Dr. Charles P Singstad M.D.

What is encephalitis?Encephalitis means inflammation of the brain. Fever, headache, and joint pain are often experienced in the early stages of encephalitis. Other severe symptoms may develop over some days or hours. They include personality changes, seizures, disorientation, confusion, or...

Introduction Chikungunya is a viral infection that is transmitted by mosquitoes. The chikungunya virus causes a sudden onset of fever along with severe joint pain. The illness is not considered as contagious, but in rare instances, the virus can get transmitted through contact with a person's...

Copperhead snake bites are one of the frequently reported snakebites annually. However, they are rarely fatal. Most of the time, snakebites happen when people accidentally step on or touch snakes, which are excellent at blending into their surroundings. When copperhead snakes are disturbed, they...

OverviewA transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke, which only lasts for a few minutes. It occurs when blood stops flowing to a part of the brain for a short time. The symptoms of TIA are similar to other symptoms of stroke, but they do not last long, so TIA does not lead to permanent...

Leukocyte Esterase Urine TestLeukocyte esterase (LE) is an esterase produced by white blood cells (WBCs) or leukocytes. A leukocyte esterase test is a urine test used to detect the presence of white blood cells and other health conditions associated with infection.Normally, leukocyte esterase...

IntroductionCat scratch fever or cat scratch disease is a bacterial infection spread by cats. You can get the cat scratch fever from a scratch or bite of a cat that is infected with the bacterium called Bartonella henselae. Aside from the infected cat’s scratch, you can also acquire the infection...