bowang0911/MedQuAD huggingface dataset:
You can't prevent inherited types of cardiomyopathy. However, you can take steps to lower your risk for diseases or conditions that may lead to or complicate cardiomyopathy. Examples includecoronary heart disease,high blood pressure, andheart attack.
                
Your doctor may advise you to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes, such as:
                
Avoiding the use of alcohol and illegal drugs
                
Getting enough sleep and rest
                
Heart-healthy eating
                
Physicalactivity
                
Quitting smoking
                
Managing stress
                
Your cardiomyopathy may be due to an underlying disease or condition. If you treat that condition early enough, you may be able to prevent cardiomyopathy complications. For example, to control high blood pressure,high blood cholesterol, and diabetes:
                
Follow your doctors advice about lifestyle changes.
                
Get regular checkups with your doctor.
                
Take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes.
Aplastic anemia (a-PLAS-tik uh-NEE-me-uh) is a blood disorder in which the body's bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells. Bone marrow is a sponge-like tissue inside the bones. It makes stem cells that develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets (PLATE-lets).
                
Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of your body. They also carry carbon dioxide (a waste product) to your lungs to be exhaled. White blood cells help your body fight infections. Platelets are blood cell fragments that stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding.
                
It's normal for blood cells to die. The lifespan of red blood cells is about 120 days. White blood cells live less than a day. Platelets live about 6 days. As a result, your bone marrow must constantly make new blood cells.
                
If your bone marrow can't make enough new blood cells, many health problems can occur. These problems include irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), an enlarged heart, heart failure, infections, and bleeding. Severe aplastic anemia can even cause death.
                
Overview
                
Aplastic anemia is a type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). This iron-rich protein helps carry oxygen to your body.
                
In people who have aplastic anemia, the body doesn't make enough red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This is because the bone marrow's stem cells are damaged. (Aplastic anemia also is called bone marrow failure.)
                
Many diseases, conditions, and factors can damage the stem cells. These conditions can be acquired or inherited. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you.
                
In many people who have aplastic anemia, the cause is unknown.
                
Outlook
                
Aplastic anemia is a rare but serious disorder. It can develop suddenly or slowly. The disorder tends to get worse over time, unless its cause is found and treated. Treatments for aplastic anemia include blood transfusions, blood and marrow stem cell transplants, and medicines.
                
With prompt and proper care, many people who have aplastic anemia can be successfully treated. Blood and marrow stem cell transplants may offer a cure for some people who have aplastic anemia.
Damage to the bone marrow's stem cells causes aplastic anemia. When stem cells are damaged, they don't grow into healthy blood cells.
                
The cause of the damage can be acquired or inherited. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you.
                
Acquired aplastic anemia is more common, and sometimes it's only temporary. Inherited aplastic anemia is rare.
                
In many people who have aplastic anemia, the cause is unknown. Some research suggests that stem cell damage may occur because the body's immune system attacks its own cells by mistake.
                
Acquired Causes
                
Many diseases, conditions, and factors can cause aplastic anemia, including:
                
Toxins, such as pesticides, arsenic, and benzene.
                
Radiation and chemotherapy (treatments for cancer).
                
Medicines, such as chloramphenicol (an antibiotic rarely used in the United States).
                
Infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus (si-to-MEG-ah-lo-VI-rus), parvovirus B19, and HIV.
                
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
                
Pregnancy. (Aplastic anemia that occurs during pregnancy often goes away after delivery.)
                
Sometimes, cancer from another part of the body can spread to the bone and cause aplastic anemia.
                
Inherited Causes
                
Certain inherited conditions can damage the stem cells and lead to aplastic anemia. Examples include Fanconi anemia, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, dyskeratosis (DIS-ker-ah-TO-sis) congenita, and Diamond-Blackfan anemia.
Aplastic anemia is a rare but serious blood disorder. People of all ages can develop aplastic anemia. However, it's most common in adolescents, young adults, and the elderly. Men and women are equally likely to have it.
                
The disorder is two to three times more common in Asian countries.
                
