Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake. Pneumonia is the […]
This week in LexiMed Educates we are looking at a potentially fatal condition that is of an increasing danger to the westernised society; the heart attack. There were 22,983 deaths in 2006 due to coronary heart disease. This was 17% of total deaths of that year. It is also worth knowing that women may have […]
Overview The word jaundice comes from the French word jaune which means yellow, describing the colour of the skin, conjunctiva, mucous membranes, sclera and whites of the eyes, of a patient who is suffering from jaundice. Jaundice is a symptom as opposed to a condition. If jaundice is present it means there is an excessive […]
Did you know the average person walks 177,000 kilometres in their lifetime? That is the equivalent to walking around the world four times. When walking normally, the ankle joint bears a force of approximately five times our body weight, and up to thirteen times our body weight during activities such as running. Therefore, the ankle […]
Introduction The liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the upper abdomen. It is the second largest organ in the body, after the skin. Weighing one and a half kilograms on average, the liver is reddish brown in colour and feels rubbery to the touch. It is protected by […]
Degenerative joint disease is characterised by a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including the cartilage which is a slippery tissue between the ends of bones in joints, and subchondral bone which provides support for the cartilage at the articular surface. Symptoms may include joint or muscle pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes […]
Summary The knee joint is the largest and one of the strongest and most important joints in the human body. It is a synovial hinge joint which typically means that it allows motion in one plane, flexion and extension, however, the knee joint is slightly unusual in that it allows a small amount of rotation. […]
Overview Carpus is derived from the Greek word karpos, which means “wrist.” A band of fibrous tissue surrounds the wrist and supports the joint. There is a tight space between this fibrous band and the wrist bone called the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is the passageway in the wrist that connects the forearm to […]
Anatomy and Development of the Hip The hip joint is the connection between the head of the femur and the part of the pelvic bone known as the acetabulum. It is a ball and socket joint, allowing for a large range of motion in multiple planes. The joint is protected by articular cartilage on both […]
The human ear is a sense organ which enables us to hear and to balance. The process by which we hear is an entirely mechanical one, as opposed to involving chemical reactions like taste, sight and smell. Anatomy of the Ear The human ear is made up of three main parts – the outer ear, […]
