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Browse our complete A-Z directory of healthcare terms and entities.
Showing 80 entries starting with "L" of type "Conditions"
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. A high LDL cholesterol level can raise your risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. LDL cholesterol carries mostly fat and only a small amount of protein from the liver to other parts of the body.
Labor induction As the end of pregnancy nears, the cervix normally becomes soft (ripe) and begins to open (dilate) and thin (efface), preparing for labor and delivery. When labor does not naturally start on its own and vaginal delivery needs to happen soon, labor may be started artificially (induced). Even though...
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a protein (enzyme) that speeds up chemical reactions in the body. It is found in red blood cells and in many organs, including the heart, liver, muscles, lungs, brain, and kidneys. There are five different fractions of LDH (called isoenzymes): LDH-1, LDH-2, LDH-3, LDH-4, and LDH-5. A blood...
A lactic acid test is a blood test that measures the level of lactic acid made in the body. Most of it is made by muscle tissue and red blood cells. When the oxygen level in the body is normal, carbohydrate breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. When the oxygen level is low, carbohydrate...
This cancer information summary provides an overview of the use of laetrile as a treatment for people with cancer. The summary includes a history of laetrile research, a review of laboratory studies, the results of clinical trials, and possible side effects of laetrile use. This summary contains the following key...
Laetrile is another name for amygdalin. Amygdalin is found in the pits of many fruits, raw nuts, and plants (see Question 1). Laetrile is given by mouth as a pill or by intravenous injection (see Question 2). Laetrile has shown little anticancer effect in clinical studies (see Question 4). Laetrile is not approved by...
Lambert-Eaton syndrome (also called Eaton-Lambert syndrome) is a very rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks nerve tissues it mistakenly identifies as invading organisms. As a result, electrical signals do not travel between nerves and muscles as they should, which typically causes weakness in the...
Laminectomy and laminotomy are surgeries done to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots by removing all or part of the lamina. The lamina, the thin part of the bones that make up the spine (vertebrae), protects the spinal cord. Age-related changes in the spine may narrow the opening through which...
The histiocytic diseases in children and adults are caused by an abnormal accumulation of cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system. Only Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a myeloid-derived dendritic cell disorder, is discussed in detail in this summary. The histiocytic diseases have been reclassified into five...
Language delay means that a child is not able to use words or other forms of communication to share thoughts and feelings at the expected ages. Children with language delays may not be able to talk or use other methods to communicate with other people. For example, they may not to able to use gestures...
Discusses cholecystectomy, surgery to remove the gallbladder. Covers how it is done and how well it gets rid of gallstones. Also covers risks associated with laparoscopic surgery.
Laparoscopy (say "lap-uh-ROSS-kuh-pee") is surgery that is done through small cuts (incisions) in your belly. To do this type of surgery, a doctor puts a lighted tube, or scope, and other surgical tools through small incisions in your belly. The doctor can take out organs such as the spleen, the gallbladder, the...
A tubal ligation is considered a permanent method of birth control. The fallopian tubes are cut or blocked, which prevents pregnancy by blocking the egg's path to the sperm and uterus. Laparoscopy makes it possible to see and do the surgery through small incisions in the abdomen. For a laparoscopic tubal ligation , the...
The large intestine (colon) extends from the cecum to the anus and includes the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum.
Laryngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the larynx. The larynx is a part of the throat, between the base of the tongue and the trachea. The larynx contains the vocal cords, which vibrate and make sound when air is directed against them. The sound echoes through...
Laser hair removal uses light treatments to heat and destroy hair follicles. The laser uses a specific wavelength of light aimed at the hair follicle. This light damages the melanin in the hair follicle, making it less able to grow. Laser hair removal works best for people who have dark hair and light skin. But...
Discusses laser treatment for glaucoma. Also discusses how well treatment lowers the pressure in the eye. Covers why it is done and what to expect after surgery. Includes risks of this surgery and what to think about.
The end of life may be months, weeks, days, or hours. It is a time when many decisions about treatment and care are made for patients with cancer. It is important for families and healthcare providers to know the patient's wishes ahead of time and to talk with the patient openly about end-of-life plans. This...
What is a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury? An LCL injury is a sprain or tear to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The LCL is a band of tissue on the outside of your knee. It connects your thighbone to the bone of your lower leg and helps keep the knee from bending outward. You...
