mechanical obstruction oesophageal web oesophageal ring oesophageal diverticulum peptic stricture (from gastroesophageal reflux disease) oesophageal malignancy local motility disorders achalasia oesophageal spasm scleroderma neurological disorders brainstem pathology (stroke, mass lesion) multiple sclerosis movement disorder ...

See also:

Dysphagia, Dysphagia - Causes, Dysphagia - Treatment

Read more here: » Dysphagia: Encyclopedia II - Dysphagia - Causes

Spleen: Flattened, oblong organ that removes disease-producing organisms and worn-out red blood cells from the bloodstream. The spleen is situated in the upper left abdominal cavity, in contact with the pancreas, the diaphragm, and the left kidney. The spleen removes iron from the hemoglobin of red blood cells for use in the body. It also removes such waste materials as bile pigments for excretion as bile by the liver. The spleen produces antibodies against various disease organisms and manufactures a variety of blood cells.

(See also: Spleen , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Disease Dictionary

It has been speculated that the real-life ubiquity of illness and death due to tuberculosis affected the portrayal of these issues in European art and literature as well as history. David Brainerd (born: April 20, 1718, died: October 9, 1747) only lived 29 years. His diary has been published and reflects his reliance upon God's faithfulness amidst his battle with consumption. Brainard's diary has proven historically very influential, particularly to the modern Christian missionary movement. He was a close friend of Theologian and Past ...

See also:

Tuberculosis, Tuberculosis - Other names for the disease, Tuberculosis - The bacterium, Tuberculosis - The disease, Tuberculosis - Transmission, Tuberculosis - Pathogenesis, Tuberculosis - Progression, Tuberculosis - Drug resistance, Tuberculosis - Diagnosis, Tuberculosis - Treatment, Tuberculosis - Prevention, Tuberculosis - BCG vaccine, Tuberculosis - Tuberculosis vaccine, Tuberculosis - Animals, Tuberculosis - History, Tuberculosis - Tuberculosis in art, literature, history and film

Read more here: » Tuberculosis: Encyclopedia II - Tuberculosis - Tuberculosis in art, literature, history and film

Agni

Being the biological fire that governs metabolism, agni encompasses all the changes in the body and mind from the dense to the more subtle. Such changes include the digestion and absorption of food, cellular transformations, assimilation of sensory perceptions and mental and emotional experiences. Agni therefore covers whole sequences of chemical interactions and changes in the body and mind. Digestive abilities being related to the strength of agni.

Agni and pitta are closely connected. While both are hot and light, agni is subtle and dry. The heat energy to help digestion contained by pitta is agni. Pitta is therefore the container and agni the content. Agni is acidic in nature and stimulates digestion. It is subtly related to the movement of vata. In every tissue and cell agni is present and is necessary for maintaining the nutrition and auto-immune mechanism. By destroying micro-organisms, foreign bacteria and toxins in the stomach and the intestines.

A balanced agni therefore is vital for health. The strength of the body to resist disease and also its physical strength are directly related to its heat energy determining the metabolic processes of the body. Disturbances to Agni are usually the chief causes of disease.

As per Ayurveda there are thirteen types of Agni in the body and mind according to the conversion and the transformation made. The most important of them is the Jatharagni, the gastric fire, responsible for digesting food eaten by correlating hydrochloric acid in the stomach and the digestive enzymes and juices secreted into the stomach, duodenum and the small intestines. If digestive agni is low and the capacity is impaired, one may experience pain, discomfort, feeling of heaviness or gases gurgling, constipation or loose stools.

(See also: Agni , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Disease Dictionary

The skin is obviously accessible to topical local therapy. Antibiotic creams can help eliminate infections, while inflammatory skin diseases (such as eczema and psoriasis) often respond to steroid creams or topical anthralin. Dermatologists are innovators of new immune enhancing treatments, like topical imiquimod for superficial cancers and injection immunotherapy for warts as discussed below. Topical medications treat many dermatological diseases, but dermatologists also use oral medications. Antibiotics and immune suppressants or immune enhanancing agents (injection immunotherapy or topical imiquimod) ...

See also:

Dermatology, Dermatology - Scope of the field, Dermatology - Dermasurgery, Dermatology - Diagnosis, Dermatology - Therapy, Dermatology - Research, Dermatology - Dermatological diseases

Read more here: » Dermatology: Encyclopedia II - Dermatology - Therapy

Due to problems with the definition of CFS, estimates of its prevalence vary widely. Studies in the United States have found between 75 and 420 cases of CFS for every 100,000 adults. Far more women than men get CFS — between 60 and 85% of cases are women. Members of ethnic minorities and low income classes are slightly more likely to develop CFS. Though people of all ages can get CFS, and precise statistics are not available, the prevalence among children and adolescents appears to be lower than for adults. A ...

