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Dental health is strongly linked to the health of our bodies overall. If you have gum disease, gum pocket reduction surgery can clear tartar from your mouth and prevent infection from spreading throughout your body. As part of the procedure, your healthcare provider will perform osseous surgery to smooth irregularities in the jaw bone. Here’s what to expect from this oral surgery. What Is Osseous Surgery? Osseous surgery is part of an effective treatment plan against periodontal disease....

Paresis is a condition where the muscles in an area of the body become weaker and difficult to move voluntarily. This issue, which can obviously have an enormous impact on your daily function, is actually a symptom of an underlying disorder. In fact, a wide variety of diseases and injuries can lead to motor function deficits in your body. For a comprehensive review of paresis and its various causes, take a look at the sections below....

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are neurological disorders that share several symptoms, including pain and paresthesias (abnormal sensations). Either condition can make it difficult to use your arms and hands or to walk. Despite these similarities, peripheral neuropathy and MS are completely distinct diseases with different causes and treatments. Both of them can worsen if they are not medically managed, so it is important to seek medical attention if you experience neurological symptoms....

Pomegranate juice has become a popular drink, in large part due to much-trumpeted health claims. Pomegranates are the fruit of the Punica granatum tree. The fruit itself is bitter, so only the seeds are eaten. One pomegranate has nearly 30 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, about 40% of the daily recommendation. Pomegranate has been studied for its effects on lowering inflammation, improving heart health, and more. Research supports some health claims but has also found some safety concerns....

Joining a clinical trial may have benefits if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that occurs when the immune system malfunctions and starts to attack healthy tissues, mainly the synovium (the lining of the joints). RA causes inflammation (painful swelling) in the joints—primarily the hands and wrists, but any joint can be affected. Lasting and untreated inflammation of the joints can result in joint damage and disability....

Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders is the category of mental health conditions in which psychosis is the primary symptom. Psychosis involves hallucinations (sensory experiences that are not real) and/or delusions (persistent false beliefs that are not based in reality). While all people who have schizophrenia spectrum disorder experience psychosis, psychosis is a symptom for other conditions as well. In the previous edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), there were distinct subtypes of schizophrenia, a central condition in this category....

Coronary artery disease (CAD) can be treated with medical management (medications) or with procedures such as stents or bypass surgery. Deciding on the best treatment option is a very individual process. There are risks and benefits to each approach. Your healthcare provider will also consider things like how many blockages you have and where they are. Your preference and your healthcare provider’s preference will be taken into account, too. CAD researchers are looking into differences between the outcomes of medical treatment, stents, or bypass surgery....

Sulfasalazine is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). It can be used alone or with other treatments. Sulfasalazine works by changing the way a disease affects the body. It can reduce joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness from a variety of inflammatory arthritis conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It is also used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract....

Hepatitis is a disease of the liver, and to understand the signs and symptoms of hepatitis requires a basic knowledge of what the liver does. The liver is crucial to the body because it is involved in many functions essential to life. For example, did you know that 25% of your blood volume goes through your liver every minute? This means that every five minutes, your liver filters your entire blood supply....

Coping with tardive dyskinesia involves addressing the emotional, physical, and social issues associated with this movement disorder. Because tardive dyskinesia is a medication side effect, living with the condition involves managing the primary illness as well as the drug side effect. Approaches for coping with tardive dyskinesia often involve an integrated care strategy that combines medical management, psychological counseling, family support, and sometimes professional assistance with activities of daily living....

It’s common for people with endometriosis to feel that they have gained weight. This may be due to water retention from bloating or other causes. Symptoms of endometriosis include pain, heavy or irregular bleeding, and infertility. Endometriosis can also cause gastrointestinal upset such as diarrhea, constipation, and bloating, commonly referred to as endo belly. A small 2009 study found that 96% of people with endometriosis have experienced bloating in their bellies, as opposed to 64% of those without endometriosis....

If you are experiencing mental health issues, any changes in your sleep habits or patterns can negatively affect your health. In fact, sleep problems impact 50% to 80% of patients receiving mental health treatment. This article will discuss the connection between mental health and sleep disorders, and the symptoms, prevention, and treatment methods. The Connection Between Mental Health and Sleep Disorders The quality of sleep that you get is closely connected with your mental health....

Introitus, a word derived from the Latin words for “to go” and “into,” means an entrance to a canal or tunnel. The term is most often used to refer to the entrance ofthe vagina, the external opening that leads to the vaginal canal. Read on to learn about anatomy of the vaginal introitus, various health conditions that can cause pain, discomfort, or itching in this area, and tips for keeping your introitus healthy....

Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy can be physically and emotionally difficult. It’s made worse when the reconstructed breast(s) isn’t right. Common concerns include numbness, scarring, discomfort during exercise, drooping breasts, wrinkling, and more. While some issues improve within the first year after reconstruction, you should talk to your surgeon if you are still unhappy with the results. Another surgery may not always be the answer, but it is common for women to have one or more corrective surgeries before seeing their desired outcome....

A comprehensive eye exam (also called a routine eye exam) includes a variety of tests and procedures to evaluate the health of the eyes and vision. The exam takes at least an hour—including the 20 to 30 minutes it takes for pupils to fully dilate—with each test evaluating a different aspect of eye health. The results are reviewed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Depending on a variety of risk factors, the cadence of eye exams varies from person to person....

An arthritis treatment center is a “one-stop-shop” that provides specialized care under one roof for patients with arthritis, a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. At arthritis treatment centers, a team of specialized practitioners and other healthcare professionals offer treatment, support, and care using standard medicine (like prescription medication and surgery), complementary and alternative medicine (like acupuncture and meditation), or a combination of both. There are two main types of arthritis treatment centers: an outpatient clinic in a hospital or healthcare provider’s office setting and a holistic medicine center retreat, which may take place at a wellness facility or scenic destination....

As part of an effort to address the U.S. mental health crisis, a panel of medical experts proposed a recommendation that all adults younger than 65 be screened for anxiety disorders. Update The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on October 11 also recommended anxiety screening in children between the ages of eight and 18 regardless of symptoms. Key Takeaways A panel of medical experts proposed a recommendation that all adults ages 19 to 65 be screened for anxiety disorders....

Atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis are both very common types of eczema—a skin condition that can cause itchy, scaly, inflammatory rashes. While their symptoms are similar, the two have very different causes. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation of the skin (dermatitis). Most cases of atopic dermatitis are thought to occur due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Contact dermatitis develops when the skin comes in contact with something that triggers a reaction....

Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix. The cervix is a small, hollow tube that connects the uterus to the vagina. Cervical cancer is less common in the United States than it once was. Around 0.6% of people assigned female at birth will get cervical cancer during their lifetime. Of course, that’s small comfort for anyone with this diagnosis. People are often diagnosed with this condition after an abnormal Pap smear indicates cancerous changes in the cervix....

Chelation therapy is a process in which potent medications are used to remove heavy metals from the human body. Chelation has been used successfully to treat lead poisoning among other disorders. Starting in the late ’90s, chelation was recommended by some alternative practitioners as a tool for curing autism. The reality is that chelation neither improves nor cures symptoms of autism. In addition, if used incorrectly and outside of a hospital setting, chelating drugs can be quite dangerous....