shaneperry0101/health-chatbot huggingface dataset:
Question: What are the symptoms of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ?
Answer: The signs and symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) develop over time. They may not even begin to appear until the disease has done serious damage to your lungs. Once they occur, they're likely to get worse over time.
The most common signs and symptoms are:
Shortness of breath. This usually is the main symptom of IPF. At first, you may be short of breath only during exercise. Over time, you'll likely feel breathless even at rest.
A dry, hacking cough that doesn't get better. Over time, you may have repeated bouts of coughing that you can't control.
Other signs and symptoms that you may develop over time include:
Rapid, shallow breathing
Gradual, unintended weight loss
Fatigue (tiredness) or malaise (a general feeling of being unwell)
Aching muscles and joints
Clubbing, which is the widening and rounding of the tips of the fingers or toes
Clubbing
IPF may lead to other medical problems, including a collapsed lung, lung infections, blood clots in the lungs, and lung cancer.
As the disease worsens, you may develop other potentially life-threatening conditions, including respiratory failure, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure.
Question: What causes Stroke ?
Answer: Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack
An ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs if an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain becomes blocked. Many medical conditions can increase the risk of ischemic stroke or TIA.
For example, atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skler-O-sis) is a disease in which a fatty substance called plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. Plaque hardens and narrows the arteries, which limits the flow of blood to tissues and organs (such as the heart and brain).
Plaque in an artery can crack or rupture (break open). Blood platelets (PLATE-lets), which are disc-shaped cell fragments, stick to the site of the plaque injury and clump together to form blood clots. These clots can partly or fully block an artery.
Plaque can build up in any artery in the body, including arteries in the heart, brain, and neck. The two main arteries on each side of the neck are called the carotid (ka-ROT-id) arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain, face, scalp, and neck.
When plaque builds up in the carotid arteries, the condition is called carotid artery disease. Carotid artery disease causes many of the ischemic strokes and TIAs that occur in the United States.
An embolic stroke (a type of ischemic stroke) or TIA also can occur if a blood clot or piece of plaque breaks away from the wall of an artery. The clot or plaque can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in one of the brains arteries. This stops blood flow through the artery and damages brain cells.
Heart conditions and blood disorders also can cause blood clots that can lead to a stroke or TIA. For example, atrial fibrillation (A-tre-al fi-bri-LA-shun), or AF, is a common cause of embolic stroke.
In AF, the upper chambers of the heart contract in a very fast and irregular way. As a result, some blood pools in the heart. The pooling increases the risk of blood clots forming in the heart chambers.
An ischemic stroke or TIA also can occur because of lesions caused by atherosclerosis. These lesions may form in the small arteries of the brain, and they can block blood flow to the brain.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Sudden bleeding in the brain can cause a hemorrhagic stroke. The bleeding causes swelling of the brain and increased pressure in the skull. The swelling and pressure damage brain cells and tissues.
Examples of conditions that can cause a hemorrhagic stroke include high blood pressure, aneurysms, and arteriovenous (ar-TEER-e-o-VE-nus) malformations (AVMs).
"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If blood pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.
Aneurysms are balloon-like bulges in an artery that can stretch and burst. AVMs are tangles of faulty arteries and veins that can rupture within the brain. High blood pressure can increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in people who have aneurysms or AVMs.
Question: What is (are) ARDS ?
Answer: ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is a lung condition that leads to low oxygen levels in the blood. ARDS can be life threatening because your body's organs need oxygen-rich blood to work well.
People who develop ARDS often are very ill with another disease or have major injuries. They might already be in the hospital when they develop ARDS.
Overview
To understand ARDS, it helps to understand how the lungs work. When you breathe, air passes through your nose and mouth into your windpipe. The air then travels to your lungs' air sacs. These sacs are called alveoli (al-VEE-uhl-eye).
Small blood vessels called capillaries (KAP-ih-lare-ees) run through the walls of the air sacs. Oxygen passes from the air sacs into the capillaries and then into the bloodstream. Blood carries the oxygen to all parts of the body, including the body's organs.
In ARDS, infections, injuries, or other conditions cause fluid to build up in the air sacs. This prevents the lungs from filling with air and moving enough oxygen into the bloodstream.
As a result, the body's organs (such as the kidneys and brain) don't get the oxygen they need. Without oxygen, the organs may not work well or at all.
People who develop ARDS often are in the hospital for other serious health problems. Rarely, people who aren't hospitalized have health problems that lead to ARDS, such as severe pneumonia.
If you have trouble breathing, call your doctor right away. If you have severe shortness of breath, call 911.
Outlook
More people are surviving ARDS now than in the past. One likely reason for this is that treatment and care for the condition have improved. Survival rates for ARDS vary depending on age, the underlying cause of ARDS, associated illnesses, and other factors.
Some people who survive recover completely. Others may have lasting damage to their lungs and other health problems.
Researchers continue to look for new and better ways to treat ARDS.
Question: What causes ARDS ?
