Hemostasis is the mechanism by which the body stops blood loss. It involves a series of steps first to rapidly plug the leak and then to secure it followed by permanent healing processes that restores the integrity of the blood vessel. One of the important phases of hemostasis is the coagulation phase which involves >> Read More ...
What is hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia is the medical term for elevated calcium levels in the blood. Most patients with moderately elevated blood calcium levels are asymptomatic (without symptoms) and hypercalcemia is often detected upon routine blood tests. It can however lead to acute emergencies, often associated with >> Read More ...
Polycythemia is due to an excess of red blood cells. This is known as true polycythemia and occurs when some pathology triggers the excessive production of red blood cells. True polycythemia leads to an elevated red blood cell count. Relative polycythemia or apparent polycythemia is where the total red blood cell count is >> Read More ...
Polycythemia is an increase in the circulating red blood blood cell count or a higher than normal concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. In the true sense of the word, polycythemia is not a high level of hemoglobin on its own but a consequence of either an elevated red blood cell count or low plasma levels. Polycythemia >> Read More ...
The stomach has an extensive blood supply to nourish it during digestion and can carry away some nutrients. Arteries carry blood that is rich in oxygen and nutrients to the organ while veins drain out wastes and carbon dioxide for processing. However, when most people talk about the stomach arteries they are actually >> Read More ...
We usually consider surface bleeding as a break in the skin from where blood pours our (hemorrhage). However, it is possible for bruising to occur on the surface without a break in the skin or bleeding into the environment. This appears as a tiny patches ranging from red to blue or even purple in color. We refer to it as >> Read More ...
Whether it is a fall, slip of a knife or a paper cut, we all occasionally injure ourselves to a point that leads to bleeding. In most instances these minor cuts (lacerations)are not serious. Bleeding can be stopped quickly. Infections do not tend to set in with proper wound care. Apart from the pain that lasts for a few >> Read More ...
There are many types of diseases that are caused by the immune system malfunctioning. Some are mild like in allergies where the immune system is hypersenstive (although some allergic reactions can be deadly) while others are more serious. Among the latter, lupus is often dreaded because it is serious and can be severe. >> Read More ...
Guillain-Barré syndrome is an uncommon disease but has been thrust into the spotlight with the Zika virus outbreak. The disease affects about 3 in 100,000 Americans and is more common in adults, particularly in the elderly. However, with the Zika outbreak there is concern that Guillain-Barré syndrome may be more commonly >> Read More ...
Blood clots are the body’s way of sealing off a break in a blood vessel. It stops blood loss and is eventually dissolved by the body once the damaged area is healed. Most of us see blood clots often on the skin surface following an injury and in these cases we refer to the clot as a scab. However, blood clots can >> Read More ...
