inputs
stringlengths 53
174
| response
stringlengths 0
4.08k
|
|---|---|
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: What Is It? | Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening illness triggered by certain bacteria (group A streptococcal and Staphylococcus aureus). In toxic shock syndrome, toxins (poisons) produced by the bacteria cause a severe drop in blood pressure (hypotension) and organ failure. In some patients, these bacteria enter the body through an obvious break in the skin, such as a wound or puncture. Other cases are related to the use of tampons. Sometimes, however, toxic shock develops after a relatively mild injury, such as a bruise or muscle strain, or no cause is identified at all. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Symptoms | The majority (80%) of patients with group A streptococcal toxic shock syndrome have symptoms of a soft-tissue infection (pain, redness, warmth, swelling) in an area just below the skin or in a muscle. Patients with staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome may have a staphylococcal infection anywhere in the body and the site of infection may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms of toxic shock include: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Diagnosis | Because a patient with toxic shock syndrome may be too ill to answer questions, a family member or friend may need to tell the doctor about the patient's medical history and symptoms. In general, the doctor will ask whether the patient has had any recent wounds or surgical procedures or has complained about a rash or a skin infection. To help establish the diagnosis, the doctor will thoroughly examine you, including your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature), and your heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, muscles and neurological system. Your doctor also will order the following tests to determine if the problem is caused by toxic shock syndrome or another process, and to evaluate the severity of your illness: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Expected Duration | Shock and other life-threatening symptoms of toxic shock syndrome can develop suddenly. Once symptoms begin, death can follow quickly if the patient is not taken to a hospital immediately. Among hospitalized patients, the length of illness varies. Many patients require prolonged hospital treatment for kidney failure, liver failure or for severe respiratory problems that require mechanical ventilation (in which a machine breathes for the patient). |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Prevention | There are no specific guidelines to prevent toxic shock syndrome. You may be able to reduce your risk of developing tissue infections by promptly cleaning and treating even small skin wounds. Staphylococcal toxic shock that is related to tampon use can be avoided by changing tampons frequently. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Treatment | Patients with toxic shock syndrome are hospitalized and treated with: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: When to Call A Professional | Toxic shock syndrome is a medical emergency. Call your doctor immediately whenever someone develops the symptoms listed above. Also, contact your doctor if a wound, puncture or bruise becomes red, warm, swollen or painful. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxic Shock Syndrome
: Prognosis | The prognosis is variable. Many people recover completely while others may die even with prompt treatment in the hospital. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Toxoplasmosis
: What Is It? | Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that infects a large proportion of the world's population, but rarely causes disease. Certain people, however, are at high risk of severe or life-threatening disease from this parasite. They include infants who are infected at birth, people with AIDS, people with cancer, and people who have had bone marrow or organ transplantation. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasite that spends most of its life cycle inside cats. Because an infected cat can pass millions of Toxoplasma parasites daily in its feces, toxoplasmosis can spread easily to almost any other animal that shares the environment with cats. In humans, Toxoplasma parasites usually enter the body by being swallowed. This can happen when people touch their mouth with soiled hands, especially after changing cat litter, or if they eat pork, lamb or venison that has not been cooked thoroughly. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: What Is It? | A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an episode of stroke-like symptoms. It usually lasts less than one hour. A TIA is sometimes called a mini stroke. During a TIA, circulation to a part of the brain is interrupted briefly, and then restored. This interruption can be caused by: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Symptoms | Symptoms of a TIA are the same as those of stroke. However, TIA symptoms usually last for less than one to two hours. Most TIAs actually last only five to 20 minutes. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Diagnosis | Your doctor will ask about: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Expected Duration | The onset of any symptoms suggestive of a stroke or TIA requires immediate medical attention. You can expect a TIA to last less than one to two hours. If symptoms are not improving quickly within one hour from onset, a stroke is likely to occur without emergent therapy. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Prevention | You can help to prevent TIAs by: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Treatment | When treating TIAs, the ultimate goal is to prevent a full-fledged stroke. Most TIAs are treated with antiplatelet medications. The choices include: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: When To Call a Professional | Call your doctor immediately whenever anyone has symptoms of stroke. Call even if these symptoms last only a few minutes. TIAs can be a warning sign that a stroke is about to happen. They require prompt attention. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
: Prognosis | Without treatment, having a history of one or more TIAs significantly increases your risk of stroke compared with someone who has never had a TIA. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traumatic Dislocation of the Hip
: What Is It? | In a normal hip joint, the rounded top of the thigh bone (femur) fits into a cup-shaped socket in the pelvis called the acetabulum. This type of joint is called a ball-and-socket joint. When the top of the femur moves out of its normal position in the socket, the hip is said to be disclocated. A hip can become dislocated during many kinds of accidents, including falls from high places and motorcycle or car accidents. When this injury occurs in a head-on car crash, it is often nicknamed a "dashboard dislocation," because it happens when the knee strikes the dashboard. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: What is it? | Traveler's diarrhea is an infection of the intestines that affects up to 50% of people who visit the developing world. It comes from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Traveler's diarrhea usually is caused by viruses (especially norovirus) and bacteria (most commonly E. coli or Campylobacter). It also can be caused by parasites. The diarrhea is usually not serious and goes away without treatment. However, when diarrhea is very watery and occurs often, dehydration may occur. Dehydration is the biggest danger of traveler's diarrhea. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Symptoms | Most episodes of traveler's diarrhea occur in the first or second week of the trip. Symptoms vary depending on what organism causes the problem. People have at least three loose stools per day and often a lot more. They also may experience fatigue, decreased appetite, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Usually there is no blood in the stool (feces). |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Diagnosis | People know they have traveler's diarrhea based on their symptoms. If symptoms last longer than five days or if you develop fever or severe abdominal pain, see a doctor. Your blood and stool may be tested for evidence of infection. In some cases, a doctor might be able to identify the infecting organism, which could lead to a specific treatment. