shaneperry0101/health-chatbot huggingface dataset:
Question: What is (are) Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome ?
Answer: 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.
Question: What causes Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome ?
Answer: 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.
Question: Who is at risk for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome? ?
Answer: 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
Question: What are the symptoms of Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome ?
Answer: The signs and symptoms of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) are related to abnormal blood clotting. The outcome of a blood clot depends on its size and location.
Blood clots can form in, or travel to, the arteries or veins in the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and limbs. Clots can reduce or block blood flow. This can damage the body's organs and may cause death.
Major Signs and Symptoms
Major signs and symptoms of blood clots include:
Chest pain and shortness of breath
Pain, redness, warmth, and swelling in the limbs
Ongoing headaches
Speech changes
Upper body discomfort in the arms, back, neck, and jaw
Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
Blood clots can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.
Pregnant women who have APS can have successful pregnancies. However, they're at higher risk for miscarriages, stillbirths, and other pregnancy-related problems, such as preeclampsia (pre-e-KLAMP-se-ah).
Preeclampsia is high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy. This condition may progress to eclampsia. Eclampsia is a serious condition that causes seizures in pregnant women.
Some people who have APS may develop thrombocytopenia. This is a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of blood cell fragments called platelets.
Mild to serious bleeding causes the main signs and symptoms of thrombocytopenia. Bleeding can occur inside the body (internal bleeding) or underneath or from the skin (external bleeding).
Other Signs and Symptoms
Other signs and symptoms of APS include chronic (ongoing) headaches, memory loss, and heart valve problems. Some people who have APS also get a lacy-looking red rash on their wrists and knees.
Question: How to diagnose Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome ?
Answer: Your doctor will diagnose antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) based on your medical history and the results from blood tests.
Specialists Involved
A hematologist often is involved in the care of people who have APS. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating blood diseases and disorders.
You may have APS and another autoimmune disorder, such as lupus. If so, a doctor who specializes in that disorder also may provide treatment.
Many autoimmune disorders that occur with APS also affect the joints, bones, or muscles. Rheumatologists specialize in treating these types of disorders.
Medical History
Some people have APS antibodies but no 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, including stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.
APS also can cause pregnancy-related problems, such as multiple miscarriages, a miscarriage late in pregnancy, or a premature birth due to eclampsia. (Eclampsia, which follows preeclampsia, is a serious condition that causes seizures in pregnant women.)
Blood Tests
Your doctor can use blood tests to confirm a diagnosis of APS. These tests check your blood for any of the three APS antibodies: anticardiolipin, beta-2 glycoprotein I (2GPI), and lupus anticoagulant.
The term "anticoagulant" (AN-te-ko-AG-u-lant) refers to a substance that prevents blood clotting. It may seem odd that one of the APS antibodies is called lupus anticoagulant. The reason for this is because the antibody slows clotting in lab tests. However, in the human body, it increases the risk of blood clotting.
To test for APS antibodies, a small blood sample is taken. It's often drawn from a vein in your arm using a needle. The procedure usually is quick and easy, but it may cause some short-term discomfort and a slight bruise.
You may need a second blood test to confirm positive results. This is because a single positive test can result from a short-term infection. The second blood test often is done 12 weeks or more after the first one.
Question: What is (are) Marfan Syndrome ?
Answer: Marfan syndrome is a condition in which your body's connective tissue is abnormal. Connective tissue helps support all parts of your body. It also helps control how your body grows and develops.
Marfan syndrome most often affects the connective tissue of the heart and blood vessels, eyes, bones, lungs, and covering of the spinal cord. Because the condition affects many parts of the body, it can cause many complications. Sometimes the complications are life threatening.
Overview
Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder. A mutation, or change, in the gene that controls how the body makes fibrillin causes Marfan syndrome. Fibrillin is a protein that plays a major role in your body's connective tissue.
Most people who have Marfan syndrome inherit it from their parents. If you have Marfan syndrome, you have a 50 percent chance of passing the altered gene to each of your children.
In about 1 in 4 cases, the mutation that causes Marfan syndrome is not inherited. Thus, the affected person is the first in his or her family to have the condition.
Marfan syndrome often affects the long bones of the body. This can lead to signs, or traits, such as:
A tall, thin build.
Long arms, legs, fingers, and toes and flexible joints.
