shaneperry0101/health-chatbot huggingface dataset:
Question: How to diagnose Carotid Artery Disease ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose carotid artery disease based on your medical history, a physical exam, and test results.
Medical History
Your doctor will find out whether you have any of the major risk factors for carotid artery disease. He or she also will ask whether you've had any signs or symptoms of a mini-stroke or stroke.
Physical Exam
To check your carotid arteries, your doctor will listen to them with a stethoscope. He or she will listen for a whooshing sound called a bruit. This sound may indicate changed or reduced blood flow due to plaque buildup. To find out more, your doctor may recommend tests.
Diagnostic Tests
The following tests are common for diagnosing carotid artery disease. If you have symptoms of a mini-stroke or stroke, your doctor may use other tests as well.
Carotid Ultrasound
Carotid ultrasound (also called sonography) is the most common test for diagnosing carotid artery disease. It's a painless, harmless test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the insides of your carotid arteries. This test can show whether plaque has narrowed your carotid arteries and how narrow they are.
A standard carotid ultrasound shows the structure of your carotid arteries. A Doppler carotid ultrasound shows how blood moves through your carotid arteries.
Carotid Angiography
Carotid angiography (an-jee-OG-ra-fee) is a special type of x ray. This test may be used if the ultrasound results are unclear or don't give your doctor enough information.
For this test, your doctor will inject a substance (called contrast dye) into a vein, most often in your leg. The dye travels to your carotid arteries and highlights them on x-ray pictures.
Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) uses a large magnet and radio waves to take pictures of your carotid arteries. Your doctor can see these pictures on a computer screen.
For this test, your doctor may give you contrast dye to highlight your carotid arteries on the pictures.
Computed Tomography Angiography
Computed tomography (to-MOG-rah-fee) angiography, or CT angiography, takes x-ray pictures of the body from many angles. A computer combines the pictures into two- and three-dimensional images.
For this test, your doctor may give you contrast dye to highlight your carotid arteries on the pictures.
Question: How to prevent Carotid Artery Disease ?
Answer: Taking action to control your risk factors can help prevent or delay carotid artery disease and stroke. Your risk for carotid artery disease increases with the number of risk factors you have.
One step you can take is to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, which can include:
Heart-Healthy Eating. Following heart-healthy eating is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)is a program that promotes heart-healthy eating.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight. If youre overweight or obese, work with your doctor to create a reasonable plan for weight loss. Controlling your weight helps you control risk factors for carotid arterydisease.
Physical Activity. Be as physically active as you can. Physical activity can improve your fitness level and your health. Ask your doctor what types and amounts of activity are safe for you. Read more about Physical Activity and Your Heart.
Quit Smoking. If you smoke, quit. Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit.
Other steps that can prevent or delay carotid artery disease include knowing your family history of carotid artery disease. If you or someone in your family has carotid artery disease, be sure to tell your doctor.
If lifestyle changes arent enough, your doctor may prescribe medicines to control your carotid artery disease risk factors. Take all of your medicines as your doctor advises.
Question: What is (are) Varicose Veins ?
Answer: Espaol
Varicose (VAR-i-kos) veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body.
Varicose veins are a common condition. They usually cause few signs and symptoms. Sometimes varicose veins cause mild to moderate pain, blood clots, skin ulcers (sores), or other problems.
Overview
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from your body's tissues to your heart. Your heart pumps the blood to your lungs to pick up oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood then is pumped to your body through blood vessels called arteries.
From your arteries, the blood flows through tiny blood vessels called capillaries, where it gives up its oxygen to the body's tissues. Your blood then returns to your heart through your veins to pick up more oxygen. For more information about blood flow, go to the Health Topics How the Heart Works article.
Veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing toward your heart. If the valves are weak or damaged, blood can back up and pool in your veins. This causes the veins to swell, which can lead to varicose veins.
