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Hot flashes are heat sensations on the skin or excessive warmth that comes on suddenly in the upper body. They mainly affect the face, neck, and chest. A person experiencing a hot flash may sweat profusely and their skin may go red. While hot flashes are generally associated with menopause, over one-third of pregnant people will experience them during the course of their pregnancy. This article discusses the causes of hot flashes during pregnancy and how to cope....

Brain ventricles are cavities within the brain that produce and store cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This liquid surrounds your brain and spinal cord, cushioning them and protecting them from trauma. It is also responsible for removing waste and delivering nutrients to your brain. The four brain ventricles are essential to maintaining your central nervous system (CNS), which your brain and spinal cord comprise. The CNS is where information is processed in the body so that functions from temperature regulation to thought, movement, and much more can be controlled....

Lumps the breast can cancerous or non-cancerous. They are caused by groups of cells growing out of control and forming a mass in the breast. Lumps in the breast need to be taken seriously, as they could be an early sign of breast cancer. Early detection and treatment are key for improving chances of recovery. This article explains what breast cancer lumps are, other symptoms of breast cancer, and how to detect them....

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may wonder, can diabetes be cured? Or can diabetes be reversed? Type 2 diabetes cannot be cured. However, you may be able to control your diabetes to the point of remission. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body no longer uses insulin properly. It is the most common form of diabetes. Through lifestyle interventions such as weight loss, diet, and exercise, it is possible to reach blood sugar levels below the diabetic range....

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infecting a woman’s reproductive tract and leading to abnormal cell growth (lesioning) on the outer lining of the cervix. These non-cancerous lesions are formally referred to as low-grade or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, depending on the seriousness of the changes. Common Causes In most cases, CIN develops after an HPV infection. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that spreads easily from person to person....

Cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the U.S. According to a 2017 review of current best practices study, 1.2 million removal procedures are done each year in the U.S. Gallstones are the most common reason for this surgery, but it may be done for a variety of diseases of the gallbladder. There are two main types of cholecystectomy surgery—a minimally-invasive laparascopic procedure and an open procedure....

People who are receiving chemotherapy are more likely to get sick with colds and influenza (the flu) because the treatments weaken their immune systems. If they do get sick with these infections, it can lead to serious, if not life-threatening, illness. Therefore, they need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of colds, flu, and other infections. This article will discuss how to deal with a cold, the flu, or another infection while undergoing chemotherapy treatments....

Copper is an essential mineral for bone strength, heart health, immune health, and much more. As an essential mineral, your body needs it to function properly and stay healthy. However, since the body can’t make its own copper, you must get it through your diet. Copper is also available as a dietary supplement. This article details why your body needs copper, what happens if you don’t get enough, and how much you need each day....

Nearly 20% of people in the United States have used recreational drugs and over 20 million people over the age of 12 in the United States experience a substance use disorder. While people may want to stop using drugs, it can be difficult. Substance withdrawal—a syndrome with physical, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms that happens when a person stops using a substance after regular use—is one reason people struggle with this....

What Is Dsuvia? Dsuvia (sufentanil) is an acute (short-term) medication option for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic (prescription medications used to treat serious pain) and for which alternative treatments are insufficient. Dsuvia is used in adults 18 and older Dsuvia is defined as an opioid agonist. Opioid agonists are therapeutic drugs used for the management of opioid dependency. Opioids themselves are naturally occurring or synthetic substances that have morphine-like properties....

Dyshidrotic dermatitis is a skin condition characterized by small, itchy blisters over the palms, fingers, or feet. These progress to scaly spots over the course of several weeks. Also known as dyshidrotic eczema, foot-and-hand eczema, and pompholyx, it can be associated with atopic dermatitis and seasonal allergies. It can be treated, but dyshidrotic dermatitis will most likely recur and can’t be cured. The word dyshidrotic stems from a now-outdated belief that this condition is caused by sweat gland malfunction....

