Tag: x-ray

Do You have Kidney Stones

Is there blood when you urinate or do you feel pain coming from your back or pelvis? If your answer to these two questions is yes, then you may have kidney stones in your body and the only way to be sure is to have yourself examined by a doctor.

The two symptoms mentioned are just some of the symptoms that tell you if you have kidney stones. Other symptoms include fevers or chills, feeling or being sick, frequency urinating and feeling a burning sensation when you urinate.

It is hard to tell just by how you feel if you do have kidney stones because these symptoms are also felt by those who have UTI or urinary tract infection.

When you go to your doctor, he or she will have to do a system of checks. This will include reviewing your medical history, conducting a physical examination and doing some tests.

The best way to rule out UTI is to extract a sample of urine or blood and scanned using one or two machines that may be a computed tomography (CT) scan, intravenous pyelogram (IVP), retrograde pyelogram or X-ray.

To give you a better understanding of what these machines are;

The CT scan is used not only to tell if you have a kidney stone because it can be used for other purposes. In the case of kidney stones, the doctor will tell the technician to focus on your urinary system.

The only problem with the CT scan is that it cannot detect small stones when these are located near the bladder. TO be sure, an x-ray will be done to tell the doctor its orientation, shape and size.

The Intravenous Pyelogram or IVP is another option and this can only work after you have been injected with a contrasting agent. Once this is flowing through your kidney, it will be easy for the machine to see if you have a kidney stone blocking the ureter.

There are risks for conducting this test especially if you have a slight allergic reaction to the fluid that was used.

The ultrasound has other uses and letting you know the size of your baby is just one of them. The doctor may also use this device to check if you have kidney stones located in your upper urinary tract or in your ureter. Unfortunately, it cannot be used to check for kidney stones in other parts of the body.

Another test is called the retrograde pyelogram is a cytoscopy. This test is similar to the IVP because it also uses a contrasting agent. The only difference is that once you are injected, a slam telescopic instrument is sent it to check the bladder.

In most cases, patients who may have kidney stones do not need to undergo these tests because the others mentioned have already confirmed that.

When doctors are sure that you have kidney stones and determined the type this is in your body, only then will they be able to treat it. The doctor may or may not have to give you medication. In extreme cases, surgery may be the only option.

Kidney stones happen more often to men than women. If you feel something wrong down there, dont wait until things get worse to see your doctor.

Pain Relief and Arthritis

According to medical experts, when you have arthritis, youre likely to suffer other diseases. People who have arthritis often feel joint pains because it is accompanied by inflammation. Arthralgia is the medical term for the joint pain. There are over 40 million arthritis sufferers in the United States and they are all continuously looking for effective pain relief. The disease is considered debilitating because sufferers can hardly stand the inflammation and pain.

Arthritis can affect different parts of your body but in most cases, the pain and inflammation occurs on the tendinitis, fibromyalgia, sclerodermal, and joint types or articular. Tendinitis aims at the tendons; Sclerodermal refers to the thickening of the connective tissue and skin; when the muscles become tender and sore especially when touched, it is called fibromyalgia; and the articular refers to lupus or gout and it can be really painful.

You cant really tell when arthritis is going to hit you; whether youre young or old, you can suffer from arthritis. At present, a majority of arthritis sufferers have Osteo-Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. People who have these conditions feel persistent back and joint pains. The causes of Osteo-arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are different, as well as the effects and risk factors. If youre also suffering from the same symptoms, you can choose among the different pain relief devices, drugs, and products sold in the market.

In the US, Osteo-arthritis affects more or less 21 million individuals in different age ranges. If you have this condition, its natural to have swollen limbs. Your joint cartilage is affected and it also results to stiffness. The condition is commonly called OA and it can affect different body parts like the spine, hips, knees, and fingers. Other parts like the ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists can also be affected but this seldom happens. According to medical experts, these parts are subject to OA if there is a history of unusual stress or injury. Physical trauma and repetitive injury during early age can also cause OA.

The common OA symptoms are intermittent or steady joint pain, stiffness especially an inactive period, tenderness or swelling of a joint/joints, and crunchy feeling when you use your joints.

The only way to determine if you have OA is through an x-ray test. If the symptoms are already present, the doctor will request an x-ray test. The x-ray results will reveal the cartilage deformation as well as the tissues around it. Joint Aspiration can also be performed by a qualified doctor. A synovial fluid will be taken from your affected joints with the use of a tiny needle.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another dreaded condition because it is characterized by chronic and progressive pain of the joints. The synovial tissues tend to increase in size and this is called hyperplasia. This condition provokes bone and cartilage destruction. Damaged cells will eventually die and it also promotes abnormal growth of the surrounding tissues.

Natural products like cod liver, olive oil, and ginger act as pain relievers. These are renowned and affordable products which can relieve pain effectively. Try them out now and see the pain relievers can also work for you. When you feel chronic and progressive joint pains, consult a doctor right away because you may be suffering from arthritis already. It would be best to address your condition at an early stage to prevent the onset of undesirable effects of the disease.

What Is Chronic Sinus Infection

There are two types of sinus infection. It could be acute or chronic and among the two, more people get afflicted with the chronic sinus infection.

The difference between chronic and acute sinus infection is the fact that this can last for 12 weeks or longer and this can recur once you get better. An acute sinus infection is gone after a week.

