Hypertension is the elevated pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. A sustained arterial pressure of 140/90 mm Hg (systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg) or more is conventionally considered to be hypertension. It is the most common cardiovascular disease in the >> Read More ...
The heart has thick walls mainly composed of muscle in order for it to maintain its functioning of pumping blood throughout the body. This muscular layer is known as the myocardium and surrounded by the inner lining (endocardium) and outer layers (epicardium). The heart is working throughout life, contracting and relaxing, >> Read More ...
A throat infection is one of the most common upper respiratory tract conditions affecting every person at some point in life. The most common pathogens are viruses and then bacteria. Among the different types of bacteria, it is the group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes) that are more commonly involved in a sore >> Read More ...
Neck Overview The human neck is much more than just a connection between the chest and the head. A major part of the neck supports the important connections between the head and the rest of the body, like the blood vessels, nerves, the breathing tube (trachea) and the food tube (esophagus). Apart from this, the neck >> Read More ...
What is a Brain Tumor? Sometimes cells in the body grow and multiply indiscriminately to produce an abnormal mass of tissue which is known as a tumor. When such a growth occurs in the brain, it is called a brain tumor. The cause of this uncontrolled growth is not always known. The tumor may grow slowly or rapidly but it >> Read More ...
The immune system has several mechanisms to neutralize invading microorganisms, limit the damage to the body and totally eradicate the infection. This immune response is a carefully coordinated sequence of events that ensures that the invaders are specifically targeted and the body’s tissues are spared. However, >> Read More ...
Upon coming out of the womb a newborn baby will cry and take the first breath. If this does not occur, the attending doctor will take the necessary steps to ensure that there is no airway obstruction and that the baby is breathing properly. From this point on, the baby learns that crying is a means of communicating with >> Read More ...
The heart valves are important structures in the heart and at its junction with the major arteries. By opening and closing at different stages of heart contraction, these valves ensure that blood flows in one direction through the heart. There are four main valves in the heart and blood vessels – one between the >> Read More ...
Femoral neck is the region connecting the shaft of the thigh bone (femur) to its rounded head, which fits into the hip joint (Picture 1). The femoral neck is potentially weak, because of its relatively smaller cross-sectional area and spongy bone tissue (cancellous bone). It is a part of the weight-bearing axis, which >> Read More ...
Delayed milestones of development in a baby, such as a delay in sitting up or walking, may lead to a diagnosis of cerebral ataxia. For instance, most babies learn to walk by 12 to 14 months of age. If it is noticed that even at 20 months the baby cannot walk and other milestones of development are delayed, together with >> Read More ...