Many factors can raise your risk for varicose veins. Examples of these factors include family history, older age, gender, pregnancy, overweight or obesity, lack of movement, and leg trauma.
Varicose veins are treated with lifestyle changes and medical procedures. The goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, prevent complications, and improve appearance.
Outlook
Varicose veins usually don't cause medical problems. If they do, your doctor may simply suggest making lifestyle changes.
Sometimes varicose veins cause pain, blood clots, skin ulcers, or other problems. If this happens, your doctor may recommend one or more medical procedures. Some people choose to have these procedures to improve the way their veins look or to relieve pain.
Many treatments for varicose veins are quick and easy and don't require a long recovery.
Question: What causes Varicose Veins ?
Answer: Weak or damaged valves in the veins can cause varicose veins. After your arteries and capillaries deliver oxygen-rich blood to your body, your veins return the blood to your heart. The veins in your legs must work against gravity to do this.
One-way valves inside the veins open to let blood flow through, and then they shut to keep blood from flowing backward. If the valves are weak or damaged, blood can back up and pool in your veins. This causes the veins to swell.
Weak vein walls may cause weak valves. Normally, the walls of the veins are elastic (stretchy). If these walls become weak, they lose their normal elasticity. They become like an overstretched rubber band. This makes the walls of the veins longer and wider, and it causes the flaps of the valves to separate.
When the valve flaps separate, blood can flow backward through the valves. The backflow of blood fills the veins and stretches the walls even more. As a result, the veins get bigger, swell, and often twist as they try to squeeze into their normal space. These are varicose veins.
Normal Vein and Varicose Vein
Figure A shows a normal vein with a working valve and normal blood flow. Figure B shows a varicose vein with a deformed valve, abnormal blood flow, and thin, stretched walls. The middle image shows where varicose veins might appear in a leg.
Older age or a family history of varicose veins may raise your risk for weak vein walls. You also may be at higher risk if you have increased pressure in your veins due to overweight or obesity or pregnancy.
Question: Who is at risk for Varicose Veins? ?
Answer: Many factors may raise your risk for varicose veins, including family history, older age, gender, pregnancy, overweight or obesity, lack of movement, and leg trauma.
Family History
Having family members who have varicose veins may raise your risk for the condition. About half of all people who have varicose veins have a family history of them.
Older Age
Getting older may raise your risk for varicose veins. The normal wear and tear of aging may cause the valves in your veins to weaken and not work well.
Gender
Women tend to get varicose veins more often than men. Hormonal changes that occur during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause (or with the use of birth control pills) may raise a woman's risk for varicose veins.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the growing fetus puts pressure on the veins in the mother's legs. Varicose veins that occur during pregnancy usually get better within 3 to 12 months of delivery.
Overweight or Obesity
Being overweight or obese can put extra pressure on your veins. This can lead to varicose veins. For more information about overweight and obesity, go to the Health Topics Overweight and Obesity article.
Lack of Movement
Standing or sitting for a long time, especially with your legs bent or crossed, may raise your risk for varicose veins. This is because staying in one position for a long time may force your veins to work harder to pump blood to your heart.
Leg Trauma
Previous blood clots or traumatic damage to the valves in your veins can weaken their ability to move blood back to the heart, increasing the risk for varicose veins.
Question: What are the symptoms of Varicose Veins ?
Answer: The signs and symptoms of varicose veins include:
Large veins that you can see just under the surface of your skin.
Mild swelling of your ankles and feet.
Painful, achy, or "heavy" legs.
Throbbing or cramping in your legs.
Itchy legs, especially on the lower leg and ankle. Sometimes this symptom is incorrectly diagnosed as dry skin.
Discolored skin in the area around the varicose vein.
Signs of telangiectasias are clusters of red veins that you can see just under the surface of your skin. These clusters usually are found on the upper body, including the face. Signs of spider veins are red or blue veins in a web or tree branch pattern. Often, these veins appear on the legs and face.
