Aspergillosis is an infection or allergic response due to the aspergillus fungus. Causes Aspergillosis is caused by a fungus called aspergillus. The fungus is often found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation. It can also be found on marijuana leaves. Although most people are often exposed to aspergillus, infections caused […]
Your blood is made up of liquid and solids. The liquid part, called plasma, is made of water, salts, and protein. Over half of your blood is plasma. The solid part of your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells (RBC) deliver oxygen from your lungs to your tissues
Intersex is a group of conditions where there is a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals (the testes and ovaries). The older term for this condition is hermaphroditism. Although the older terms are still included in this article for reference, they have been replaced by most experts, patients and families. Increasingly, this
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An aneurysm is an abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of an artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. A thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs in the part of the body’s largest artery (the aorta) that passes through the chest. Causes The most common cause of a thoracic aortic aneurysm is the
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Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart (aorta). As the tear extends along the wall of the aorta, blood can flow in between the layers of the blood vessel wall (dissection). This can lead to aortic rupture
What is a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) test? A glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a blood test that checks how well your kidneys are working. Your kidneys have tiny filters called glomeruli. These filters help remove waste and excess fluid from the blood. A GFR test estimates how much blood passes through these filters each
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What is a globulin test? Globulins are a group of proteins in your blood. They are made in your liver by your immune system. Globulins play an important role in liver function, blood clotting, and fighting infection. There are four main types of globulins. They are called alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma. Just
What are glaucoma tests? Glaucoma tests are a group of tests that help diagnose glaucoma, a disease of the eye that can cause vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma happens when fluid builds up in the front part of the eye. The extra fluid causes an increase in eye pressure. Increased eye pressure can damage the optic nerve. The
What is a gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) test? A gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) test measures the amount of GGT in the blood. GGT is an enzyme found throughout the body, but it is mostly found in the liver. When the liver is damaged, GGT may leak into the bloodstream. High levels of GGT in the blood may
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What is a fungal culture test? A fungal culture test helps diagnose fungal infections, a health problem caused by exposure to fungi (more than one fungus). A fungus is a type of germ that lives in the air, soil and plants, and even on our own bodies. There are more than a million different kinds of
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