Your risk of aplastic anemia is higher if you:
                
Have been exposed to toxins
                
Have taken certain medicines or had radiation or chemotherapy (treatments for cancer)
                
Have certain infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, or inherited conditions
                
For more information, go to "What Causes Aplastic Anemia?"
Lower than normal numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets cause most of the signs and symptoms of aplastic anemia.
                
Signs and Symptoms of Low Blood Cell Counts
                

                
Red Blood Cells
                
The most common symptom of a low red blood cell count is fatigue (tiredness). A lack of hemoglobin in the blood causes fatigue. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It helps carry oxygen to the body.
                
A low red blood cell count also can cause shortness of breath; dizziness, especially when standing up; headaches; coldness in your hands or feet; pale skin; and chest pain.
                
If you don't have enough hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to move the reduced amount of oxygen in your blood. This can lead to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), a heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart failure.
                
White Blood Cells
                
White blood cells help fight infections. Signs and symptoms of a low white blood cell count include fevers, frequent infections that can be severe, and flu-like illnesses that linger.
                
Platelets
                
Platelets stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding. People who have low platelet counts tend to bruise and bleed easily, and the bleeding may be hard to stop.
                
Common types of bleeding associated with a low platelet count include nosebleeds, bleeding gums, pinpoint red spots on the skin, and blood in the stool. Women also may have heavy menstrual bleeding.
                
Other Signs and Symptoms
                
Aplastic anemia can cause signs and symptoms that aren't directly related to low blood cell counts. Examples include nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) and skin rashes.
                
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
                
Some people who have aplastic anemia have a condition called paroxysmal (par-ok-SIZ-mal) nocturnal hemoglobinuria (HE-mo-glo-bi-NOO-re-ah), or PNH. This is a red blood cell disorder. Most people who have PNH don't have any signs or symptoms.
                
If symptoms do occur, they may include:
                
Shortness of breath
                
Swelling or pain in the abdomen or swelling in the legs caused by blood clots
                
Blood in the urine
                
Headaches
                
Jaundice (a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes)
                
In people who have aplastic anemia and PNH, either condition can develop first.
Espaol
                
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common, easily treated condition that occurs if you don't have enough iron in your body. Low iron levels usually are due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from food.
                
Overview
                
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body.
                
Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
                
Iron-deficiency anemia usually develops over time if your body doesn't have enough iron to build healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, your body starts using the iron it has stored. Soon, the stored iron gets used up.
                
After the stored iron is gone, your body makes fewer red blood cells. The red blood cells it does make have less hemoglobin than normal.
                
Iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue (tiredness), shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. Severe iron-deficiency anemia can lead to heart problems, infections, problems with growth and development in children, and other complications.
                
Infants and young children and women are the two groups at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia.
                
Outlook
                
Doctors usually can successfully treat iron-deficiency anemia. Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the condition. Treatments may include dietary changes, medicines, and surgery.
                
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require treatment in a hospital, blood transfusions, iron injections, or intravenous iron therapy.
Not having enough iron in your body causes iron-deficiency anemia. Lack of iron usually is due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from food.
                
Blood Loss
                
When you lose blood, you lose iron. If you don't have enough iron stored in your body to make up for the lost iron, you'll develop iron-deficiency anemia.
                
In women, long or heavy menstrual periods or bleeding fibroids in the uterus may cause low iron levels. Blood loss that occurs during childbirth is another cause of low iron levels in women.
                
Internal bleeding (bleeding inside the body) also may lead to iron-deficiency anemia. This type of blood loss isn't always obvious, and it may occur slowly. Some causes of internal bleeding are:
                
A bleeding ulcer, colon polyp, or colon cancer
                
Regular use of aspirin or other pain medicines, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, ibuprofen and naproxen)
                
Urinary tract bleeding
                
Blood loss from severe injuries, surgery, or frequent blood drawings also can cause iron-deficiency anemia.
                
Poor Diet
                
The best sources of iron are meat, poultry, fish, and iron-fortified foods (foods that have iron added). If you don't eat these foods regularly, or if you don't take an iron supplement, you're more likely to develop iron-deficiency anemia.
                