See your doctor if you have these signs and symptoms. They also may be signs of other, more serious conditions.
Complications of Varicose Veins
Varicose veins can lead to dermatitis (der-ma-TI-tis), an itchy rash. If you have varicose veins in your legs, dermatitis may affect your lower leg or ankle. Dermatitis can cause bleeding or skin ulcers (sores) if the skin is scratched or irritated.
Varicose veins also can lead to a condition called superficial thrombophlebitis (THROM-bo-fleh-BI-tis). Thrombophlebitis is a blood clot in a vein. Superficial thrombophlebitis means that the blood clot occurs in a vein close to the surface of the skin. This type of blood clot may cause pain and other problems in the affected area.
Question: How to diagnose Varicose Veins ?
Answer: Doctors often diagnose varicose veins based on a physical exam alone. Sometimes tests or procedures are used to find out the extent of the problem or to rule out other conditions.
Specialists Involved
If you have varicose veins, you may see a vascular medicine specialist or vascular surgeon. These doctors specialize in blood vessel conditions. You also may see a dermatologist. This type of doctor specializes in skin conditions.
Physical Exam
To check for varicose veins in your legs, your doctor will look at your legs while you're standing or sitting with your legs dangling. He or she may ask you about your signs and symptoms, including any pain you're having.
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
Duplex Ultrasound
Your doctor may recommend duplex ultrasound to check blood flow in your veins and to look for blood clots. Duplex ultrasound combines traditional with Doppler ultrasound. Traditional ultrasound uses sound waves to create apicture of the structures in your body, in this case the blood vessels and anything that may be blocking the flow of blood. Doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to create pictures of the flow or movement of the blood through theveins. The two types of ultrasound together paint a picture that helps your doctor diagnose your condition.
During this test, a handheld device will be placed on your body and passed back and forth over the affected area. The device sends and receives sound waves. A computer will convert the sound waves into a picture of the blood flow in your arteries and veins.
Angiogram
Although it is not very common, your doctor may recommend an angiogram to get a more detailed look at the blood flow through your veins.
For this procedure, dye is injected into your veins. The dye outlines your veins on x-ray images.
An angiogram can help your doctor confirm whether you have varicose veins or another condition.
Question: How to prevent Varicose Veins ?
Answer: You can't prevent varicose veins from forming. However, you can prevent the ones you have from getting worse. You also can take steps to delay other varicose veins from forming.
Avoid standing or sitting for long periods without taking a break. When sitting, avoid crossing your legs. Keep your legs raised when sitting, resting, or sleeping. When you can, raise your legs above the level of your heart.
Do physical activities to get your legs moving and improve muscle tone. This helps blood move through your veins.
If you're overweight or obese, try to lose weight. This will improve blood flow and ease the pressure on your veins.
Avoid wearing tight clothes, especially those that are tight around your waist, groin (upper thighs), and legs. Tight clothes can make varicose veins worse.
Avoid wearing high heels for long periods. Lower heeled shoes can help tone your calf muscles. Toned muscles help blood move through the veins.
Wear compression stockings if your doctor recommends them. These stockings create gentle pressure up the leg. This pressure keeps blood from pooling in the veins and decreases swelling in the legs.
Question: What causes Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ?
Answer: A lack of activity in the ADAMTS13 enzyme (a type of protein in the blood) causes thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The ADAMTS13 gene controls the enzyme, which is involved in blood clotting.
Not having enough enzyme activity causes overactive blood clotting. In TTP, blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout the body. These clots can limit or block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body's organs, such as the brain, kidneys, and heart. As a result, serious health problems can develop.
The increased clotting that occurs in TTP also uses up many of the blood's platelets. With fewer platelets available in the blood, bleeding problems can occur.
People who have TTP may bleed inside their bodies, underneath the skin, or from the surface of the skin. When cut or injured, they also may bleed longer than normal.