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Expected duration | Traveler's diarrhea usually improves on its own within five days. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Prevention | Many cases of traveler's diarrhea can be prevented. Keep the following rules in mind, even in expensive resorts and hotels: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Treatment | Dehydration is the biggest danger of traveler's diarrhea, so replacing fluids is extremely important. If you have mild diarrhea, drink broth and diluted fruit juice or sport drinks. Alternate salty and sweet beverages (such as tomato juice and fruit juice) to replace your body's electrolytes. Electrolytes are the charged particles that make up salt. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium play a crucial role in many functions of your body's cells. If you have severe diarrhea (more than five unformed stools a day), it's best to drink an oral rehydration solution to replace the electrolytes you're losing. Pharmacies in most countries carry these products, which can be mixed with clean drinking water. You also can make your own solution by adding a half-teaspoon of salt, a half-teaspoon of baking soda and 4 tablespoons of sugar to 1 liter of clean water. Keep in mind that fruit juice, broth, and sports drinks do not contain the right concentration of electrolytes for this purpose. In most cases, traveler's diarrhea ends within three to five days without antibiotic treatment. However, it is a good idea to get a prescription from your doctor, and bring the antibiotic medication with you in case you need it. The general advice is to take antibiotics if you develop moderate or severe symptoms, such as fever, more than four episodes of diarrhea per day, or blood or mucus in the stool. If you develop milder symptoms, taking a single dose of antibiotic may lead to faster improvement of your symptoms. Antimotility medications such as loperamide (Imodium) may help to decrease the frequency of bowel movements, but they cannot prevent diarrhea and they do not get rid of the infection. They are useful for long bus or car trips or other situations where access to a bathroom is unavailable or inconvenient. These drugs may actually prolong the duration of symptoms with certain bacterial infections. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: When to call a professional | Get medical attention if traveler's diarrhea does not end within five days, or if you develop a high fever, bloody stool, or severe abdominal pain. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Prognosis | Traveler's diarrhea is inconvenient, but it is rarely serious. The most worrisome complication is severe dehydration. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
: Additional info | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/travel/ |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Traveler's diarrhea
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: What is it? | Trichomoniasis, nicknamed "trich," is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a microscopic one-celled organism called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis can cause vaginal infections in women and inflammation of the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder) in both sexes. In pregnant women, Trichomonas infections also can increase the risk of premature rupture of the membranes and preterm delivery. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Symptoms | In women, Trichomonas organisms can live in the vagina for many years without causing symptoms. If symptoms occur, they can include: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Diagnosis | Once you describe your symptoms, your doctor will check your vagina or urethra for inflammation and abnormal discharge, and do a pelvic examination. During the exam, he or she will collect a specimen with a swab, and send it to a laboratory to be examined. Trichomoniasis can be diagnosed by viewing the parasite under the microscope in the office or more accurately by culturing it in the laboratory. Because people with Trichomonas infections are more likely to get other STDs, your doctor also may perform tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Expected duration | Without treatment, Trichomonas infections can last for years. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Prevention | Because trichomoniasis can be transmitted during sexual activity, you can help to prevent infection by: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Treatment | Trichomonas infections are best treated with oral medication, usually metronidazole (Flagyl). Although metronidazole gel is also available, it is not as effective as medication taken by mouth. Alternative treatments include oral tinidazole or secnidazole. To prevent becoming infected again, all sex partners of an infected person must be treated and refrain from intercourse until treatment is complete. Pregnant women should not take metronidazole during the first trimester of pregnancy, so an alternative medication should be used or treatment should be delayed until later in pregnancy. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: When to call a professional | If you are a woman, call your doctor whenever you have vaginal discomfort or an abnormal vaginal discharge, especially if you are pregnant. If you are a man, call your doctor whenever you have redness or discomfort around the end of your penis. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Prognosis | If you are a woman, call your doctor whenever you have vaginal discomfort or an abnormal vaginal discharge, especially if you are pregnant. If you are a man, call your doctor whenever you have redness or discomfort around the end of your penis. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
: Additional info | CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)
https://npin.cdc.gov/ |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trichomoniasis
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Trigeminal Neuralgia (Tic Douloureux)
: What Is It? | Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a painful disorder of a nerve in the face called the trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve. There are two trigeminal nerves, one on each side of the face. These nerves are responsible for detecting touch, pain, temperature and pressure sensations in areas of the face between the jaw and forehead. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tropical Sprue
: What Is It? | Tropical sprue is a digestive problem that occurs in the tropics and subtropics. People with tropical sprue do not absorb nutrients properly, especially vitamin B12 and folic acid. Normal small intestines have fingerlike projections called villi that provide more surface area for nutrients to be absorbed. In people with tropical sprue, these villi are flattened, making absorption difficult. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: What is it? | The bacterium that usually causes tuberculosis in humans is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Many millions of people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis. However, most do not show signs of the disease. In these people, the bacteria are inactive (latent) and cannot be transmitted to others. If the body's immune system weakens, tuberculosis can become active and cause disease. Tuberculosis typically affects the lungs. But in up to one-third of infected people, particularly those with HIV/AIDS, the illness also involves other areas of the body. Common sites of infection include the lymph nodes, the membranes that cover the brain (meninges), the joints, the kidneys and the membrane covering the digestive organs (peritoneum). Tuberculosis bacteria are spread from person to person through the air. The bacteria are in droplets of secretions that come out of your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze. One-time exposure to someone with tuberculosis is not likely to cause infection. Repeated or prolonged exposure is usually necessary. Touching someone with tuberculosis will not lead to infection, because the bacteria infect the lungs only when they are inhaled into the lungs.
