Dr. Brian P Kersten MD

Recommended Articles

• Does My Diet Raise My Risk of Getting Appendicitis?

  The appendix found in the human body was long the subject of debate among doctors all over the world in their journals and reviews. However, very few of these debates have turned out to be worthy of serious consideration because the majority of doctors have conceded the fact that the appendix serves...

• What Could an Itchy Vulva Mean?

  The vulva is the external part of the female genitalia, which includes the skin between the anus and the vagina, and the lips of the vagina. An itchy vulva is medically called pruritus vulvae. It is normal for women to experience a slight vulvar itch, but if you have an uncomfortable and persistent...

• HIV: 5 Transmission Myths

  What is HIV?HIV is a virus that was discovered in the 1980s. It attacks a person's immune system, causing it to be too weak to fight outside infections. The HIV virus works by destroying white blood cells, called CD4 cells, in the immune system, and progresses through three stages, the last of which...

• When Could Orthopnea Mean Something More Serious?

  IntroductionOrthopnea is the medical term used when referring to the occurrence of dyspnea (shortness of breath) when you are lying flat. This symptom is often a sign of heart failure. However, orthopnea can also be due to other health conditions. Dyspnea (shortness of breath) is not the same with...

• Diagnosing Heart Palpitations

  What are heart palpitations?Heart palpitations are when you start feeling your own heart beating. You will feel as if your heart is beating too fast, slow, forcefully, or irregularly. You will feel as if you missed a beat. The frequency and severity of heart palpitations will vary from one person to...

• Pleurisy vs. Bronchitis: Differences and Similarities

  What is pleurisy?Pleurisy is a condition, in which the lining that surrounds the lungs and the interior of the chest cavity is inflamed. Due to the inflammation of the pleura, this condition is also called as pleuritis. The pleural space is the space between the lungs and the chest cavity wall....