Diseases & secondary effects
Learn about the causes and treatment of diseases such as diabetes, anemia or cancer, as well as the secondary effects of the intake of certain drugs, treatments and vitamin supplements.
586 articles
Ever feel stuffy or struggle with allergies at home? High humidity could be the culprit. But don't worry! Dehumidifiers can be your secret weapon for creating a comfortable and healthy living space. A dehumidifier is an appliance designed to remove excess moisture from the air in your home. We'll explore...
Whether you can kneel after having a knee replaced will depend on the individual and their circumstances. Generally speaking, it is possible to kneel after an artificial knee is implanted, but it often requires time. In rare occasions, someone may never be able to fully kneel again. However, most patients...
Lipedema is a pathology related to the production of excess adipose tissue which occurs almost exclusively in women. It is a little-known disease, but it can seriously affect the quality of life of those affected. Although it may be associated with obesity, it is a different condition and it can also affect...
The body has a series of joints that work to facilitate the performance of movements of all kinds. The hip is one of the most important for locomotion, but it is also one which is most prone to injury. This is partly because it is responsible for carrying much of the body's weight and issues such as...
Whitish spots on the nails, in various forms and extensions, are a fairly common problem that in most cases is not serious. However, it is always a good idea to consult a dermatologist, because although it is not common, it could be an indication of a health problem. These spots can have different causes...
Knowing a person's blood type is important for both giving and receiving blood. Although in emergency situations, most patients will be given O-negative blood as this works on all blood types. When we have non-emergency medical procedures which require blood transfusions, we will need to know our blood...
The astringent diet is a special diet designed to help with various gastrointestinal problems, such as gastroenteritis or diarrhea. After these diseases, the body has to deal with a great loss of nutrients. You can help your body by eating soft foods that do not require much work from the digestive system....
Astigmatism is a vision problem that affects many people. It is an ocular anomaly which derives from an irregular curvature of the cornea. The result is a distortion in vision. When someone has acute vision, they can distinguish objects in their environment easily. Astigmatism causes objects to be so distorted,...
A burning sensation on the anus can occur during a bowel movement, but often does so seemingly out of the blue. Although everyone poops, discussing issues which affect the anus is still stigmatized. It can be difficult for us to know what problems may cause a burning rectum, let alone how we may treat them....
The arrival of spring should be a time of positivity and hope. While it will vary depending on where you live, the spring is associated with new life, hopefulness and happiness. We can see flora and fauna respond to the changes in the season in various, demonstrative ways. While a change of the seasons...
Cryotherapy or cold therapy consists of the local or general use of very low temperatures to treat injuries, regenerate tissues and relieve muscular pain. In principle it can be applied to any part of the body, adapting the intensity to the area, the type of injury and the type of skin.
During cryotherapy,...
Although the ears have their own self-cleaning system, it is important to always keep them very clean. If we don't, a buildup of earwax called a wax plug can occur. This can provide problems with hygiene and even affect your hearing. Cleaning your ears thoroughly can help to avoid these problems, but cleaning...
Donating blood is not an entirely selfless act. If we ourselves don't require a blood transfusion at some point in our lives, someone close to us surely will. Without any risk to our own health, blood donors help save the lives of thousands of people per day. Since blood scarcity is a problem, volunteers...
For anyone who has to wear glasses when walking outside, a mask can be practically difficult to wear. To do its job, the mask has to stop certain particles passing through the material, but air will also be difficult to pass. For this reason, the air rises above the top of the mask and fogs up our glasses....
Diarrhea is a fairly common digestive problem which can be incredibly uncomfortable and annoying. Whether due to indigestion or other digestive problems, the fact is that diarrhea is not fun and can really interfere with your daily routine. But, how can you treat diarrhea naturally? Well, keep reading to...
Have you ever wondered how to lower blood sugar naturally at home? If so, you’ve come to the right place! If you are looking for a full list of the best herbs for diabetes, we have over 35 for you to choose from.
Although many people would rather opt for natural medicines, one needs to be aware that...
