Over the course of an average lifespan, your heart will beat over 300 billion times. While the heart can be damaged in numerous ways throughout our lifetimes, it remains one of the muscles in our bodies that never stops functioning, pumping oxygen-rich blood into our entire bodies to fuel its many functions. So when something…
You probably know that fried food, chocolate cake and loaded bacon cheeseburgers are not the best foods to consume as part of a healthy diet, but what exactly makes them so unhealthy? Junk foods and foods with a lot of animal products contain unhealthy fats, and may lack many nutrients that are important for overall…
Hips, shoulders and knees. Between the major bones in your body lies a joint, a moveable connection that is made up of bones, cartilage, and a cavity. They bear your body’s weight and are covered with a layer of cartilage to protect the bones from rubbing against each other when moving. Cartilage ensures that your…
While remaining moderately popular and the most cost-efficient and nutritious way to feed a growing infant, breastfeeding still struggles with popularity across some groups. Due to a lack of social support and opportunity, some mothers do not have the desire or ability to breastfeed their infant sons and daughters—but the research shows that both mother…
Hormone changes immediately following pregnancy and labor are very common. The brain of a pregnant individual is almost soaked in a cocktail of hormones for nine months, and in a matter of days following birth, hormones that have been surrounding the brain disappear. Sometimes this causes a drastic shift in the mental state of an…
The main difference between an ICU and a regular hospital floor (also sometimes known as Medical/Surgical) is the level of care provided. Nurses and other care practitioners in the medical/surgical field are widely trained across a variety of diseases and illnesses—after all, they deal with all sorts of conditions that require hospitalizations, including recovery from…
Hepatitis is an infection of the liver, the organ that removes bacteria and toxins from the blood, processes nutrients, hormones and medications, and prevents infections in the body. Hepatitis can infect the liver and cause it to function abnormally or not function at all. While hepatitis is a general term, there are five known subsets…
Health risks are a serious and sometimes lifelong issue for many Americans, but some conditions and diseases affect men more than women. Historically, men have avoided going to the doctor to simply avoid bad news about their health, but this may actually be making their health worse. While a number of people are at risk…
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition in which the force of blood through arteries and veins is too great, causing pressure on blood vessels. The condition is serious and needs monitoring under the best of circumstances, but especially in at-risk populations and those women who are pregnant. Pregnancy takes its toll on a…
Hips, shoulders and knees. Between the major bones in your body lies a joint, a mobile connection that is made up of bones, cartilage, and a cavity. They bear your body’s weight and are covered with a layer of cartilage to protect the bones from rubbing against each other when moving. Cartilage ensures that your…
