. Occasionally, a bout of hiccups wi...
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Sugar dissolved in water is suggested as a hiccup remedy. The phrenic nerve originates in the spinal cord, not the medulla oblongata.
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Excessive thirst is an abnormal feeling of always needing to drink fluids.Drinking lots of water is usually healthy. However, the urge to drink too much may be the result of a physical or emotional disease.
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Muscle cramps are involuntary and often painful contractions(movements) of the muscles.Muscle cramps are common and may be stopped by stretching the muscle. The cramping muscle may feel hard or bulging.Muscle spasms are different than muscle twitc...
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Muscle cramps -- involuntary muscle contractions -- are common. But even though they can be quite painful, they don't cause damage.
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Cramps do not mean there is a problem with the muscle itself; rather, experts believe they happen when the fluid and electrolyte imbalance catches up to you or when a nerve overstimulates a muscle.
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Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.Most people are familiar with the sudden pain of a muscle cramp. The rapid, uncontrolled contraction, or spasm, happens unexpectedly, with either no stimulation or some tr...
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Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.The rapid, uncontrolled muscle contraction, or spasm, happens unexpectedly, with either no stimulation or some trivially small one. The muscle contraction and pain last fo...
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Excessive urination at night is a condition in which you wake up several times during the night to urinate. Waking up several times a night to urinate is called nocturia.Normally, urine decreases in amount and become more concentrated at...
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Most of us get bruises from bumping into something from time to time. Bruising sometimes increases with age, especially in women as the capillary walls become more fragile and the skin becomes thin.
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