Ever since the first bacterium of Salmonella was found in 1894, scientists have identified over 2300 Salmonella organisms. Salmonella typhi is one most important species in travel medicine as the cause of typhoid fever.  The bacteria can be introduced in the human body from contaminated food or water. Most bacteria will be killed when it [...]

Humans and alcoholic drinks have been linked up to 10.000 BC, where archeologist discovered the fact of purposely fermented drinks.  From this prehistoric drink, approximately 7-12% of the world’s population has an alcohol related disease. What Happens After Drinking Alcohol? Alcohol affects virtually every organ system in the body. The main immediate effect is in [...]

Pain, aches, or sores are the main complaint of up to 80% of people who seek medical attention. Though unpleasant, pain is actually our body’s defense mechanism to withdraw from potentially damaging situations, protect a damaged body part while it heals, and avoid those situations in the future. Though this is an important body response [...]

Psoriasis is a skin condition where the skin has hyperactive growth resulting in thick, white, silvery, or red patches of skin.  Normally the skin grows layer by layer and by time the outer layer will flake off.  This turnover time, the time when the inner layer becomes the outer layer, is around 4 weeks, but [...]

Up to 30% of adult people in US had a history of having blisters around the lip.  80-90% of people under 50 years old actually carry the HSV 1.  These blisters are known as cold sores or fever blisters.  This is actually a virus infection caused by herpes simplex virus type 1, which becomes reactivated [...]

Dotted lined skin rash on the palms and soles. Unbearable night itch worsening by time. It might be a sign of scabies. Scabies is a skin condition caused by parasite infestation, the itch mite Sarcoptes scabies. They are eight-legged parasites, just 1/3 mm long. The mite digs in the skin creating a burrow, they look [...]

What is Radiation Exposure? Radioactive materials give off a form of energy that travels in waves or particles. This energy is called radiation. When a person is exposed to radiation, the energy penetrates the body. For example, when a person has an x-ray, he or she is exposed to radiation. Radiation is measured using the [...]

A cough is your body’s reflex to keep the airway clear. The sudden air “explosion” will clear the airway from irritants or obstructive substance so that breathing and the intake of oxygen becomes effective. Coughing is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of other disorders. It is a common problem and the [...]

Diarrhea and vomiting are common reasons parents bring their children to the doctor or even to BIMC Hospital’s emergency room. Most are related to gastroenteritis, infection of the stomach and intestines. While usually it is a non-fatal illness, statistics show gastroenteritis to cause 3 million deaths annually worldwide. Many children have more than one episode [...]

Hives, or the medical term “urticaria” is a common allergic disorder in which a red, itchy, lumpy skin rash appears ‘out of the blue’. The skin lumps are known as weals. 15-20% of the population would experience hives at some point of their lives. Urticaria is caused by the release of histamine, a chemical substance [...]