Druvith/medqa1 huggingface dataset:
Question:  How to prevent Asthma ?
Answer: You cant prevent asthma. However, you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms. For example:
                
Learn about your asthma and ways to control it.
                
Follow your written asthma action plan. (For a sample plan, go to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "Asthma Action Plan.")
                
Use medicines as your doctor prescribes.
                
Identify and try to avoid things that make your asthma worse (asthma triggers). However, one trigger you should not avoid is physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Talk with your doctor about medicines that can help you stay active.
                
Keep track of your asthma symptoms and level of control.
                
Get regular checkups for your asthma.
                
For more details about how to prevent asthma symptoms and attacks, go to "How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?"
Question:  What is (are) Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.
                
Before birth, the two major arteriesthe aorta and the pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) arteryare connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This vessel is an essential part of fetal blood circulation.
                
Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the vessel is supposed to close as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby's circulation.
                
In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). This opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can put strain on the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.
                
Normal Heart and Heart With Patent Ductus Arteriosus
                

                
Go to the "How the Heart Works" section of this article for more details about how a normal heart works compared with a heart that has PDA.
                
Overview
                
PDA is a type of congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defect. A congenital heart defect is any type of heart problem that's present at birth.
                
If your baby has a PDA but an otherwise normal heart, the PDA may shrink and go away. However, some children need treatment to close their PDAs.
                
Some children who have PDAs are given medicine to keep the ductus arteriosus open. For example, this may be done if a child is born with another heart defect that decreases blood flow to the lungs or the rest of the body.
                
Keeping the PDA open helps maintain blood flow and oxygen levels until doctors can do surgery to correct the other heart defect.
                
Outlook
                
PDA is a fairly common congenital heart defect in the United States. Although the condition can affect full-term infants, it's more common in premature infants.
                
On average, PDA occurs in about 8 out of every 1,000 premature babies, compared with 2out of every 1,000 full-term babies. Premature babies also are more vulnerable to the effects of PDA.
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys.
                
Doctors treat the condition with medicines, catheter-based procedures, and surgery. Most children who have PDAs live healthy, normal lives after treatment.
Question:  What causes Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: If your child has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), you may think you did something wrong during your pregnancy to cause the problem. However, the cause of patent ductus arteriosus isn't known.
                
Genetics may play a role in causing the condition. A defect in one or more genes might prevent the ductus arteriosus from closing after birth.
Question:  Who is at risk for Patent Ductus Arteriosus? ?
Answer: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a relatively common congenital heart defect in the United States.
                
The condition occurs more often in premature infants (on average, occurring in about 8 of every 1,000 births). However, PDA also occurs in full-term infants (on average, occurring in about 2 of every 1,000 births).
                
PDA also is more common in:
                
Infants who have genetic conditions such as Down syndrome
                
Infants whose mothers had German measles (rubella) during pregnancy
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys.
Question:  What are the symptoms of Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: A heart murmur may be the only sign that a baby has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
Some infants may develop signs or symptoms of volume overload on the heart and excess blood flow in the lungs. Signs and symptoms may include:
                
Fast breathing, working hard to breathe, or shortness of breath. Premature infants may need increased oxygen or help breathing from a ventilator.
                
Poor feeding and poor weight gain.
                
Tiring easily.
                
Sweating with exertion, such as while feeding.
Question:  How to diagnose Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Answer: In full-term infants, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) usually is first suspected when the baby's doctor hears a heart murmur during a regular checkup.
                
A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
If a PDA is large, the infant also may develop symptoms of volume overload and increased blood flow to the lungs. If a PDA is small, it may not be diagnosed until later in childhood.
                
If your child's doctor thinks your child has PDA, he or she may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart problems in children.
                
Premature babies who have PDA may not have the same signs as full-term babies, such as heart murmurs. Doctors may suspect PDA in premature babies who develop breathing problems soon after birth. Tests can help confirm a diagnosis.
                
Diagnostic Tests
                
Echocardiography
                
Echocardiography (echo) is a painless test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your baby's heart. During echo, the sound waves bounce off your childs heart. A computer converts the sound waves into pictures of the hearts structures.
                
The test allows the doctor to clearly see any problems with the way the heart is formed or the way it's working. Echo is the most important test available to your baby's cardiologist to both diagnose a heart problem and follow the problem over time.
                
