Tag Archives: Weakness

What Is Primary Addison’s Disease? Addison’s disease is an autoimmune destruction of the adrenal glands by autoantibodies that target the adrenal cortex, or outer part of these glands, and is characterized by a slow progressive failure of the adrenal glands ...

What Is Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy? Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is a disorder of myocardial (heart muscle) function characterized by dilation or enlargement of the cardiac chambers and reduction in the ability of the ventricles (lower chambers) to contract with the required force ...

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. ...

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 ...

What Is Vitamin B3 (Niacin)? Niacin is an essential water-soluble B vitamin that is required by all cells of the body. During digestion of food containing it, niacin (the form in food) is changed in the small intestines to the active form niacinamide (niacin ...

What Is Vitamin B12? Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a highly complex vitamin that functions in two coenzyme forms: adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin. These forms of the vitamin play important roles in the physical and chemical processes by which amino ...

What Is Folate? Folate, also called folic acid or vitamin B9, is a family group of essential water-soluble B vitamins needed to produce healthy blood cells and other tissue cells. Folate is required for healthy blood cells, the metabolism of at ...

What Is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)? Pyridoxine is an essential vitamin that is required for the health of nerves, bones, blood, arteries, blood sugar, the immune system and metabolism of proteins. Two important functions of pyridoxine involve coenzymes that are involved ...

What Is Sarcoidosis? Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease characterized by hard granulomas and inflammation of the alveoli in lungs that occurrs in 80% of patients. Alveoli are the tiny one cell thick round structures that are clustered at the ...

What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy is a syndrome involving damage to one or more peripheral nerves characterized by impaired nerve transmission. Peripheral nerves are nerves of the body outside the brain and spinal cord. Q: Why is nerve transmission impaired? ...

What Is Multiple Sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by patchy inflammation of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells that produces multiple and varied neurologic symptoms and signs due to demyelination. Q: What ...

What Is Folic Acid Or Folate Deficiency Anemia? Folic acid deficiency anemia, also called folate deficiency anemia, is a macrocytic anemia characterized by defective DNA synthesis of red blood cells that results from a lack of folate in the body. ...

What Is Unexpected Weight Loss? Unexpected weight loss is unintentional loss of body mass composition or inability to gain weight marked by decreased serum proteins and increased stool fat.1 What Is Unexpected Weight Loss In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity? ...

What Is Polymyositis? Polymyositis is a body-wide connective tissue disease resulting from autoimmune attack of skeletal muscles that is characterized by inflammatory and degeneratory changes. The course is unpredictable being marked by spontaneous flare-ups and remissions. Polymyositis can begin slowly or abruptly according ...

 What Is Geographic Tongue? Geographic tongue is a painful alteration in tongue tissue that is characteristic of riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency.1 Q: How does the tongue surface appear? A: Areas of inflamed tissue with flattened papillae develop among areas of normal tissue, ...