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Description of Ear Discomfort and Airplane TravelThe ear is divided into three parts: 1. The outer ear, meaning the part of the ear you can see on the side of the head plus the ear canal leading down to the ear drum 2. The middle ear, meaning the ear drum,... |
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Description of Eating DisordersDieting and concern about body image are an American pastime. At any given moment, some 50 million Americans are on a weight-loss regimen. Although few of those who wish they were thinner suffer from a true psychiatric eating... |
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Definition of EchocardiographyEchocardiography is one of the most important non-invasive techniques used in the diagnosis of heart disease today.Description of EchocardiographyEchocardiograms are obtained by reflecting high frequency sound waves (ultrasoun... |
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Definition of Ectopic PregnancyEctopic (tubal) pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in one of the Fallopian tubes (oviducts), but very rarely on the ovary and even rarer, in the abdominal cavity.Description of Ectop... |
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Definition of Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)Article updated and reviewed by Michael S. Lehrer, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania on April 18, 2005.Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin conditio... |
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Definition of Electrolysis and Hair RemovalElectrolysis is the removal of unwanted hair by means of short-wave electric current which destroys the hair's roots.Description of Electrolysis and Hair RemovalSome people regard the presence of hair in certain l... |
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Definition of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)All electric currents produce two kinds of fields - electric and magnetic - but their effects are different. Electric fields are easily blocked by metal or other shielding, but magnetic fields penetrate most materi... |
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Definition of EmphysemaIn emphysema (from the Greek word for "inflation"), the walls of the alveoli (air sacs) in the lung lose elasticity, hindering the outflow of air (from the sacs) when a person exhales.Description of EmphysemaEmphysema is characterize... |
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Definition of End-stage Renal DiseaseEnd-stage renal disease (ESRD) is that stage of kidney impairment which is irreversible, cannot be controlled by conservative management alone, and requires dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain life. Descripti... |
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Definition of EndocarditisEndocarditis is an inflammation or infection of the endocardium, which is the inner lining of the heart muscle and, most commonly, the heart valves. It is usually caused by bacterial infection, but can be caused by fungus.Descript... |
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Definition of EndometriosisEndometriosis is a condition in which the endometrial tissue normally found in the uterus grows in other areas. Description of EndometriosisThe endometrium, a type of tissue that nourishes fertilized eggs, normally grows each mon... |
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Definition of Enterocele / RectoceleEnterocele is a hernia of the intestine through the vagina. Rectocele is a hernia of the rectum through the vagina.Causes and Risk Factors of Enterocele / RectoceleStretching, weakening, and tearing of the fascia (a fibr... |
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Definition of EnuresisEnuresis (bedwetting) is the involuntary discharge of urine during sleep. It is called bedwetting after the age by which bladder control should have been established. In children, voluntary control of urination is usually present by t... |
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Definition of EpididymitisThe long, tightly coiled tube that is located behind each testicle and carries sperm from the testicle to the vas deferens is the epididymis. Inflammation of this structure, usually as a result of bacterial or chlamydial infection... |
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Definition of Epstein-Barr VirusEpstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a common human virus that causes infectious mononucleosis and plays a role in the emergence of two rare forms of cancer: Burkitt's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Some doctors and medical ... |
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Definition of Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence)Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is characterized by a man's inability to have an erection hard enough to have sex or to keep an erection long enough to finish having sex. Description of Erect... |
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Definition of EsophagitisEsophagitis is the inflammation of the esophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach).Description of EsophagitisThe two principal types of esophagitis are corrosive esophagitis and reflux esophagitis... |
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Definition of Estrogen Replacement TherapyEstrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) is therapy to replace estrogen no longer made by a woman's body because she is post-menopausal or her ovaries have been damaged or removed. Description of Estrogen Replacement The... |
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Definition of Exercise and Physical ActivityArticle updated and reviewed by Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School on May 2, 2005.Description of Exercise and Physical ActivityAlmost everyone recalls a time when his ... |
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Definition of External Fixation of Bone FracturesExternal fixation involves the use of pins through the bone attached to a steel rod outside the limb. External fixation is used primarily to stabilize transverse fractures.Description of External Fixation of... |
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