Vegetarian diets can provide enough iron if you eat the right foods. For example, good nonmeat sources of iron include iron-fortified breads and cereals, beans, tofu, dried fruits, and spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables.
                
During some stages of life, such as pregnancy and childhood, it may be hard to get enough iron in your diet. This is because your need for iron increases during these times of growth and development.
                
Inability To Absorb Enough Iron
                
Even if you have enough iron in your diet, your body may not be able to absorb it. This can happen if you have intestinal surgery (such as gastric bypass) or a disease of the intestine (such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease).
                
Prescription medicines that reduce acid in the stomach also can interfere with iron absorption.
The signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia depend on its severity. Mild to moderate iron-deficiency anemia may have no signs or symptoms.
                
When signs and symptoms do occur, they can range from mild to severe. Many of the signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia apply to all types of anemia.
                
Signs and Symptoms of Anemia
                
The most common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts.
                
Also, the red blood cells your body makes have less hemoglobin than normal. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
                
Anemia also can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale skin, chest pain, weakness, and fatigue (tiredness).
                
If you don't have enough hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood through your body. This can lead to irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), a heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart failure.
                
In infants and young children, signs of anemia include poor appetite, slowed growth and development, and behavioral problems.
                
Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
                
Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency may include brittle nails, swelling or soreness of the tongue, cracks in the sides of the mouth, an enlarged spleen, and frequent infections.
                
People who have iron-deficiency anemia may have an unusual craving for nonfood items, such as ice, dirt, paint, or starch. This craving is called pica (PI-ka or PE-ka).
                
Some people who have iron-deficiency anemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move the legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in the legs. People who have RLS often have a hard time sleeping.
                
Iron-deficiency anemia can put children at greater risk for lead poisoning and infections.
                
Some signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia are related to the condition's causes. For example, a sign of intestinal bleeding is bright red blood in the stools or black, tarry-looking stools.
                
Very heavy menstrual bleeding, long periods, or other vaginal bleeding may suggest that a woman is at risk for iron-deficiency anemia.
Eating a well-balanced diet that includes iron-rich foods may help you prevent iron-deficiency anemia.
                
Taking iron supplements also may lower your risk for the condition if you're not able to get enough iron from food. Large amounts of iron can be harmful, so take iron supplements only as your doctor prescribes.
                
For more information about diet and supplements, go to "How Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia Treated?"
                
Infants and young children and women are the two groups at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia. Special measures can help prevent the condition in these groups.
                
Infants and Young Children
                
A baby's diet can affect his or her risk for iron-deficiency anemia. For example, cow's milk is low in iron. For this and other reasons, cow's milk isn't recommended for babies in their first year. After the first year, you may need to limit the amount of cow's milk your baby drinks.
                
Also, babies need more iron as they grow and begin to eat solid foods. Talk with your child's doctor about a healthy diet and food choices that will help your child get enough iron.
                
Your child's doctor may recommend iron drops. However, giving a child too much iron can be harmful. Follow the doctor's instructions and keep iron supplements and vitamins away from children. Asking for child-proof packages for supplements can help prevent overdosing in children.
                
Because recent research supports concerns that iron deficiency during infancy and childhood can have long-lasting, negative effects on brain health, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends testing all infants for anemia at 1 year of age.
                
Women and Girls
                
Women of childbearing age may be tested for iron-deficiency anemia, especially if they have:
                
A history of iron-deficiency anemia
                
Heavy blood loss during their monthly periods
                
Other risk factors for iron-deficiency anemia
                
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed guidelines for who should be screened for iron deficiency, and how often:
                
Girls aged 12 to 18 and women of childbearing age who are not pregnant: Every 5 to 10 years.
                
Women who have risk factors for iron deficiency: Once a year.
                
Pregnant women: At the first prenatal visit.
                
For pregnant women, medical care during pregnancy usually includes screening for anemia. Also, your doctor may prescribe iron supplements or advise you to eat more iron-rich foods.This not only will help you avoid iron-deficiency anemia, but also may lower your risk of having a low-birth-weight baby.
Antiphospholipid (AN-te-fos-fo-LIP-id) antibody syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders occur if the body's immune system makes antibodies that attack and damage tissues or cells.
                