Answer: Many conditions or factors can directly or indirectly injure the lungs and lead to ARDS. Some common ones are:
Sepsis. This is a condition in which bacteria infect the bloodstream.
Pneumonia. This is an infection in the lungs.
Severe bleeding caused by an injury to the body.
An injury to the chest or head, like a severe blow.
Breathing in harmful fumes or smoke.
Inhaling vomited stomach contents from the mouth.
It's not clear why some very sick or seriously injured people develop ARDS and others don't. Researchers are trying to find out why ARDS develops and how to prevent it.
Question: Who is at risk for ARDS? ?
Answer: People at risk for ARDS have a condition or illness that can directly or indirectly injure their lungs.
Direct Lung Injury
Conditions that can directly injure the lungs include:
Pneumonia. This is an infection in the lungs.
Breathing in harmful fumes or smoke.
Inhaling vomited stomach contents from the mouth.
Using a ventilator. This is a machine that helps people breathe; rarely, it can injure the lungs.
Nearly drowning.
Indirect Lung Injury
Conditions that can indirectly injure the lungs include:
Sepsis. This is a condition in which bacteria infect the bloodstream.
Severe bleeding caused by an injury to the body or having many blood transfusions.
An injury to the chest or head, such as a severe blow.
Pancreatitis (PAN-kre-a-TI-tis). This is a condition in which the pancreas becomes irritated or infected. The pancreas is a gland that releases enzymes and hormones.
Fat embolism (EM-bo-lizm). This is a condition in which fat blocks an artery. A physical injury, like a broken bone, can lead to a fat embolism.
Drug reaction.
Question: What are the symptoms of ARDS ?
Answer: The first signs and symptoms of ARDS are feeling like you can't get enough air into your lungs, rapid breathing, and a low blood oxygen level.
Other signs and symptoms depend on the cause of ARDS. They may occur before ARDS develops. For example, if pneumonia is causing ARDS, you may have a cough and fever before you feel short of breath.
Sometimes people who have ARDS develop signs and symptoms such as low blood pressure, confusion, and extreme tiredness. This may mean that the body's organs, such as the kidneys and heart, aren't getting enough oxygen-rich blood.
People who develop ARDS often are in the hospital for other serious health problems. Rarely, people who aren't hospitalized have health problems that lead to ARDS, such as severe pneumonia.
If you have trouble breathing, call your doctor right away. If you have severe shortness of breath, call 911.
Complications From ARDS
If you have ARDS, you can develop other medical problems while in the hospital. The most common problems are: Infections. Being in the hospital and lying down for a long time can put you at risk for infections, such as pneumonia. Being on a ventilator also puts you at higher risk for infections.
A pneumothorax (collapsed lung). This is a condition in which air or gas collects in the space around the lungs. This can cause one or both lungs to collapse. The air pressure from a ventilator can cause this condition.
Lung scarring. ARDS causes the lungs to become stiff (scarred). It also makes it hard for the lungs to expand and fill with air. Being on a ventilator also can cause lung scarring.
Blood clots. Lying down for long periods can cause blood clots to form in your body. A blood clot that forms in a vein deep in your body is called a deep vein thrombosis. This type of blood clot can break off, travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, and block blood flow. This condition is called pulmonary embolism.
Question: How to diagnose ARDS ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose ARDS based on your medical history, a physical exam, and test results.
Medical History
Your doctor will ask whether you have or have recently had conditions that could lead to ARDS. For a list of these conditions, go to "Who Is at Risk for ARDS?"
Your doctor also will ask whether you have heart problems, such as heart failure. Heart failure can cause fluid to build up in your lungs.
Physical Exam
ARDS may cause abnormal breathing sounds, such as crackling. Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to hear these sounds.
He or she also will listen to your heart and look for signs of extra fluid in other parts of your body. Extra fluid may mean you have heart or kidney problems.
Your doctor will look for a bluish color on your skin and lips. A bluish color means your blood has a low level of oxygen. This is a possible sign of ARDS.
Diagnostic Tests
You may have ARDS or another condition that causes similar symptoms. To find out, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests.
Initial Tests
The first tests done are:
An arterial blood gas test. This blood test measures the oxygen level in your blood using a sample of blood taken from an artery. A low blood oxygen level might be a sign of ARDS.
Chest x ray. This test creates pictures of the structures in your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. A chest x ray can show whether you have extra fluid in your lungs.
Blood tests, such as a complete blood count, blood chemistries, and blood cultures. These tests help find the cause of ARDS, such as an infection.
A sputum culture. This test is used to study the spit you've coughed up from your lungs. A sputum culture can help find the cause of an infection.
Other Tests
Other tests used to diagnose ARDS include:
Chest computed tomography (to-MOG-rah-fee) scan, or chest CT scan. This test uses a computer to create detailed pictures of your lungs. A chest CT scan may show lung problems, such as fluid in the lungs, signs of pneumonia, or a tumor.
Heart tests that look for signs of heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. This condition can cause fluid to build up in your lungs.