A sore throat is pain, scratchiness or irritation of the throat that often worsens when you swallow food or drink liquids. The most common cause of a sore throat is a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. A sore throat caused by a virus resolves on its own. Strep throat, a less…
Everyone feels sleepy sometimes. However, when sleepiness interferes with daily activities, or lowers the ability to function, it’s referred to as “problem sleepiness.” A person can be sleepy without them realizing it. For instance, a person may not feel sleepy during activities such as talking and listening to music at a party; however, the same…
Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders can affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment known as melanin. Special cells in the skin make melanin. When these cells become either damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire…
Skin disorders can vary greatly in symptoms and severity. They can be temporary or permanent, and may be painless or painful. Some have situational causes, while theres may be genetic. Some skin conditions are minor, and others can be life-threatening. While most skin disorders are minor, others can indicate a more serious problem. Contact your…
Most skin cancers are locally destructive cancerous growth of the skin. They originate from the cells of the epidermis, the superficial layer of the skin. Unlike cutaneous malignant melanoma, the vast majority of these sorts of skin cancers rarely spread to other parts of the body and be life-threatening.
Sinusitis is a common inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, the cavities that produce the mucus necessary for the nasal passages to work effectively. It can be acute or chronic, and it can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, allergies, or even autoimmune reaction. Although it’s uncomfortable and painful, sinusitis often goes away even without medical…
Shingles, or herpes zoster, happens when the dormant chickenpox virus, varicella zoster, is reactivated in your nerve tissues. Early signs of shingles include tingling and localized pain. Most, but not all, people with shingles start to develop a blistering rash. You may also experience itching, bumping or deep pain. Usually, the shingles rash lasts two…
Tremor is an unintentional, rhythmic muscle movement involving to-and-fro movements (oscillations) of one or more parts of the body. It’s the most common of all involuntary movements and can affect the hands, arms, head, face, voice, trunk and legs. Most tremors happen in the hands. In some people, tremor is a symptom of a neurological…
Scurvy is the official name given to the lack of vitamin C. It can lead to anemia, debility, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, pain in the limbs, and especially the legs, swelling in some parts of the body, and sometimes ulceration of the gums and loss of teeth. Scurvy has been known since ancient Greek and Egyptian…
Sciatica is the pain in the lower extremity resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain of sciatica is usually felt from the lower back (the lumbar area) to behind the thigh and can radiate down below the knee. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and starts from nerve roots…