Dr. Melinda L Hockensmith MD

What are kidney stones?A kidney stone is a hard, crystal-like mineral substance formed within the kidney or urinary tract. In medical terms, it is known as nephrolithiasis. They are also called as renal calculi.Kidney stones can block the stream of urine and can result in urinary infection, kidney...

What is shivering?Exposure to cold or rapid shifts in temperature usually causes uncontrollable shivering. However, many other possible causes can cause shivering or chills. An uncontrollable shivering that persists for a longer time may indicate an underlying illness that requires immediate medical...

What is atherosclerosis?Atherosclerosis is also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease or ASVD. It is a particular type of arteriosclerosis in which an artery wall gets thickened as an effect of attack and accumulation of white blood cells and rupture of the intimal smooth muscle cell producing...

A kidney biopsy, also called renal biopsy, is a medical procedure which involves taking a sample tissue of the kidney for laboratory analysis. This procedure helps your doctor know the type of disease on your kidney, how severe the disease is and the best treatment option. A kidney biopsy is also...

IntroductionRhabdomyolysis is a complex medical condition that involves a rapid destruction of the skeletal muscle tissues along with the release of muscle proteins and other muscle cell contents to leak outside of the cells and into the bloodstream. This leakage includes the following muscle...

What is dysuria?Dysuria is the medical term for painful urination or discomfort while urinating. This painful, burning sensation is commonly associated with urinary tract infections, which are usually caused by bacteria. Dysuria is also a common symptom of cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) and...