See also:

Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic fatigue syndrome - History, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Nomenclature, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Symptoms, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Course, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Onset, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Activity levels, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Post-exertion symptom exacerbation, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Duration, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Diagnosis, Chronic fatigue syndrome - CDC 1994 criteria aka Fukuda, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Other systems, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Controversies, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Epidemiology, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Disease associations, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Co-morbidity, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Proposed etiologies and corresponding treatments, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Allergies, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Autonomic nervous system disruption, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Damage to ascending reticular activating system, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Depression, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Hormonal dysfunction, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Immune dysfunction, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Infectious agents, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Inner-ear disorders, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Metabolic disorders, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Nutritional deficiency or imbalance, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Psychosomatic causes, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Spinal problems, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Toxic agents, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Other treatments, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Social issues, Chronic fatigue syndrome - Notable sufferers

Read more here: » Chronic fatigue syndrome: Encyclopedia II - Chronic fatigue syndrome - Epidemiology

Defined negatively, health is the absence of illness, functionally, as the ability to cope with everyday activities, or positively, as fitness and well-being. In any organism, health is a form of homeostasis. This is a state of balance, with inputs and outputs of energy and matter in equilibrium (allowing for growth). Health also implies good prospects for continued survival. In sentient creatures such as humans, health is a broader concept. Many definitions of health have been offered from time to time. Webster's Dic ...

Including:

• Health - Notes and references

Read more here: » Health: Encyclopedia - Health

There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples. Different cultivars are available for temperate and subtropical climates. Apples do not flower in tropical climates because they have a chilling requirement. Commercially-popular apple cultivars are soft but crisp. Other desired qualities in modern commercial apple breeding are a colourful skin, absence of russeting, ease of shipping, lengthy storage ability, high yields, disease resistance, typical 'Red D ...

See also:

Apple, Apple - Botanical origins, Apple - Apple cultivars, Apple - Growing apples, Apple - Apple breeding, Apple - Starting an orchard, Apple - Location, Apple - Pollination, Apple - Thinning, Apple - Pests and diseases, Apple - Harvest, Apple - Commerce and uses, Apple - Health benefits, Apple - Cultural aspects

Read more here: » Apple: Encyclopedia II - Apple - Apple cultivars

Al-Razi - Smallpox vs. measles. As chief physician of the Baghdad hospital Razi formulated the first known description of smallpox: "Smallpox appears when blood 'boils' and is infected, resulting in vapours being expelled. Thus juvenile blood (which looks like wet extracts appearing on the skin) is being transformed into richer blood, having the color of mature wine. At this stage, smallpox shows up essentially as 'bubbles found in wine' -(as blisters)- ... this disease can also occur at other times ...

See also:

Al-Razi, Al-Razi - Biography, Al-Razi - Al-Razi's Masters and Opponents, Al-Razi - Contributions to medicine, Al-Razi - Smallpox vs. measles, Al-Razi - Allergies and fever, Al-Razi - Pharmacy, Al-Razi - Ethics of medicine, Al-Razi - Books and articles on medicine, Al-Razi - Books on medicine, Al-Razi - Translations, Al-Razi - Alchemy, Al-Razi - The Transmutation of Metals, Al-Razi - Chemical instruments and substances, Al-Razi - Hermeticism, Al-Razi - Major works on alchemy, Al-Razi - Books on alchemy, Al-Razi - Philosophy, Al-Razi - On existence, Al-Razi - Metaphysics, Al-Razi - Excerpt from The Philosophical Approach, Al-Razi - Books on philosophy, Al-Razi - Quotes from Rhazes, Al-Razi - Quotes on Rhazes, Al-Razi - References and further reading

Read more here: » Al-Razi: Encyclopedia II - Al-Razi - Contributions to medicine

Conjunctivitis (commonly called "pinkeye") is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids), often due to infection. There are three common varieties of conjunctivitis, viral, allergic, and bacterial. Other causes of conjunctivitis include thermal and ultraviolet burns, chemicals, toxins, overuse of contact lenses, foreign bodies, vitamin deficiency, dry eye, dryness due to inadequate lid closure, exposure to chickens infected with Newcastle disease, epithelial dysplasia (pre-cancerous changes), and ...

Including:

• Conjunctivitis - Epidemiology
• Conjunctivitis - Diagnosis
• Conjunctivitis - Symptoms
• Conjunctivitis - Signs
• Conjunctivitis - Differential diagnosis
• Conjunctivitis - Investigations
• Conjunctivitis - Treatment and management

Read more here: » Conjunctivitis: Encyclopedia - Conjunctivitis

Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of cells, tissues or organs from one species to another such as from pigs to humans. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts (xenotransplants). The terms heterograft and heterotransplant are also sometimes used, while the term homograft refers to a same-species transplant. Xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, one of the most important health problems facing the industrialized world today. It also raises many nove ...

