shaneperry0101/health-chatbot huggingface dataset:
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.
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.
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.
Question: How to diagnose Endocarditis ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose infective endocarditis (IE) based on your risk factors, your medical history and signs and symptoms, and test results.
Diagnosis of IE often is based on many factors, rather than a single positive test result, sign, or symptom.
Diagnostic Tests
Blood Tests
Blood cultures are the most important blood tests used to diagnose IE. Blood is drawn several times over a 24-hour period. It's put in special culture bottles that allow bacteria to grow.
Doctors then identify and test the bacteria to see which antibiotics will kill them. Sometimes the blood cultures don't grow any bacteria, even if a person has IE. This is called culture-negative endocarditis, and it requires antibiotic treatment.
Other blood tests also are used to diagnose IE. For example, a complete blood count may be used to check the number of red and white blood cells in your blood. Blood tests also may be used to check your immune system and to check for inflammation.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography (echo) is a painless test that uses sound waves to create pictures of your heart. Two types of echo are useful in diagnosing IE.
Transthoracic (tranz-thor-AS-ik) echo. For this painless test, gel is applied to the skin on your chest. A device called a transducer is moved around on the outside of your chest.
This device sends sound waves called ultrasound through your chest. As the ultrasound waves bounce off your heart, a computer converts them into pictures on a screen.
Your doctor uses the pictures to look for vegetations, areas of infected tissue (such as an abscess), and signs of heart damage.
Because the sound waves have to pass through skin, muscle, tissue, bone, and lungs, the pictures may not have enough detail. Thus, your doctor may recommend transesophageal (tranz-ih-sof-uh-JEE-ul) echo (TEE).
Transesophageal echo. For TEE, a much smaller transducer is attached to the end of a long, narrow, flexible tube. The tube is passed down your throat. Before the procedure, you're given medicine to help you relax, and your throat is sprayed with numbing medicine.
The doctor then passes the transducer down your esophagus (the passage from your mouth to your stomach). Because this passage is right behind the heart, the transducer can get detailed pictures of the heart's structures.
EKG
An EKG is a simple, painless test that detects your heart's electrical activity. The test shows how fast your heart is beating, whether your heart rhythm is steady or irregular, and the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through your heart.
An EKG typically isn't used to diagnose IE. However, it may be done to see whether IE is affecting your heart's electrical activity.
For this test, soft, sticky patches called electrodes are attached to your chest, arms, and legs. You lie still while the electrodes detect your heart's electrical signals. A machine records these signals on graph paper or shows them on a computer screen. The entire test usually takes about 10 minutes.
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.
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.
Question: What is (are) Hemophilia ?
Answer: Espaol
Hemophilia (heem-o-FILL-ee-ah) is a rare bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally.
If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed inside your body (internally), especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs and tissues and may be life threatening.
Overview
Hemophilia usually is inherited. "Inherited means that the disorder is passed from parents to children through genes.
People born with hemophilia have little or no clotting factor. Clotting factor is a protein needed for normal blood clotting. There are several types of clotting factors. These proteins work with platelets (PLATE-lets) to help the blood clot.
Platelets are small blood cell fragments that form in the bone marrowa sponge-like tissue in the bones. Platelets play a major role in blood clotting. When blood vessels are injured, clotting factors help platelets stick together to plug cuts and breaks on the vessels and stop bleeding.
The two main types of hemophilia are A and B. If you have hemophilia A, you're missing or have low levels of clotting factor VIII (8). About 8 out of 10 people who have hemophilia have type A. If you have hemophilia B, you're missing or have low levels of clotting factor IX (9).
Rarely, hemophilia can be acquired. "Acquired means you aren't born with the disorder, but you develop it during your lifetime. This can happen if your body forms antibodies (proteins) that attack the clotting factors in your bloodstream. The antibodies can prevent the clotting factors from working.
This article focuses on inherited hemophilia.
Outlook
Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how much clotting factor is in your blood. About 7 out of 10 people who have hemophilia A have the severe form of the disorder.
People who don't have hemophilia have a factor VIII activity of 100 percent. People who have severe hemophilia A have a factor VIII activity of less than 1 percent.
Hemophilia usually occurs in males (with rare exceptions). About 1 in 5,000 males are born with hemophilia each year.
Question: What causes Hemophilia ?
Answer: A defect in one of the genes that determines how the body makes blood clotting factor VIII or IX causes hemophilia. These genes are located on the X chromosomes (KRO-muh-somz).
Chromosomes come in pairs. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. Only the X chromosome carries the genes related to clotting factors.
