falan42/medcuad_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Respiratory Failure
Question: What are the symptoms of Respiratory Failure ?
Answer: The signs and symptoms of respiratory failure depend on its underlying cause and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
                
A low oxygen level in the blood can cause shortness of breath and air hunger (feeling like you can't breathe in enough air). If the level of oxygen is very low, it also can cause a bluish color on the skin, lips, and fingernails. A high carbon dioxide level can cause rapid breathing and confusion.
                
Some people who have respiratory failure may become very sleepy or lose consciousness. They also may develop arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), or irregular heartbeats. These symptoms can occur if the brain and heart are not getting enough oxygen.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Respiratory Failure
Question: How to diagnose Respiratory Failure ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose respiratory failure based on your medical history, a physical exam, and test results. Once respiratory failure is diagnosed, your doctor will look for its underlying cause.
                
Medical History
                
Your doctor will ask whether you might have or have recently had diseases or conditions that could lead to respiratory failure.
                
Examples include disorders that affect the muscles, nerves, bones, or tissues that support breathing. Lung diseases and conditions also can cause respiratory failure.
                
For more information, go to "What Causes Respiratory Failure?"
                
Physical Exam
                
During the physical exam, your doctor will look for signs of respiratory failure and its underlying cause.
                
Respiratory failure can cause shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and air hunger (feeling like you can't breathe in enough air). Using a stethoscope, your doctor can listen to your lungs for abnormal sounds, such as crackling.
                
Your doctor also may listen to your heart for signs of an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). An arrhythmia can occur if your heart doesn't get enough oxygen.
                
Your doctor might look for a bluish color on your skin, lips, and fingernails. A bluish color means your blood has a low oxygen level.
                
Respiratory failure also can cause extreme sleepiness and confusion, so your doctor might check how alert you are.
                
Diagnostic Tests
                
To check the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood, you may have: 
                
Pulse oximetry. For this test, a small sensor is attached to your finger or ear. The sensor uses light to estimate how much oxygen is in your blood.
                
Arterial blood gas test. This test measures the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood. A blood sample is taken from an artery, usually in your wrist. The sample is then sent to a laboratory, where its oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are measured.
                
A low level of oxygen or a high level of carbon dioxide in the blood (or both) is a possible sign of respiratory failure.
                
Your doctor may recommend other tests, such as a chest x ray, to help find the underlying cause of respiratory failure. A chest x ray is a painless test that takes pictures of the structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
                
If your doctor thinks that you have an arrhythmia as a result of respiratory failure, he or she may recommend an EKG (electrocardiogram). An EKG is a simple, painless test that detects and records the heart's electrical activity.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Endocarditis
Question: What is (are) Endocarditis ?
Answer: Endocarditis (EN-do-kar-DI-tis) is an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves. This lining is called the endocardium (en-do-KAR-de-um). The condition also is called infective endocarditis (IE).
                
The term "endocarditis" also is used to describe an inflammation of the endocardium due to other conditions. This article only discusses endocarditis related to infection.
                
IE occurs if bacteria, fungi, or other germs invade your bloodstream and attach to abnormal areas of your heart. The infection can damage your heart and cause serious and sometimes fatal complications.
                
IE can develop quickly or slowly; it depends on what type of germ is causing it and whether you have an underlying heart problem. When IE develops quickly, it's called acute infective endocarditis. When it develops slowly, it's called subacute infective endocarditis.
                
Overview
                
IE mainly affects people who have:
                
Damaged or artificial (man-made) heart valves
                
Congenital heart defects (defects present at birth)
                
Implanted medical devices in the heart or blood vessels
                
People who have normal heart valves also can have IE. However, the condition is much more common in people who have abnormal hearts.
                
Certain factors make it easier for bacteria to enter your bloodstream. These factors put you at higher risk for IE. For example, poor dental hygiene and unhealthy teeth and gums increase your risk for the infection.
                
Other risk factors include using intravenous (IV) drugs, having a catheter (tube) or another medical device in your body for long periods, and having a history of IE.
                
Common symptoms of IE are fever and other flu-like symptoms. Because the infection can affect people in different ways, the signs and symptoms vary. IE also can cause problems in many other parts of the body besides the heart.
                
If you're at high risk for IE, seek medical care if you have signs or symptoms of the infection, especially a fever that persists or unexplained fatigue (tiredness).
                
Outlook
                
IE is treated with antibiotics for several weeks. You also may need heart surgery to repair or replace heart valves or remove infected heart tissue.
                