A spine that curves to one side. This condition is called scoliosis (sko-le-O-sis).
A chest that sinks in or sticks out. These conditions are called pectus excavatum (eks-ka-VA-tum) and pectus carinatum (ka-ri-NA-tum), respectively.
Teeth that are too crowded.
Flat feet.
Marfan syndrome traits vary from person to person, even in the same family. Some people who have the condition have many traits, while others have few.
The most serious complications of Marfan syndrome involve the heart and blood vessels. Marfan syndrome can affect the aorta, the main blood vessel that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the body. In Marfan syndrome, the aorta can stretch and grow weak. This condition is called aortic dilation (di-LA-shun) or aortic aneurysm (AN-u-rism).
If the aorta stretches and grows weak, it may tear or burst and leak blood. This condition is called aortic dissection. It's very serious and can lead to severe heart problems or even death.
Marfan syndrome has no cure, but treatments can help delay or prevent complications. Treatments include medicines, surgery, and other therapies. Limiting certain activities, or changing how you do them, may help reduce the risks to the aorta, eyes, and joints.
The type of treatment you receive depends on how the condition is affecting your body.
Outlook
About 1 out of every 5,000 people in the United States has Marfan syndrome. Men, women, children, and people of all races can have the condition.
Advances have been made in the early diagnosis and treatment of Marfan syndrome. It's now possible for people who have the condition to live longer and enjoy a good quality of life. Many people who have Marfan syndrome and are properly diagnosed and treated may live an average lifespan.
Researchers continue to study the condition and look for better treatments.
Question: What causes Marfan Syndrome ?
Answer: Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder. A mutation, or change, in the gene that controls how the body makes fibrillin causes Marfan syndrome. Fibrillin is a protein that plays a major role in your body's connective tissue.
Most people who have Marfan syndrome inherit it from their parents. If you have the condition, you have a 50 percent chance of passing the altered gene to each of your children.
Sometimes Marfan syndrome isn't inherited. The mutation in the fibrillin gene occurs in the egg or sperm cells. If a child is conceived, the altered gene may be passed on to the child. The risk of that child's brothers or sisters having Marfan syndrome is low.
Question: Who is at risk for Marfan Syndrome? ?
Answer: People at highest risk for Marfan syndrome are those who have a family history of the condition. If you have Marfan syndrome, you have a 50 percent chance of passing the altered gene to each of your children.
Marfan syndrome affects about 1 out of every 5,000 people in the United States. Men, women, and children, and people of all races, can have the condition.
Question: What is (are) Respiratory Failure ?
Answer: Respiratory (RES-pih-rah-tor-e) failure is a condition in which not enough oxygen passes from your lungs into your blood. Your body's organs, such as your heart and brain, need oxygen-rich blood to work well.
Respiratory failure also can occur if your lungs can't properly remove carbon dioxide (a waste gas) from your blood. Too much carbon dioxide in your blood can harm your body's organs.
Both of these problemsa low oxygen level and a high carbon dioxide level in the bloodcan occur at the same time.
Diseases and conditions that affect your breathing can cause respiratory failure. Examples include COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and spinal cord injuries. COPD prevents enough air from flowing in and out of the airways. Spinal cord injuries can damage the nerves that control breathing.
Overview
To understand respiratory failure, 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 run through the walls of the air sacs. When air reaches the air sacs, the oxygen in the air passes through the air sac walls into the blood in the capillaries. At the same time, carbon dioxide moves from the capillaries into the air sacs. This process is called gas exchange.
In respiratory failure, gas exchange is impaired.
Respiratory failure can be acute (short term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute respiratory failure can develop quickly and may require emergency treatment. Chronic respiratory failure develops more slowly and lasts longer.
Signs and symptoms of respiratory failure may include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and air hunger (feeling like you can't breathe in enough air). In severe cases, signs and symptoms may include a bluish color on your skin, lips, and fingernails; confusion; and sleepiness.
One of the main goals of treating respiratory failure is to get oxygen to your lungs and other organs and remove carbon dioxide from your body. Another goal is to treat the underlying cause of the condition.
Acute respiratory failure usually is treated in an intensive care unit. Chronic respiratory failure can be treated at home or at a long-term care center.
Outlook
The outlook for respiratory failure depends on the severity of its underlying cause, how quickly treatment begins, and your overall health.
