Category: S

Problems with passing food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach, a condition medically termed dysphagia. Normally when a person eats or drinks, the chewed food or liquid is swallowed by a sequence of several mechanical events. The tongue pushes the material to the back of the throat where muscle contractions quickly move it…

A condition produced by lesions that narrow the channel in the area of the lower throat directly below the vocal cords. The narrowing may be present at birth or appear later in life. When the condition is congenital, the symptoms may include noisy breathing, hoarseness, a barking cough, or a weak or unusual cry. If…

Bleeding under the external membrane of the eye (conjunctiva). A subconjunctival hemorrhage looks like a bright red patch on the white of the eye and produces no pain. Subconjunctival hemorrhages disappear on their own in 1 to 2 weeks and require no treatment unless bleeding elsewhere in the body is present. Rupture of the superficial…

A small abscess occurring on the edge of the upper or lower eyelid or in the eye’s corner. A stye, also called a hordeolum, is caused by a bacterial infection, which is usually due to staphylococcal bacteria, of the glands at the base of the eyelid. The surrounding area may be red and swollen and…

A type of peptic ulcer that may develop following a major illness, serious injury, burn, or shock. Multiple small, shallow ulcers that form in the mucosa of the stomach or, occasionally, in the duodenum, in response to extreme physiological stressors. Stress ulcers seen in patients with shock, extensive burns, or sepsis are called Curling’s ulcers…

Infections caused by the Streptococcus genus of bacteria. There are several classified groups within this genus, each one responsible for a different group of infections: group A Streptococcus and group B Streptococcus are the two principal groups responsible for many common infections, as well as severe illnesses. Group D Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the viridans…

Drugs used to treat constipation. Stool softeners are a type of laxative used to promote the formation and passage of soft, formed stools without straining. Doctors sometimes recommend the use of stool softeners to people who have hemorrhoids because softer stools make it easier to empty the bowels without putting pressure on the veins. Stool…

A common type of surgery for obesity. Its purpose is to reduce stomach size and slow the rate at which the stomach empties. Stapling is performed only on people who are at least twice their ideal body weight who have been unable to lose weight in supervised weight loss programs.  

Also known as gastric lavage or stomach flushing, the washing out of the stomach in a hospital emergency department. In the procedure, the doctor repeatedly introduces water or saline into the stomach through a tube and then suctions the fluids out along with any poisonous substances that have been ingested. Possible complications include inhaling any…