What Is Iron Deficiency Anemia? Iron deficiency anemia is a blood cell disorder that is characterized by formation of small, pale red blood cells, causing tissue hypoxia. Hypoxia is the inability to meet the demands of the body for oxygen. ...
Read More »Tuberculosis – Increased Susceptibility
What Is Increased Susceptibility To Tuberculosis? Tuberculosis (TB), is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is characterized by chronic bacterial infection most commonly affecting lungs that develops in stages. Increased susceptibility to tuberculosis menas the person’s ...
Read More »Osteoporosis
What Is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by diminished bone mass (density) with normal cell appearance but fragile bone strength that prediposes to broken bones, and with high bone turnover. This condition usually goes undetected until late ...
Read More »Gall Bladder, Impaired Motility
What Is Impaired Gall Bladder Motility? Impaired gall bladder motility means the gall bladder is slow to empty or is dysfunctional. The functional disorder of the gallbladder is caused initially either by metabolic abnormalities or by an alteration in its muscular ability to ...
Read More »Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
What Is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? Non-alcoholic fatty liver is a non-inflammatory liver disorder characterized by degenerative changes in the liver caused by excessive accumulation of lipid (fat) in hepatocytes (liver cells) that is called free fatty acid-generated lipotoxicity. Non-alcoholic ...
Read More »Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a motility disorder without anatomic cause involving the entire gastrointestinal tract that is characterized by these four features: 1) Abdominal pain usually relieved by defecation or passing of gas; 2) ...
Read More »Hypomagnesemia (Low Blood Level of Magnesium)
What Is Hypomagnesemia? Hypomagnesemia means the level of magnesium in the bloodstream is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral. Q: What are the metabolic needs of the body for magnesium? A: The metabolic needs ...
Read More »Secondary Amenorrhea
What Is Secondary Amenorrhea? Secondary amenorrhea is a menstrual disorder characterized by absence of menstruation for more than 3 months in females who had previously menstruated. Menstruation is the shedding of the endometrium (inner lining) of the uterus that occurs two weeks ...
Read More »Zincemia (Low Zinc Blood Level)
What Is Zincemia? Zincemia means the zinc level in blood plasma is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral. Q: How important is a normal blood level of zinc? A: A low blood level of ...
Read More »Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy (Active Celiac Disease)
What Is Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy? Gluten sensitive enteropathy is active celiac disease characterized by inflammation of the small intestinal mucosa that results from an inherited immunologic intolerance to ingested gluten. Q: What does the inflammation do to the mucosa in the small ...
Read More »Dental Enamel Defects (Defective Tooth Enamel)
What Are Dental Enamel Defects? Dental enamel defects (DED) comprise a variety of abnormalities in the dental enamel of the second or permanent teeth and of primary or baby teeth. Teeth may appear with pits, thin or missing enamel, non-white enamel (yellow, ...
Read More »Dermatomyositis
What Is Dermatomyositis? Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune systemic disease of the connective tissue that is characterized by inflammatory and debilitating degenerative changes in the muscles and in the skin. Dermatomyositis results in symmetric, proximal muscle weakness of limbs (upper arms and ...
Read More »Gas
What Is Obnoxious Gas? Obnoxious gas, or flatus, is gas that is not only offensive when passed but also lingers in the air longer than ordinary gas does. Gas is a natural digestive product within the colon that is composed mainly of ...
Read More »Low Plasma Proteins
What Are Low Plasma Proteins? Low plasma proteins found in blood indicates an abnormal blood level. Plasma proteins are any of the proteins that constitute about 6% to 7% of the blood plasma in the body. They include albumin, fibrinogen, ...
Read More »Iron Deficiency
What Is Iron? Iron is an essential mineral that is required for normal body function. Almost two-thirds of iron in the body is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Smaller amounts of ...
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