People who have severe lung diseases may need long-term or ongoing breathing support, such as oxygen therapy or the help of a ventilator (VEN-til-a-tor). A ventilator is a machine that supports breathing. It blows airor air with increased amounts of oxygeninto your airways and then your lungs.
Question: What causes Respiratory Failure ?
Answer: Diseases and conditions that impair breathing can cause respiratory failure. These disorders may affect the muscles, nerves, bones, or tissues that support breathing, or they may affect the lungs directly.
When breathing is impaired, your lungs can't easily move oxygen into your blood and remove carbon dioxide from your blood (gas exchange). This can cause a low oxygen level or high carbon dioxide level, or both, in your blood.
Respiratory failure can occur as a result of:
Conditions that affect the nerves and muscles that control breathing. Examples include muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord injuries, and stroke.
Damage to the tissues and ribs around the lungs. An injury to the chest can cause this damage.
Problems with the spine, such as scoliosis (a curve in the spine). This condition can affect the bones and muscles used for breathing.
Drug or alcohol overdose. An overdose affects the area of the brain that controls breathing. During an overdose, breathing becomes slow and shallow.
Lung diseases and conditions, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pneumonia, ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), pulmonary embolism, and cystic fibrosis. These diseases and conditions can affect the flow of air and blood into and out of your lungs. ARDS and pneumonia affect gas exchange in the air sacs.
Acute lung injuries. For example, inhaling harmful fumes or smoke can injure your lungs.
Normal Lungs and Conditions Causing 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.
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.
Question: What is (are) Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ?
Answer: Pulmonary fibrosis (PULL-mun-ary fi-BRO-sis) is a disease in which tissue deep in your lungs becomes thick and stiff, or scarred, over time. The formation of scar tissue is called fibrosis.
As the lung tissue thickens, your lungs can't properly move oxygen into your bloodstream. As a result, your brain and other organs don't get the oxygen they need. (For more information, go to the "How the Lungs Work" section of this article.)
Sometimes doctors can find out what's causing fibrosis. But in most cases, they can't find a cause. They call these cases idiopathic (id-ee-o-PATH-ick) pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
IPF is a serious disease that usually affects middle-aged and older adults. IPF varies from person to person. In some people, fibrosis happens quickly. In others, the process is much slower. In some people, the disease stays the same for years.
IPF has no cure yet. Many people live only about 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. The most common cause of death related to IPF is respiratory failure. Other causes of death include pulmonary hypertension (HI-per-TEN-shun), heart failure, pulmonary embolism (EM-bo-lizm), pneumonia (nu-MO-ne-ah), and lung cancer.
Genetics may play a role in causing IPF. If more than one member of your family has IPF, the disease is called familial IPF.
Research has helped doctors learn more about IPF. As a result, they can more quickly diagnose the disease now than in the past. Also, researchers are studying several medicines that may slow the progress of IPF. These efforts may improve the lifespan and quality of life for people who have the disease.
Question: What causes Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ?
Answer: Sometimes doctors can find out what is causing pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring). For example, exposure to environmental pollutants and certain medicines can cause the disease.
Environmental pollutants include inorganic dust (silica and hard metal dusts) and organic dust (bacteria and animal proteins).
Medicines that are known to cause pulmonary fibrosis in some people include nitrofurantoin (an antibiotic), amiodarone (a heart medicine), methotrexate and bleomycin (both chemotherapy medicines), and many other medicines.
In most cases, however, the cause of lung scarring isnt known. These cases are called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). With IPF, doctors think that something inside or outside of the lungs attacks them again and again over time.
These attacks injure the lungs and scar the tissue inside and between the air sacs. This makes it harder for oxygen to pass through the air sac walls into the bloodstream.
The following factors may increase your risk of IPF:
Cigarette smoking
Viral infections, including Epstein-Barr virus (which causes mononucleosis), influenza A virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV, and herpes virus 6
Genetics also may play a role in causing IPF. Some families have at least two members who have IPF.
Researchers have found that 9 out of 10 people who have IPF also have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a condition in which acid from your stomach backs up into your throat.
Some people who have GERD may regularly breathe in tiny drops of acid from their stomachs. The acid can injure their lungs and lead to IPF. More research is needed to confirm this theory.