Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic digestive disease. GERD occurs when stomach acid or, occasionally, stomach content, flows back into your food pipe (esophagus). The backwash (reflux) irritates the lining of your esophagus and causes GERD. Both acid reflux and heartburn are common digestive conditions that many people experience from time to time. When these signs and symptoms occur at least twice each week or interfere with your daily life, or when your doctor can see damage to your esophagus, you may be diagnosed with GERD. Most people can manage the discomfort of GERD with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. But some people with GERD may need stronger medications, or even surgery, to reduce symptoms.

You may have recently found out that you are deficient or know someone who is. It's shocking for most people when they have never had a problem before and believe nothing has changed to make it a problem now. The truth is that a lot has changed, and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is now a global public-health problem affecting an estimated 1 billion people worldwide. The most well-known consequences to not having enough vitamin D are rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. These are far from the only problems associated with a vitamin D deficiency.

The "sunshine" vitamin is a hot topic. You may have recently found out that you are deficient or know someone who is. It's shocking for most people when they have never had a problem before and believe nothing has changed to make it a problem now. The truth is that a lot has changed, and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is now a global public-health problem affecting an estimated 1 billion people worldwide. The most well-known consequences to not having enough vitamin D are rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. These are far from the only problems associated with a vitamin D deficiency.

Your stomach must be empty, so you should not eat or drink anything for approximately 8 hours before the examination. Your physician will be more specific about the time to begin fasting depending on the time of day that your test is scheduled. Your current medications may need to be adjusted or avoided. Most medications can be continued as usual. Medication use such as aspirin, Vitamin E, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, blood thinners and insulin should be discussed with your physician prior to the examination as well as any other medication you might be taking. It is therefore best to inform your physician of any allergies to medications, iodine, or shellfish. It is essential that you alert your physician if you require antibiotics prior to undergoing dental procedures, since you may also require antibiotics prior to ERCP. Also, if you have any major diseases, such as heart or lung disease that may require special attention during the procedure, discuss this with your physician. To make the examination comfortable, you will be sedated during the procedure, and, therefore, you will need someone to drive you home afterward. Sedatives will affect your judgment and reflexes for the rest of the day, so you should not drive or operate machinery until the next day.

ERCP is most commonly performed to diagnose conditions of the pancreas or bile ducts, and is also used to treat those conditions. It is used to evaluate symptoms suggestive of disease in these organs, or to further clarify abnormal results from blood tests or imaging tests such as ultrasound or CT scan. The most common reasons to do ERCP include abdominal pain, weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), or an ultrasound or CT scan that shows stones or a mass in these organs. ERCP may be used before or after gallbladder surgery to assist in the performance of that operation. Bile duct stones can be diagnosed and removed with an ERCP. Tumors, both cancerous and noncancerous, can be diagnosed and then treated with indwelling plastic tubes that are used to bypass a blockage of the bile duct. Complications from gallbladder surgery can also sometimes be diagnosed and treated with ERCP. In patients with suspected or known pancreatic disease, ERCP will help determine the need for surgery or the best type of surgical procedure to be performed. Occasionally, pancreatic stones can be removed by ERCP.

ERCP is a procedure that enables your physician to examine the pancreatic and bile ducts. A bendable, lighted tube (endoscope) about the thickness of your index finger is placed through your mouth and into your stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum). In the duodenum a small opening is identified (ampulla) and a small plastic tube (cannula) is passed through the endoscope and into this opening. Dye (contrast material) is injected and X-rays are taken to study the ducts of the pancreas and liver.

If you have a blocked artery, your doctor may need to open the blockage and restore blood flow using a small mesh tube called a stent. The stent is inserted in your artery during an angioplasty procedure. Until now, stents were permanent. Now there is a fully dissolving stent available to treat blockages.

INDICATIONS The Absorb GT1 Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) is a temporary scaffold that will fully resorb over time and is indicated for improving coronary luminal diameter in patients with ischemic heart disease due to de novo native coronary artery lesions (length ≤ 24 mm) with a reference vessel diameter of ≥ 2.5 mm and ≤ 3.75 mm WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS? Treatment options for CAD have become increasingly common but, as with any invasive procedure, there are potential risk factors and complications. Serious complications do not occur often, and research is ongoing to make these procedures even safer and more effective. The risk of complications from percutaneous treatment methods may be higher for individuals: 75 years of age and older Who are women Who have kidney disease or diabetes Who have serious heart disease Who have had prior cardiac interventions

When the arteries in your heart become blocked, the condition is called coronary artery disease. It can be a serious condition if not treated. Coronary artery disease puts you at risk for a heart attack. Be sure you pay attention to your symptoms and manage your heart health risks.

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Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues. As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath. You can usually correct iron deficiency anemia with iron supplementation. Sometimes additional tests or treatments for iron deficiency anemia are necessary, especially if your doctor suspects that you're bleeding internally.

Traumatic penile injury can be due to multiple factors. Penile fracture, penile amputation, penetrating penile injuries, and penile soft tissue injuries are considered urologic emergencies and typically require surgical intervention. The goals of treatment for penile trauma are universal: preservation of penile length, erectile function, and maintenance of the ability to void while standing. Traumatic injury to the penis may concomitantly involve the urethra.[1, 2] Urethral injury and repair is beyond the scope of this article but details can be found in Urethral Trauma. Penile fracture Penile fracture is the traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum. Traumatic rupture of the penis is relatively uncommon and is considered a urologic emergency.[3] Sudden blunt trauma or abrupt lateral bending of the penis in an erect state can break the markedly thinned and stiff tunica albuginea, resulting in a fractured penis. One or both corpora may be involved, and concomitant injury to the penile urethra may occur. Urethral trauma is more common when both corpora cavernosa are injured.[4] Penile rupture can usually be diagnosed based solely on history and physical examination findings; however, in equivocal cases, diagnostic cavernosography or MRI should be performed. Concomitant urethral injury must be considered; therefore, preoperative retrograde urethrographic studies should generally be performed. See the images below.

First Aid for a suspected Fracture

OverviewSymptomsTestingComplicationsTreatmentPreventionTakeawayRead This Next What is gonorrhea? Highlights Some people may never develop noticeable symptoms. Gonorrhea is usually treated with an antibiotic injection or oral antibiotics. You’re at a higher risk of contracting gonorrhea if you’ve had any other STDs. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It’s caused by infection with the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It tends to infect warm, moist areas of the body, including the: urethra (the tube that drains urine from the urinary bladder) eyes throat vagina anus female reproductive tract (the fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus) Gonorrhea passes from person to person through unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex. People with numerous sexual partners or those who don’t use a condom are at greatest risk of infection. The best protections against infection are abstinence, monogamy (sex with only one partner), and proper condom usage. Behaviors that make a person more likely to engage in unprotected sex also increase the likelihood of infection. These behaviors include alcohol abuse and illegal drug abuse, particularly intravenous drug use. Advertisement Symptoms of gonorrhea Symptoms

Preventing Sexually Transmitted Diseases A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an infection that is spread during sexual contact with another person. This includes touching, since some STDs can be spread from skin-to-skin contact. In general, STDs are highly preventable. Almost 20 million new STDs are diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, a large number of those infections could be avoided if people made different decisions about their sexual health. The only guaranteed method to prevent STDs is to abstain from all sexual contact. This may not a practical solution for everyone. Fortunately, there are steps people can take to limit their risk of exposure.

Choosing not to have sex provides 100 percent protection from HIV, STIs, and pregnancy. For some, this means avoiding vaginal, anal, and oral-genital intercourse altogether. Others may choose to avoid any type of sexual or intimate contact, including hugging and kissing. Choosing not to have sex is often referred to as “abstinence.” WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING NOT TO HAVE SEX (ABSTINENCE)? Choosing not to have sex is free and available to all. Not having sex is extremely effective at preventing both infection and pregnancy. It is the only 100% effective method of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. Not having sex can be practiced at any time in one's life. Not having sex may encourage people to build relationships in other ways. Not having sex may be the course of action which you feel is right for you and makes you feel good about yourself.

Looking for a week-by-week guide to pregnancy? You're in luck! We've got loads of expert-approved info about each week and trimester, including what's up with your growing baby and what changes to expect for yourself. You'll find stunning fetal development videos, thousands of articles, and helpful tools like our Due Date Calculator and Baby Names Finder. Meet other parents-to-be in our online community, and get all of this and more in our free pregnancy app. Dive in, and congratulations!

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine system disorder among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have enlarged ovaries that contain small collections of fluid — called follicles — located in each ovary as seen during an ultrasound exam. Infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, and obesity can all occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. In adolescents, infrequent or absent menstruation may raise suspicion for the condition. The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.