...medicine and health care news

Nasal congestion is the blockage of the nasal passages usually due to excessive secretion of mucus that is caused by a virus and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.

Pharmacology is the study of how substances interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.

Soy protein is generally regarded as the storage protein held in discrete particles called protein bodies which are estimated to contain at least 60-70% of the total soybean protein.

Oral contraceptives are chemicals taken by mouth to inhibit normal fertility. All act on the hormonal system.

An artificial heart is a prosthetic device that is implanted into the body to replace the original biological heart.

Premature birth (also known as preterm birth) is defined medically as childbirth occurring earlier than 37 completed weeks of gestation. Most pregnancies last about 40 weeks.

Myelin is an electrically insulating phospholipid layer that surrounds the axons of many neurons.

Essential tremor is a neurological disorder characterized by shaking of hands (and sometimes other parts of the body including the head), evoked by intentional movements.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases of the optic nerve involving loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern of optic neuropathy.

Necrosis is the name given to unprogrammed death of cells and living tissue. It is less orderly than apoptosis, which are part of programmed cell death.

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a drug in the family of salicylates, often used as an analgesic (against minor pains and aches), antipyretic (against fever), and anti-inflammatory.

The causative gene for Huntington's disease, HD, one of the first genes identified to cause an inherited disease, is located on chromosome 4.

Melatonin, 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine, is a hormone produced by pinealocytes in the pineal gland (located in the brain) and also by the retina and GI tract.

Proteins are large organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together between the carboxyl atom of one amino acid and the amine nitrogen of another.

Micronutrients are essential elements needed by life in small quantities. They include microminerals and Vitamins.

Anxiety is a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components.

General anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about everyday things.

Dandruff is the excessive flaking of dead skin that forms on the scalp. As it is normal for skin cells to die and flake off, a small amount of flaking is normal and in fact quite common.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants.

Colostrum (also known as beestings or first milk) is a form of milk produced by the mammary glands in late pregnancy and the few days after giving birth.

Biophysics (also biological physics) is an interdisciplinary science that applies the theories and methods of physics, to questions of biology.

Halitosis, breath odour, or most commonly bad breath are terms used to describe noticeably unpleasant odours exhaled in breathing.

Rapid eye movement (REM) is the stage of sleep characterized by rapid saccadic movements of the eyes.

Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of normal humans or human tissues or organs.

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae), predominantly in tobacco, and in lower quantities in tomato, potato, eggplant (aubergine), and green pepper.

Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behavior.

The parasympathetic nervous system is one of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Tissue engineering can perhaps be best defined as the use of a combination of cells, engineering materials, and suitable biochemical factors to improve or replace biological functions.

Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender.

Vomiting (or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth.