Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure which consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea (windpipe). The resulting stoma (hole), or tracheostomy, can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheostomy tube to be inserted; this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of his or her nose or mouth. Both surgical and percutaneous techniques are widely used in current surgical practice. It is among the oldest described procedures.

Anemia is a condition in which you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body's tissues. Having anemia may make you feel tired and weak. There are many forms of anemia, each with its own cause. Anemia can be temporary or long term, and it can range from mild to severe. See your doctor if you suspect you have anemia because it can be a warning sign of serious illness. Treatments for anemia range from taking supplements to undergoing medical procedures. You may be able to prevent some types of anemia by eating a healthy, varied diet.

Menopause is defined as occurring 12 months after your last menstrual period and marks the end of menstrual cycles. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. Menopause is a natural biological process. Although it also ends fertility, you can stay healthy, vital and sexual. Some women feel relieved because they no longer need to worry about pregnancy. Even so, the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy or — for some women — trigger anxiety or feelings of sadness and loss. Don't hesitate to seek treatment for symptoms that bother you. Many effective treatments are available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism," it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. The estimates vary, but approximately 10 million Americans have this common medical condition. In fact, as many as 10% of women may have some degree of thyroid hormone deficiency. Hypothyroidism is more common than you would believe, and millions of people are currently hypothyroid and don't know it.

Menstruation is the time of month when the womb (uterus) sheds its lining and vaginal bleeding occurs. This is known as a menstrual period. Periods vary widely from woman to woman. Some periods are punctual, some are unpredictable. On average, a woman gets her period every 24 to 38 days. A period usually lasts about two to eight days. Irregular periods may require treatment. What Are Irregular Periods? You may have irregular periods if: The time between each period starts to change. You are losing more or less blood during a period than usual. The number of days that your period lasts varies significantly. There are different terms for different types of irregular periods: Irregular Menstrual Bleeding (IrregMB): Bleeding of more than 20 days in individual cycle lengths over a period of one year. Absent Menstrual Bleeding (amenorrhea): No bleeding in a 90-day period. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB): Excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with the woman’s physical, emotional, social, and material quality of life and can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms. Heavy and Prolonged Menstrual Bleeding (HPMB): Less common than HMB. It is important to make a distinction from HMB given they may have different etiologies and respond to different therapies. Light Menstrual Bleeding: Based on patient complaint, rarely related to pathology.

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly, and you feel tired even after a full night's sleep. The main types of sleep apnea are: Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. If you think you might have any form of sleep apnea, see your doctor. Treatment can ease your symptoms and may help prevent heart problems and other complications.

The Ortolani method is an examination method that identifies a dislocated hip that can be reduced into the socket (acetabulum). Ortolani described the feeling of reduction as a “Hip Click” but the translation from Italian was interpreted a sound instead of a sensation of the hip moving over the edge of the socket when it re-located. After the age of six weeks, this sensation is rarely detectable and should not be confused with snapping that is common and can occur in stable hips when ligaments in and around the hip create clicking noises. When the Ortolani test is positive because the hip is dislocated, treatment is recommended to keep the hip in the socket until stability has been established

Tighten Sagging Breasts

This video: Claudication is pain caused by too little blood flow, usually during exercise. Sometimes called intermittent claudication, this condition generally affects the blood vessels in the legs, but claudication can affect the arms, too. At first, you'll probably notice the pain only when you're exercising, but as claudication worsens, the pain may affect you even when you're at rest. Although it's sometimes considered a disease, claudication is technically a symptom of a disease. Most often, claudication is a symptom of peripheral artery disease, a potentially serious but treatable circulation problem in which the vessels that supply blood flow to your legs or arms are narrowed. Fortunately, with treatment, you may be able to maintain an active lifestyle without pain.

