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The primary functions of the liver are: Bile production and excretion. Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs. Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Enzyme activation. Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals. Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors.
Ear irrigation is a routine procedure used to remove excess earwax, called cerumen, or foreign materials from the ear. The ear naturally secretes earwax to protect, lubricate, keep debris out, and regulate bacterial growth. Under normal conditions, the body keeps the amount of earwax in the ears .
A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries. Any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate your knee, especially when putting your full weight on it, can lead to a torn meniscus. Each of your knees has two menisci — C-shaped pieces of cartilage that act like a cushion between your shinbone and your thighbone. A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling and stiffness. You also might feel a block to knee motion and have trouble extending your knee fully. Conservative treatment — such as rest, ice and medication — is sometimes enough to relieve the pain of a torn meniscus and give the injury time to heal on its own. In other cases, however, a torn meniscus requires surgical repair.
Tooth loss can make you look older. When you lose a tooth and don’t replace it with a dental implant, you risk the chance of jawbone loss. Normally, your tooth root stimulates the continued growth and health of your jawbone. Dental implants mirror your natural tooth root and keep your jawbone healthy.
Breath sounds can be either normal or abnormal. These sounds come from the lungs when you breathe in or out. These sounds can be heard using a stethoscope or simply when breathing. Abnormal breath sounds can indicate a lung problem, such as: an obstruction inflammation an infection fluid in the lungs asthma Listening to breath sounds is an important part of diagnosing many different medical conditions.
A surgeon creates an arteriovenous fistula by making a connection between an artery (which carries blood away from the heart) and a vein (which carries blood back to the heart). This artificial connection allows the vein to become larger and for the walls of the vein to thicken, a process termed maturation. A mature fistula makes it easier for the vein to be punctured repeatedly for dialysis. Maturation typically takes three to six months to occur, but in rare cases, can take up to a year. This makes advance planning for an arteriovenous fistula important. When a patient is felt to be approximately a year away from requiring dialysis, the patient should be referred for evaluation for possible creation of an arteriovenous fistula.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system estimated to affect 2.3 million people worldwide. It is a chronic disease in which the immune system abnormally attacks the insulation and support around the nerve cells (myelin sheath) in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, causing inflammation and consequent damage. MS is a leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young people, usually striking between 20 and 40 years of age. There is no cure for MS, but research continues to better understand and treat the disease.
The E.coli bacteria has claimed 14 lives and infected more than 300 hundred in the country. It has now spread to other European states.
Facing an increasing number of cases, German health authorities warned people to avoid eating raw cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce.
Reinhard Burger, President of Robert Koch Institute, said, "As for the present situation there is no reason to give the all-clear yet and it is possible the original source of the infection is still active and could lead to further infections."
The first cases of the EHEC outbreak were noticed in Northern Germany, but infections are now spreading across the country.
Cases haves spiked compared to other years, and are still rising.
Daniel Bahr, German Health Minister, said, "The result is that we unfortunately still have to prepare for a rising number of cases. Exercising caution is still recommended and we ask our citizens to be particularly careful. "
But, the German government says it's working around the clock to stop the outbreak and clarify how it arose.
Ilse Aigner, German Agriculture Minister, said, "Together, we face a big challenge to piece together hundreds or thousands of mosaic pieces from Germany and abroad into an overall picture that gives us a clear answer on how this terrible infection arose. "
In the meantime, experts are advising not to eat pre-packaged or prepared salad, which may contain the bacteria.
Truncus arteriosus is a rare type of heart disease that in which a single blood vessel (truncus arteriosus) comes out of the right and left ventricles, instead of the normal 2 vessels (pulmonary artery and aorta). It is present at birth (congenital heart disease)
A nerve root block is an injection of local anesthetic (numbing medicine) and steroid injected under X-ray guidance into the area where the nerve exits the spinal column. A nerve root block is usually ordered by your doctor for pain in the arm or leg that follows the path of a single nerve. A nerve root block may be diagnostic (a test to determine the source of your pain) and/or therapeutic (to relieve your pain). If you get a period of sustained pain relief from the injection, the block may be repeated. Sometimes the block is done to help identify whether or not surgery might be helpful and at what level such surgery might be most helpful.