Latissimus dorsi (LD) flap is a type of breast reconstruction surgery. It uses muscle, fat, and skin from the upper back that is pulled under the skin to the chest area. The scar on the back can be placed at the bra line to make it less visible. Sometimes an implant is placed during the...
Lay midwives provide prenatal care and deliver babies outside of a traditional medical setting, such as in a birthing center or home. They may be affiliated with a doctor in case an emergency delivery occurs. But they are not supervised by a doctor. Lay midwife training consists of an apprenticeship with an experienced...
Learn what raises your risk for having a heart attack or stroke and how you can lower your risk.
Learning disabilities are disorders of the basic processes involved in understanding or using the spoken or written language. They can cause difficulty with listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or doing math calculations. Learning disabilities are distinct from learning difficulties that are a result of...
Oxygen-rich blood flows from the lungs through the left upper chamber (atrium) of the heart into the left lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart. The left ventricle muscle contracts to pump blood out through the aorta—a large blood vessel carrying blood out of the heart—to the rest of the body.
The decision to have a limb amputated is difficult for the person and his or her doctor. Many times, extensive measures have been tried to save the limb. The major causes of amputation are diabetes and/or peripheral arterial disease that results in either painful, poor limb function or gangrene. In general, amputation...
What is a leg aneurysm? A leg aneurysm (say "ANN-yuh-riz-um") is a bulge in a blood vessel (artery) in your leg. The bulge occurs in a weak spot in the artery. It can happen in one or both legs. Blood clots can form in this type of aneurysm and can block blood flow in your...
Helps you check symptoms of leg injuries caused during sports or recreational activities, work-related tasks, and work or projects around home. Includes bruises, swelling, sprains, pulled muscles, and broken bones. Discusses treatment and prevention.
Helps you check symptoms of leg problems not caused by injury. Covers symptoms like pain, swelling, cramps, numbness, tingling, weakness, and lumps and bumps under the skin. Includes pictures of bones of lower leg, thigh, and muscles and tendons.
In the United States, a person is legally blind if his or her best eye has less than 20/200 vision or less with the help of glasses or contact lenses. Having 20/200 vision means that a person cannot be more than 20 ft (6.1 m) away to see what a person with normal vision can...
Legionnaires' disease is an infection of the lungs (pneumonia) caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella pneumophila. People develop Legionnaires' disease from breathing in the bacteria, which may be carried in airborne water droplets from contaminated water sources, such as air-conditioning cooling towers...
Level of consciousness is a measure of a child's ability to interact with other people and react to his or her surroundings. A decreased level of consciousness may point to a serious health problem. Symptoms of a decreased level of consciousness in a young child include: Extreme irritability for more than 3 hours. The...
Many of the medical and scientific terms used in this summary are found in the NCI Dictionary of Genetics Terms. When a linked term is clicked, the definition will appear in a separate window. A concerted effort is being made within the genetics community to shift terminology used to describe genetic...
Lice are tiny insects that live on humans and feed on blood. They can't jump or fly, but they can spread easily from one person to another through close contact or shared personal items. The main types of lice that live on humans are head lice, pubic lice (crabs), and body lice. The main symptom...
Lichen planus is an uncommon, recurrent skin condition that causes itchy, shiny reddish purple spots on the skin; gray-white spots in the mouth; glassy bright red spots on the vulva (the area around the vagina); and small patchy areas of hair loss (scarring alopecia). The symptoms of lichen planus may begin abruptly or...
Light therapy is the use of a high-intensity fluorescent lamp (usually 10,000 lux) to treat certain types of depression that occur during the fall and winter months (seasonal affective disorder). These lamps are usually available in health food or lighting fixture stores. Lamps used for light therapy are about 10 to 20...
When reviewing the following guidelines, take into account how heavy your normal menstrual flow is. Abnormal vaginal bleeding varies depending on what is normal for a particular woman. Severe vaginal bleeding means that you are soaking 1 or 2 pads or tampons in 1 or 2 hours, unless that is normal for you. For most...
Linda's best friend had just had a heart attack. Linda, 56, and Terri, 52, work together in the records section of their city's police department. They had also been working on getting healthier together. They both had high cholesterol and were overweight. They both smoked. But they'd been going to aerobics class and...
