Radiation sickness, also known as acute radiation syndrome (ARS) or “radiation poisoning,” is a life-threatening condition that results from prolonged or significant exposure to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is energy used to generate power in manufacturing, industrial and military settings. It’s used in small doses for some medical procedures. Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute (sudden and severe) exposure, …
Your liver is one of your essential organs, one you can’t live without. It performs hundreds of important bodily functions. When your liver fails to keep up with its many jobs, your overall health will fail, too. This is liver failure. It means that your liver is no longer able to function adequately for your body’s needs. Liver failure is a process, …
Acute kidney injury happens when the kidneys suddenly can’t filter waste products from the blood. When the kidneys can’t filter wastes, harmful levels of wastes may build up. The blood’s chemical makeup may get out of balance. Acute kidney injury used to be called acute kidney failure. Acute kidney injury is most common in people who are in the hospital, …
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare and serious neurological condition that causes certain muscles and reflexes to become weak (flaccid). The symptoms come on suddenly and can also affect your ability to breathe. AFM causes inflammation in the gray matter of your spinal cord. You have grey matter in your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). Of all the types of central nervous system tissue, …
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a broad term for three types of coronary artery disease that affect millions of people each year. These potentially life-threatening conditions occur when a blockage causes blood flow to your heart to suddenly slow or stop. People with ACS can experience unstable angina or a heart attack (myocardial infarction). Common signs include chest pain or pressure (angina), shortness of breath (dyspnea) or dizziness. Acute …
Actinic keratosis (AK) is a skin disorder that causes rough, scaly patches of skin. Another name for AK is solar keratosis. AK is a type of precancer, which means that if you don’t treat the condition, it could turn into cancer. Without treatment, AK can lead to a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Acromegaly (pronounced a-krow-meh-guh-lee) is a rare but serious medical condition that happens when you have high levels of growth hormone (GH) in your body. Your pituitary gland normally produces GH, but tumors on your pituitary or in other parts of your body produce excess GH in acromegaly. Your pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of your brain below …
An acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, is a benign (noncancerous) ear tumor that affects your hearing and sense of balance. The tumor develops on your 8th cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear), which is the nerve that sends signals from your inner ear to your brain so you can hear and maintain your balance. Acoustic neuromas don’t spread like cancerous tumors. As they grow, they …
An ACL tear is an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in your knee. The ACL is one of your knee ligaments. It connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia). You have one ACL in each knee. It forms an “X” shape inside your knee with your posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ACL is closer to …
The Achilles tendon attaches the calf muscle to the heel bone. This thick band of tissue is very strong. In fact the Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. The Achilles tendon gives your leg strength to walk, run and jump. An Achilles tendon rupture is a full or partial tear of the Achilles tendon. This acute (sudden) …