How Many Days Can You Go Without Water and Food?

In a situation, where you do not have an access to water (and food), it is important to know, how long can you survive.

Most people would likely die within 3 -4 days without drinking or eating anything, and rarely one would survive over a week. But:

• A 97 year old woman survived 8 days without drinking or eating anything under the rubble of her home after earthquake occurred in Iran in January 2004 (1).
• Nearly all newborn babies, later became known as Miracle Babies, were found and rescued after being 7 days under the wreckage of a Hospital Juarez in Mexico City earthquake in 1985 (2).

continue reading How Long Can a Human Survive Without Food or Water?

What Is a Bowel or Fecal Urgency?

Bowel or fecal urgency is a sudden, irresistible need to have a bowel movement. Urge fecal incontinence is inability to hold stool during bowel urgency. Bowel incontinence is complete inability to control bowel movements. Tenesmus (Greek tens = strain) is a repeating painful urge to defecate without excreting any stool.  

Causes of Bowel Urgency

1. Occasional Bowel Urgency in Healthy People

Large Meal

A large, especially fiber-rich fruit or vegetable meal, can produce a lot of stool, which can be, for some people, difficult to hold in. A quick change from mixed to vegetarian diet can also irritate the bowel.

continue reading Urgency to Have a Bowel Movement, Urge Fecal Incontinence

What Is Peritoneum?

The peritoneum (Greek peritonaion = stretched across) is an abdominal membrane consisting of two sheets: the parietal peritoneum (Latin parietalis = belonging to walls) that covers the inner side of the abdominal wall and the visceral peritoneum (Latin viscera = internal organs) that covers certain abdominal organs.

Picture of peritoneal cavity, parietal and visceral peritoneum

Peritoneal Cavity, Intraperitoneal and Retroperitoneal Organs

Abdominal organs that are totally surrounded by visceral peritoneum are called intraperitoneal organs and include: the liver, spleen, stomach, gallbladder, a part of the duodenum, small intestine, transverse and sigmoid colon, uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries.

continue reading Peritoneal Cavity, Diseases of Parietal and Visceral Peritoneum, Video

What Are Adhesions?

This article describes abdominal adhesions, bowel (intestinal) adhesions and pelvic adhesions.

Adhesions (Latin adhere= to stick, to hold tight) are abnormal bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and glue them together. Normally, scar tissue is formed only within an injured area, as part of a healing process, but in case of adhesions, it also appears on adjacent surfaces and can connect them.

Abdominal adhesions mostly appear after abdominal surgery or inflammation, and pelvic adhesions after gynecological operations or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), mostly resulting from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Abdominal or pelvic adhesions may develop inside the intestine and uterus, or between surfaces of organs and abdominal membrane (peritoneum), thus pulling organs from their original positions, obstructing passage of food and blood supply, causing abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, constipation, urinary retention, irregular menstrual bleeding or infertility.

Pictures of abdominal adhesions

continue reading Adhesions: Abdominal, Bowel, Pelvic – Symptoms, Treatment, Pictures

Definition of Disease

Disease (Latin dis- = lack of, opposite of + ease = convenience, comfort) literally means lack of strength or satisfaction. It also means a person is no longer at ease.

In medicine, disease means an impairment in structure or function of a certain body part or mind with identifiable symptoms or signs. Morbus is a Latin word for disease. This is ideal definition but disease should be seen as any temporary or permanent disturbance in the body that disrupts the state of balance in the body (homeostasis). This balance necessary for a person to be in good health and function optimally.

Illness, Sickness, Malady, Malaise

When referring to patient’s personal experience of a disease, synonyms illness and sickness are usually used. Ailment refers to minor or chronic illness. Malady (French malady = disease) refers to chronic or deep-seated disease. Malaise (French mal- = bad; aise= ease) is a vague feeling of general weakness and discomfort, commonly appearing at the onset of an illness.

continue reading Disease Definition