Shots may hurt a little, but the diseases they can prevent are a lot worse. Some are even life-threatening. Immunization shots, or vaccinations, are essential. They protect against things like measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Immunizations are important for adults as well as children. Your immune system helps your body fight […]
Articles Tagged: medicine
What is a Leukodystrophies?
The leukodystrophies are rare diseases that affect the cells of the brain. Specifically, the diseases affect the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects nerve cells. Damage to this sheath slows down or blocks messages between the brain and the rest of the body. This leads to problems with Movement Speaking Vision Hearing Mental […]
What is Adrenal Gland Disorders ?
The adrenal glands are small glands located on top of each kidney. They produce hormones that you can’t live without, including sex hormones and cortisol. Cortisol helps you respond to stress and has many other important functions. With adrenal gland disorders, your glands make too much or not enough hormones. In Cushing’s syndrome, there’s too much […]
What is Adrenal Gland Cancer ?
Your adrenal, or suprarenal, glands are located on the top of each kidney. These glands produce hormones that you can’t live without, including sex hormones and cortisol, which helps you respond to stress and has many other functions. A number of disorders can affect the adrenal glands, including tumors. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. […]
What is a Adoption?
Adoption brings a child born to other parents into a new family. Birth parents have a number of reasons for placing children for adoption. Overall, they want better lives for their children than they think they can give them. Children who are eligible for adoption come from many different settings. Some are in foster care, […]
What is Teen Health ?
As a teenager, you go through many changes. Your body is on its way to becoming its adult size. You may notice that you can’t fit into your old shoes or that your jeans are now 3 inches too short. Along with these changes, you are probably becoming more independent and making more of your […]
What is Teen Development ?
As a teenager, you go through many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. The biggest change is puberty, the process of becoming sexually mature. It usually happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls and ages 12 and 16 for boys. As your body changes, you may have questions about sexual health. During this time, you start […]
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ?
Is it hard for your child to sit still? Does your child act without thinking first? Does your child start but not finish things? If so, your child may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nearly everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, but ADHD lasts more than 6 months and causes problems in […]
What is Viral Infections ?
Viruses are very tiny germs. They are made of genetic material inside of a protein coating. Viruses cause familiar infectious diseases such as the common cold, flu and warts. They also cause severe illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, smallpox, and Ebola. Viruses are like hijackers. They invade living, normal cells and use those cells to multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. This […]
What is a Endometriosis?
What is endometriosis? The uterus, or womb, is the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. It is lined with tissue (endometrium). Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in your body. These patches of tissue are called “implants,” […]