What is an umbilical hernia? An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of the abdominal contents through the abdominal wall at the site of the umbilicus (navel, belly button). Umbilical hernias are more commonly seen in infants but may also occur in adults, particularly in females. These hernias can either be congenital >> Read More ...
Chest Pain in Heart Attack Chest pain associated with a heart attack (myocardial infarction) is often described as tightness, pressure, squeezing or crushing chest pain. It is usually central, located just behind the breastbone (retrosternal chest pain, breastbone pain) on the anterior surface of the chest. In a patient at >> Read More ...
Stomach pains are a common complaint among children and it is not uncommon for parents to question the validity of a child’s complaint. Whether physical, psychogenic or just an excuse to avoid an activity, stomach pain in children should always be investigated as it could be a symptom of a serious disorder. The >> Read More ...
Upper stomach pain is often used to describe upper abdominal pain in general. Although the stomach lies mainly in the left upper quadrant, it is difficult to correlate pain in this area specifically with stomach-related conditions. A number of other structures and organs lie in this part of the abdomen and have to be >> Read More ...
What is cholangitis? Cholangitis is the medical term for inflammation of the bile ducts. The most common cause is a bacterial infection which arises as a result of pathology within the bile ducts, usually a bile duct blockage. The bile ducts carry bile from the liver and gallbladder into the duodenum. It is also joined by >> Read More ...
Post-Prandial Gastric Pain The term ‘stomach pain‘ is often used loosely to describe abdominal pain in general. However, it is widely accepted that the term ‘stomach pain‘ describes left upper quadrant (LUQ) abdominal pain. This is where the stomach is primarily located and most of it is tucked >> Read More ...
What is a Hernia? A hernia is an abnormal protrusion of the contents of a cavity through its walls. Hernias are most commonly seen in the abdominal cavity and hence the term hernia is often used synonymously with an abdominal hernia. In this type of hernia, the abdominal contents like parts of the small intestine may >> Read More ...
What are blood vessels? Blood vessels are the specially designed tubes that carry blood throughout the body. The vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the different areas of the body are known as arteries (singular ~ artery) while those vessels that carry oxygen-deficient blood back to the heart are known >> Read More ...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD (UK ~ gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, GORD) is a chronic condition characterized by constant or recurrent episodes of acid reflux. The persistent backward flow of the acidic stomach contents up into the esophagus eventually leads to a host of complications and therefore proper >> Read More ...
