For diagnosis through medical history the doctor will ask types of symptoms, when they occur, for how long the client has had them and the severity. The doctors physical examination will include listening to the heart for abnormal sounds, listening to the lungs for build up of fluid, checking for swelling in the ankles, feet, legs and abdomen and checking for swelling in the veins of the neck. Testing that may be done include an EKG which is used to measure the rate and regularity of the heartbeat. It may also show any thickening of the walls of the pumping chambers of the heart. A chest x-ray can show if the heart is enlarged, there is fluid in the lungs, or lung disease.
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome or HGPS is a rare genetic disorder that is known for accelerated appearance aging (progeria 101/faq). There have been fewer than 200 cases of HGPS since the discovery of this disorder (Pollex). Those with the disorder age up to five to eight times faster. Only some portions of old age are mimicked, those with progeria do not experience all the steps that come with old age (Agarwal). One in four million newborns are affected by this disorder (Pollex).
How common is polycystic kidney disease? Polycystic kidney disease is one of the most common disorders caused by mutations in a single gene. It affects about 500,000 people in the United States. The autosomal dominant form of the disease is much more common than the autosomal recessive form. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease affects 1 in 500-1,000 people, while the autosomal recessive type occurs in an estimated 1 in 20,000-40,000 people.
Symptoms and complications of SCD are different for each person and can range from mild to severe. The reason that infants don’t show symptoms at birth is because baby or fetal hemoglobin protects the red blood cells from sickling. When the infant if around 4 to 5 months of age, the baby or fetal hemoglobin is replaced by adult hemoglobin and the cells begin to sickle. : (Falvo, 2011 p.
Heart Bypass Surgery If you have blockage in one or more of your coronary arteries, your doctor may want to perform a heart bypass surgery. Coronary arteries are arteries that carry oxygen and nutrients in your blood. When your arteries become blocked your heart is not getting the blood supply that it needs. This is called ischemic heart disease and can often cause chest pain also known as Angina. Sometimes, heart bypass surgery is not the first treatment for ischemic heart disease.
Rapid and irregular heart rates may be perceived as palpitations, exercise intolerance, and occasionally produce angina (if the rate is faster and puts the heart under strain) and congestive symptoms of shortness of breath or edema. Sometimes the arrhythmia will be identified only with the onset of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is not uncommon for a patient to first become aware of AF from a routine physical examination or ECG, as it may be asymptomatic in many cases. [1] As most cases of atrial fibrillation are secondary to other medical problems, the presence of chest pain or angina, symptoms of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) such as weight loss and diarrhea, and symptoms suggestive of lung disease would indicate an underlying cause. A history of stroke or TIA, as well as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, heart failure and rheumatic fever, may indicate whether someone with AF is at a higher risk of
It occurs more often in men than in women.Tests & diagnosisThe health care provider will be able to feel a vibration or movement when placing a hand over the person's heart. A heart murmur, click, or other abnormal sound is almost always heard through a stethoscope. There may be a faint pulse or changes in the quality of the pulse in the neck (this is called pulsus parvus et tardus).Infants and children with aortic stenosis may be extremely tired, sweaty, and have pale skin and fast breathing. They may also be smaller than other children their age.Blood pressure may be low.The following
Last but not least see a doctor if you are not mentally alert and you’re a smoker and your heartbeat is very fast. There are a number of tests to see if you might have emphysema. One test might be a chest x-ray, another test that can be ordered is a computerized tomography test (CT). lab tests can be done and they can determine how well your lungs
Pneumococcal infections was the principal cause of death in children with sickle cell anemia until physicians began routinely giving penicillin on a preventive basis to those who are diagnosed at birth or in early infancy (Bownas, 2000). Damaged walls in erythrocytes due to sickling can cause them to stick to blood vessel walls, resulting in narrowed or blocked small blood vessels in the brain which can lead to serious, life-threatening strokes; (Bownas 2000, Bindon,
There is also a drug called hydroxyurea. This is used in severe cases and what it does is make fetal hemoglobin, which is the type of hemoglobin newborn babies have in their blood stream. This fetal hemoglobin cuts down on red blood cells from forming a crescent shape, therefore leading to less blood blockages, and longer cell life. Another treatment is a bone marrow transplant. In this procedure bone marrow is transplanted from a healthy donor to the affected individual.