Jan 8th, 2020 - Diagnosis Hereditary hemochromatosis can be difficult to diagnose. Early symptoms such as stiff joints and fatigue may be due to conditions other than hemochromatosis. Many people with the disease don't have any signs or symptoms other than elevated levels of iron in their blood. Hemochromatosis may be identified because of abnormal blood tests done for other reasons or from screening of family...

Jan 8th, 2020 - Overview The liver The liver The liver is your largest internal organ. About the size of a football, it's located mainly in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath the diaphragm and above your stomach. Hereditary hemochromatosis (he-moe-kroe-muh-TOE-sis) causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you eat. Excess iron is stored in your organs, especially your liver, heart an...

Jan 6th, 2020 - Diagnosis In general, your doctor may test for Hashimoto's disease if you're feeling increasingly tired or sluggish, have dry skin, constipation, and a hoarse voice, or have had previous thyroid problems or a goiter. Diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease is based on your signs and symptoms and the results of blood tests that measure levels of thyroid hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) pro...

Jan 6th, 2020 - Diagnosis In general, your doctor may test for an underactive thyroid if you are feeling increasingly tired, have dry skin, constipation and weight gain, or have had previous thyroid problems or a goiter. Blood tests Diagnosis of hypothyroidism is based on your symptoms and the results of blood tests that measure the level of TSH and sometimes the level of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. A low l...

Jan 6th, 2020 - Diagnosis The diagnosis of Graves' disease may include: Physical exam. Your doctor examines your eyes to see if they're irritated or protruding and looks to see if your thyroid gland is enlarged. Because Graves' disease increases your metabolism, your doctor will check your pulse and blood pressure and look for signs of tremor. Blood sample. Your doctor will order blood tests to determine your ...

Jan 6th, 2020 - Overview Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) occurs when your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body's metabolism, causing unintentional weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Several treatments are available for hyperthyroidism. Doctors use anti-thyroid medications and radioactive iodine to slow the production of thyroid hor...

Jan 6th, 2020 - Diagnosis Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed using: Medical history and physical exam. During the exam your doctor may try to detect a slight tremor in your fingers when they're extended, overactive reflexes, eye changes and warm, moist skin. Your doctor will also examine your thyroid gland as you swallow to see if it's enlarged, bumpy or tender and check your pulse to see if it's rapid or irregular....

Dec 13th, 2019 - Diagnosis Often, doctors diagnose ureteral obstruction disorders before birth during routine prenatal ultrasounds, which can show details of the developing fetus, including the kidneys, ureters and bladder. Doctors often perform another ultrasound after birth to re-evaluate the kidneys. If your doctor suspects you have an obstructed ureter, some of these tests and scans might be used to reach a...

Dec 11th, 2019 - Diagnosis The following tests can diagnose cryptosporidium infection: Acid-staining test. To get cells for the analysis, your doctor might ask for a stool sample or, possibly, take a tissue sample (biopsy) from your intestine. The sample is then looked at under a microscope. Stool culture. A culture of a sample of your stool can't detect cryptosporidium, but it can help rule out other bacterial...

Dec 10th, 2019 - Diagnosis If your doctor suspects diabetic ketoacidosis, he or she will do a physical exam and various blood tests. In some cases, additional tests may be needed to help determine what triggered the diabetic ketoacidosis. Blood tests Blood tests used in the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis will measure: Blood sugar level. If there isn't enough insulin in your body to allow sugar to enter your...

Dec 10th, 2019 - Overview Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. The condition develops when your body can't produce enough insulin. Insulin normally plays a key role in helping sugar (glucose) — a major source of energy for your muscles and other tissues — enter your cells. Without enough insulin, your body begi...

Nov 26th, 2019 - Diagnosis Your doctor may discover an enlarged thyroid gland simply by feeling your neck and having you swallow during a routine physical exam. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to feel the presence of nodules. Diagnosing a goiter may also involve: A hormone test. Blood tests can determine the amount of hormones produced by your thyroid and pituitary glands. If your thyroid is underac...

Oct 23rd, 2019 - Overview Von Willebrand disease is a lifelong bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn't clot well. People with the disease have low levels of von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps blood clot, or the protein doesn't perform as it should. Most people with the disease are born with it, having inherited it from one or both parents. However, warning signs, such as heavy bleeding after a de...

Oct 23rd, 2019 - Diagnosis Mild forms of von Willebrand disease can be difficult to diagnose because bleeding is common, and, for most people, doesn't indicate a disease. However, if your doctor suspects you have a bleeding disorder, he or she might refer you to a blood disorders specialist (hematologist). To evaluate you for von Willebrand disease, your doctor will likely ask you detailed questions about your ...

Oct 22nd, 2019 - Overview Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is a rare condition in which one or more tumors form in your pancreas or the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum). These tumors, called gastrinomas, secrete large amounts of the hormone gastrin, which causes your stomach to produce too much acid. The excess acid then leads to peptic ulcers, as well as to diarrhea and other symptoms. Zollinger-Ellison...

Oct 22nd, 2019 - Diagnosis Your doctor will base a diagnosis on the following: Medical history. Your doctor will ask about your signs and symptoms and review your medical history. Blood tests. A sample of your blood is analyzed to see whether you have elevated gastrin levels. While elevated gastrin may indicate tumors in your pancreas or duodenum, it also can be caused by other conditions. For example, gastrin ...

Oct 17th, 2019 - Overview Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues. As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). As a resul...

Oct 17th, 2019 - Diagnosis To diagnose iron deficiency anemia, your doctor may run tests to look for: Red blood cell size and color. With iron deficiency anemia, red blood cells are smaller and paler in color than normal. Hematocrit. This is the percentage of your blood volume made up by red blood cells. Normal levels are generally between 35.5 and 44.9 percent for adult women and 38.3 to 48.6 percent for adult...

Oct 9th, 2019 - Diagnosis If you've had episodes of blood clots or pregnancy loss that aren't explained by known health conditions, your doctor can schedule blood tests to check for abnormal clotting and for the presence of antibodies to phospholipids. To confirm a diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome, the antibodies must appear in your blood at least twice, in tests conducted 12 or more weeks apart. You can...

Oct 8th, 2019 - Overview Adrenal glands Adrenal glands Perched atop each of your kidneys, your adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure and other essential functions. Primary aldosteronism (al-DOS-tuh-ro-niz-um) is a hormonal disorder that leads to high blood pressure. It occurs when your adrenal glands produce too much of a hormone called aldosterone. Y...