In babies who have PDA, echo shows how big the PDA is and how well the heart is responding to it. When medical treatments are used to try to close a PDA, echo is used to see how well the treatments are working.
                
EKG (Electrocardiogram)
                
An EKG is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity. For babies who have PDA, an EKG can show whether the heart is enlarged. The test also can show other subtle changes that can suggest the presence of a PDA.
Question:  What causes Sickle Cell Disease ?
Answer: Abnormal hemoglobin, called hemoglobin S, causes sickle cell disease (SCD).
                
The problem in hemoglobin S is caused by a small defect in the gene that directs the production of the beta globin part of hemoglobin. This small defect in the beta globin gene causes a problem in the beta globin part of hemoglobin, changing the way that hemoglobin works. (See Overview.)
                

                
How Is Sickle Cell Disease Inherited?
                
When the hemoglobin S gene is inherited from only one parent and a normal hemoglobin gene is inherited from the other, a person will have sickle cell trait. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy.
                
Only rarely do people with sickle cell trait have complications similar to those seen in people with SCD. But people with sickle cell trait are carriers of a defective hemoglobin S gene. So, they can pass it on when they have a child.
                
If the childs other parent also has sickle cell trait or another abnormal hemoglobin gene (like thalassemia, hemoglobin C, hemoglobin D, hemoglobin E), that child has a chance of having SCD.
                
Example of an Inheritance Pattern
                

                
In the image above, each parent has one hemoglobin A gene and one hemoglobin S gene, and each of their children has:
                
A 25 percent chance of inheriting two normal genes: In this case the child does not have sickle cell trait or disease. (Case 1)
                
A 50 percent chance of inheriting one hemoglobin A gene and one hemoglobin S gene: This child has sickle cell trait. (Cases 2 and 3)
                
A 25 percent chance of inheriting two hemoglobin S genes: This child has sickle cell disease. (Case 4)
                
It is important to keep in mind that each time this couple has a child, the chances of that child having sickle cell disease remain the same. In other words, if the first-born child has sickle cell disease, there is still a 25 percent chance that the second child will also have the disease. Both boys and girls can inherit sickle cell trait, sickle cell disease, or normal hemoglobin.
                
If a person wants to know if he or she carries a sickle hemoglobin gene, a doctor can order a blood test to find out.
Question:  Who is at risk for Sickle Cell Disease? ?
Answer: In the United States, most people with sickle cell disease (SCD) are of African ancestry or identify themselves as black.
                
About 1 in 13 African American babies is born with sickle cell trait.
                
About 1 in every 365 black children is born with sickle cell disease.
                
There are also many people with this disease who come from Hispanic, southern European, Middle Eastern, or Asian Indian backgrounds.
                
Approximately 100,000 Americans have SCD.
Question:  How to diagnose Sickle Cell Disease ?
Answer: Screening Tests
                
People who do not know whether they make sickle hemoglobin (hemoglobin S) or another abnormal hemoglobin (such as C,  thalassemia, E) can find out by having their blood tested. This way, they can learn whether they carry a gene (i.e., have the trait) for an abnormal hemoglobin that they could pass on to a child.
                
When each parent has this information, he or she can be better informed about the chances of having a child with some type of sickle cell disease (SCD), such as hemoglobin SS, SC, S thalassemia, or others.
                
Newborn Screening
                
When a child has SCD, it is very important to diagnose it early to better prevent complications.
                
Every state in the United States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories require that every baby is tested for SCD as part of a newborn screening program.
                
In newborn screening programs, blood from a heel prick is collected in spots on a special paper. The hemoglobin from this blood is then analyzed in special labs.
                
Newborn screening results are sent to the doctor who ordered the test and to the childs primary doctor.
                
If a baby is found to have SCD, health providers from a special follow-up newborn screening group contact the family directly to make sure that the parents know the results. The child is always retested to be sure that the diagnosis is correct.
                
Newborn screening programs also find out whether the baby has an abnormal hemoglobin trait. If so, parents are informed, and counseling is offered.
                
Remember that when a child has sickle cell trait or SCD, a future sibling, or the childs own future child, may be at risk. These possibilities should be discussed with the primary care doctor, a blood specialist called a hematologist, and/or a genetics counselor.
                