TTP also can cause red blood cells to break apart faster than the body can replace them. This leads to hemolytic anemia.
Inherited Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
In inherited TTP, the ADAMTS13 gene is faulty. It doesn't prompt the body to make a normal ADAMTS13 enzyme. As a result, enzyme activity is lacking or changed.
"Inherited" means that the condition is passed from parents to children through genes. A person who inherits TTP is born with two copies of the faulty geneone from each parent.
Most often, the parents each have one copy of the faulty gene, but have no signs or symptoms TTP.
Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
In acquired TTP, the ADAMTS13 gene isn't faulty. Instead, the body makes antibodies (proteins) that block the activity of the ADAMTS13 enzyme.
"Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it sometime after birth.
Triggers for Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
It's unclear what triggers inherited and acquired TTP, but some factors may play a role. These factors may include:
Some diseases and conditions, such as pregnancy, cancer, HIV, lupus, and infections
Some medical procedures, such as surgery and blood and marrow stem cell transplant
Some medicines, such as chemotherapy, ticlopidine, clopidogrel, cyclosporine A, and hormone therapy and estrogens
Quinine, which is a substance often found in tonic water and nutritional health products
Question: Who is at risk for Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura? ?
Answer: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare disorder. Most cases of TTP are acquired. Acquired TTP mostly occurs in adults, but it can affect children. The condition occurs more often in women and in Black people than in other groups.
Inherited TTP mainly affects newborns and children. Most people who have inherited TTP begin to have symptoms soon after birth. Some, however, don't have symptoms until they're adults.
It isn't clear what triggers inherited and acquired TTP, but some factors may play a role. These factors may include:
Some diseases and conditions, such as pregnancy, cancer, HIV, lupus, and infections
Some medical procedures, such as surgery and blood and marrow stem cell transplant
Some medicines, such as chemotherapy, ticlopidine, clopidogrel, cyclosporine A, and hormone therapy and estrogens
Quinine, which is a substance often found in tonic water and nutritional health products
Question: What are the symptoms of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ?
Answer: Blood clots, a low platelet count, and damaged red blood cells cause the signs and symptoms of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
The signs and symptoms include:
Purplish bruises on the skin or mucous membranes (such as in the mouth). These bruises, called purpura, are caused by bleeding under the skin.
Pinpoint-sized red or purple dots on the skin. These dots, called petechiae, often are found in groups and may look like a rash. Bleeding under the skin causes petechiae.
Paleness or jaundice (a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes).
Fatigue (feeling very tired and weak).
Fever.
A fast heart rate or shortness of breath.
Headache, speech changes, confusion, coma, stroke, or seizure.
A low amount of urine, or protein or blood in the urine.
If you've had TTP and have any of these signs or symptoms, you may be having a relapse (flareup). Ask your doctor when to call him or her or seek emergency care.
Question: What are the treatments for Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ?
Answer: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) can be fatal or cause lasting damage, such as brain damage or a stroke, if it's not treated right away.
In most cases, TTP occurs suddenly and lasts for days or weeks, but it can go on for months. Relapses (flareups) can occur in up to 60 percent of people who have acquired TTP. Flareups also occur in most people who have inherited TTP.
Plasma treatments are the most common way to treat TTP. Other treatments include medicines and surgery. Treatments are done in a hospital.
Plasma Therapy
Plasma is the liquid part of your blood. It carries blood cells, hormones, enzymes, and nutrients to your body.
TTP is treated with plasma therapy. This includes:
Fresh frozen plasma for people who have inherited TTP
Plasma exchange for people who have acquired TTP
Plasma therapy is started in the hospital as soon as TTP is diagnosed or suspected.
For inherited TTP, fresh frozen plasma is given through an intravenous (IV) line inserted into a vein. This is done to replace the missing or changed ADAMTS13 enzyme.