Lip and oral cavity cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lips or mouth. The oral cavity includes the following: The front two thirds of the tongue. The gingiva (gums). The buccal mucosa (the lining of the inside of the cheeks). The floor (bottom) of the mouth under the tongue....
Briefly discusses lipid panel, a blood test that measures cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Covers why a lipid panel might be ordered. Also covers how to prepare for test.
Little Leaguer's elbow occurs in young baseball players who throw the ball too hard or too often (for example, more than 80 times twice a week). The growing part of the elbow, called the growth center (physis), widens and enlarges a part of the elbow bone called the medial epicondyle of the humerus . Muscles...
Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective...
Note: Separate PDQ summaries on Adult Primary Liver Cancer Treatment and Childhood Liver Cancer Treatment are also available. Benefits Based on fair evidence, screening of persons at elevated risk does not result in a decrease in mortality from hepatocellular cancer. Magnitude of Effect: No reduction in mortality. Study...
Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more...
Introduction More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ to become available for a transplant that can save their lives. Many organ donors are living donors. How can you be a living organ donor? Most people can be organ donors. Many people choose to donate an organ upon their death....
A living will is a type of advance directive that documents your wishes about end-of-life medical treatment, including life support, if you become unable to speak for yourself. In most cases, a living will and durable power of attorney for health care, which names a health care agent, are completed at the same time...
Many people have more than one long-term (chronic) health problem. You may be one of them. For example, you may have high blood pressure and diabetes, or you may have high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart failure. When you have more than one problem, doctors call the health problems comorbidities. One health problem...
It takes time to adjust to an ostomy. But you will be able to work, participate in sports and physical activities, be intimate with your partner, and resume your social life after an ostomy. Medicine Most medicine is absorbed in the small intestine. If you have an ostomy, how well a medicine is absorbed depends...
For a living-donor liver transplant, a healthy person donates a portion of his or her liver to the transplant recipient. The recipient's liver is removed and replaced with this part of the donor's liver. The recipient's and donor's surgeries are carried out at the same time in different operating rooms. Both the portion...
Local anesthesia is a method to deliver pain control medicine to a specific area. It can be injected or applied to the skin or mucous membranes to numb an area and its surrounding tissues. Local anesthesia does not make the person sleepy or relieve other pains. But it may be used along with other medicines...
Local anesthesia for childbirth is most commonly given as a shot that numbs the area around the vagina just before an episiotomy is done. An episiotomy is a cut made in the tissue between the vagina and anus just before the baby's head starts to emerge. (The tissue is called the perineum.) The cut makes...
A pilonidal cyst is a closed sac under the skin at the top of the crease between the buttocks. Treatments for pilonidal cysts include: Incision and drainage: Your doctor will make a simple cut (incision) in the cyst. This allows the fluid to drain out of the cyst. Excision (surgery): Your doctor will do surgery...
Diabetic foot ulcers usually occur on the bottom of the foot. They can also appear along the top and bottom of each toe. Shoes that do not fit well can cause ulcers on the sides of the feet. Areas of the foot that have already had an ulcer may need more protection after healing, to...
Locking twins are multiple-birth babies about to be delivered who are positioned so that their chins are hooked together. This rarely occurs, but it can happen when the first infant to be delivered is feet-first (breech) and the next is head-down (vertex). Locking twins are delivered by cesarean section (C-section).
Learn why a long-acting bronchodilator might be added to your child's asthma medicine.
As a supervisor for a hospital cafeteria, Loralie makes sure that the cafeteria has plenty of healthy choices. But until recently, she didn't take advantage of the healthy choices for her own meals. Loralie's eating habits had caused her to gain weight, and her blood pressure was high. "I had given up, just given up,"...
Low back pain is pain in your back anywhere below the ribs and above the legs. It can be dull or sharp. You might feel it in only one spot or over a broad area. Some people also have numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs from a pinched nerve in the back....
Learn about activity and exercise to help reduce low back pain.
Learn easy ways to help prevent the return of low back pain.
What is low blood pressure? Low blood pressure means that your blood pressure is lower than normal. Another name for low blood pressure is hypotension (say "hy-poh-TEN-shun"). In most healthy adults, low blood pressure does not cause problems or symptoms. In fact, it may be normal for you. For example, people who...