Most people who are treated with the proper antibiotics recover. But if the infection isn't treated, or if it persists despite treatment (for example, if the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics), it's usually fatal.
                
If you have signs or symptoms of IE, see your doctor as soon as you can, especially if you have abnormal heart valves.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Endocarditis
Question: Who is at risk for Endocarditis? ?
Answer: Infective endocarditis (IE) is an uncommon condition that can affect both children and adults. It's more common in men than women.
                
IE typically affects people who have abnormal hearts or other conditions that put them at risk for the infection. Sometimes IE does affect people who were healthy before the infection.
                
Major Risk Factors
                
The germs that cause IE tend to attach and multiply on damaged, malformed, or artificial (man-made) heart valves and implanted medical devices. Certain conditions put you at higher risk for IE. These include:
                
Congenital heart defects (defects that are present at birth). Examples include a malformed heart or abnormal heart valves.
                
Artificial heart valves, an implanted medical device in the heart (such as a pacemaker wire), or an intravenous (IV) catheter (tube) in a blood vessel for a long time.
                
Heart valves damaged by rheumatic fever or calcium deposits that cause age-related valve thickening. Scars in the heart from a previous case of IE also can damage heart valves.
                
IV drug use, especially if needles are shared or reused, contaminated substances are injected, or the skin isn't properly cleaned before injection.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Endocarditis
Question: What are the symptoms of Endocarditis ?
Answer: Infective endocarditis (IE) can cause a range of signs and symptoms that can vary from person to person. Signs and symptoms also can vary over time in the same person.
                
Signs and symptoms differ depending on whether you have an underlying heart problem, the type of germ causing the infection, and whether you have acute or subacute IE.
                
Signs and symptoms of IE may include:
                
Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, fatigue (tiredness), aching muscles and joints, night sweats, and headaches.
                
Shortness of breath or a cough that won't go away.
                
A new heart murmur or a change in an existing heart murmur.
                
Skin changes such as:   - Overall paleness.   - Small, painful, red or purplish bumps under the skin on the fingers or toes.   - Small, dark, painless flat spots on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.   - Tiny spots under the fingernails, on the whites of the eyes, on the roof of the mouth and inside of the cheeks, or on the chest. These spots are from broken blood vessels.
                
Overall paleness.
                
Small, painful, red or purplish bumps under the skin on the fingers or toes.
                
Small, dark, painless flat spots on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.
                
Tiny spots under the fingernails, on the whites of the eyes, on the roof of the mouth and inside of the cheeks, or on the chest. These spots are from broken blood vessels.
                
Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, a decrease in appetite, a sense of fullness with discomfort on the upper left side of the abdomen, or weight loss with or without a change in appetite.
                
Blood in the urine.
                
Swelling in the feet, legs, or abdomen.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Endocarditis
Question: What are the treatments for Endocarditis ?
Answer: Infective endocarditis (IE) is treated with antibiotics and sometimes with heart surgery.
                
Antibiotics
                
Antibiotics usually are given for 2 to 6 weeks through an intravenous (IV) line inserted into a vein. You're often in a hospital for at least the first week or more of treatment. This allows your doctor to make sure the medicine is helping.
                
If you're allowed to go home before the treatment is done, the antibiotics are almost always continued by vein at home. You'll need special care if you get IV antibiotic treatment at home. Before you leave the hospital, your medical team will arrange for you to receive home-based care so you can continue your treatment.
                
You also will need close medical followup, usually by a team of doctors. This team often includes a doctor who specializes in infectious diseases, a cardiologist (heart specialist), and a heart surgeon.
                
Surgery
                
Sometimes surgery is needed to repair or replace a damaged heart valve or to help clear up IE. For example, IE caused by fungi often requires surgery. This is because this type of IE is harder to treat than IE caused by bacteria.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Endocarditis
Question: How to prevent Endocarditis ?
Answer: If you're at risk for infective endocarditis (IE), you can take steps to prevent the infection and its complications.
                
Be alert to the signs and symptoms of IE. Contact your doctor right away if you have any of these signs or symptoms, especially a persistent fever or unexplained fatigue (tiredness).
                
Brush and floss your teeth regularly, and have regular dental checkups. Germs from a gum infection can enter your bloodstream.
                
Avoid body piercing, tattoos, and other procedures that may allow germs to enter your bloodstream.
                
Research shows that not everyone at risk for IE needs to take antibiotics before routine dental exams and certain other dental and medical procedures.
                