Plasma exchange (also called plasmapheresis) is used to treat acquired TTP. This is a lifesaving procedure. It removes antibodies (proteins) from the blood that damage your ADAMTS13 enzyme. Plasma exchange also replaces the ADAMTS13 enzyme.
If plasma exchange isn't available, you may be given fresh frozen plasma until it is available.
During plasma exchange, an IV needle or tube is placed in a vein in your arm to remove blood. The blood goes through a cell separator, which removes plasma from the blood. The nonplasma part of the blood is saved, and donated plasma is added to it.
Then, the blood is put back into you through an IV line inserted into one of your blood vessels. The time required to complete the procedure varies, but it often takes about 2hours.
Treatments of fresh frozen plasma or plasma exchange usually continue until your blood tests results and signs and symptoms improve. This can take days or weeks, depending on your condition. You'll stay in the hospital while you recover.
Some people who recover from TTP have flareups. This can happen in the hospital or after you go home. If you have a flareup, your doctor will restart plasma therapy.
Other Treatments
Other treatments are used if plasma therapy doesn't work well or if flareups occur often.
For acquired TTP, medicines can slow or stop antibodies to the ADAMTS13 enzyme from forming. Medicines used to treat TTP include glucocorticoids, vincristine, rituximab, and cyclosporine A.
Sometimes surgery to remove the spleen (an organ in the abdomen) is needed. This is because cells in the spleen make the antibodies that block ADAMTS13 enzyme activity.
Question: How to prevent Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ?
Answer: Both inherited and acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) occur suddenly with no clear cause. You can't prevent either type.
If you've had TTP, watch for signs and symptoms of a relapse (flareup). (For more information, go to "Living With Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.")
Ask your doctor about factors that may trigger TTP or a flareup, including:
Some diseases or conditions, such as pregnancy, cancer, HIV, lupus, or infections.
Some medical procedures, such as surgery and blood and marrow stem cell transplant.
Some medicines, such as ticlopidine, clopidogrel, cyclosporine A, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy and estrogens. If you take any of these medicines, your doctor may prescribe a different medicine.
Quinine, which is a substance often found in tonic water and nutritional health products.
Question: What is (are) Mitral Valve Prolapse ?
Answer: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a condition in which the hearts mitral valve doesnt work well. The flaps of the valve are floppy and may not close tightly. These flaps normally help seal or open the valve.
Much of the time, MVP doesnt cause any problems. Rarely, blood can leak the wrong way through the floppy valve. This can lead topalpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. (Palpitations are feelings that your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering, or beating too hard or too fast.)
Normal Mitral Valve
The mitral valve controls blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart. The upper chamber is called the left atrium. The lower chamber is called the left ventricle.
The mitral valve allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle, but not back the other way. The heart also has a right atrium and ventricle, separated by the tricuspid valve.
With each heartbeat, the atria contract and push blood into the ventricles. The flaps of the mitral and tricuspid valves open to let blood through. Then, the ventricles contract to pump the blood out of the heart.
When the ventricles contract, the flaps of the mitral and tricuspid valves close. They form a tight seal that prevents blood from flowing back into the atria.
For more information, go to the Health TopicsHow the Heart Worksarticle. This article contains animations that show how your heart pumps blood and how your hearts electrical system works.
Mitral Valve Prolapse
In MVP, when the left ventricle contracts, one or both flaps of the mitral valve flop or bulge back (prolapse) into the left atrium. This can prevent the valve from forming a tight seal. As a result, blood may leak from the ventricle back into the atrium. The backflow of blood is called regurgitation.
MVP doesnt always cause backflow. In fact, most people who have MVP dont have backflow and never have any related symptoms or problems. When backflow occurs, it can get worse over time and itcan change the hearts size and raise pressure in the left atrium and lungs. Backflow also raises the risk of heart valve infections.
Medicines can treat troublesome MVP symptoms and help prevent complications. Some people will need surgery to repair or replace their mitral valves.
Mitral Valve Prolapse