6 987 24 MORE How Does Anesthesia Work? Credit: itsmejust | Shutterstock If you’ve ever had surgery, unless you are super tough, you’ve gone through it with the benefit of anesthetics. But, how do these body-numbing elixirs work? Prior to the invention of anesthesia in the mid-1800s, surgeons had to hack off limbs, sew up wounds and remove mysterious growths with nothing to dull the patient's pain but opium or booze. While these drugs may have numbed the patient, they didn’t always completely block the pain, or erase the memory of it. Since then, doctors have gotten much better at putting us out with drug combinations that ease pain, relax muscles and, in some cases, put us in a deep state of hypnosis that gives us temporary amnesia. Today, there are two primary types of anesthesia drugs: those that knockout the whole body (general) and those that only numb things up locally.

Methotrexate works by reducing the function of the cells that are causing inflammation in the joint tissues. "Its use can reduce inflammation and therefore should help relieve pain and protect from joint damage," notes Sean A. Whelton, MD, a rheumatologist and associate professor of medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Less inflammation in the joints should mean less joint pain and less joint swelling. You should also feel less fatigue and less morning stiffness.

Dealing with choking

A bowel obstruction happens when either your small or large intestine is partly or completely blocked. The blockage prevents food, fluids, and gas from moving through the intestines in the normal way. The blockage may cause severe pain that comes and goes. This topic covers a blockage caused by tumors, scar tissue, or twisting or narrowing of the intestines. It does not cover ileus, which most commonly happens after surgery on the belly (abdominal surgery). What causes a bowel obstruction? Tumors, scar tissue (adhesions), or twisting or narrowing of the intestines can cause a bowel obstruction. These are called mechanical obstructions . In the small intestine, scar tissue is most often the cause. Other causes include hernias and Crohn's disease, which can twist or narrow the intestine, and tumors, which can block the intestine. A blockage also can happen if one part of the intestine folds like a telescope into another part, which is called intussusception.

DRE

Testing for the four features of Gerstmann Syndrome in this patient with two separate left sided strokes (left frontoparietal ischaemic stroke followed by left posterior parietal haemorrhagic stroke). He exhibits (i) acalculia, (ii) agraphia, (iii) left-right disorientation, and (iv) finger agnosia. Complicating the issue is his obvious nonfluent aphasia (expressive dysphasia) with paraphasic errors (replacing words with associated words (e.g. says 'fork' instead of 'spoon')) and some comprehension issues.

This video demonstrates why ears become clogged and why ear popping helps. The video also explains why ear popping may become difficult resulting in a persistent clogged or muffled ear especially after an ear infection.

Researchers have received approval to bring 20 brain-dead humans back to life

If you look at someone’s back, you’ll see that the spine runs straight down the middle. When a person has scoliosis, their backbone curves to the side. The angle of the curve may be small, large or somewhere in between. But anything that measures more than 10 degrees is considered scoliosis. Doctors may use the letters “C” and “S” to describe the curve of the backbone. You probably don’t look directly at too many spines, but what you might notice about someone with scoliosis is the way they stand. They may lean a little or have shoulders or hips that look uneven. What Causes Scoliosis? In as many as 80% of cases, doctors don’t find the exact reason for a curved spine. Scoliosis without a known cause is what doctors call “idiopathic.” Some kinds of scoliosis do have clear causes. Doctors divide those curves into two types -- structural and nonstructural. In nonstructural scoliosis, the spine works normally, but looks curved. Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons, such as one leg’s being longer than the other, muscle spasms, and inflammations like appendicitis. When these problems are treated, this type of scoliosis often goes away.

Graphic video demonstrating the reconstruction of a facial cheek defect following the removal of a common skin cancer in a challenging location near the lower eyelid. Visit us @ www.skincancercentre.com.

Graphic images focusing on the reconstruction of an ear after the removal of a long-standing skin cancer that this patient allowed to slowly grow over many years because he was afraid of what the surgery to remove might entail. Go to www.skincancercentre.com to learn more about the importance of the early diagnosis of skin cancer. BTW, when you put on your sunscreen, don't forget your ears, and wear a broad brimmed hat to cover this very vulnerable area of your anatomy. www.skincancercentre.com

This medical 3D animation exhibit shows the left brachial plexus during birth and shoulder dystocia. Anatomy: symphysis pubis, uterus, sacrum, coccyx and fetus. "McRoberts Position". An episiotomy is cut. Brachial Plexus stretch injury. Retraction of head (turtle sign). Suprapubic pressure, gentle traction. To view our medical library of exhibits,

This surgical procedure helps children defeat bone cancer.

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. Food passes through a long tube inside the body known as the alimentary canal or the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).

A to Z in ecg arabic lesson 2

Overweight does not necessarily equal unhealthy. There are actually plenty of overweight people who are in excellent health (1). Conversely, many normal weight people have the metabolic problems associated with obesity (2). That’s because the fat under the skin is actually not that big of a problem (at least not from a health standpoint, it’s more of a cosmetic problem). It’s the fat in the abdominal cavity, the belly fat, that causes the biggest issues (3). If you have a lot of excess fat around your waistline, even if you’re not very heavy, then you should take some steps to get rid of it. Belly fat is usually estimated by measuring the circumference around your waist. This can easily be done at home with a simple tape measure. Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women, is known as abdominal obesity. There are actually a few proven strategies that have been shown to target the fat in the belly area more than other areas of the body.

Watch that video of Unbelievable Mutations and Medical Condition Photos

New York Plastic Surgeon, Carlin Vickery, MD (http://www.5thavesurgery.com) performs a CoolSculpting by Zeltiq procedure.

A NYC patient in this video explains her interest in the CoolSculpting procedure and discusses her experience on camera while receiving this Zeltiq treatment.

Tru Story - Adventures in the NICU.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Axis II (personality disorders) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood." Antisocial personality disorder is sometimes wrongly referred to as psychopathy or sociopathy. Currently, neither psychopathy nor sociopathy are valid diagnoses described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization also lacks psychopathy as a diagnostic disorder. Psychopathy is normally seen as a subset of the antisocial personality disorder, but Blair believes that the antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy may be separate conditions altogether.