Heat wave, heating in the house or a heating pad, it doesn’t matter, have you ever noticed heat causing cramps and diarrhea? It’s important to remember some symptoms of heat stroke include palpitations, dehydration and diarrhea. But, why does heat sometimes cause diarrhea and cramps?
If you’re wondering...
Have you ever wondered why gynecologists take your urine sample? Kidneys are sift your blood in order to remove fluids and waste material. Kidneys function by separating minerals your blood needs with what you don’t. Waste material then leaves your kidneys in the form of urine. Urine in itself can tell you...
Kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are responsible for performing a number of important functions in the body. A human body carries two kidneys and their job are to: filter blood, remove waste via urine, produce hormones, balance minerals and maintain fluid balance. When your kidneys fail to function properly,...
Freckles are brown or beige, flat, circular spots that usually develop on skin which is sun-exposed. People that carry fair complexions and red hair often have higher chances of developing freckles. Freckles may appear on children as young as 1-2 years of age. These freckles may appear in various colors,...
Fracture blisters occur around the region of a broken bone, specifically in areas where there is very less fat between the bone and the skin, such as: the elbows, ankles and knees. They often form after a serious injury when the bone shifts badly from its position or when a bone is crushed with excessive...
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when your BP (blood pressure) readings are more than 140 by 90 over a period of several weeks. You are said to have high blood pressure even if only one of the numbers is greater than its prescribed limit.
If you are hypertensive, this high blood...
Having pain in your lower left hand side back can be frightening and uncomfortable. Pain in this area can be a sign of an organ issue in your abdominal region. Except for kidneys, most internal organs are located in the front part of your body, but that doesn’t mean it cannot cause pain in your lower...
Do you ever wake up in the morning with back pain? are even at times woken up by the pain itself? Many people suffer from such severe discomfort, that they struggle to get up in the morning. There are reasons why this might be happening. But do not fret, there are many exercises and changes you can make to...
Do you suffer from pain behind the kneecap? It is common to suffer from bad knees, especially if you are an athlete, elderly or do a lot of sport. The area behind the knee, if not treated correctly, can injure easily. There are several types of injuries and conditions which can affect the general knee...
Hemorrhoids are caused due to an inflammation of the hemorrhoidal veins in the rectum. This inflammation occurs as a result of excessive pressure in the area. Depending on the how badly the veins are affected, the hemorrhoids can be external or internal. External hemorrhoids are located under the skin of...
Lipoma is a fatty tissue growth developing slowly between the skin and the layer of muscle underneath. When you touch it, it often feels like dough due to the way you can press it lightly with your finger. Irrespective of age or gender, anyone can have a lipoma, but it is rarely seen in children. Although...
The vagina, vulva, is a very complex part of female anatomy and can change as a result of many different things. Inflammation in the labia of the vulva is often more common than it seems. In addition, sometimes this swelling of the vaginal lips is accompanied by pain, itching, burning, changes in vaginal...
Cryotherapy is a medical therapy in which very cold temperatures are used for giving health benefits to individuals. It can be as simple as a cold compress applied to an area to reduce muscle spasm or pain. Although cold therapy has been used for health benefits since 1700s, a new type of this therapy...
Do you have hives or a rash on your body and want to cure them naturally? Or even better,in the comfort of your own home? Most of the time, a rash appears due to environmental factors or contact with elements that can cause reactions or irritation of the skin. If the rash is widespread, if it stings...
Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. The main objective of hemoglobin in mammals is to transport oxygen to the organs and tissues in the body. Hemoglobin also serves to transmit carbon dioxide from the organs and tissues to the lungs. Due to the importance of its function, it is very important...
Tendons and ligaments are parts of the musculoskeletal system which serve extremely important functions for bones and joints. Both are formed of fibrous connective tissue, both are made up of living cells and both have plenty of collagen. Although they have many similarities, there are important differences....
Tetanus is a serious disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This bacterium is found in soil, manure and dust. It can enter your body when your skin is broken, such as with a cut, burn, scrape or puncture. Once inside your body, it produces toxins which affect the nervous system and lead...