Prenatal Screening
                
Doctors can also diagnose SCD before a baby is born. This is done using a sample of amniotic fluid, the liquid in the sac surrounding a growing embryo, or tissue taken from the placenta, the organ that attaches the umbilical cord to the mothers womb.
                
Testing before birth can be done as early as 810 weeks into the pregnancy. This testing looks for the sickle hemoglobin gene rather than the abnormal hemoglobin.
Question:  How to prevent Sickle Cell Disease ?
Answer: People who do not know whether they carry an abnormal hemoglobin gene can ask their doctor to have their blood tested.
                
Couples who are planning to have children and know that they are at risk of having a child with sickle cell disease (SCD) may want to meet with a genetics counselor. A genetics counselor can answer questions about the risk and explain the choices that are available.
Question:  What is (are) Polycythemia Vera ?
Answer: Polycythemia vera (POL-e-si-THEE-me-ah VAY-rah or VE-rah), or PV, is a rare blood disease in which your body makes too many red blood cells.
                
The extra red blood cells make your blood thicker than normal. As a result, blood clots can form more easily. These clots can block blood flow through your arteries and veins, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
                
Thicker blood also doesn't flow as quickly to your body as normal blood. Slowed blood flow prevents your organs from getting enough oxygen, which can cause serious problems, such as angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) and heart failure. (Angina is chest pain or discomfort.)
                
Overview
                
Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of your body. They also remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body's cells and carry it to the lungs to be exhaled.
                
Red blood cells are made in your bone marrowa sponge-like tissue inside the bones. White blood cells and platelets (PLATE-lets) also are made in your bone marrow. White blood cells help fight infection. Platelets stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding.
                
If you have PV, your bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. It also can make too many white blood cells and platelets.
                
A mutation, or change, in the body's JAK2 gene is the major cause of PV. This gene makes a protein that helps the body produce blood cells. What causes the change in the JAK2 gene isn't known. PV generally isn't inheritedthat is, passed from parents to children through genes.
                
PV develops slowly and may not cause symptoms for years. The disease often is found during routine blood tests done for other reasons.
                
When signs and symptoms are present, they're the result of the thick blood that occurs with PV. This thickness slows the flow of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of your body. Without enough oxygen, many parts of your body won't work normally.
                
For example, slower blood flow deprives your arms, legs, lungs, and eyes of the oxygen they need. This can cause headaches, dizziness, itching, and vision problems, such as blurred or double vision.
                
Outlook
                
PV is a serious, chronic (ongoing) disease that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. PV has no cure, but treatments can help control the disease and its complications.
                
PV is treated with procedures, medicines, and other methods. You may need one or more treatments to manage the disease.
Question:  What causes Polycythemia Vera ?
Answer: Primary Polycythemia
                
Polycythemia vera (PV) also is known as primary polycythemia. A mutation, or change, in the body's JAK2 gene is the main cause of PV. The JAK2 gene makes a protein that helps the body produce blood cells.
                
What causes the change in the JAK2 gene isn't known. PV generally isn't inheritedthat is, passed from parents to children through genes. However, in some families, the JAK2 gene may have a tendency to mutate. Other, unknown genetic factors also may play a role in causing PV.
                
Secondary Polycythemia
                
Another type of polycythemia, called secondary polycythemia, isn't related to the JAK2 gene. Long-term exposure to low oxygen levels causes secondary polycythemia.
                
A lack of oxygen over a long period can cause your body to make more of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO). High levels of EPO can prompt your body to make more red blood cells than normal. This leads to thicker blood, as seen in PV.
                
People who have severe heart or lung disease may develop secondary polycythemia. People who smoke, spend long hours at high altitudes, or are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide where they work or live also are at risk.
                
For example, working in an underground parking garage or living in a home with a poorly vented fireplace or furnace can raise your risk for secondary polycythemia.
                
Rarely, tumors can make and release EPO, or certain blood problems can cause the body to make more EPO.
                