When infection occurs, a bacteria-filled droplet is inhaled into the deepest portion of the lung, where the bacteria reproduce (replicate) and spread through the body. At this point, the immune system usually can keep the bacteria from replicating any more, but usually cannot destroy them completely. The disease usually remains in this inactive or dormant state for life. People with inactive tuberculosis do not have any symptoms. Inactive TB can be diagnosed by a special skin test or blood test. Active tuberculosis occurs in several different forms: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Symptoms | Most people infected with tuberculosis have inactive disease that does not cause any symptoms. In these people, a skin test for tuberculosis (called a PPD skin test, for "protein purified derivative") will show positive results within three months of getting the infection. Once a PPD is positive, it usually will remain positive throughout life. Among people with active tuberculosis, symptoms vary according to the type of disease: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Diagnosis | Your doctor will ask you about symptoms such as cough, fever, weight loss, night sweats, swollen glands and breathing problems. He or she also will ask whether you have ever been exposed to anyone with tuberculosis, and if you have ever traveled to developing countries where tuberculosis is common. Your doctor will examine you. He or she will ask if you have ever had a tuberculosis skin test and what the results showed. If your doctor suspects that you have active pulmonary tuberculosis, he or she will have you get a chest X-ray or chest CT scan. Your doctor will have you cough up samples of mucus (sputum), which will be stained with special chemicals and then examined for the presence of bacteria. The sputum also will be cultured, which means it is tested to see if tuberculosis bacteria grow. People with extra-pulmonary tuberculosis may have a normal chest X-ray and negative stains and cultures of their sputum. In these cases, other techniques are used to help make the diagnosis including: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Expected duration | Once someone's healthy immune system has controlled a primary tuberculosis infection, the bacteria usually will remain inactive for life. A PPD skin test may be positive in these people, indicating a history of tuberculosis infection, but the lifetime chance of developing active TB disease is only about 10%, unless your immune system is weakened by a disease such as HIV/AIDS or medications that suppress the immune system. If you develop active tuberculosis disease, it takes up to two weeks of treatment before you can no longer spread tuberculosis to other people. However, it takes several months or longer to complete successful treatment. In some cases, patients are infected with strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to the most commonly used and effective antibiotics. These resistant strains can take up to 24 months to treat. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Prevention | In developing countries with high rates of tuberculosis, a vaccine against the disease often is given at birth. The vaccine is not used routinely in the United States and most European countries because the risk of transmission in these countries is low, and because the vaccine is not very effective. People with a positive skin test for TB (PPD) or who test positive on a interferon-gamma release assay blood test may be advised to take a course of antibiotics to prevent reactivation. The decision depends on their age and risk of reactivation of dormant infection. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Treatment | Doctors usually treat tuberculosis with a combination of four drugs, such as isoniazid (INH), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), pyrazinamide (pms-Pyrazinamide, Tebrazid) and ethambutol (Myambutol). This combination is considered first line treatment. The therapy usually lasts 6 months or longer. It is very important that you take these medications as prescribed to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant to the drugs. It is also important that all of your close contacts are screened for tuberculosis, so they can be treated if they are infected. Tuberculosis strains that are resistant to isoniazid and rifampin (the two most effective tuberculosis antibiotics) are called multidrug resistant (MDR-TB). To cure MDR-TB, patients must take combinations of "second-line" tuberculosis medications: ethionamide (Trecator-SC), moxifloxacin (Avelox), levofloxacin (Levaquin), cycloserine (Seromycin), kanamycin (Kantrex) and others. These medications are more likely to cause side effects than first-line drugs are. Also they are not as effective so they must be taken for up to two years. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) strains have been identified in many countries throughout the world. These strains are resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, the aminoglycoside drug family (such as kanamycin), and the quinolone drug family (such as levofloxacin and moxifloxacin). XDR-TB is very difficult to treat, and sometimes, surgery is necessary to remove the diseased portion of the lung. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: When to call a professional | Call your doctor if you develop cough, fever, weight loss, swollen glands, night sweats or other symptoms of tuberculosis. You also should call your doctor if you have been exposed to someone with active tuberculosis. Ask your doctor about your need for routine PPD testing if you often travel to developing countries or work in an environment where tuberculosis risk is high, such as a medical facility or institution. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Prognosis | Tuberculosis that is not resistant to medication is almost always cured if the person complies with the treatment regimens and antibiotics are started before major parts of the lung are destroyed. People who are infected with drug-resistant tuberculosis strains may have less chance of being cured, depending on which drugs they are resistant to and how much lung damage they have before effective treatment is started. Without proper treatment, more than half of people with active tuberculosis will die within five years. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
: Additional info | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/
American Lung Association
https://www.lung.org
World Health Organization (WHO)
https://www.who.int/ |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Tuberculosis
