What is Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis? Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis has an acronym of FSGS. Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis is a medical condition that leads to the person having a urinary protein loss which may eventually progress into the scarring of the person’s glomerular filters which are located in the kidney. The focal and Segmental are medical description of the pattern of the kidney damage as seen when viewing under the microscope. Segmental means that part of the glomerulus of the person is damaged. While focal means that there is some scarring of the glomeruli. Normally, anatomically speaking, we all have glomeruli which functions as [...]

What are Red Bumps on Skin? Bumps on the skin generally are abnormally raised areas of the skin. The cause of a bump goes a long way to indicate the type of bump. In the course of this article, we are going to discuss mainly the red bumps on the skin, and the following shall be taken to cognizance: Red bumps on skin that itch Red bumps on skin that do not itch Small red bumps on skin Raised red bumps on skin Furthermore, each of the above point can give a clue about the nature of the red bump. [...]

What is Obstipation? A type of severe form of constipation called Obstipation or Obstructive Constipation which results from an obstruction in the intestines. It’s a state where the intestines are not fully emptied or there is a failure to pass out stool or gas that will lead to intestinal obstruction. It actually caused by an accumulation of hardened stools due to infrequent bowel movement. There is no specific diagnostic exam for obstipation. Medical professionals just use the patient’s medical history and the presenting signs and symptoms to identify the disease. Symptoms of Obstipation The clinical features shown can deceive or mislead the [...]

What are Canker Sores? Canker sore is a small, oval shaped ulcer that are found inside the mouth, cheek, lips, gums and tongue. Canker sores are painful, they can be single or clustered and usually heal within a week with or without treatment. They appear suddenly, they begin with a red, ulcerated spot with a yellowish border. Its size ranges from 1/8 inch to more than one inch in diameter. Canker ulcers are classified according to the size of the lesion: Minor Ulcers The size of the lesion is between 3 to 10 mm or 0.1 to 0.4 inch. This [...]

What is Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy? It is otherwise known as Janz syndrome, Myoclonic epilepsy or impulsive petit mal which was described first by Dr. Dieter Janz during the year 1956. Most of the persons inflicted with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy are those between the age of 8 to 26 years old. In addition to that, most of those who are inflicted with this disease are girls. It is the common epileptic syndrome. Generally speaking, the juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy may exist during the puberty stage but may have the possibility when it exists prior to puberty stage. It can be precipitated by [...]

Hyperkalemia Hyperkalemia, the presence of elevated levels of potassium in the blood, can be a life-threatening condition. The healthy human body can normally deal with a temporary fluctuation in potassium levels, but conditions such as kidney failure can cause levels to rise, leading to serious complications including cardiac arrest. In view of this, medical professionals need to understand the essential functions of potassium in the body, and the methods available for the detection and management of hyperkalemia. What is Potassium? Potassium has the chemical symbol K (kalium) and like sodium, it is a silvery-white coloured metal. Potassium reacts very strongly [...]

Myelosuppression Definition Myelosuppression, otherwise known as bone marrow suppression, is a reduction in the capacity of the bone marrow to generate blood cells. It causes decreased numbers of circulating leucocytes (leucopenia), erythrocytes (erythropenia), neutrophils (neutropenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia). Decreased leucocytes or neutrophils cause immunosuppression. Decreased erythrocytes or platelets cause hypoxia, fatigue, and an increased tendency to bleed. Depending on the extent to which cell production is reduced, myelosuppression can be mild to severe, or even fatal. Most chemotherapeutic agents suppress bone marrow function to some degree. The agents associated with severe bone marrow suppression include: busulfan, cyclophosphamide, cytosine arabinoside, dactinomycin, [...]

What is Progeria? Progeria is a genetic abnormality where a baby grows or age rapidly. It comes from a Greek word which means prematurely old. It affects mostly children and this kind of disease condition gives the children and old appearance. It is usually a rarer kind of disease condition. History of Progeria The disease is sometimes called as Hutchinson- Gliford Progeria syndrome or Hutchinson-Gliford Syndrome. Its name was based from the one who first describe the condition and his name was Jonathan Hutchinson. He describes this disease condition in the year 1886. Upon his discovery, it was estimated around [...]