Category: S

Any injury to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments generally caused by overuse or physical trauma. Soft- tissue injuries include muscle strains and sprains, bruises, pulled muscles, tendinitis, fibrositis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. a soft-tissue sprain of the back muscles may be caused by minor injury, increased athletic activity, poor posture, or improper body position during…

Injury caused when the flesh is pierced by the fangs of a snake; reptile bite. Most snakes are not poisonous, and their bites are not particularly dangerous. Although thousands of people are bitten by snakes each year, fewer than 10 percent die of their injuries. Poisonous snakes in the United States include rattlesnakes, copperheads, water…

Puffing or inhaling the smoke of cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. The primary active substance in tobacco smoke is nicotine, a highly addictive substance that has both stimulant and depressant effects. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. One in five deaths in the United States every year is…

Surgical procedure to treat chronic intestinal failure. Small-bowel transplantation is considered for people who have intestinal failure and cannot tolerate tube feeding. Immunosuppressive drugs given after surgery increase the chances for a successful transplant and a return to normal eating. Serious risks include infection and organ rejection. Because of the risks, the procedure is performed…

A series of X rays using the contrast medium barium to examine the small bowel (intestine). A small-bowel series can reveal the causes of malabsorption syndrome or detect the presence of Crohn disease or a tumor. The test is typically performed, as necessary, in conjunction with an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series.  

A surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia in which part of the small intestine is removed. A small-bowel resection is performed to treat serious intestinal disorders, such as cancer, obstruction, or inflammatory bowel disease.  

A form of lung cancer. Small cell carcinoma, also known as oat cell carcinoma, is characterized by cells that are small and round or oval and look like oat grains when seen under a microscope. It is the most aggressive type of lung cancer and is usually found in people who smoke or used to…

A common back disorder in which the rupture of the backbone disk through its protective cartilage covering creates painful pressure on spinal nerves. A slipped disk may also be called a herniated disk or disk prolapse. It usually occurs in the lower back but may also take place in the cervical, or neck, region. A…

A small, soft, flesh-colored growth that protrudes from the skin; also known as a cutaneous papilloma. Although their cause is unknown, skin tags are most common during pregnancy and in obese individuals. These harmless growths usually appear on the neck and armpits but may also occur under the breasts and on the chest, inner thighs,…

A small, adhesive device applied to the skin like a bandage that releases a measured dose of a drug into the bloodstream over 24 hours. Skin patches, also called transdermal patches, help overcome the symptoms of withdrawing from nicotine and are used to aid people who want to stop smoking. Skin patches are used daily…