Major depressive disorder (MDD), or ‘clinical depression’, is described as feelings of persistent sadness, worthlessness and hopelessness. It is a serious medical condition which affects the way an individual thinks and behaves, impacting the quality of life and day-to-day function. Depression (major depressive disorder). Image Credit: Nicole Rerk / Shutterstock What are the symptoms and diagnosis of MDD? MDD is […]
Continue reading »
Skin tags are practically harmless cutaneous growths on the skin that are predominantly composed of loose collagen fibers and blood vessels in the epidermis. They are known medically as acrochorda, fibroepithelial polyps, papillomas or soft fibromas and are typically flesh-colored or in some cases darkly pigmented. Being benign in nature, skin tags usually do not undergo any transformations in terms […]
Continue reading »
The history of melatonin in mammals Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland. The pineal gland was described for the first time by Herophile, in the third century. He speculated it to be the sphincter that regulated flow of thought in the ventricular system of the brain. It was four and a half centuries later that Galen observed that the […]
Continue reading »
The aim of treatment for periodontitis is to prevent damage to bones and connective tissue surrounding the teeth. A periodontist, dentist or hygienist usually does this by cleaning the pockets that have formed around the teeth so that the infection cannot spread. There are various techniques that may be indicated depending on the specific case, including both non-surgical and surgical […]
Continue reading »
Serotonin is an important chemical in plants as well as in animals. The serotonin found in plants is termed phytoserotonin and this form of serotonin is involved in several plant functions. In plants, serotonin was first found and reported in a legume called Mucuna pruriens. Later, nearly 42 plant species from 20 families were reported to contain significant amounts of […]
Continue reading »
Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a condition in which the kidneys are inflamed. The glomeruli are the filtering mechanism of the kidneys. They consist of a tuft of highly coiled capillaries cupped in a double fold of membrane. Waste or toxic material is rapidly filtered out of the blood flowing through the capillaries, through the basal membrane of the glomerulus, and is […]
Continue reading »
Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare, congenital skin condition. It affects the skin over almost the whole body of an infant, and carries a high risk of neonatal death due to severe and life-threatening infection. The incidence of the condition is about one in every 500,000 people. Both males and females are affected equally. Genetics of HI The disease is caused […]
Continue reading »
Gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder (also called transsexualism) is a strong and persistent desire to identify with the opposite gender rather than the given biological or anatomical gender. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – IV Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) says that this desire to belong to the opposite sex “extends beyond a desire for a perceived cultural […]
Continue reading »
Your health care provider may have difficulty diagnosing Lyme disease because many of its symptoms are similar to those of other disorders. In addition, the only distinctive sign unique to Lyme disease-the EM rash-is absent in at least one-fourth of the people who become infected. The results of recent research studies show that an infected tick must be attached to […]
Continue reading »
Lactose intolerance describes a condition where a person is incapable of digesting lactose – a type of sugar present in milk and dairy products. Food intolerance is different from food allergy. While symptoms of allergy may be brought about by consuming even tiny amounts of a certain food, the amount that brings about the symptoms of intolerance varies from person […]
Continue reading »