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Introduction Acute kidney injury
Acute kidney injuryAcute kidney injury(AKI) is sudden damage to the kidneys that causes them to not work properly. It can range from minor loss of kidney function to complete kidney failure. AKI normally happens as a complication of another serious illness. It's not the result of a physical blow to the kidneys, as the name might suggest. This type of kidney damage
Signs and symptoms White blood cell deficiencies
White blood cell deficienciesMost people with agranulocytosis or neutropenia will not have any obvious symptoms. However, these conditions may mean you are more vulnerable to picking up infections because you don't have enough white blood cells to fight germs effectively. Symptoms associated with an infection can include: a high temperature (fever) chills and shivering
Introduction Air embolism
Air embolismAn air or gas embolism is a bubble that becomes trapped in a blood vessel and blocks it. This can lead to many different symptoms depending on where the blockage occurs. It's one of the leading causes of death among divers. An air or gas embolism can happen when a scuba diver surfaces too quickly from any depth. This can cause air to escape into
Complications of ARDS Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Acute respiratory distress syndromeAs ARDS is often caused by a serious health condition, about one in three people who develop it will die. However, most deaths result from another problem caused by their illness, rather than ARDS itself. For people who survive, the main complications are associated with nerve and muscle damage, which causes pain and weakness. Some people also
Treating allergic rhinitis Rhinitis, allergic
Rhinitis, allergicTreatment for allergic rhinitis depends on how severe your symptoms are and how much they're affecting your everyday activities. In most cases treatment aims to relieve symptoms such as sneezing and a blocked or runny nose. If you have mild allergic rhinitis, you can often treat the symptoms yourself. You should visit your GP if your
Introduction Indoor allergy
Indoor allergyAn allergy is a reaction the body has to a particular food or substance. Allergies are very common. They're thought toaffect more than one in four people in the UK at some point in their lives. Theyare particularly common in children. Some allergies go away as a child gets older, althoughmany are lifelong. Adults can develop allergies to things
Symptoms of allergies Indoor allergy
Indoor allergySymptoms of an allergic reactionusually develop within a few minutes of being exposed to something you're allergic to, although occasionally they can develop gradually over a few hours. Althoughallergic reactionscan be a nuisance and hamper your normal activities, most are mild. Very occasionally, a severe reaction called Anaphylaxis can occur.
Preventing altitude sickness Mountain sickness
Mountain sicknessProper acclimatisation to altitudes of 2,500m (just over 8,200 feet) or above is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. Ascending slowly will give your body time to adapt to the change in altitude. When booking a trip yourself, try to include two or three days to acclimatise. If you're booking a package holiday, check the itineraries of
Patient story: "'We were at high altitudes for four days and I was ill the entire time." Mountain sickness
Mountain sicknessJessica Mathur, a GP from London, was surprised when she became ill with altitude sickness during a holiday in Peru. "I was 19 and pretty fit when I went on a tour of Peru with two female friends. Like me, they were students who were looking for adventure. "We arrived late in the day at the city of Cusco in the Andes mountains, 3,500m above sea
Patient story: "Being careful to acclimatise properly did take extra time, but I was very glad I did." Mountain sickness
Mountain sicknessAfter years of mountain climbing, David Hillebrandt learnt how to deal withhis altitude sickness. "In 1980, my wife Sally and I drove to Kenya from Britain as part of a world drive. I suppose you could have described me as a tough and rugged young doctor and an experienced climber. Sally didn't climb at all. "Before my ascent of Mount Kenya