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More than 34,000 trademarked medication names and more than 10,000 generic medication names are in use in the United States.
For about 100 years, scientists thought that peptic ulcers were caused by stress, spicy food, and alcohol. Later, researchers added stomach acid to the list of causes and began treating ulcers with antacids. Now it is known that peptic ulcers are predominantly caused by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that normally exist in the stomach.
More than 50% of American adults have oral herpes, which is commonly known as "cold sores" or "fever blisters." The herpes virus can be active on the skin surface without showing any signs or causing any symptoms.
Medication errors are more common among seriously ill patients than with those with minor conditions.
About 3% of all pregnant women will give birth to twins, which is an increase in rate of nearly 60% since the early 1980s.