Let your health care providers, including your dentist, know if you're at risk for IE. They can tell you whether you need antibiotics before exams and procedures.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Restless Legs Syndrome
Question: What is (are) Restless Legs Syndrome ?
Answer: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move your legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in your legs. Moving your legs relieves the urge and the unpleasant feelings.
                
People who have RLS describe the unpleasant feelings as creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, tingling, burning, aching, or electric shocks. Sometimes, these feelings also occur in the arms.
                
The urge to move and unpleasant feelings happen when you're resting and inactive. Thus, they tend to be worse in the evening and at night.
                
Overview
                
RLS can make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. It may make you feel tired and sleepy during the day. This can make it hard to learn, work, and do other daily activities. Not getting enough sleep also can cause depression, mood swings, or other health problems.
                
RLS can range from mild to severe based on:
                
The strength of your symptoms and how often they occur
                
How easily moving around relieves your symptoms
                
How much your symptoms disturb your sleep
                
One type of RLS usually starts early in life (before 45 years of age) and tends to run in families. It may even start in childhood. Once this type of RLS starts, it usually lasts for the rest of your life. Over time, symptoms slowly get worse and occur more often. If you have a mild case, you may have long periods with no symptoms.
                
Another type of RLS usually starts later in life (after 45 years of age). It generally doesn't run in families. This type of RLS tends to have a more abrupt onset. The symptoms usually don't get worse over time.
                
Some diseases, conditions, and medicines may trigger RLS. For example, the disorder has been linked to kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, and iron deficiency. When a disease, condition, or medicine causes RLS, the symptoms usually start suddenly.
                
Medical conditions or medicines often cause or worsen the type of RLS that starts later in life.
                
Outlook
                
RLS symptoms often get worse over time. However, some people's symptoms go away for weeks to months.
                
If a medical condition or medicine triggers RLS, the disorder may go away if the trigger is relieved or stopped. For example, RLS that occurs due to pregnancy tends to go away after giving birth. Kidney transplants (but not dialysis) relieve RLS linked to kidney failure.
                
Treatments for RLS include lifestyle changes and medicines. Some simple lifestyle changes often help relieve mild cases of RLS. Medicines often can relieve or prevent the symptoms of more severe RLS.
                
Research is ongoing to better understand the causes of RLS and to find better treatments.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Restless Legs Syndrome
Question: What causes Restless Legs Syndrome ?
Answer: Faulty Use of Iron or Lack of Iron
                
Research suggests that the main cause of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a faulty use of iron or a lack of iron in the brain. The brain uses iron to make the chemical dopamine (DO-pah-meen) and to control other brain activities. Dopamine works in the parts of the brain that control movement.
                
Many conditions can affect how much iron is in the brain or how it's used. These conditions include kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, and iron deficiency. All of these conditions increase your risk of RLS.
                
People whose family members have RLS also are more likely to develop the disorder. This suggests that genetics may contribute to the faulty use of iron or lack of iron in the brain that triggers RLS.
                
Nerve Damage
                
Nerve damage in the legs or feet and sometimes in the arms or hands may cause or worsen RLS. Several conditions can cause this type of nerve damage, including diabetes.
                
Medicines and Substances
                
Certain medicines may trigger RLS. These include some:
                
Antinausea medicines (used to treat upset stomach)
                
Antidepressants (used to treat depression)
                
Antipsychotics (used to treat certain mental health disorders)
                
Cold and allergy medicines that contain antihistamines
                
Calcium channel blockers (used to treat heart problems and high blood pressure)
                
RLS symptoms usually get better or may even go away if the medicine is stopped.
                
Certain substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, also can trigger or worsen RLS symptoms. Symptoms may get better or go away if the substances are stopped.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Restless Legs Syndrome
Question: Who is at risk for Restless Legs Syndrome? ?
Answer: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects about 515 percent of Americans. Many people who have RLS have family members with the disorder.
                
RLS can affect people of any racial or ethnic group, but the disorder is more common in people of Northern European descent. RLS affects both genders, but women are more likely to have it than men.
                
The number of cases of RLS rises with age. Many people who have RLS are diagnosed in middle age. People who develop RLS early in life tend to have a family history of the disorder.
                
People who have certain diseases or conditions or who take certain medicines are more likely to develop RLS. (For more information, go to "What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?")
                
