Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of joint inflammation (arthritis) that is long-lasting (chronic) and most often affects the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis commonly causes pain and stiffness, with limited motion in the low back, middle back, neck, hips, chest wall, and heels. Ankylosing spondylitis is a specific disease...
An anorectal abscess is a pocket of pus in the tissue near the end of the rectum (anus). Most abscesses are caused by a blocked anal gland that develops an infection. Other possible causes of an anorectal abscess include: Infection in an anal fissure. Complications of diseases that affect the colon, such as Crohn's...
What is anorexia? Anorexia is a type of eating disorder. People who have anorexia usually have a very low body weight because of an intense fear of gaining weight. They may not eat enough food because of this fear. Some people with anorexia make themselves vomit to avoid weight gain. Sometimes they exercise too much...
Anorexia nervosa (say "an-uh-RECK-see-uh nur-VOH-suh") is a type of eating disorder. People who have anorexia usually have a very low body weight because of an intense fear of gaining weight. They may not eat enough food because of this fear. Some people make themselves vomit to avoid weight gain. Sometimes they...
People who have anorexia often have difficulty at mealtimes. If mealtime is a stressful time for you, try something different. During meals: Try to eat slowly and gradually. Do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed by the idea of eating a meal. Talk with other people about things that interest you. Avoid talking about...
Sometimes people who have anorexia find it difficult to trust family members, friends, health professionals, and others who are trying to help them. There are many reasons for this, such as anxiety about losing control and gaining weight. And it can be hard to adjust to a whole new way of eating, exercising, and taking...
What is anosmia? Anosmia (say "ay-NAWZ-mee-uh") is the loss of the sense of smell. It can be a problem by itself or a symptom of another health problem. It can last a short time, such as when you have a stuffy nose from a cold, or it can be permanent. Some people have a reduced sense of smell. This is called hyposmia...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be seen in this front view of the left knee joint. The ACL links the upper leg bone (femur) with one of the lower leg bones (tibia) by running crosswise inside the center of the knee joint. The ACL helps stabilize the knee.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four knee ligaments that connect the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia) and help keep the knee stable. The ACL is inside the knee joint. It helps control rotation and helps keep the tibia from sliding too far forward.
What is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury? An anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injury is a tear in one of the knee ligaments that joins the upper leg bone with the lower leg bone. The ACL keeps the knee stable. Injuries range from mild, such as a small tear, to severe, such as when the ligament tears...
An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a tear in a knee ligament that connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). The ACL helps keep your knee stable. You can tear your ACL when the upper leg bone is moving in a different direction from the lower leg bone. Sometimes the ACL is completely torn. Other...
Surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can help you stabilize your knee and return to activity. You may have: Reconstruction surgery. With this, the surgeon replaces the damaged ACL with a graft. For an autograft, the surgeon uses tendon tissue from your own body. This can be done safely. Often, part of...
Provides a summary of interactions with vitamins, herbs, and food
DO NOT take this medicine by mouth. Apply the medicine to wet scalp. Lather into scalp. Leave on for at least 3 minutes then rinse with warm water. Follow the instructions on the package to use this medicine correctly. Rinse thoroughly with water. Store in original bottle, tightly closed and upright. Keep the medicine...
Provides a summary of interactions with vitamins, herbs, and food
DO NOT take this medicine by mouth. Apply a thin layer to the affected area and rub it in. Wash the area first before applying medicine. Keep the medicine at room temperature. Avoid heat and direct light. This medicine should only be used on the skin. Avoid getting the medicine in the eyes, nose, or mouth. Wash the...
Provides a summary of interactions with vitamins, herbs, and food
Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease of cattle, horses, sheep, and goats in underdeveloped agricultural regions of South and Central America, southern and eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean as well as in wild livestock in the United States. Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus...
Discusses anthrax, a disease caused byBacillus anthracisbacteria. Covers symptoms based on the three types of infection. Discusses treatment with antibiotics and other medicines. Covers anthrax vaccine. Offers tips on reducing exposure risk.
Anthrax is a serious disease that can spread quickly throughout the body and it is fatal in a high number of cases, especially when acquired through the lungs. Anthrax vaccine is used to help prevent anthrax disease in adults. Anthrax vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body...
Anti-inhibitor coagulant complex is used in people who have hemophilia and have developed antibodies to clotting factor medications. Hemophilia, an inherited blood-clotting disorder, is often treated with medicines containing clotting factors that help control bleeding. When the body develops antibodies or...
Anti-thymocyte globulin is a sterilized solution made of the cells of rabbits that have been injected with white blood cells from humans. . Anti-thymocyte globulin lowers your body's immune system. The immune system helps your body fight infections. The immune system can also fight or "reject" a...
Antiarrhythmic medicines may be used to return an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) to its normal rhythm, prevent an arrhythmia, or control the heartbeat during an arrhythmia. These drugs work mostly by slowing the heart rate or by helping the heart muscle tissue become stable. Many antiarrhythmic medicines have side...
An antibiotic sensitivity (or susceptibility) test is done to help choose the antibiotic that will be most effective against the specific types of bacteria or fungus infecting an individual person. Some types of bacteria or fungus are resistant to certain antibiotics because of differences in their genetic material...
Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. This includes why you take it, how to take it, what you can expect while you're taking it, and any warnings about the medicine. The information provided here is general. So be sure to read the information that came with your medicine. If you have any questions or...
Antibiotics are medicines used to kill bacteria that cause infections. A doctor will choose an antibiotic to treat an illness based on: Whether taking an antibiotic will reduce the length or severity of the illness. Whether the person is allergic to any antibiotics. How likely it is that a certain antibiotic will kill...
Antibodies are proteins made by the body's natural defense system (immune system) to fight foreign substances, such as bacteria. Antibodies attach themselves to the foreign substance, allowing other immune system cells to attack and destroy the substance. The surfaces of viruses, fungi, and bacteria contain markers...
An antibody test looks for antibodies in the blood. These are proteins that your immune system makes, usually after you're exposed to germs like viruses or bacteria or after you get a vaccine. Antibodies work to fight illness. A COVID-19 antibody test looks for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19...
Antibody tests are a set of blood tests that check for specific antibodies to help clarify the diagnosis of lupus. They include: Anti-dsDNA (antibodies to DNA). Antinuclear antibody (ANA) Anti-RNP. Anti-Smith (Sm). Anti-SS-A (also called Ro). Anti-SS-B (also called La). These antibody tests are often positive in lupus...
Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. This includes why you take it, how to take it, what you can expect while you're taking it, and any warnings about the medicine. The information provided here is general. So be sure to read the information that came with your medicine. If you have any questions or...