Read more here: » Xenotransplantation: Encyclopedia - Xenotransplantation

A disaster (from Latin meaning, "bad star") is the impact of a natural or man-made event that negatively affects life, property, livelihood or industry often resulting in permanent changes to human societies, ecosystems and environment. (It may be noted that event itself is not a disaster, it is the impact which is called disaster.) Disasters manifest as hazards exacerbating vulnerable conditions and exceeding individuals' and communities' means to survive and thrive. Most events included herein are compiled from United States Federal Emergency Management Age ...

Including:

• Disaster - Natural disasters
• Disaster - Avalanche
• Disaster - Cold
• Disaster - Disease
• Disaster - Drought
• Disaster - Earthquake
• Disaster - Famine
• Disaster - Fire
• Disaster - Flood
• Disaster - Hail
• Disaster - Heat
• Disaster - Hurricane
• Disaster - Impact event
• Disaster - Limnic eruption
• Disaster - Landslide
• Disaster - Mudslide
• Disaster - Sink hole
• Disaster - Solar flare
• Disaster - Storm surge
• Disaster - Thunderstorm
• Disaster - Tornado
• Disaster - Tsunami
• Disaster - Volcanic eruption
• Disaster - Waterspout
• Disaster - Winter storm
• Disaster - Man-made disasters
• Disaster - Aviation
• Disaster - Arson
• Disaster - CBRNs
• Disaster - Civil disorder
• Disaster - Crime
• Disaster - Data loss
• Disaster - Dam failure
• Disaster - Hazardous materials
• Disaster - Processing interruption
• Disaster - Liquidity shortage
• Disaster - Power outage
• Disaster - Public relations crisis
• Disaster - Radiation Contamination
• Disaster - Space Disasters
• Disaster - Telecommunication outage
• Disaster - Terrorism
• Disaster - War
• Disaster - Surviving a disaster
• Disaster - Personal and family disaster preparation
• Disaster - Local government and emergency services disaster preparation and management
• Disaster - Business disaster preparation and management
• Disaster - National disaster preparation
• Disaster - Humanitarian disaster preparation
• Disaster - Information security disaster preparation

Read more here: » Disaster: Encyclopedia - Disaster

With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. In some contexts, a superficial element of a body, such as hair may be regarded as not a part of it, even while attached. The same is true of excretable substances, such as stool, both while residing in the body and afterwards. Plants composed of more than one cell are ...

Including:

• Body - Injury
• Body - Books

Read more here: » Body: Encyclopedia - Body

Nutripathy is a form of alternative medicine that considers the pH of the body to be the most important indicator of health. Proponents of nutripathy claim that a simple urine or saliva pH test will determine the pH of an individual's body and thus the risk of disease to that individual. Following a pH test, nutripathy advocates taking supplements to "normalize" the body's pH. Proponents of nutripathy classify foods as either acid forming (makes the body more acidic) or alkaline forming (makes the body more alkaline) by measuri ...

Read more here: » Nutripathy: Encyclopedia - Nutripathy

This description of alcohol consumption and health focuses on the health effects of the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Moderate consumption typically means the consumption of 1 to 3 drinks of an alcoholic beverage a day; the number varies with age and gender. It does not address heavy or abusive drinking: It is widely recognized that over-drinking is harmful: alcohol abuse can damage human cells and organ ...

Including:

• Alcohol consumption and health - Related

Read more here: » Alcohol consumption and health: Encyclopedia - Alcohol consumption and health

Kriya is a physical action. In Yog it is referred to as an action which is directed towards a complete being, towards attaining a balance. When an imbalance occurs in the body a specific energy is required to bring the body in balance.

With the help of a kriya we force a balance in an imbalanced state. We give you here the kriya for the stomach - since elimination is one of the most important activities of the body for removing the waste or toxins or the congestion in the body.

Instructions and benefits for:

-       Agnisaar Kriya

(See also: Benefits of yoga , Yoga, Yoga and Health, Yoga Systems, Yoga Positions)

Read more here: » Benefits of yoga: Kriya for the stomach

Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in hospitalized patients. Elevated levels of magnesium (hypermagnesemia), however, are nearly always iatrogenic. 10-20% of all hospital patients, and 60-65% of patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) have hypomagnesemia. Hypomagnesiemia is underdiagnosed, as testing for serum magnesium levels is not routine. Hypomagnesemia results in increased mortality. Low levels of magnesium in your blood may mean either there is not enough magnesium in the diet, the intestines are not absorbing enough magnesiu ...

