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Vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate) should be taken before any drug administration. Patients should be informed not to use tobacco or caffeine at least 30 minutes before their appointment.
Chronic marijuana use can damage the white blood cells and reduce the immune system's ability to respond to disease by as much as 40%. Without a strong immune system, the body is vulnerable to all kinds of degenerative and infectious diseases.
The average older adult in the United States takes five prescription drugs per day. Half of these drugs contain a sedative. Alcohol should therefore be avoided by most senior citizens because of the dangerous interactions between alcohol and sedatives.
No drugs are available to relieve parathyroid disease. Parathyroid disease is caused by a parathyroid tumor, and it needs to be removed by surgery.
Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. About 10% of Americans older than age 40 years have diverticulosis, which, when the pouches become infected or inflamed, is called diverticulitis. The main cause of diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet.
![Conjunctivitis, with the characteristic “pinkeye” appearance. A yellow crusty exudate is also common](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_14_10_12_6_36_55_93941824.jpeg)
![GI series. (a) Upper GI series begins with a barium swallow, barium shake, or barium meal. (b) Lower](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_26_10_12_5_23_55_96931000.jpeg)
![A blood smear. The smear reveals representative cells from each formed element group: red blood cell](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_11_11_12_7_18_43_100341996.jpeg)