Feet are capable of withstanding considerable force. All the jumping, running and walking we do is repeat trauma which our feet have to withstand. A foot has 26 bones in total, connected with joints and sustained with thick ligaments. This makes them proficient in absorbing impact from movement. Additionally,...
Temporary blindness is the condition in which a person experiences sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes. The distinction of temporary blindness is that it can be corrected to return to normal healthy vision. Perfect vision is 20/20 and legal blindness is declared if a person has less than 20/200 vision....
Vasculitis is a general term given to any disease that leads to inflammation of the blood vessels. When your blood vessels are inflamed, the affected body part becomes weak and can either increase or decrease in size. Sometimes, it narrows to the point it entirely closes off and blocks. Symptoms may...
Congestive heart failure is a life threatening condition in which your heart muscles fail to pump blood to different parts of your body. CHF develops when fluid builds up in and around your heart and the ventricles cannot pump sufficient blood to rest of your body. Eventually, fluid and blood back up...
Scientists have recently suggested that asparagine, a chemical compound found in asparagus, can trigger growth of tumors in mice. The study suggests that this can lead to breast cancer in humans. Breast cancer is one of the toughest forms of cancer which can be difficult to treat. Asparagus is one of...
The human body is resilient. It has ways of protecting us from injury. Even if we do get injured, it has its own incredible system of healing. Minor wounds can damage your skin cells, but they can heal within a few days with time and little treatment. Most wounds are shallow and are limited to the outer...
A keloid or a keloid scar is a tough heaped up scar which is risen above the rest of the skin surface. Usually, it has a smooth top and it is purple or pink in color. It has an irregular shape and continues to enlarge over time. Although a keloid is benign and can be left untreated, it can provide a cosmetic...
Tonsillitis is a condition in which tonsils become red and swollen due to viral or bacterial infection. It is a common condition suffered by children from 5 to 15 years of age, but adults can also have it from time to time. If your tonsils become infected too often, and if you are not able to breathe...
Do your hands and feet stay cold most of the time? Do you experience cramping and swelling in your legs and hands frequently? Do you feel pain in your legs just after only walking around the block? If yes, then you probably have low blood circulation in your extremities. This simply indicates that your...
A staph infection is caused due to staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria generally present in your nose and on your skin. Commonly, it does not cause any problem, although it sometimes results in a minor skin infection. However, despite its commonality, it can turn deadly if it invades deeper inside...
There are different areas of the body that, due to their disposition and shape, have a tendency to smell bad. Discharge, the armpits or the navel are clear examples of those areas that, if they are not washed regularly and in a correct way, can end up causing bad smell.
But not only hygiene, or lack...
Scabs are a result of the 'proliferative phase' of wound healing. This is when the cells which are able to heal the wound start to go to work. Having a scab on your head can be unsightly or even completely invisible, depending on the size of scab and length of hair. Some may be from mild cuts and abrasions,...
Having a hard lump behind the ear is quite common and there can be various causes for it. While some of the lumps are negligible, others may require immediate medical attention. If you have a lump behind your ear, you will need to find out its cause. Once you identify the cause, you can determine whether...
Those of us who have had a stye in their eye will know that having it return is one of the most irritating conditions. You have already put up with an often painful, increasingly itchy and usually unsightly sore on your eyelid. Since we blink around 28,000 times a day, having a stye on your eye means...
Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, herpes labialis or oral herpes, are a kind of infection which affect lips or the area around the mouth. They are caused by HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus 1). Cold sores may take as long as 2-3 weeks to heal completely, but the virus causing them will still be laying...
The feeling of pressure in the chest combined with shortness of breath is a very common symptomatology. As it is nothing specific, there are many conditions that can present these two symptoms at a time, making it very difficult to detect what condition you may have without the corresponding medical...
The appearance of a growth or ball-like shape in the inner cavity of the mouth can cause a great alarm to the person suffering from it, as a person's first though is that it's a serious or malignant condition that must be taken care of immediately. However, in most cases there is no reason to worry unless...