Category: B

A bacterial or viral inflammation of the eardrum that produces small water or blood blisters on the eardrum and sudden, severe pain in the ear. There may be a yellowish or bloody discharge if the blisters rupture. Bullous myringitis is sometimes mistaken for a ruptured eardrum. Bullous myringitis is generally treated with oral antibiotic medication…

A sign of a possible gastrointestinal disorder. In many instances, blood in the feces is due to a minor problem, such as hemorrhoids. Sometimes, it is caused by a more serious disorder, such as colitis, Crohn disease, or colorectal cancer. Doctors recommend that anyone who experiences blood in the feces seek medical attention.  

Methods of contraception that prevent pregnancy by keeping sperm from entering a woman’s uterus. There are several types of barrier contraceptives, including condoms (both male and female), diaphragms, and cervical caps. A doctor can provide information on the advantages and disadvantages of contraceptive methods. Contraception involves the utilization of devices and/or chemicals that physically hinder…

The process through which a physician’s qualifications in a medical specialty are recognized by one of the specialties that make up the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Established in 1933, the ABMS is the umbrella organization for the 24 approved medical specialty boards in the United States. The governing body of each member board…

A procedure to detour around obstructions in the arteries providing blood to the heart. Bypass surgery, known technically as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), is used to treat atherosclerosis, a disease in which deposits of fat and other materials clog the arteries, causing angina (chest pain) and often leading to heart attack. Bypass surgery is…

A malignancy of the lymph glands, often in the jaw or the abdomen. Burkitt lymphoma is a fast-growing cancer that can eventually invade the central nervous system and the bone marrow. The disorder was first discovered in Africa, where it is very common. It chiefly affects children in areas of tropical Africa and New Guinea…

An acute, infectious disease caused by a bacterial organism found in wild rodents and transmitted to humans by fleabites or the ingestion of flea feces. Bubonic plague, also called plague, can be transmitted from one infected person to another by the spread of infected droplets from coughing, which is produced when the infected person contracts…

A birth in which the baby proceeds through the cervix in a breech presentation, buttocks-first or feetfirst. At birth, most babies are in a head- down position, facing the mother’s spine; about 3 or 4 percent of babies are born in a breech position. A breech baby can be delivered vaginally, but a cesarean section…

Exercises intended to promote deep, slow, calm breathing to maximize the amount of oxygen in the blood. Breathing exercises enable the breather to use the lungs to their full capacity by emphasizing ‘abdominal’ or ‘diaphragmatic’ breathing, in which the diaphragm (the muscle separating the chest from the abdominal cavity) is used to its full potential.…

A mass in the breast frequently detected by a woman during breast self-examination or by a doctor during an annual examination. Breast lumps are common and usually are not cancerous. In addition to cancer, a breast lump may be a sign of fibrocystic breasts or fibroadenoma, or a breast abscess. In fibrocystic disease, cysts (small…