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Very small currents can be imperceptible. Larger current passing through the body may make it impossible for a shock victim to let go of an energized object. Still larger currents can cause fibrillation of the heart and damage to tissues. Death caused by an electric shock is called electrocution.
People whose back or neck pain has not been relieved by back surgery or other treatments may have another option to consider: spinal cord stimulation. Around the world, some 14,000 patients undergo spinal cord stimulator implants each year. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) delivers mild electrical stimulation to nerves along the spinal column, modifying or blocking nerve activity in a non-medicinal way to minimize the sensation of pain reaching the brain.
The voice box, or larynx, has three important functions. It is necessary for breathing, voice and swallowing. The vocal folds have two positions, open (apart) for breathing (picture I) and closed (together) for making sound, coughing and sealing off the lungs when swallowing (picture II). When one of the vocal folds are paralyzed, it usually rests in an in-between position (picture III), and neither opens for breathing, nor closes for voicing, coughing, or swallowing. Usually, the effects on the voice are the most dramatic. The voice becomes weak and breathy. People can only say a few words per breath, and are frequently out-of-breath, or physically tired when trying to speak for more than a few minutes straight. The voice may also get somewhat high and squeaky, with a diminished range. Swallowing may be affected as well, where you may notice some choking or coughing with certain liquids. Your cough is frequently different and very weak. This is a serious problem for patients with with vocal fold paralysis because one of the most important functions of the larynx is to keep liquids out of the lungs, and to be able to cough up mucus. When this does not happen, you are at risk for getting an "aspiration" pneumonia. The surgical procedure to restore these important functions is called "medialization laryngoplasty"
Most scoliosis surgeons agree that children who have very severe curves (45-50° and higher) will need surgery to lessen the curve and prevent it from getting worse. The operation for scoliosis is a spinal fusion. The basic idea is to realign and fuse together the curved vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone. With the tools and technology available today, scoliosis surgeons are able to improve curves significantly.
What are diverticula? Diverticula are outpouchings that most commonly happen in the sigmoid colon of the large intestine. The presence of a diverticulum is defined as diverticulosis, whereas diverticulitis describes an inflamed diverticulum
Formerly called toxemia, preeclampsia is a condition that pregnant women develop. It is marked by high blood pressure in women who have previously not experienced high blood pressure before. Preeclamptic women will have a high level of protein in their urine and often also have swelling in the feet, legs, and hands. This condition usually appears late in pregnancy, generally after the 20 week mark, although it can occur earlier
The heart and circulatory system (also called the cardiovascular system) make up the network that delivers blood to the body's tissues. With each heartbeat, blood is sent throughout our bodies, carrying oxygen and nutrients to all of our cells.