See also:

Hypomagnesemia, Hypomagnesemia - Homeostasis, Hypomagnesemia - Metabolism, Hypomagnesemia - Causes, Hypomagnesemia - Treatment, Hypomagnesemia - Arrhythmia, Hypomagnesemia - Obstetric, Hypomagnesemia - Electrolyte disturbances, Hypomagnesemia - Pulmonary

Read more here: » Hypomagnesemia: Encyclopedia II - Hypomagnesemia - Causes

ACUPRESSURE

Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force (sometimes known as qi or chi) to aid healing.

Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses the gentle, but firm pressure of hands (and even feet). There is a large amount of scientific data demonstrating why and how acupuncture is effective. But acupressure, the older of the two traditions, was neglected after the Chinese developed more technical methods for stimulating points with needles and electricity.

Acupressure, however, continues to be the most effective method for self-treatment of tension-related ailments by using the power and sensitivity of the human hand. Foremost among the advantages of acupressure’s healing touch is that it is safe to do on yourself and others - even if you’ve never done it before - so long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. The only pieces of equipment needed are your own two hands. You can practice acupressure therapy anytime, anywhere.

Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, tension due to stress, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower backaches, constipation, and indigestion. Self-acupressure can also be used to relieve anxiety and get better sleep at night. There are also great advantages to using acupressure as a way to balance the body and maintain good health.

The healing touch of acupressure reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. In acupressure, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, acupressure focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease - before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage.

The origins of acupressure are as ancient as the instinctive impulse to hold your forehead or temples when you have a headache. Everyone at one time or another has used their hands spontaneously to hold tense or painful places on the body. More than 5,000 years ago, the Chinese discovered that pressing certain points on the body relieved pain where it occurred and also benefited other parts of the body more remote from the pain and the pressure point. Gradually, they found other locations that not only alleviated pain, but also influenced the functioning of certain internal organs. (Definition in part from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points, by Michael Reed Gach, director of the Acupressure Institute.)

(See also: ACUPRESSURE , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Disease Dictionary

Coral bleaching results when the symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-celled algae) are released from the original host coral organism due to stress. The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend on these symbiotic photosynthesizing unicellular algae called "zooxanthellae" that live within their tissues. When the zooxantheallae are expelled, the coral loses its pigment, leading to a bleached or completely white appeara ...

Read more here: » Coral bleaching: Encyclopedia - Coral bleaching

Acute respiratory distress syndrome - General. Acute respiratory distress syndrome is usually treated with mechanical ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit. Ventilation is usually delivered through oro-tracheal intubation, or tracheostomy whenever prolonged ventilation (≥2 weeks) is deemed inevitable. The possibilities of non-invasive ventilation are limited to the very early period of the disease or, better, to prevention in individuals at risk for the development of the disease (atypical pneumonias, pulmonary contusion, major surgery patients). Treatment of the underlyi ...

See also:

Acute respiratory distress syndrome, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Definition, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Historical background, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Consensus after 1967 and 1994, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Patient presentation and diagnosis, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Pathophysiology, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Inflammation, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Mechanical stress, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Progression, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Treatment, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - General, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Mechanical ventilation, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Positive end-expiratory pressure, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Prone position, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Fluid management, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Corticosteroids, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Nitric oxide, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Surfactant therapy, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Complications, Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Epidemiology

Read more here: » Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Encyclopedia II - Acute respiratory distress syndrome - Treatment

This disease is mainly diagnosed by the appearance of the rash and its characteristics. Blood cultures are unreliable for diagnosis of the disease, but may be used to test for sepsis. Erypsipelas must be differentiated from herpes zoster, angioedema, contact dermatitis, and diffuse inflammatory carcinoma of the breast. Erysipelas can be distinguished from cellulitis by its raised advancing edges and sharp borders. ...

See also:

Erysipelas, Erysipelas - Risk factors, Erysipelas - Signs and symptoms, Erysipelas - Cause and transmission, Erysipelas - Diagnosis, Erysipelas - Treatment, Erysipelas - Complications

Read more here: » Erysipelas: Encyclopedia II - Erysipelas - Diagnosis

Bioterrorism - Category A agents. These are biological agents with both a high potential for adverse public health impact and that also have a serious potential for large-scale dissemination. The Category A agents are anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Anthrax  Anthrax is a bacterium with a highly resistant spore form. It is highly infectious and lethal when inhaled. It is a non-contagious disease which does not spread from one pe ...

See also:

Bioterrorism, Bioterrorism - Types of biological agents, Bioterrorism - Category A agents, Bioterrorism - Category B agents, Bioterrorism - Category C agents, Bioterrorism - Biological warfare programmes and convention on biological weapons, Bioterrorism - Modern bioterrorist incidents, Bioterrorism - Planning and reacting to a bioterrorist attack, Bioterrorism - Plants as sensors, Bioterrorism - Publications

Read more here: » Bioterrorism: Encyclopedia II - Bioterrorism - Types of biological agents