Sometimes doctors can cure secondary polycythemiait depends on whether the underlying cause can be stopped, controlled, or cured.
Question:  Who is at risk for Polycythemia Vera? ?
Answer: Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare blood disease. The disease affects people of all ages, but it's most common in adults who are older than 60. PV is rare in children and young adults. Men are at slightly higher risk for PV than women.
Question:  What are the symptoms of Polycythemia Vera ?
Answer: Polycythemia vera (PV) develops slowly. The disease may not cause signs or symptoms for years.
                
When signs and symptoms are present, they're the result of the thick blood that occurs with PV. This thickness slows the flow of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of your body. Without enough oxygen, many parts of your body won't work normally.
                
The signs and symptoms of PV include:
                
Headaches, dizziness, and weakness
                
Shortness of breath and problems breathing while lying down
                
Feelings of pressure or fullness on the left side of the abdomen due to an enlarged spleen (an organ in the abdomen)
                
Double or blurred vision and blind spots
                
Itching all over (especially after a warm bath), reddened face, and a burning feeling on your skin (especially your hands and feet)
                
Bleeding from your gums and heavy bleeding from small cuts
                
Unexplained weight loss
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
Excessive sweating
                
Very painful swelling in a single joint, usually the big toe (called gouty arthritis)
                
In rare cases, people who have PV may have pain in their bones.
                
Polycythemia Vera Complications
                
If you have PV, the thickness of your blood and the slowed blood flow can cause serious health problems.
                
Blood clots are the most serious complication of PV. Blood clots can cause a heart attack or stroke. They also can cause your liver and spleen to enlarge. Blood clots in the liver and spleen can cause sudden, intense pain.
                
Slowed blood flow also prevents enough oxygen-rich blood from reaching your organs. This can lead to angina (chest pain or discomfort) and heart failure. The high levels of red blood cells that PV causes can lead to stomach ulcers, gout, or kidney stones.
                
Some people who have PV may develop myelofibrosis (MY-e-lo-fi-BRO-sis). This is a condition in which your bone marrow is replaced with scar tissue. Abnormal bone marrow cells may begin to grow out of control.
                
This abnormal growth can lead to acute myelogenous (my-eh-LOJ-eh-nus) leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. This disease can worsen very quickly.
Question:  How to prevent Polycythemia Vera ?
Answer: Primary polycythemia (polycythemia vera) can't be prevented. However, with proper treatment, you can prevent or delay symptoms and complications.
                
Sometimes you can prevent secondary polycythemia by avoiding things that deprive your body of oxygen for long periods. For example, you can avoid mountain climbing, living at a high altitude, or smoking.
                
People who have serious heart or lung diseases may develop secondary polycythemia. Treatment for the underlying disease may improve the secondary polycythemia. Following a healthy lifestyle to lower your risk of heart and lung diseases also will help you prevent secondary polycythemia.
Question:  What causes High Blood Cholesterol ?
Answer: Many factors can affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. You can control some factors, but not others.
                
Factors You Can Control
                
Diet
                
Cholesterol is found in foods that come from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese. Some foods have fats that raise your cholesterol level.
                
For example, saturated fat raises your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. Saturated fat is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.
                
Trans fatty acids (trans fats) raise your LDL cholesterol and lower your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Trans fats are made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to harden it. Trans fats are found in some fried and processed foods.
                
Limiting foods with cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fats can help you control your cholesterol levels.
                
Physical Activity and Weight
                
Lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain. Being overweight tends to raise your LDL level, lower your HDL level, and increase your total cholesterol level. (Total cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including LDL and HDL.)
                
Routine physical activity can help you lose weight and lower your LDL cholesterol. Being physically active also can help you raise your HDL cholesterol level.
                
Factors You Cant Control
                
Heredity
                
High blood cholesterol can run in families. An inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolemia causes very high LDL cholesterol. (Inherited means the condition is passed from parents to children through genes.) This condition begins at birth, and it may cause a heart attack at an early age.
                
Age and Sex
                
Starting at puberty, men often have lower levels of HDL cholesterol than women. As women and men age, their LDL cholesterol levels often rise. Before age 55, women usually have lower LDL cholesterol levels than men. However, afterage 55, women can have higher LDL levels than men.
Question:  What are the symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol ?
Answer: High blood cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms. Thus, many people don't know that their cholesterol levels are too high.
                
If you're 20 years old or older, have your cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. Talk with your doctor about how often you should be tested.