Nurses Books

A kidney stone is a crystallized mass comprising minerals, salts and calcium oxide that has accumulated in the kidney, often due to not drinking enough water. It is a common and recurrent condition that affects more men and women. It is so recurrent to the point that half of the patients affected will develop another bout of renal calculi in the next 10 years. And almost one in every 20 people will develop a kidney stone sometime in their life. Normally, urine contains chemicals that prevent or inhibit the crystals from forming. These inhibitors do not seem to work for everyone, however, so some people form stones. The most common type of stone contains calcium in combination with either oxalate or phosphate. These chemicals are part of a person's normal diet and make up important parts of the body, such as bones and muscles. There are many kidney stone causes, and middle aged men will suffer with a kidney stone far more often than women, and the problem may be genetic. One c...

Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic illness in which weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control is experienced. Characterized by severe weakness of certain muscle groups. In myasthenia gravis, certain muscles tire quickly, especially those of the face, lips, tongue, neck and throat. This condition is more common in women younger than 40 and in men older than 60. The probability that a person suffer from myasthenia gravis is 1 to 10,000 people. In general, patients with myasthenia have fallen heavy eyelids, fatigue, problems with facial mimicry, mastication and speech difficulties. Also, these patients have problems with upper and lower limb muscles. The cause of myasthenia gravis is a disturbance in transfer of signal between nerves and muscles. The illness causes immune system to produce antibodies that disturbs some of the receptor sites for acetylcholine in affected muscles. As there are decreased receptors sites in affected muscle the muscle recei...

Encephalitis is infection of the brain, usually due to viral infection; however, it may also be caused by bacteria, fungi, protozoa or other parasites. It is a life-threatening disease, especially in infants, children and the elderly. Some 1.500 to 2,000 cases are reported yearly in the United States. An acute onset, fever, headache, nausea, neck pain and neck rigidity, and - in the late stage- altered consciousness, tremors and convulsions are typical symptoms of this condition. Types of Encephalitis : Primary encephalitis is when the virus directly invades the brain and the spinal cord. This is transmitted by insects like ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies that carry the virus from infected animals to humans. Secondary encephalitis is when the virus affects another part of the body and later attacks the brain. This may follow childhood diseases like mumps, measles and rubella. Other cases are caused by herpes viruses that are responsible for cold sores or fever blisters, shi...

Imperforate anus of anorectal malformations (ARMs) is congenital defect in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. The cause of anorectal malformations is unknown, the genetic basis of these anomalies is very complex because of their anatomical variability, in an 8% of patients genetic factors are clearly associated with ARMs. Imperforate anus occurs in about one of every 5,000 newborns. It is somewhat more common in boys than girls. If the anus is missing, there is no outlet to release stool after birth. The intestine ends in a blind pouch, so your infant's stool, called meconium, remains in the intestine. Treatmentof Imperforate Anus Imperforate anus usually requires immediate surgery to open a passage for feces unless a fistula can be relied on until corrective surgery takes place. Depending on the severity of the imperforate, it is treated either with a perineal anoplasty or with a colostomy. The infant is allowed to develop for several months before mo...

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that afflicts women during pregnancy. Being diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy presents risks for both mothers and their babies. In the case of gestational diabetes an individual's sugar level usually goes back to normal after delivery, nonetheless you will have a significantly greater potential risk of acquiring diabetes type 2 sometime in the future. Having gestational diabetes does not mean the baby will be born with diabetes; however, if gestational diabetes goes untreated or unmonitored, there is high risk for health complications for both mother and infant. This can result in the baby producing too much insulin in the womb and gaining too much weight, thereby, resulting in premature birth. Published in the journal Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiolgoy in August 2013, included 128,295 pregnancies that took place between 2002 and 2008: Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 5,606 pregnancies women with depression were 42 per...

Acromegaly is at the top of the list of side effects resulting from the abuse of HGH. This is a condition wherein the bone grows excessively therefore making the facial features and other parts of the body coarse looking. It is usually manifested by protruding jaw, large hands and feet. This can lead to an overgrowth of many of the vital organs, as well as a huge increase in hair and bone tissue. If not treated so, acromegaly can actually lead to death. Acromegaly is hard to diagnose in early and as a result, the growth hormone is hypersecreted for a prolonged period. In some rare cases, the condition may also result from tumors of the adrenal glands, lungs and pancreas. A person suffering from Acromegaly may also show symptoms like headaches, weakness, fatigue, excessive sweating and body odor and impaired vision. In women, it may also lead to breast discharge and disruptions in the menstrual cycle. In men, it could cause impotence. Acromegaly is also known to cause hypertension...

Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive and chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system. When a person is suffering from multiple sclerosis, there is degeneration of the nerves in the central nervous system, particularly the brain and the spinal cord. Disease onset is usually seen more in young adults, and it is more common in women. Almost 98% of the MS population is Caucasian. MS is generally more common in people living in temperate zones. The disorder most commonly begins between ages 20 and 40, but can strike at any age. People with a family history of MS and those who live in a geographical area with a higher incidence rate for MS have a higher risk of the disease. Multiple Sclerosis causes gradual destruction of myelin (demyelination) and transection of neuron axons in patches throughout the brain and spinal cord. The name multiple sclerosis refers to the multiple scars (or scleroses) on the myelin sheaths. Causes of Multiple Sclerosis Genetic component. Autoimm...