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: What Is It? | Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the body does not make enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. During digestion, food is broken down into basic components. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, primarily glucose. Glucose is a critically important source of energy for the body's cells. To provide energy to the cells, glucose needs to leave the blood and get inside the cells. Insulin traveling in the blood signals the cells to take up glucose. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. When levels of glucose in the blood rise, like following a meal, the pancreas normally produces more insulin. Type 1 diabetes occurs when some or all of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed. This leaves the patient with little or no insulin. Without insulin, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream rather than entering the cells. As a result, the body cannot use this glucose for energy. In addition, the high levels of glucose that remain in the blood cause excessive urination and dehydration, and damage tissues of the body. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. This means it begins when the body's immune system attacks cells in the body. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas. Why the immune system attacks the beta cells remains a mystery. Some people are genetically predisposed to the disease. That does not mean they will necessarily get the disease. It just means that they are more likely to do so. Something in the environment, such as particular viral infections or something about the diet, may trigger this autoimmune disease in people with a genetic predisposition. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by the amount of sugar in a person's diet before the disease develops. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease. It is diagnosed most commonly between ages 10 and 16. Type 1 diabetes equally affects males and females. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Symptoms | Initial Symptoms Symptoms usually come on suddenly and strongly. Typically the most prominent symptoms are excessive urination and extreme thirst. This is because the increased glucose in the blood causes the kidneys to create more urine than usual. Losing more fluid in the urine makes a person dehydrated. And dehydration leads to great thirst. Children may start to wet the bed again. Weight loss, with no loss of appetite, also is common. The weight loss is due in part to dehydration. Water has weight. Imagine holding a gallon jug of water: it weighs about eight pounds. People with new, uncontrolled type 1 diabetes can lose a gallon of water from dehydration. Other common symptoms are weakness, fatigue, confusion, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms can be caused both by dehydration and by a condition called ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis occurs because cells can't use the glucose they need for energy. So the cells have to use something else. In response to low insulin levels, the liver produces an alternative fuel called ketones. Ketones are a kind of acid. When they build up in the blood, it's called ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis can cause heart problems and affect the nervous system. Within hours, it may put a person at risk of coma or death. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Diagnosis | Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed by a combination of symptoms, a person's age and blood tests. The blood tests include tests for sugar levels and for other substances. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test. Blood is taken in the morning after fasting overnight. Normally, blood sugar levels remain between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Diabetes is diagnosed if a fasting blood sugar level is 126 mg/dL or higher. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Blood sugar is measured two hours after drinking 75 grams of glucose. Diabetes is diagnosed if the 2-hour blood sugar level is 200 mg/dL or higher. Random blood glucose test. A blood sugar of 200 mg/dL or greater at any time of day combined with symptoms of diabetes is sufficient to make the diagnosis. Hemoglobin A1C (glycohemoglobin). This test measures the average glucose level over the prior two to three months. Diabetes is diagnosed if the hemoglobin A1C level is 6.5% percent or higher. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Expected Duration | Type 1 diabetes currently is a lifelong disease. People with type 1 diabetes need regular checkups. They must carefully monitor their blood sugar levels every day. They must receive insulin treatment throughout life. A small number of people can become exceptions to this rule. Some people with diabetes eventually require kidney transplants. A transplant of the pancreas, or of the insulin-producing cells from the pancreas (called "islets"), sometimes is performed at the same time. Since the new pancreas can make insulin, this can cure the diabetes. On unusual occasions, when someone's type 1 diabetes is very hard to control with available treatments, pancreas or islet transplantation may be performed even when kidney transplantation is not necessary. However, this approach is still experimental, and is not generally recommended. Scientists have recently reported exciting but still experimental new ways for encouraging the pancreas to again start producing its own insulin-producing beta cells. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Prevention | There is no proven way to prevent type 1 diabetes. Vitamin D deficiency, which is very common, may increase the risk of diabetes. However, correcting the deficiency has not been yet shown to prevent diabetes. Likewise, avoiding cow's milk during infancy may possibly prevent type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible infants. But there is no definite proof that this prevents the disease. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Treatment | Treatment of type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections. The injected insulin makes up for the insulin that is not produced by the body. Most people with type 1 diabetes need two to four injections per day. People with type 1 diabetes must properly regulate both their dietary intake and their dose of insulin. If a person takes too much insulin relative to their dietary intake, or if they forget to eat, they can develop dangerous hypoglycemia. If they take too little insulin, or eat too much, they can develop ketoacidosis. In order to properly regulate their insulin intake, people with type 1 diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar levels several times per day. They do this by testing a sample of blood. They must prick their finger and place a small drop of blood on a test strip. The test strip is inserted into a device called a glucose monitor. An accurate reading of blood sugar levels is returned within seconds. Newer glucose monitors have test strips that take the blood directly from the spot that was pricked. This process requires less blood. Other monitors allow blood to be taken from the forearm, thigh or the fleshy part of the hand. This can be less painful. Some people use a syringe for injections. Other patients use semiautomatic injector pens that help to measure precise amounts of insulin. An increasing number of patients use insulin pumps. Insulin pumps deliver a regulated dose of insulin through a needle implanted under the skin. The insulin pump is worn in a pack on the body. Some pumps include a sensor that constantly measures the level of blood sugar, and adjusts the dose of insulin accordingly. Whether devices with such sensors lead to improved health is not yet certain. Fast-acting insulin may be taken as needed, depending on the amount of carbohydrates ingested. Your doctor or dietitian will help you determine the best insulin and diet schedule for you or your child. A healthy diet and regular exercise are important for everyone—but particularly for people with diabetes. A healthy diet for someone with type 1 diabetes not only keeps the amount of glucose in the blood relatively constant. It also includes eating "good carbs" instead of "bad carbs", "good fats" instead of "bad fats". In order to keep blood sugar levels at a normal and relatively constant level, a person with type 1 diabetes typically is advised to eat, exercise and take insulin at about the same times every day. Regular habits help to keep glucose levels within the normal range. People with type 1 diabetes should get regular exercise. Exercise protects the health of the heart and blood vessels in people with diabetes, as in everyone. In addition, regular exercise helps to control blood sugar by causing muscles to use glucose and by keeping body weight down. Ask your doctor how much and when to exercise to best control your diabetes. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: When To Call a Professional | Call your health care professional if you experience a sudden increase in thirst and urination. Unexplained weight loss always should be reported to a physician. If you or your child has type 1 diabetes, see your doctor regularly to make sure that you are keeping good control of your blood sugar. You should also be checked regularly for early signs of complications such as heart disease, eye problems and skin infections. Your doctor most likely will suggest that you also visit other specialists regularly. These may include a podiatrist to check your feet and an ophthalmologist to check your eyes for signs of diabetes complications. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
: Prognosis | People with type 1 diabetes generally adjust quickly to the time and attention that is needed to monitor blood sugar, treat the disease and maintain a normal lifestyle. As time goes on, the risk of complications is substantial. But it can be reduced greatly if you strictly monitor and control your blood glucose levels. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: What Is It? | Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease. It is characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is also called type 2 diabetes mellitus and adult-onset diabetes. That's because it used to start almost always in middle- and late-adulthood. However, more and more children and teens are developing this condition. Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1 diabetes, and is really a different disease. But it shares with type 1 diabetes high blood sugar levels, and the complications of high blood sugar. During digestion, food is broken down into basic components. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, primarily glucose. Glucose is a critically important source of energy for the body's cells. To provide energy to the cells, glucose needs to leave the blood and get inside the cells. Insulin traveling in the blood signals the cells to take up glucose. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen. When levels of glucose in the blood rise (for example, after a meal), the pancreas produces more insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body's cells resist the normal effect of insulin, which is to drive glucose in the blood into the inside of the cells. This condition is called insulin resistance. As a result, glucose starts to build up in the blood. In people with insulin resistance, the pancreas "sees" the blood glucose level rising. The pancreas responds by making extra insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar. Over time, the body's insulin resistance gets worse. In response the pancreas makes more and more insulin. Finally, the pancreas gets "exhausted". It cannot keep up with the demand for more and more insulin. It poops out. As a result, blood glucose levels start to rise. Type 2 diabetes runs in families. Obesity greatly increases the risk of diabetes. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Symptoms | The symptoms of diabetes are related to high blood glucose levels. They include: Excessive urination, thirst and hunger Weight loss Increased susceptibility to infections, especially yeast or fungal infections Extremely high blood sugar levels also can lead to a dangerous complication called hyperosmolar syndrome. This is a life-threatening form of dehydration. In some cases, hyperosmolar syndrome is the first sign that a person has type 2 diabetes. It causes confused thinking, weakness, nausea and even seizure and coma. The treatment of type 2 diabetes also can produce symptoms. Too much glucose-lowering medicine, relative to dietary intake, can lead to the complication of low blood sugar (called hypoglycemia). Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Diagnosis | Diabetes is diagnosed by testing the blood for sugar levels. Blood is tested in the morning after you have fasted overnight. Typically, the body keeps blood sugar levels between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), even after fasting. If a blood sugar level after fasting is greater than 125 mg/dL, diabetes is diagnosed. Your doctor will examine you to look for: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Expected Duration | Diabetes is a lifelong illness. However, people with type 2 diabetes can sometimes restore their blood sugar levels to normal just by eating a healthy diet, regularly exercising, and losing weight. Aging and episodic illness can cause the body's insulin resistance to increase. As a result, additional treatment typically is required over time. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Prevention | If a close relative—particularly, a parent or sibling—has type 2 diabetes, or if your blood glucose test shows "pre-diabetes"—defined as blood glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL—you are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. You can help to prevent type 2 diabetes by: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Treatment | Diet and Exercise In most cases, type 2 diabetes treatment begins with weight reduction through diet and exercise. A healthy diet for a person with diabetes is: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: When To Call a Professional | If you have diabetes, see your doctor regularly. People with high blood sugar levels have a higher risk of dehydration. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop vomiting or diarrhea and are not able to drink enough fluids. Monitor your blood sugar as advised by your health care team. Report any significant deviations in blood sugar levels. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