Antibodies are a type of protein. They usually help defend the body against infections. In APS, however, the body makes antibodies that mistakenly attack phospholipidsa type of fat.
                
Phospholipids are found in all living cells and cell membranes, including blood cells and the lining of blood vessels.
                
When antibodies attack phospholipids, cells are damaged. This damage causes blood clots to form in the body's arteries and veins. (These are the vessels that carry blood to your heart and body.)
                
Usually, blood clotting is a normal bodily process. Blood clots help seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls. This prevents you from losing too much blood. In APS, however, too much blood clotting can block blood flow and damage the body's organs.
                
Overview
                
Some people have APS antibodies, but don't ever have signs or symptoms of the disorder. Having APS antibodies doesn't mean that you have APS. To be diagnosed with APS, you must have APS antibodies and a history of health problems related to the disorder.
                
APS can lead to many health problems, such as stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, deep vein thrombosis (throm-BO-sis), and pulmonary embolism (PULL-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm).
                
APS also can cause pregnancy-related problems, such as multiple miscarriages, a miscarriage late in pregnancy, or a premature birth due to eclampsia (ek-LAMP-se-ah). (Eclampsia, which follows preeclampsia, is a serious condition that causes seizures in pregnant women.)
                
Very rarely, some people who have APS develop many blood clots within weeks or months. This condition is called catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS).
                
People who have APS also are at higher risk for thrombocytopenia (THROM-bo-si-to-PE-ne-ah). This is a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of blood cell fragments called platelets (PLATE-lets). Antibodies destroy the platelets, or theyre used up during the clotting process. Mild to serious bleeding can occur with thrombocytopenia.
                
APS can be fatal. Death may occur as a result of large blood clots or blood clots in the heart, lungs, or brain.
                
Outlook
                
APS can affect people of any age. However, it's more common in women and people who have other autoimmune or rheumatic (ru-MAT-ik) disorders, such as lupus. ("Rheumatic" refers to disorders that affect the joints, bones, or muscles.)
                
APS has no cure, but medicines can help prevent its complications. Medicines are used to stop blood clots from forming. They also are used to keep existing clots from getting larger. Treatment for APS is long term.
                
If you have APS and another autoimmune disorder, it's important to control that condition as well. When the other condition is controlled, APS may cause fewer problems.
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) occurs if the body's immune system makes antibodies (proteins) that attack phospholipids.
                
Phospholipids are a type of fat found in all living cells and cell membranes, including blood cells and the lining of blood vessels. What causes the immune system to make antibodies against phospholipids isn't known.
                
APS causes unwanted blood clots to form in the body's arteries and veins. Usually, blood clotting is a normal bodily process. It helps seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls. This prevents you from losing too much blood. In APS, however, too much blood clotting can block blood flow and damage the body's organs.
                
Researchers don't know why APS antibodies cause blood clots to form. Some believe that the antibodies damage or affect the inner lining of the blood vessels, which causes blood clots to form. Others believe that the immune system makes antibodies in response to blood clots damaging the blood vessels.
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) can affect people of any age. The disorder is more common in women than men, but it affects both sexes.
                
APS also is more common in people who have other autoimmune or rheumatic disorders, such as lupus. ("Rheumatic" refers to disorders that affect the joints, bones, or muscles.)
                
About 10 percent of all people who have lupus also have APS. About half of all people who have APS also have another autoimmune or rheumatic disorder.
                
Some people have APS antibodies, but don't ever have signs or symptoms of the disorder. The mere presence of APS antibodies doesn't mean that you have APS. To be diagnosed with APS, you must have APS antibodies and a history of health problems related to the disorder.
                
However, people who have APS antibodies but no signs or symptoms are at risk of developing APS. Health problems, other than autoimmune disorders, that can trigger blood clots include:
                
Smoking
                
Prolonged bed rest
                
Pregnancy and the postpartum period
                
Birth control pills and hormone therapy
                
Cancer and kidney disease