A male who has a hemophilia gene on his X chromosome will have hemophilia. When a female has a hemophilia gene on only one of her X chromosomes, she is a "hemophilia carrier and can pass the gene to her children. Sometimes carriers have low levels of clotting factor and have symptoms of hemophilia, including bleeding. Clotting factors are proteins in the blood that work together with platelets to stop or control bleeding.
Very rarely, a girl may be born with a very low clotting factor level and have a greater risk for bleeding, similar to boys who have hemophilia and very low levels of clotting factor. There are several hereditary and genetic causes of this much rarer form of hemophilia in females.
Some males who have the disorder are born to mothers who aren't carriers. In these cases, a mutation (random change) occurs in the gene as it is passed to the child.
Below are two examples of how the hemophilia gene is inherited.
Inheritance Pattern for HemophiliaExample 1
Each daughter has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the hemophilia gene from her mother and being a carrier. Each son has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the hemophilia gene from his mother and having hemophilia.
Inheritance Pattern for HemophiliaExample 2
Each daughter will inherit the hemophilia gene from her father and be a carrier. None of the sons will inherit the hemophilia gene from their father; thus, none will have hemophilia.
Question: What are the symptoms of Hemophilia ?
Answer: The major signs and symptoms of hemophilia are excessive bleeding and easy bruising.
Excessive Bleeding
The extent of bleeding depends on how severe the hemophilia is.
Children who have mild hemophilia may not have signs unless they have excessive bleeding from a dental procedure, an accident, or surgery. Males who have severe hemophilia may bleed heavily after circumcision.
Bleeding can occur on the body's surface (external bleeding) or inside the body (internal bleeding).
Signs of external bleeding may include:
Bleeding in the mouth from a cut or bite or from cutting or losing a tooth
Nosebleeds for no obvious reason
Heavy bleeding from a minor cut
Bleeding from a cut that resumes after stopping for a short time
Signs of internal bleeding may include:
Blood in the urine (from bleeding in the kidneys or bladder)
Blood in the stool (from bleeding in the intestines or stomach)
Large bruises (from bleeding into the large muscles of the body)
Bleeding in the Joints
Bleeding in the knees, elbows, or other joints is another common form of internal bleeding in people who have hemophilia. This bleeding can occur without obvious injury.
At first, the bleeding causes tightness in the joint with no real pain or any visible signs of bleeding. The joint then becomes swollen, hot to touch, and painful to bend.
Swelling continues as bleeding continues. Eventually, movement in the joint is temporarily lost. Pain can be severe. Joint bleeding that isn't treated quickly can damage the joint.
Bleeding in the Brain
Internal bleeding in the brain is a very serious complication of hemophilia. It can happen after a simple bump on the head or a more serious injury. The signs and symptoms of bleeding in the brain include:
Long-lasting, painful headaches or neck pain or stiffness
Repeated vomiting
Sleepiness or changes in behavior
Sudden weakness or clumsiness of the arms or legs or problems walking
Double vision
Convulsions or seizures
Question: How to diagnose Hemophilia ?
Answer: If you or your child appears to have a bleeding problem, your doctor will ask about your personal and family medical histories. This will reveal whether you or your family members, including women and girls, have bleeding problems. However, some people who have hemophilia have no recent family history of the disease.
You or your child also will likely have a physical exam and blood tests to diagnose hemophilia. Blood tests are used to find out:
How long it takes for your blood to clot
Whether your blood has low levels of any clotting factors
Whether any clotting factors are completely missing from your blood
The test results will show whether you have hemophilia, what type of hemophilia you have, and how severe it is.
Hemophilia A and B are classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the amount of clotting factor VIII or IX in the blood.
The severity of symptoms can overlap between the categories. For example, some people who have mild hemophilia may have bleeding problems almost as often or as severe as some people who have moderate hemophilia.
Severe hemophilia can cause serious bleeding problems in babies. Thus, children who have severe hemophilia usually are diagnosed during the first year of life. People who have milder forms of hemophilia may not be diagnosed until they're adults.
The bleeding problems of hemophilia A and hemophilia B are the same. Only special blood tests can tell which type of the disorder you or your child has. Knowing which type is important because the treatments are different.
Pregnant women who are known hemophilia carriers can have the disorder diagnosed in their unborn babies as early as 12 weeks into their pregnancies.
Women who are hemophilia carriers also can have "preimplantation diagnosis" to have children who don't have hemophilia.
For this process, women have their eggs removed and fertilized by sperm in a laboratory. The embryos are then tested for hemophilia. Only embryos without the disorder are implanted in the womb.
Question: What is (are) Pleurisy and Other Pleural Disorders ?
Answer: Pleurisy (PLUR-ih-se) is a condition in which the pleura is inflamed. The pleura is a membrane that consists of two large, thin layers of tissue. One layer wraps around the outside of your lungs. The other layer lines the inside of your chest cavity.
