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COPD Cigarette Smoking Is a Major Cause Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a general term used when a patient suffers from airway obstruction that is not reversible. COPD patients include those with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both of these respiratory conditions. Patients with COPD can also have asthma, a reversible airway obstruction, complicating their …
Colorectal Cancer Regular Screening Cuts Death Rate The second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. is colorectal cancer, which occurs primarily in people over the age of 50. The colon (large intestine) and rectum are located at the end of the digestive tract. Cancers that occur at either of these two sites are similar, …
Colonoscopy Spotting Growths Colonoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure in which a doctor looks at the lining of the lower gastrointestinal tract. This is done with a flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope, which is inserted into the rectum and moved through the length of the colon to the cecum, near the appendix. Using this tube, …
Cold Sores What Causes Cold Sores? Cold sores are caused by a virus known as herpes simplex one, or HSV-1. When a person is first infected with the cold sore virus, it may cause no symptoms at all. This initial infection usually happens during childhood. The infection could cause a slight fever or generalized feeling …
Chickenpox Vaccine Can Prevent Spread of Chickenpox Chickenpox (its medical name is varicella) is a common and contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. (In later life, a second exposure to this same virus can cause a painful skin condition known as herpes zoster or shingles.) Chickenpox is usually mild, but can have serious consequences. …
Cellulitis Antibiotics Will Treat Infected Skin Cellulitis is an inflammation of the skin and connective tissue under the skin. It usually appears after a break in the skin allows bacteria to enter the body. A serious infection may then result from this bacterial invasion. Once infected, the tissues surrounding the infected area become swollen. The …
Cataracts A cataract is an area of cloudiness in the lens of the eye, and the result is that light is blocked from entering the eye. Cataracts grow slowly over time and will cause progressive vision loss. Cataracts most often develop in people over 50; about 70% of those 75 and older have cataracts that …
Cataracts Cloudy Lens A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes opaque or cloudy, making vision difficult. Cataracts are painless and usually cause a slow, gradual loss of vision in the affected eye. Cataracts are common in elderly persons, but they may also be caused by some drugs, especially corticosteroids. …
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome A Painful Nerve Ailment The carpal tunnel is a passageway that permits entry of the median nerve from the wrist into the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful ailment that occurs when tendons in the tunnel swell and compress the median nerve, thus causing loss of nerve function in the fingers …
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Blood Flow Bypasses Diseased Arteries One of the most common major operations performed each year in the United States is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This surgery is indicated for patients with serious coronary artery disease that has caused the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) …