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Children who have a hard time with eating, who complain of food getting stuck in their throats and who refuse to eat, may have a chronic condition called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Eosinophilic esophagitis is part food allergy, part swallowing disorder, and can cause children to grow poorly and to be agitated at the meal table. In adults, EoE can cause difficulty swallowing and symptoms that are similar to heartburn. Eosinophilic esophagitis had been considered to be rare , but awareness and diagnoses are increasing....

Cholesterol blood tests ordered by your healthcare provider are usually reliable, but it’s possible to get a false-low or false-high cholesterol test result. In other cases, you may get a result that seems off, but is actually correct and due to a factor you may not have thought of, like a medication you are on. There are several things that can affect your cholesterol test results, from alcohol consumption to pregnancy to simple human error....

Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled from your lungs after taking the deepest breath possible. It’s measured by spirometry, which is a common breathing test to check lung function. This test may help distinguish obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. Obstructive diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), make it difficult to exhale all the air from your lungs. Restrictive lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis, cause problems with inhaling air to fill your lungs....

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that can be very painful. It usually affects one joint at a time—often the big toe—but it can affect other joints as well, including the elbows, wrists, ankles, and knees. It occurs in people with hyperuricemia (high uric acid levels in their blood). Uric acid is created when the body breaks down purines, chemicals naturally found in the body and present in some foods....

A hallucination is the experience of sensing something that isn’t really present in the environment, but is instead created by the mind. In fact, the word “hallucination” means “to wander mentally” in Latin. Hallucinations can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted, and usually seem very vivid to the person experiencing it. While some hallucinations can be pleasant, others can be described as frightening, alarming, or disruptive. Hallucinations can occur in people with psychiatric conditions, like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, but they can also happen as a side effect of certain medications or illnesses like epilepsy....

Heterochromia is a medical term used to describe variations in color. Heterochromia iridum specifically refers to variations in the colored part of the eye, called the iris. The variation can either be complete (in which you have different-colored eyes) or sectoral (meaning that part of one iris has a different color from the rest). Heterochromia is most often the result of genetics. An eye injury and certain diseases, including non-cancerous tumors (called iris nevus) and cancerous tumors (like ocular melanoma), can also alter the color of an iris....

The government is pivoting its vaccine distribution efforts from mass vaccination sites to reaching people where they are in order to increase access. One factor they’ll have to address: language barriers. Key Takeaways Limited access to information about the COVID-19 vaccines, including how to sign up and where to go, creates barriers for people in underserved communities.Language barriers are leading to a lack of reliable COVID-19 information.Making translators available at vaccination sites and relying on trusted leaders in the community can help increase vaccine access....

Many of us have encountered an arrogant or egotistical healthcare provider. They come across as mightier-than-thou, and seem brusque, superior or conceited, as if we are supposed to feel lucky to be in this person’s presence, or fearful enough that we had better not cross him. When we aren’t feeling well, which of course is the reason we are visiting this individual, facing such a big personality may leave us feeling intimidated, angry, frustrated, or a host of other negative emotions, none of which is helpful for improving our health....

The Zika virus can be frightening since you will often have no idea that you’ve been infected until complications appear. These may include miscarriage and birth defects. In rare instances, a Zika infection can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a nerve disorder that can lead to the loss of motor control. Unfortunately, there are no medications or vaccines to treat or prevent an infection. Treatment, therefore, is based solely on the management of symptoms and complications....

Huntington’s disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are progressive neurodegenerative (nerve-dying) diseases that affect movement. Apart from this broad similarity, HD and ALS are separate conditions. Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition associated with uncontrolled movements, psychiatric disturbances, and cognitive decline. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is associated with muscle weakness and (eventually) complete paralysis. The vast majority of ALS cases are not inherited. This article reviews the key differences between Huntington’s disease and ALS, including their unique causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment....

Huperzine A is a substance extracted from a plant called Chinese club moss (Huperzia serrata). Sold as a dietary supplement, huperzine A is typically touted as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Used in alternative medicine, huperzine A has been found to act as a cholinesterase inhibitor, a type of medicine used to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a chemical essential to learning and memory). Not only used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, huperzine A is also said to enhance learning and memory and to protect against age-related cognitive decline....

Skin pain affects more than 40% of people with psoriasis. An autoimmune disease, psoriasis causes itchy, scaly patches of skin, most commonly on the knees, elbows, trunk, and scalp. Psoriasis feels painful because of inflammation that irritates nerves in the skin. Psoriasis pain can be described as aching, burning, stabbing, throbbing, cramping, or stinging skin. Psoriasis flare-ups can be triggered by the weather, foods you eat, skin trauma, and stress. Topical prescription medications, oral medications, and home remedies are used to treat psoriasis skin pain....

Lactoferrin is a protein found naturally in the milk of humans, cows, and other mammals. It is also found in other bodily fluids like saliva, tears, mucus, and bile. Lactoferrin has antiviral and antibacterial properties, and helps the body transport and absorb iron. In humans, the highest concentrations of lactoferrin can be found in colostrum, which is a very nutrient-dense first form of breastmilk produced soon after a baby is born....

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. There are four different types of lupus, one of which affects the skin only. This is referred to as cutaneous lupus. People with lupus may experience skin problems when they are having a flare, or flare-up (when symptoms worsen), such as during times of stress or illness. Certain skin conditions are also specific to lupus. Learn more about lupus skin conditions, their causes, and how to treat them....

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is often considered one disease that presents in a classic way. While progressive muscle weakness and difficulty controlling movement are present in all nine forms of the disease, there are nuances in the symptoms experienced and the extent of them that depend on what type someone has. Frequent Symptoms Progressive muscle weakness is common among all types of MD, but it’s important to look at each uniquely to understand exactly how this impacts an individual....

A nasogastric (NG) tube is a thin, soft tube made of plastic or rubber that is passed through the nose, down through throat, and into the stomach. It is used to deliver food or medicine to the stomach for people who have difficulty eating or swallowing. It can also be used to remove liquids or air from the stomach. The placement of an NG tube, called nasogastric intubation, can be uncomfortable but is usually not painful....

If you’ve got a food allergy or intolerance, your diet is, of course, restricted through no choice of your own. In contrast, people choose to become vegetarian for any number of reasons. These reasons can range from the desire to see if avoiding meat will lead to better health or more energy, to the commitment to holding to strong religious or ethical beliefs, to concerns about the safety of the food supply....

What questions should you ask your healthcare provider before you begin chemotherapy? If your pathology report from surgery came back and your surgeon or oncologist believes you should have chemotherapy, what should you know? Certainly you will have an opportunity to sit down with your oncologist first to discuss the risks and benefits, but unless you’ve had or been close to someone with breast cancer before, you may be at a loss when it comes to knowing exactly what you should be asking....

A sessile polyp grows flat on the lining of the large intestine, or colon. It does not have a stalk, like a pedunculated polyp, making it harder to find and remove. A certain type of sessile polyp, called sessile serrated adenoma, is considered precancerous and may be a precursor for up to 30% of all colorectal cancers. Sessile polyps may be found during a colorectal cancer screening and are usually removed during a scheduled surgery or a colonoscopy....

In the United States, males account for around 80% of all new HIV infections each year. Of these, the majority involve men who have sex with men (MSM), while an estimated 10% occur in males who engage exclusively in heterosexual sex. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, just over 912,000 are male. While the symptoms of HIV are largely the same whether you are male or female, there are several that affect males specifically due to differences in male reproductive tract, including:...