Between the layers of tissue is a very thin space called the pleural space. Normally this space is filled with a small amount of fluidabout 4 teaspoons full. The fluid helps the two layers of the pleura glide smoothly past each other as you breathe in and out.
Pleurisy occurs if the two layers of the pleura become irritated and inflamed. Instead of gliding smoothly past each other, they rub together every time you breathe in. The rubbing can cause sharp pain.
Many conditions can cause pleurisy, including viral infections.
Other Pleural Disorders
Pneumothorax
Air or gas can build up in the pleural space. When this happens, it's called a pneumothorax (noo-mo-THOR-aks). A lung disease or acute lung injury can cause a pneumothorax.
Some lung procedures also can cause a pneumothorax. Examples include lung surgery, drainage of fluid with a needle,bronchoscopy (bron-KOS-ko-pee), andmechanical ventilation.
Sometimes the cause of a pneumothorax isn't known.
The most common symptoms of a pneumothorax are sudden pain in one side of the lung and shortness of breath. The air or gas in the pleural space also can put pressure on the lung and cause it to collapse.
Pleurisy and Pneumothorax
A small pneumothorax may go away without treatment. A large pneumothorax may require a procedure to remove air or gas from the pleural space.
A very large pneumothorax can interfere with blood flow through your chest and cause your blood pressure to drop. This is called a tension pneumothorax.
Pleural Effusion
In some cases of pleurisy, excess fluid builds up in the pleural space. This is called a pleural effusion. A lot of extra fluid can push the pleura against your lung until the lung, or part of it, collapses. This can make it hard for you to breathe.
Sometimes the extra fluid gets infected and turns into an abscess. When this happens, it's called an empyema (em-pi-E-ma).
You can develop a pleural effusion even if you don't have pleurisy. For example,pneumonia, (nu-MO-ne-ah),heart failure, cancer, or pulmonary embolism (PULL-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm) can lead to a pleural effusion.
Hemothorax
Blood also can build up in the pleural space. This condition is called a hemothorax (he-mo-THOR-aks). An injury to your chest, chest or heart surgery, or lung or pleural cancer can cause a hemothorax.
A hemothorax can put pressure on the lung and cause it to collapse. A hemothorax also can cause shock. In shock, not enough blood and oxygen reach your body's vital organs.
Outlook
Pleurisy and other pleural disorders can be serious, depending on their causes. If the condition that caused the pleurisy or other pleural disorder isn't too serious and is diagnosed and treated early, you usually can expect a full recovery.
Question: What causes Pleurisy and Other Pleural Disorders ?
Answer: Pleurisy
Many conditions can cause pleurisy. Viral infections are likely the most common cause. Other causes of pleurisy include:
Bacterial infections, such as pneumonia (nu-MO-ne-ah) and tuberculosis, and infections from fungi or parasites
Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that travels through the blood vessels to the lungs
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
Cancer, such as lung cancer, lymphoma, and mesothelioma (MEZ-o-thee-lee-O-ma)
Chest and heart surgery, especially coronary artery bypass grafting
Lung diseases, such as LAM (lymphangioleiomyomatosis) or asbestosis (as-bes-TO-sis)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Familial Mediterranean fever, an inherited condition that often causes fever and swelling in the abdomen or lungs
Other causes of pleurisy include chest injuries, pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas), and reactions to certain medicines. Reactions to certain medicines can cause a condition similar to lupus. These medicines include procainamide, hydralazine, and isoniazid.
Sometimes doctors can't find the cause of pleurisy.
Pneumothorax
Lung diseases or acute lung injury can make it more likely that you will develop a pneumothorax (a buildup of air or gas in the pleural space). Such lung diseases may include COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), tuberculosis, and LAM.
Surgery or a chest injury also may cause a pneumothorax.
You can develop a pneumothorax without having a recognized lung disease or chest injury. This is called a spontaneous pneumothorax. Smoking increases your risk of spontaneous pneumothorax. Having a family history of the condition also increases your risk.
Pleural Effusion
The most common cause of a pleural effusion (a buildup of fluid in the pleural space) is heart failure. Lung cancer, LAM, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other lung infections also can lead to a pleural effusion.
Sometimes kidney or liver disease can cause fluid to build up in the pleural space. Asbestosis, sarcoidosis (sar-koy-DO-sis), and reactions to some medicines also can lead to a pleural effusion.
Hemothorax
An injury to the chest, chest or heart surgery, or lung or pleural cancer can cause a hemothorax (buildup of blood in the pleural space).
A hemothorax also can be a complication of an infection (for example, pneumonia), tuberculosis, or a spontaneous pneumothorax.