Common causes for chronic sinus infection include allergies, airborne fungus, nasal or sinus obstructions, trauma to the face, certain medical conditions and respiratory tract infections.

As a result, some of the symptoms that most people feel include headaches, congestion, difficulty breathing, reduced sense of smell, ear pain, fatigue, cough, nausea, sore throat and aching in the upper jaw or teeth.

Since you probably tried already to self medicate yourself without any positive results, the doctor is your only hope to make it go away.

After reviewing your medical history, some test will need to be done such as an MRI, CT scan, nasal endoscopy, extracting nasal or sinus cultures and an allergy test.

An MRI or CT scan is similar to an X-ray machine because they can show details of your sinus and nasal area without inserting anything into your body.

If this is needed, the doctor will have to do a nasal endoscopy by putting a thin, flexible tube with fiber optic light up your nose to see what is happening inside.

Not many people like that because it is like putting a similar tube up your anus. If possible, they will give a nasal or sinus sample instead so this can be checked.

If your doctor has not yet determined the exact cause of the chronic sinus infection, you may be referred to another specialist especially if he or she suspects that this is caused by an allergy so they can conduct an allergy test.

Once the results come in, the doctor will probably prescribe some antibiotics until you are free of the symptoms. To deal with the inflammation and swelling in the nasal cavity, you will be prescribed a corticosteroid. If this doesnt work, then you will probably try antihistamines, decongestants and expectorants.

The doctor may also try moisture or humidification to help flush the nasal cavity and loosen the dried mucus. Should the chronic sinus infection be caused by an allergy, it can be treated with immunotherapy. A method designed to stimulate the antibodies that block the bodys reactions to a specific allergy.

Chronic sinus infection can be prevented and the steps that you take are not that different when you are suffering from an acute sinus infection. You just have got to practice proper hygiene, get flu shots once a year, stay away from people who have colds as it is a contagious illness, limit your drinking, keep yourself hydrated at all times, buy a humidifier and avoid being in polluted areas or around people who smoke.

Should you already have chronic sinus infection, just follow the instructions of the doctor and update him or her on any progress.

Chronic sinus infection is no joke. Just to give you an idea of how serious it is, over 30 to 40 million Americans get it every year. If you dont want to be another person added to the statistics, do what is needed so you are always healthy.

Pneumonia in Children

Pneumonia is the infection of the either one lung or both. When both the lungs get infected it is known as double pneumonia. When the pneumonia is mild enough that the visit to the doctor can be avoided and the child can carry out daily activities normally, it is known as walking pneumonia.

The lungs are an important part of the respiratory system. The air which is breathed in contains oxygen, which is filtered by the lungs. This oxygen then is carried around the body with the help of blood which is passed from the breathing tubes by the alveoli. Capillaries or the minute blood vessels are surrounded by small air sacs known as alveoli. There are over six hundred million alveoli in the human body. The air which is taken in is supplied to the alveoli; the oxygen extracted from the air is dissolved in the blood. Then it is the job of the red blood cells to distribute the oxygen to all the body parts. Oxygen is vital in the proper functioning of the human body and insufficient supply of oxygen can damage the organs and sometimes can be life threatening. This functioning is disturbed when the lungs get infected by pneumonia.

Pneumonia does not allow the lungs to function properly, because the infection produces fluid which obstructs the alveoli. In turn the oxygen does not penetrate deep inside the lungs and lesser oxygen is supplied to the blood. The breathing is affected and the condition worsens when both the lungs get infected with pneumonia.

People of all ages from infants to old could get affected with pneumonia. It is a myth among people that getting wet makes the person catch pneumonia. But it is actually the virus or the bacteria which causes the infection. When a person infected with flu or cold faces a deterioration in his/her condition, he/she can be infected with pneumonia. This happens because the irritation caused by the flu or cold helps the pneumonia germs to get into the lungs easily and move around to spread the infection.

The virus or bacteria which cause pneumonia can cause damages, whose severity can depend on the health of the child. If the infection is caused by bacteria, the child will get sick very soon and can get high temperature fever accompanied with chills. Pneumonia caused by virus develops very slowly and it takes longer time to go away. The child can also experiences cough, chest pain, headache, and or muscle ache. It can also make it difficult to breath, so the child will start to breath faster which may make him cough out gloppy mucus. The child would have to totally abstain from eating.

When given the right treatment, the child can recover fully. The doctor will first examine the heartbeat and breathing with the help of the stethoscope. The stethoscope also helps to check the lungs, the sounds made by the lungs help to determine if it contains any fluids. Sounds such as crackling or bubbling are indications of pneumonia. Chest X-ray will be taken too. White patchy area will show fluid buildup. By looking at the X-ray, the doctor can also determine whether the infection is caused by bacteria or virus. If it is caused by bacteria, antibiotics will be prescribed. And if it is difficult for the child to swallow the medicine or to retain it inside, he/she will be injected with IV fluid. And if virus is responsible for the infection, antibiotics wont work. Fever reducers, along with cough medicine, will be given in this case. The medicines will be of no use, if the child doesnt take adequate rest and plenty of liquids.

Shots can be taken to prevent pneumonia. These series of shots are called pneumococcal. Regular flu shots can also prove helpful, especially for kids who have asthma or other kinds of lung infection. Rest and sleep also strengthens the immune system. Washing hands regularly can keep harmful germs at bay.

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