Dr. Leah M Peterson M.D.

Recommended Articles

• 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...

• What Causes Blood to Show Up in Urine?

  Hematuria is the phenomenon in which traces of blood appear in the urine. It presents a unique problem because it is not a disease in itself. It is not infectious, nor is it capable of threatening a life. It is merely a warning sign that something is wrong inside the body. Though frightening in...

• What is Lung Cancer? Get the Facts

  The Nature of Cancerous CellsEvery cell in the human body is programmed to carry out a specific role. For example, a red blood cell carries oxygen to tissues, a white blood cell wards off infection, and an intestinal cell absorbs nutrients in the digestive tract. All these cells are programmed to...

• Everything You Need to Know About the Zika Virus

  What is Zika virus?Zika virus (Flavivirus) isn`t a new virus, initially, it was found in Uganda and called after the place where the virus was first detected- Zika forest (1947). It is a mosquito-borne virus, which is transmitted from a particular species of infected insects (Aedes), the aggressive...

• Floating Poop: Reasons

  Causes of Floating PoopOne day, all of a sudden, you notice that you have floating poop. The very next thing that comes to your mind is,  "Why?"Usually, poop sinks to the bottom of the toilet, so you might be wondering why your poop floats. Diet and other contributing factors can cause changes in...

• Who Gets Cholera?

  Cholera is an infection that is caused by a bacterium known as Vibrio cholerae, which attacks the small intestines. This disease is extremely contagious, especially in areas where there is poor sanitation or during disasters such as floods. It is capable of killing people who are infected within...