Heart Arrhythmia is a group of cardiac disorders in which the regular beating of the heart gets disturbed. Your normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats when you are in you resting state. If your heart rate is slower than normal, or bradycardia, or faster than normal, or tachycardia, it is considered as an arrhythmia. If arrhythmia occurs with normal heart rate or with rather slow heart rates of around 60 heart beats in a minute, then the condition is called bradarrhythmia. On the other hand, if the heart rate exceeds 100 heart beats a minute, the arrhythmia is referred to as tachyarrhythmias. There are four main types of arrhythmia: 1. Premature (Extra) Beats The majority of these are harmless and symptom free. Their technical name is premature atrial contractions, or PACs.These are the most common type and feel like skipped beats or a "fluttering" in the chest. These beats occur in the atria, the smallest chambers of the heart. 2. Ventricular Arrhythmias These arrhyth...

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an enlargement of prostrate which is non malignant. BPH occurs in men 45 years of age or older. 50% of all men in the US have BPH to some degree. BPH creates an enlarged and/or inflamed prostate gland and it will make urination difficult. The Prostate is a male reproductive gland situated in front of rectum.below the bladder and surrounding the urethra. The prostate also contains some smooth muscles that help expel semen during ejaculation. The prostate gland in an adult male is slightly larger than a walnut and is palpable on per- rectal digital examination. It shows its first growth spurt at puberty- when it grows twice in size and then again starts growing at about 25 years of age and this growth continues throughout life. The main diseases affecting the prostate are: Prostatitis Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer The exact cause of BPH is not very well known and also the amount of enlargement is not directly proportio...

Hemorrhoids are mainly divided into two types - Internal Hemorrhoids and External Hemorrhoids. Internal Hemorrhoids Internal Hemorrhoids are painless in nature;they are usually detected at an advanced state since Internal Hemorrhoids is difficult to notice alone. Early stages of internal hemorrhoids can cause itchiness in the anodermal area. The most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is bleeding. This can come in a few forms. You may just see the blood on the toilet paper after a bowel movement. This is usually how it begins and how you know you have the piles in the first place. Other symptoms include itching as this type of hemorrhoid leaks mucus that is highly irritating. Discomfort is a common feeling as the bulge from the piles makes one feel the urge to need to have a bowel movement even though they do not. There are a few ways to decide to treat internal hemorrhoids. The most common, easiest, and cost effective is to use a suppository. These will reduce the swelling ...

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a "chronic inflammatory disorder that most typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet." Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most widespread diseases in the world and it affects male and female, young and old. Arthritis can occur in men and women of all ages. About 37 million people in America have arthritis of some kind, which is almost 1 out of every 7 people. Causes of arthritis are oftentimes difficult to determine because there are many factors that contribute to the development of this common disease. Other types or cause of arthritis include: Rheumatoid arthritis (in adults) Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Viral arthritis Gonococcal arthritis Reiter's syndrome (reactive arthritis) Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (in children) Psoriatic arthritis Ankylosing spondylitis Gout Adult Still's disease Scleroderma Other bacterial infections (non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis ) Tertiary Lyme disease (the l...

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious and life-threatening illness that is associated with premature death. CHF is when the heart is weakened and is unable to pump blood through the body at a normal rate. There are many who believe that CHF is a kind of heart disease. However, it is one of those several factors that can lead to heart failure. The American Heart Association estimates that there are already more than 5 million Americans living with CHF, Each year, medical professionals return a diagnosis of heart failure for approximately 670,000 patients. CHF occurs due to number of reasons. Family history of coronary disease, congenital heart defects, damaged heart valves, prior cardiac arrests and chronic high blood pressure are some of the reasons which can cause CHF. Causes of heart failure can be classified according to the following changes: Increased afterload, primarily resulting from obstructive lesions, such as valvular stenosis or coarctation of the aorta. Inc...

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder that affects the body's ability to make or use insulin. This situation will often result in problems because insulin is a rather essential hormone when it comes to the human body. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that allows the body's cells to process glucose (blood sugar) for energy. Insulin performs many functions; it converts sugar, starches as well as other foods into the energy that we need in order to live and go about our daily chores. Different types of diabetes exist but there are two main classifications. Type 1 diabetes. An autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-making cells of the pancreas and usually occurs in childhood. Type 2 diabetes. A metabolic disorder that often involves obesity and insulin resistance. It is by far the most common kind of diabetes and usually develops in adulthood. The causes of diabetes are complex and only partly understood. Risk factors include genetics, family history, excess w...

Back pain is very common. The causes of Back Pain are varied: obesity, stress, physical labor, pregnancy, sports, aging, etc.. Back problems can come on because of a sudden injury, but more often it results from poor lifestyle habits. Some people have one episode every few years, and they have 1-2 episodes of low back pain every year. Lower Back Pain is the most common pain, it represents about 85% of cases. Lower Back Pain causes are mechanical and are not a malfunction especially of the spine. It is usually caused by actions or attitudes of daily life: poor posture, violent sport to the spine or lack of physical activity, overweight, stress... People that are overweight often experience back pain and are suffering simply because they cannot get rid of the weight that is in excess. In fact, if you are carrying around an additional weight in the front of your body, your back is going to suffer as a result. Stress can also be a cause of back pain. For many people stress is some...

Urinary tract infection can occur in anyone at any age; however, women are more likely than men to suffer urinary tract infections. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the infection of the bladder that is usually caused by bacteria. It can happen to anyone - children, teens and adults. When germs enter the body and stick to the urethra, the bladder becomes irritated and the infection begins. This infection can come from the inside or outside. It can come from the food that you eat. Some food contains additives and irritants that stay in the intestines for digestion before being removed to the body as stools. You may urinate many times in a day but there is little to no urine that comes out. If your urine is cloudy and if it smells bad, that's also a sign of UTI. Other symptoms include discomfort in the belly area and pain around the kidney area. Because a UTI can occur in multiple places, urinary tract infection symptoms can vary widely, but probably the most common symptom is a...