Transesophageal echocardiography
An air embolism occurs when bubbles of air become trapped in the circulating blood. Air is made up of three main types of gases; oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. In the bends, the air embolism is a bubble of nitrogen. In other air embolisms, ... [... more]
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B12 deficiency
Your body needs vitamin B12 in order to create red blood cells and keep the nervous system healthy. It is also needed to absorb folic acid and it helps to release energy. It is absorbed through your intestines from a variety of foods, but mainly ... [... more]
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Babies crying
All babies cry, especially in the first few weeks after birth. They cry when they need something, but it doesn't always mean that something is wrong. Babies cry to bring you to them, as they cannot get to you themselves. It can be an equally ... [... more]
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Babies, weaning
Food is often a source of worry to parents, with questions such as when to start introducing solid foods, what foods to begin with, and whether your baby will like it. Breast milk or formula milk provides all the nutrition that babies need for ... [... more]
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Back pain
Lower back pain, also known as lumbago, affects 7 out of 10 people at some time in their lives. Low back pain means a pain or ache anywhere on your back, in between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs. The pain can come on suddenly, ... [... more]
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Bad breath
Bad breath is a very common problem. The medical name for bad breath is halitosis. Other people generally notice bad breath before the individual does. It may be difficult to tell someone they have bad breath without causing them embarrassment, ... [... more]
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Baker's cyst
A Baker's cyst, also sometimes referred to as a popliteal cyst, is a lump filled with synovial fluid (joint fluid) that forms behind your knee. A Baker's cyst may form after an injury or inflammation of the membrane lining of the knee joint. They ... [... more]
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Balanitis
Balanitis is inflammation of the head of the penis (the glans), caused by a bacterial infection. The foreskin (the loose flap of skin covering the head of the penis) is often affected too. Balanitis is common, and it can occur at any age. It ... [... more]
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Barium enema
A barium enema is a procedure (done through a special x-ray) for examining the large bowel (colon and rectum). Normal x-rays provide limited information about the bowel, so a substance called barium sulphate is put into the bowel to produce a ... [... more]
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Pressure ulcers
Pressure ulcers (also known as bed sores, decubitus ulcers, pressure sores) are areas of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissues, usually caused by pressure, shear or friction. Unrelieved pressure on a specific area of the body (eg ... [... more]
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Bedwetting
Bedwetting when asleep is very common in children, especially those under the age of about six or seven. It is also known as nocturnal enuresis. Bedwetting usually resolves itself by the age of about seven or slightly later. About 1 in 7 children ... [... more]
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Behcet's disease
Behcet's disease is a chronic condition in which the body's immune system, which normally protects the body against infections, becomes over-active. Behcet's disease causes inflammation of different parts of the body. These may flare up without ... [... more]
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