Fatal familial insomnia is a hereditary sleep disorder that currently affects about 30 families throughout the world, making it extremely uncommon. Insomnia is a decreased ability to fall asleep or stay asleep, and it does tend to run in families. Fatal familial insomnia is characterized by a severely impaired ability to reach a state of deep sleep—it is accompanied by dementia, psychosis, abnormal movements, and alterations of physical functions such as heart rhythm....

Monophobia, sometimes called autophobia, eremophobia, or isolophobia, is the fear of being alone. Monophobia occurs when a person is so afraid of being alone or abandoned that it causes extreme anxiety that far outweighs the actual threat or experience. The fear is so intense that it impacts daily functioning. This article discusses monophobia, as well as its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Defining the Fear of Being Alone Some mental healthcare professionals may consider monophobia a situational phobia, which is a type of specific phobia (an intense, unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger)....

Genital herpes is a very common and highly contagious sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is caused by two types of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), HSV-1 virus (oral herpes) and HSV-2 virus (genital herpes). HSV-1 is primarily transmitted through oral, skin-to-skin contact (kissing, cold sores, or oral sex), while HSV-2 is predominantly transmitted through sexual skin-to-skin contact (vaginal, anal, or oral sex). Both are incurable, so prevention is essential. In this article, learn more about genital herpes, how many people have it, and other important statistics....

While you may be able to safely wait out a short bout of diarrhea, it can be a serious problem, especially in children, infants, and the elderly. Some causes of diarrhea require treatment, and your healthcare provider may conduct various tests to determine the diagnosis. Chief among them are stool tests and blood tests. Diarrhea can result in dehydration, pain, weakness, and malnutrition if untreated. If you experience sudden diarrhea that lasts for longer than around 48 hours, you should seek medical treatment at your practitioner’s office or at an urgent care clinic....

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are both autoimmune diseases that affect the joints. Both are inflammatory and progressive—causing joint stiffness, pain, and swelling, as well as persistent fatigue. In addition, both occur in flares and can be treated with medications that suppress the immune system. However, PsA and RA are different diseases that are diagnosed with different methods, and they also require different therapeutic approaches. With PsA, the joint symptoms are tightly linked to inflammation of the skin from psoriasis (an autoimmune disorder targeting skin cells)....

As COVID-19 vaccine rollout steadily moves along, some states have expanded their eligibility from beyond healthcare workers and adults over 65 to include essential workers and those with preexisting conditions. But millions of people in the U.S. still remain unvaccinated and ineligible to get a dose. Now, some people are getting creative in their ways of securing a shot a few months before their eligibility group. Key Takeaways While people across the country wait to become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, some have gotten creative about snagging a dose early, in ethical ways....

Everyone’s been there: You have a dentist appointment tomorrow and you’re madly flossing because you’re worried about bleeding gums. You promised your dentist at your last appointment that you’d floss more, but you haven’t. As a dentist for a long time, I saw patients that simply didn’t floss and wondered if there was a better way to floss than the traditional string and finger method. Bleeding gums and periodontal disease are common and serious problems....

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), is a group of autoimmune conditions that affects children ages 16 years and younger. The cluster of disorders that make up JIA can impact multiple different joints in a child’s body at once and may also cause symptoms in other organs, like the eyes or skin. While kids frequently go into remission from JIA as they get older, the condition may cause adverse effects on a child’s bones as they mature and develop....

Kienböck’s disease is a rare, debilitating bone disorder. It causes abnormalities in the lunate bone—one of the eight small carpal bones of the wrist. This condition is often the result of injury or inflammation of the wrist. Recurrent pain and stiffness with thickening, swelling, and tenderness are common characteristics of this condition, eventually causing limited range of motion in the wrist. Kienböck’s only affects one of the wrists. Kienböck’s disease is also known as avascular necrosis of the lunate or osteonecrosis of the lunate....