: Prognosis | Your treatment plan is likely to require adjustment over time. Insulin resistance increases with age. And the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas may wear out as the pancreas tries to keep up with the body's extra insulin needs. After the first few years, the majority of people with type 2 diabetes require more than one medicine to keep their blood sugar controlled. The prognosis in people with type 2 diabetes varies. It depends on how well an individual modifies his or her risk of complications. Heart attack, stroke and kidney disease can result in premature death. Disability due to blindness, amputation, heart disease, stroke and nerve damage may occur. Some people with type 2 diabetes become dependent on dialysis treatments or require a kidney transplant because of kidney failure. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: What is it? | Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease. It usually begins in the rectum, then worsens to involve some or all of the large intestine. Ulcerative colitis is a lifelong condition. Ulcerative colitis may begin with a breakdown in the lining of the intestine. The inside of the intestine, with its digested food, contains trillions of bacteria. Normally, the lining of the intestines keeps these bacteria from causing an infection of the wall of the intestine. As long as the bacteria are contained, they remain invisible to your immune cells. They do not provoke a reaction. But when the intestine's lining fails, bacteria that usually are harmless can activate your immune system. Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system, which is supposed to attack foreign things that get inside our bodies, instead attacks a part of the body. In ulcerative colitis, the bowel bacteria provoke the immune system to attack the wall of the intestine itself, injuring the bowel. There also is evidence that unusually large or small numbers of certain types of bacteria that normally live in everyone's gut can make the gut vulnerable to ulcerative colitis. Once the bowel inflammation has started, it can continue. It continues even if the immune system stops being exposed to the bowel bacteria. Ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining of the rectum and colon. This causes the lining to |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Symptoms | The symptoms of ulcerative colitis vary. Some people with the disease have a burst of symptoms every few months. Others have symptoms all the time. Some, fortunately, have symptoms only rarely. Typical symptoms include |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Diagnosis | To confirm a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, most patients have either flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Both procedures use a small camera and light to view the insides of your large intestine. A biopsy may be done during either procedure. In a biopsy, small samples of tissue are clipped from the lining of the intestine. They may be examined for signs of inflammation. Many temporary conditions, such as infections, cause the same symptoms as ulcerative colitis. Therefore, your doctor will want to test your stool for other conditions such as bacterial infections or parasite infections. Blood tests may also be done to check for anemia (low red blood cell count) or low iron levels. These are common in ulcerative colitis. Other blood tests may be recommended to exclude other causes of bowel inflammation. Blood tests may be done to detect inflammation, and to check on your liver. Inflammation of the liver ducts occurs in some people with ulcerative colitis. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Expected duration | Ulcerative colitis is a lifelong condition, unless the large intestine is surgically removed. Most people with ulcerative colitis do not have their colon removed. That is because their symptoms can be controlled with medication. Or, they only have symptoms once in a while. In ulcerative colitis, the inflammation is not always active. There can be long breaks between symptoms. Each time ulcerative colitis acts up, symptoms can last for weeks or months. Often these flare-ups are separated by months or years of good health with no symptoms. Some people notice that certain foods aggravate their symptoms. By managing their diet, these people can increase the time between flare-ups. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Prevention | There is no way to prevent ulcerative colitis. However, some people are able to decrease the frequency of symptoms. They do this by avoiding foods that seem to provoke flare-ups. For some people with ulcerative colitis, this includes spicy foods and milk products. If you have ulcerative colitis, you can decrease the toll it takes on your body. To do this, eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet — especially when you are not having symptoms such as poor appetite and nausea that make it hard to eat. By doing so, you can decrease complications from malnutrition, such as weight loss or a low blood count. Ulcerative colitis increases your risk of colon cancer. People with extensive inflammation in the whole colon have the highest risk. It is important to have your colon checked frequently for early signs of cancer. Ask your doctor how often you should have a colonoscopy. Poor nutrition or the effect of colitis medicines can lead to osteoporosis. This disease weakens bones and can cause bones to break. Osteoporosis can be prevented with medicines, adequate exercise, calcium, and vitamin D. If you have ulcerative colitis, discuss osteoporosis with your doctor. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Treatment | |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: When to call a professional | New or changing symptoms often mean that additional treatment is needed. People who have ulcerative colitis should be in frequent contact with their physicians. Common symptoms that require a doctor's immediate attention are |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Prognosis | Ulcerative colitis can affect people very differently. Many people have only mild symptoms. They do not require continuous treatment with medicines. Others might require multiple medicines or surgery. Unless it is treated with surgery, this disease is a lifelong condition. Ulcerative colitis requires people to pay special attention to their health needs. They must also seek frequent medical care. But most people can have normal jobs and productive lives. It can be helpful for a person newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis to join a support group of other people with the disease. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