What is low bone density? Low bone density (sometimes called osteopenia) refers to bone density that is lower than the normal peak density but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Bone density is a measurement of how dense and strong the bones are. If your bone density is low compared to normal peak...
See why your doctor prescribed low-dose aspirin for your heart.
Looks at how you can control how much salt (sodium) you eat when you eat out. Explains what salt does to your body. Lists foods to avoid and foods that are heart-healthy. Offers tips for choosing low-sodium foods at restaurants.
The lower digestive system includes the large intestine (ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon) and the rectum.
Top of the pageLower Leg FractureCurrent as ofJune 26, 2019Author: Healthwise StaffWilliam H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency MedicineAdam Husney, MD - Family MedicineKathleen Romito, MD - Family MedicineH. Michael O'Connor, MD, MMEd, FRCPC - Emergency MedicineCurrent as of: June 26, 2019Author: Healthwise StaffMedical Review:William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine &...
Guides you through treatment choices for lumbar spinal stenosis. Covers tests used to diagnose and guide treatment. Discusses treatment with medicines, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, or surgery. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.
What is spondylosis? Spondylosis is age-related change of the bones (vertebrae) and discs of the spine. These changes are often called degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis. These changes don't always cause symptoms. But they are a common cause of spine problems that can range from mild to severe. What causes...
Courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise, Idaho. This lung angiogram shows normal blood flow in the arteries of the lung.
Discusses causes of lung cancer, including smoking and exposure to asbestos or radon. Covers symptoms and how lung cancer is diagnosed. Covers treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Includes info on palliative care.
Screening tests help your doctor look for a problem before you have symptoms. This increases your chances of finding the problem early, when it's more treatable. Studies don't show that routine screening for lung cancer is right for most people. But it may help those who have the highest risk for lung cancer—people 55...
Guides people who are at high risk for lung cancer through the decision on whether to have an annual low-dose CT screening. Discusses the benefits and risks of having screening and the risk for getting lung cancer. Includes an interactive tool to help you decide.
Lung function tests (also called pulmonary function tests) are done to check how well your lungs are working. The test may be done to find the cause of breathing problems, diagnose lung diseases, or find out how well treatment for a lung problem is working. There are many types of lung function tests. Spirometry...
Three types of lung surgery differ by how much lung tissue is removed. Wedge resection (also called a segmentectomy): A wedge-shaped section of the affected lung is removed. Lobectomy: The affected lobe of the lung is removed. Pneumonectomy: The entire affected lung is removed. Sometimes cancer grows in the bronchus...
After lung surgery, one or more chest tubes are used to drain fluid and blood out of the chest cavity. The chest tubes also help the lungs refill with air.
For a lung transplant, the recipient's diseased lung is removed and replaced with the donated lung.
Lung cancer means that cells in your lungs are growing abnormally and out of control. The cancer cells can spread to other parts of your body. Most lung cancer is caused by tobacco smoke.
To date, no diet is known to cure, prevent, or relieve lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) symptoms. But poor nutrition makes it harder for your body to battle chronic illness. To make sure that you have a healthful, balanced diet, your doctor may oversee your food intake or refer you to a registered dietitian...
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland. In women, LH helps regulate the menstrual cycle and egg production (ovulation); in men, LH stimulates the production of testosterone, which plays a role in sperm production. Women's LH levels normally vary with the phase of the menstrual cycle, rapidly...
Lymph nodes are part of the lymph system, which carries lymph fluid, nutrients, and waste material between the body tissues and the bloodstream. The three most common sites of swollen lymph nodes are the neck, armpit, and groin. The lymph system is also an important part of the immune system, the body's defense system...
Lymphadenectomy is surgery to remove lymph nodes. A lymphadenectomy, also called lymph node dissection, may be done to examine the pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes for endometrial cancer cells. The removal and examination of the cancerous lymph nodes will determine the exact stage and grade of the cancer and may...
Lymphedema is the build-up of fluid in soft body tissues when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. Lymphedema occurs when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. Fluid builds up in soft body tissues and causes swelling. It is a common problem that may be caused by cancer and cancer treatment. Lymphedema usually...