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What disease did the Elephant Man have?

Joseph Merrick lived from 1862 to 1890, and during his time, doctors believed he suffered from elephantiasis, a lymphatic disorder that causes body parts to severely swell, states About.com. By 1976, doctors changed his diagnosis to neurofibromatosis, a disorder in which tumors grow on the nervous system. It wasn't until 1996, over 100 years after his death, that CT scans of Merrick's skeleton determined that Proteus syndrome was the correct diagnosis.

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How are bacterial infections diagnosed?

Numerous illnesses result from bacteria or viruses, which is why it can be tough for physicians to identify the cause of an infection, notes WebMD. Doctors may perform a biopsy of the affected tissue to diagnose a bacterial infection properly.\nPathogenic bacteria are harmful bacteria that lead to bacterial diseases when they reach a normally sterile body part, such as the bladder, explains Healthgrades. They can also overwhelm good bacteria in certain body parts. Pathogenic bacteria typically enter the body through contamination of skin, gum or tissue breaks; consumption of contaminated food;..

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What causes sharp pain in your cervix while pregnant?

Since some causes of cramping or pain in the cervix are more serious than others, women experiencing the symptom should contact their doctor as soon as a possible. Only a doctor can diagnose the cause of the pain properly and treat it accordingly. A woman should also contact her doctor if she experiences bleeding, discharge or abdominal pain during her pregnancy. Pregnant women should never try to self-medicate without talking to their doctor.

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What is the life span of head lice?

The life cycle of a head louse has three stages, states the CDC. Head lice eggs are called nits. Nits are less than 1-millimeter long, they are difficult to see and they hatch in about one week. Nymphs are released from the nits and appear as miniature adult lice, roughly pinhead sized. After seven days and three molts, the nymphs are adult lice the size of sesame seeds. The larger female louse can lay up to eight nits per day.

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What is an inactive thyroid?

Common symptoms experienced from an underactive thyroid include tiredness, weight gain, feeling cold and loss of libido, states NHS Choices. Hypothyroidism is usually the result of the body's immune system attacking the thyroid gland, mistaking it as harmful to the body.\nAlthough there is no cure, the symptoms of hypothyroidism are easily controlled with medication called levothyroxine, which gives the body the required level of thyroxine it needs to function properly, reports.NHS Choices.

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What is infection and high monocyte count?

To check the white blood cell count, a medical provider performs a blood draw. Most of the time, a sample of blood is then placed in a machine that returns the percentage of each type of white blood cell. MedlinePlus reports the normal monocyte count as between 2 percent and 8 percent. Acute stress or infection in the body increases the percentage of one or more types of white blood cells. Increasing the percentage of monocytes reduces the percentage of other white blood cells.\nAn increase in monocytes sometimes indicates a parasitic infection, such as a tick bite, intestinal worm or malaria...

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What type of doctor is Mark Hyman?

Hyman is also a regular contributor on “The Doctor Oz Show,” the chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, according to DrHyman.com. Both the Senate Working Group on Health Care Reform and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine have called on him for testimony. Hyman also serves on the board of directors for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, and he is a medical editor for the Huffington Post.

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How long should you brush your teeth?

While three two-minute sessions per day is considered the optimal amount of time for brushing, people shouldn't exceed this, according to WebMD. Excessive brushing can wear away protective enamel from the teeth or lead to gum damage. A toothbrush with a built-in timer may help those who have difficulty estimating the right amount of time. Some smartphone applications can sync with special electric toothbrushes to keep track of brushing time.

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What are some tips for ESBL patient education?

Understanding prevention empowers patients to ask medical staff to wash their hands and to use alcohol to clean medical instruments before administering direct care, explains University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Facts about causes and prevention teach patients to reduce personal risks of getting or spreading ESBL infections, by staying in their own rooms rather than wandering around the facility.

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What kind of blood pressure worksheets does Healthwise offer?

In addition to information on blood pressure, the Healthwise website has the Healthwise Handbook, which helps people understand common health issues such as pinkeye, and the Healthwise for Life handbook, which looks at issues that specifically affect people over the age 50. It also has a variety of brochures and workbooks on health issues like arthritis, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. The company's mission is to help patients understand their health with easy-to-understand language and detailed information they might not be able to easily find through other resources, such as the I..

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