Category: P

An abnormally rapid heartbeat that begins in the upper region of the heart and occurs sporadically. In adults the heartbeat can rise to between 150 and 250 beats per minute; in children it may go even higher. The person is aware of an uncomfortably rapid heartbeat and may experience feelings of anxiety and doom, shortness…

A condition occurring when insufficient blood flows through the body. Physiological shock is characterized by very low blood pressure, a decreased amount of urine, and cell or tissue damage. Symptoms of physiological shock include irritability or lethargy; bluish lips and fingernails; chest pain; cool, clammy skin; cold hands and feet; dizziness or feeling faint; nausea…

Programs designed to offer education, therapeutic exercise, and functional activities for people with lung disorders and diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis. The goals of the program are to improve understanding of the lung condition and to offer help with coping with the disease so a person can function more comfortably and…

Abnormally high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare disorder of unknown cause. The disorder develops in response to increased resistance to blood flow in the lung’s arterial blood vessels. The increased workload of pumping blood against this resistance causes the right side of the heart to become enlarged and…

A disease in which lung tissue has become scarred and thickened from inflammation. Pulmonary fibrosis is also known as interstitial lung disease or interstitial fibrosis of the lung. Pulmonary fibrosis causes the permanent loss of the affected lung tissue’s capacity to absorb oxygen into the blood. The extent of the scarred tissue determines the level…

Inflammation of the mucous lining of the colon that develops as a complication of antibiotic use. Overuse of antibiotics results in the death of bacteria that normally reside in the colon and control the growth of other organisms. When these protective bacteria are no longer present, an overgrowth of the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)…

Labor that occurs before or during the 37th week of pregnancy. Preterm labor can threaten the life of the fetus. The warning signs of preterm labor include vaginal bleeding, watery vaginal discharge, abdominal cramps that may be accompanied by diarrhea and fever, pressure in the pelvis, low backache, and uterine contractions or tightening. Any of…

Tests and procedures to help ensure that a pregnancy produces a healthy baby while maintaining the mother’s health. Routine maternal blood tests are used to check blood type, Rh factor, and immunity to hepatitis B and German measles (rubella) and to rule out the presence of anemia and syphilis. Testing for HIV is recommended for…

A condition that puts a person at risk of developing hypertension. A person is considered to have prehypertension if he or she has blood pressure readings that are consistently between 120/80 mm Hg and 139/89 mm Hg. Having a systolic blood pressure between 120 and 140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure between 80…

Also known as PPS, a condition that affects some people who have previously had polio. PPS occurs 20 to 30 years after the original disease and causes slow, progressive weakening of the muscles. Other symptoms include fatigue, decrease in muscle size, involuntary twitching of muscles, muscle and joint pain, respiratory and sleep problems, trouble swallowing,…