Lupus is a noncontagious autoimmune disease that occurs when autoantibodies cause inflammation in multiple parts of the body, including the lungs, heart, skins, joints, blood and kidneys. Since May is Lupus Awareness Month, Arizona residents may benefit from learning a few facts about the disease.
Summer is almost here, and that means many Arizona residents will be enjoying more time out in the sun. However, dermatologists warn that sunburns and prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to an increased risk of melanoma.
The American Cancer Society says that melanoma is responsible for around 1 percent of skin cancers in the U.S.,
Sepsis is a serious medical condition that can become fatal within hours. Arizona parents may not know that sepsis is responsible for the hospitalization of 75,000 children and teenagers every year in the United States. The results of a 2013 study show that almost 7,000 children will die each year from it, a number that is over three times the number of deaths resulting from pediatric cancers annually.
When Arizona residents have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, they are often at greater risk for developing chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. Unfortunately, the tests for determining if a patient has either of these conditions is not completely accurate.
A study indicates that the rate of misdiagnoses by health care practitioners in Arizona and around the country may be between 10 and 20 percent. The study, which was published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, involved data from 286 patients who visited the Mayo Clinic to get a second opinion after seeing a primary care physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.