For example, pregnancy is a risk factor for RLS. It usually occurs during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The disorder usually improves or goes away after giving birth. Some women may continue to have symptoms after giving birth. Other women may develop RLS again later in life.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Restless Legs Syndrome
Question: How to diagnose Restless Legs Syndrome ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose restless legs syndrome (RLS) based on your signs and symptoms, your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and test results.
                
Your doctor will use this information to rule out other conditions that have symptoms similar to those of RLS.
                
Specialists Involved
                
Your primary care doctor usually can diagnose and treat RLS. However, he or she also may suggest that you see a sleep specialist or neurologist.
                
Signs and Symptoms
                
You must have the four key signs of RLS to be diagnosed with the disorder.
                
Your doctor will want to know how your symptoms are affecting your sleep and how alert you are during the day.
                
To help your doctor, you may want to keep a sleep diary. Use the diary to keep a daily record of how easy it is to fall and stay asleep, how much sleep you get at night, and how alert you feel during the day.
                
For a sample sleep diary, go to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "Your Guide to Healthy Sleep."
                
Medical and Family Histories
                
Your doctor may ask whether you have any of the diseases or conditions that can trigger RLS. These include kidney failure, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy, and iron deficiency.
                
Your doctor also may want to know what medicines you take. Some medicines can trigger or worsen RLS.
                
The most common type of RLS tends to run in families. Thus, your doctor may ask whether any of your relatives have RLS.
                
Physical Exam
                
Your doctor will do a physical exam to check for underlying conditions that may trigger RLS. He or she also will check for other conditions that have symptoms similar to those of RLS.
                
Diagnostic Tests
                
Currently, no test can diagnose RLS. Still, your doctor may recommend blood tests to measure your iron levels. He or she also may suggest muscle or nerve tests. These tests can show whether you have a condition that can worsen RLS or that has symptoms similar to those of RLS.
                
Rarely, sleep studies are used to help diagnose RLS. A sleep study measures how much and how well you sleep. Although RLS can cause a lack of sleep, this sign isn't specific enough to diagnose the condition.
                
Researchers continue to study new ways to diagnose RLS.
                
Drug Therapy Trial
                
If your doctor thinks you have RLS, he or she may prescribe certain medicines to relieve your symptoms. These medicines, which are used to treat people who have Parkinson's disease, also can relieve RLS symptoms. If the medicines relieve your symptoms, your doctor can confirm that you have RLS.
(Source: NHLBI)
Topic: Arrhythmia
Question: What is (are) Arrhythmia ?
Answer: Espaol
                
An arrhythmia (ah-RITH-me-ah) is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm.
                
A heartbeat that is too fast is called tachycardia (TAK-ih-KAR-de-ah). A heartbeat that is too slow is called bradycardia (bray-de-KAR-de-ah).
                
Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be serious or even life threatening. During an arrhythmia, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body. Lack of blood flow can damage the brain, heart, and other organs.
                
Understanding the Heart's Electrical System
                
To understand arrhythmias, it helps to understand the heart's internal electrical system. The heart's electrical system controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat.
                
With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As the signal travels, it causes the heart to contract and pump blood.
                
Each electrical signal begins in a group of cells called the sinus node or sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node is located in the heart's upper right chamber, the right atrium (AY-tree-um). In a healthy adult heart at rest, the SA node fires off an electrical signal to begin a new heartbeat 60 to 100 times a minute.
                
From the SA node, the electrical signal travels through special pathways in the right and left atria. This causes the atria to contract and pump blood into the heart's two lower chambers, the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls).
                
The electrical signal then moves down to a group of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node, located between the atria and the ventricles. Here, the signal slows down just a little, allowing the ventricles time to finish filling with blood.
                
The electrical signal then leaves the AV node and travels along a pathway called the bundle of His. This pathway divides into a right bundle branch and a left bundle branch. The signal goes down these branches to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.
                
The ventricles then relax, and the heartbeat process starts all over again in the SA node. (For more information about the heart's electrical system, including detailed animations, go to the Health Topics How the Heart Works article.)
                
A problem with any part of this process can cause an arrhythmia. For example, in atrial fibrillation (A-tre-al fi-bri-LA-shun), a common type of arrhythmia, electrical signals travel through the atria in a fast and disorganized way. This causes the atria to quiver instead of contract.
                
Outlook
                
There are many types of arrhythmia. Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some are not. The outlook for a person who has an arrhythmia depends on the type and severity of the arrhythmia.
                
Even serious arrhythmias often can be successfully treated. Most people who have arrhythmias are able to live normal, healthy lives.
(Source: NHLBI)