A penicillin allergy occurs when your immune system reacts negatively to the antibiotic penicillin or an antibiotic in the penicillin family (beta-lactam antibiotics). Penicillin is a medicine that treats infections. When you take penicillin, the medicine destroys the outer wall of bacterial cells. This ultimately kills and removes a bacterial infection from your body. Just because you have a penicillin allergy today doesn’t …
Alcohol intolerance is an inherited metabolic disorder. Metabolic disorders affect your metabolism, the way your body converts and uses energy. An inherited metabolic disorder means you got this condition from your parents — they each passed down a mutated (changed) gene that resulted in this disorder. Even if your parents don’t have the condition, they can pass it to you. …
Pet allergies are certain proteins — called allergens — on your pet that cause your allergic immune system to overreact. These allergens are in animal fur, skin, urine (pee) and saliva (spit). It’s also in pet dander, which is tiny scales from your pets’ skin, hair or feathers. Usually, these proteins are harmless. However, your allergic immune system views them …
Alcohol poisoning happens when there’s so much alcohol in your bloodstream that it starts shutting down life-supporting areas of your brain. These areas control your breathing, heart rate and temperature. Alcohol poisoning is life-threatening. Alcohol poisoning typically happens when you consume a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time. It often happens from drinking excess alcohol-containing beverages, like beer, …
A shellfish allergy is a type of food allergy. Shellfish are animals that live in the water and have a shell-like exterior. There are two types of shellfish: Crustaceans: shrimp, crayfish, crab, lobster. Mollusks: clams, scallops, oysters, mussels. What fish is shellfish? If you have a shellfish allergy, don’t eat these ingredients and foods: Abalone. Clams (such as cherrystone, littleneck, pismo, quahog). Cockle. …
Ear barotrauma refers to damage to your ears that can happen if there’s a sudden change in air pressure or water pressure that affects your middle ear. Some people call ear barotrauma “airplane ear” because it often affects people when they fly in an airplane. But people can also develop ear barotrauma riding in an elevator, diving to the bottom of …
Guillain-Barré syndrome (pronounced “ghee-AHN buh-RAY”) is a rare autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your peripheral nerves. It leads to symptoms like numbness, tingling and muscle weakness that can progress to paralysis. But with treatment, most people fully recover from the condition.
Age spots are small, flat dark areas on the skin. They vary in size and usually appear on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms. Age spots are also called sunspots, liver spots and solar lentigines. Age spots are very common in adults older than 50, but younger people can get them if they …
Dry macular degeneration is an eye condition that causes blurred vision or reduced central vision. It is caused by the breakdown of a part of the retina known as the macula (MAK-u-luh). The macula is responsible for central vision. This condition is common among people over 50. Dry macular degeneration may start in one eye then develop in the other …
Wet age-related macular degeneration (WMD) is the advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a condition that can cause permanent central vision loss. WMD is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration. It happens when age-related changes in your eyes worsen and cause new blood vessels to grow and leak underneath the retina. When you have WMD, new vessels grow and disrupt existing retinal tissue, causing damage …