: Additional info | Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
http://www.ccfa.org/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/ |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Ulcerative colitis
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Undescended Testicle (Cryptorchidism)
: What Is It? | An undescended testicle, also called cryptorchidism, is a testicle that has not moved down into the scrotum. Early in pregnancy, the testicles begin developing deep within the abdomen, influenced by several hormones. At 32 to 36 weeks' gestation, the testicles begin to descend into the scrotum. In 30% of premature and approximately 3% of full-term male infants, one or both of the testicles have not completed their descent at the time of birth. Most of these will then descend spontaneously during the first three to six months of life. By 6 months of age, less than 1% of babies still have the problem. Either one or both testicles can be affected. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urethritis
: What Is It? | Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body. Urethritis is usually caused by a sexually transmitted infection. Much less often, it is the result of an injury from an instrument such as a urinary catheter or exposure to an irritating chemical such as an antiseptic or a spermicide. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: What is the test? | A urinalysis is a routine examination of the urine for cells, tiny structures, bacteria, and chemicals that suggest various illnesses, including infection, diabetes, kidney problems and liver disease. A urine culture attempts to grow large numbers of bacteria from a urine sample to diagnose a bacterial urine infection. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: How do I prepare for the test? | For a regular urinalysis, you are asked to urinate briefly into a plastic cup. When urine is collected for a urine culture, you must provide a "clean catch" sample - one that is not contaminated by skin cells and skin bacteria. This is so the doctor can obtain a sample of urine from inside your bladder, where normally there should be no bacteria. In contrast, there are many bacteria on the skin of a penis or in a vagina. The trick (harder for a woman than a man) is to pee directly into a sterile container without having the stream of urine first touch your skin or the nonsterile tissues of the vagina. To collect a clean catch sample, you are given a sterile plastic container and asked to wipe off the area around your urethra (where urine exits) with an antiseptic cloth. For women, it's also helpful to hold the two labia (outer walls) of the vagina apart with one hand when you urinate, so that the stream of urine passes directly into the sterile container. Since the first flow of urine is most likely to be contaminated by bacteria from around the opening of the urethra, first urinate for a moment into the toilet and then use the cup to collect the "middle" portion of your urine stream. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: What happens when the test is performed? | For a regular urinalysis, your urine is tested both chemically and by microscopic exam. Chemical examination uses a "dipstick" to reveal the pH (acidity) and concentration of your urine, while simultaneously testing for several chemicals at once. Some chemicals indicate that blood in general and white blood cells in particular might be present, a sign of a urinary infection, kidney stones, or other problems. Nitrite, a chemical produced by most bacteria, suggests a bacterial infection. Sugar in the urine is a sign of diabetes (high blood sugar), while chemicals known as ketones can indicate a diabetic complication. Protein in the urine can indicate kidney disease or impaired kidney function. A microscopic examination is done after the urine is spun inside a tube in a centrifuge. This concentrates the solid particles at the bottom of the tube, so they can be studied more easily. Microscopic examination can show red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, crystals, skin cells that might have contaminated the sample, and, rarely, parasites in your urine. In some cases, the way the cells look offers your doctor clues about whether they entered your urine from the bladder or the kidney. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: What risks are there from the test? | None. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: Must I do anything special after the test is over? | No. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: How long is it before the result of the test is known? | Your doctor might be able to do a urinalysis in his or her office and can give you the results within 10-15 minutes. If the urine is sent to a separate laboratory, it usually takes several hours to get results, so you may not hear from your doctor until the next day. A urine culture takes 24 to 72 hours to complete, so you may not hear results for several days. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinalysis
: Related Content | |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: What is it? | The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube that allows urine to exit from the bladder to outside the body). Urinary health can be maintained by making lifestyle choices that help avoid infections and other problems. Common problems include: Bladder infection (cystitis) — Bladder infections are extremely common in women of all ages. An infection almost always starts when bacteria enter the opening where urine comes out (urethra). Once bacteria enter a woman's urethra, they only have to travel a short distance to reach the bladder. Bladder infections are uncommon in younger men. In men over age 50, a bladder infection is usually associated with an enlarged prostate or a prostate infection. Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) — A kidney usually becomes infected because bacteria have traveled to the kidney from an infection in the bladder. Kidney infections occur more commonly |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Symptoms | The symptoms of specific conditions involving the urinary tract vary depending on the condition. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Diagnosis | Many people have occasional episodes of brief discomfort when they start urinating. Usually this is caused by irritation, and does not need to be treated. Make an appointment with your doctor if discomfort while urinating lasts longer than a brief moment, is severe, or if it happens frequently. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and your personal and sexual habits. During a physical examination, the doctor will check for tenderness over the kidneys and examine your genitals. For women, this may include a pelvic exam. Men with suspected prostate problems may have a digital rectal exam. If your doctor thinks you have a simple bladder infection, he or she usually can confirm this with a urine test in the doctor's office. To diagnose urethritis, the doctor may order a special urine test or may take a swab of the infected area and send it for testing. If your doctor suspects you have a kidney infection, he or she will ask you to give a urine sample, which will be sent to a laboratory to identify the exact species of bacteria causing the infection. If you have a fever or appear ill, your doctor may take a blood sample to check for bacteria in the blood. If your doctor is concerned about a kidney stone or cancer, further studies such as a CT scan will usually be performed. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Expected duration | How long a urinary condition lasts depends on its cause. Most people with infections of the urinary tract respond well to treatment within a few days. When the cause is more difficult to determine or more serious, symptoms may last longer. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Prevention | To help prevent bladder and kidney infections, be sure to stay well hydrated with several glasses of water each day to flush out your urinary tract. Women should wipe from front to back after having a bowel movement. They should also urinate soon after sexual intercourse to flush bacteria away from the urethra. This helps prevent bacteria from moving into the bladder. To help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, practice safe sex. This includes always using a condom unless you have only one steady sexual partner. To help prevent kidney stones, drink plenty of fluids and avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated dilutes your urine and decreases the chance that chemicals in your urine will combine to form stones. You can prevent the most common type of kidney stones, known as calcium oxalate stones, by eating low-fat dairy products and other calcium-rich foods. Taking calcium supplements, however, can increase the risk of stone formation. People who excrete too much oxalate into their urine should avoid eating foods high in oxalate. These foods include beets, spinach, chard, and rhubarb. Tea, coffee, cola, chocolate, and nuts also contain oxalate, but these are safe to consume in moderation. Eating too much salt and meat can cause more kidney stones to form. Not using tobacco products is the best way to prevent bladder cancer and other cancers of the urinary tract. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Treatment | Treatment depends on the condition. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: When to call a professional | Call your doctor or seek urgent care if you have painful urination or blood in the urine and any of these other symptoms: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Prognosis | A single episode of infection in the bladder, urethra, or kidney usually goes away completely after treatment with antibiotics if treated promptly. In most cases, there is very little risk of long-term damage. However, women with certain sexually transmitted diseases can experience scarring of the reproductive tract and fertility problems if the infection is not promptly diagnosed and treated. Up to half of people who pass a kidney stone will never pass a second one. For people with recurrent kidney stones, the prognosis depends on the cause of the kidney stones and the person's response to preventive therapies. The outlook for cancer of the urinary tract continues to improve with new therapies. |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
: Additional info | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
www.cdc.gov/
American Urological Association
Urology Care Foundation
www.urologyhealth.org/ |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary health
:
About the Reviewer
| |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary Incontinence
: What Is It? | Urinary incontinence is a loss of control over urination. Urine leaks before you are able to get to a toilet. Normally, kidneys make urine that travels through tubes (called ureters) into the bladder. The bladder is a balloon-shaped structure with walls of muscle. The muscular walls are relaxed until the bladder fills up. The underside of the bladder is supported by pelvic floor muscles. When the bladder is full, the walls of the bladder are stretched. That signals the muscular walls to squeeze down, causing an urge to urinate. When you are ready to urinate, the muscular walls squeeze down harder, and another tube (the urethra) opens up that carries urine out of the bladder and into the outside world. With the various types of urinary incontinence, this normal process gets disrupted. One type of incontinence is stress incontinence. Your pelvic muscles are located beneath your bladder. Stress incontinence occurs when your pelvic muscles aren't strong enough. They cannot withstand a "stress" or pressure pushing on the bladder. When your pelvic muscles give way, they release their squeeze around the bottom of your bladder. As a result, urine can drain out. Stress incontinence is common during: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary Incontinence
: Symptoms | The main symptom of urinary incontinence is leakage of urine. This leakage can be frequent or rare. It can be a soaking or a small squirt. Urge incontinence can cause leakage during sleep. A urinary tract infection is likely to be causing incontinence if urine leakage is accompanied by: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary Incontinence
: Diagnosis | Your doctor will review your medical history. Your doctor may ask you to keep a voiding diary for one to three days. You should record: |
### Instruction: Disease name:
Urinary Incontinence
: Expected Duration | Urinary incontinence may be a short-term problem. This is likely if it is related to pregnancy or to a UTI. Urinary incontinence is more often a long-term problem if it results from: |