Tampon for The First Time

Knee pain facts Knee pain is a common problem with many causes, from acute injuries to complications of medical conditions. Knee pain can be localized to a specific area of the knee or be diffuse throughout the knee. Knee pain is often accompanied by physical restriction. A thorough physical examination will usually establish the diagnosis of knee pain. The treatment of knee pain depends on the underlying cause. The prognosis of knee pain is usually good although it might require surgery or other interventions.

The kidneys are a pair of organs located in the back of the abdomen. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long -- about the size of a fist. The kidneys' function are to filter the blood. All the blood in our bodies passes through the kidneys several times a day. The kidneys remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, and regulate the balance of electrolytes. As the kidneys filter blood, they create urine, which collects in the kidneys' pelvis -- funnel-shaped structures that drain down tubes called ureters to the bladder. Each kidney contains around a million units called nephrons, each of which is a microscopic filter for blood. It's possible to lose as much as 90% of kidney function without experiencing any symptoms or problems.

High cholesterol, or dyslipidemia, means that there is an imbalance of fats (lipids), circulating in your blood stream. Cholesterol is a fatty substance your body uses to make hormones and metabolize food.

Cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. The liver carries out several necessary functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, cleaning your blood and making vital nutrients. Cirrhosis occurs in response to damage to your liver. Each time your liver is injured, it tries to repair itself. In the process, scar tissue forms. As cirrhosis progresses, more and more scar tissue forms, making it difficult for the liver to function. Decompensated cirrhosis is the term used to describe the development of specific complications resulting from the changes brought on by cirrhosis. Decompensated cirrhosis is life-threatening. The liver damage done by cirrhosis generally can't be undone. But if liver cirrhosis is diagnosed early and the cause is treated, further damage can be limited and, rarely, reversed.

Hearing loss can affect anyone at any age, due to heredity, medical conditions or loud noise exposure. However, as we get older, we naturally become more susceptible to hearing loss because of changes to the delicate mechanics of our ears.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is very common and can affect people of any age. It affects men and women equally. It is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including young athletes. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs if heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken. The ventricle size often remains normal, but the thickening may block blood flow out of the ventricle. If this happens, the condition is called obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Sometimes the septum, the wall that divides the left and right sides of the heart, thickens and bulges into the left ventricle. This can block blood flow out of the left ventricle. Then the ventricle must work hard to pump blood. Symptoms can include chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also can affect the heart's mitral valve, causing blood to leak backward through the valve. Sometimes, the thickened heart muscle doesn't block blood flow out of the left ventricle. This is referred to as non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The entire ventricle may thicken, or the thickening may happen only at the bottom of the heart. The right ventricle also may be affected. In both obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, the thickened muscle makes the inside of the left ventricle smaller, so it holds less blood. The walls of the ventricle may stiffen, and as a result, the ventricle is less able to relax and fill with blood.

The normal electrical conduction in the heart allows the impulse that is generated by the sinoatrial node (SA node) of the heart to be propagated to (and stimulate) the cardiac muscle (myocardium). The myocardium contracts after stimulation.

Dehydration can also be a cause of kidney stones. A common symptom is having a lower left abdominal pain, fever, nausea, groin pain and vomiting. Lower left abdominal pain can also be caused by an infection of the kidneys. It usually begins with the bladder and then reaches out to the kidneys.

It's a symptom of heart disease but typically does not cause permanent damage to the heart. It is, though, a sign that you are a candidate for a heart attack at some point in the future. The chest pain may spread to your arm, shoulder, jaw, or back. It may feel like a pressure or squeezing sensation.

Pruritis is itchy skin that makes you want to scratch. It can be caused by many things. Normally, itchy skin isn't serious, but it can make you uncomfortable. Sometimes, itchy skin is caused by a serious medical condition. It can occur in association with a primary rash (e.g. dermatitis) or may occur because of hypersensitive nerves in the skin (neuropathic pruritus). ... Scratching a localised itch may lead to lichen simplex, prurigo or prurigo nodularis. Systemic causes of pruritus. Sytemic diseases may cause generalised pruritus.