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Meningitis, a type of inflammation or infection of the protective lining around the brain, usually has a good prognosis. However, it can lead to dangerous complications and requires close medical observation. In some situations, telehealth can help facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of meningitis, potentially reducing the risk of serious progression and severe health consequences. Telehealth has had a unique role in meningitis care for years. It has become more available as an option for the management of many medical conditions....

A third nipple is an extra nipple on the chest. Also called a supernumerary nipple, it’s usually smaller than a regular nipple and often mistaken for a mole or birthmark. Third nipples are common, typically harmless, and usually don’t need to be removed for health reasons. Some third nipples are accompanied by breast tissue, while others are not. Those that are should be monitored for breast cancer. In this article, you’ll learn about extra nipples, why they develop, and their potential complications....

The treatment for your thyroid condition depends on the type of thyroid problem and whether your thyroid is overactive, underactive, enlarged, or is cancerous. Here is an overview of the different treatments provided for thyroid conditions. Hyperthyroidism/Graves’ Disease Treatments When your thyroid is acutely or chronically overactive—a condition known as hyperthyroidism—you are producing too much thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism is most often due to the autoimmune condition known as Graves’ disease, or in some cases due to thyroid nodules that produce excess thyroid hormone or thyroiditis....

Substance abuse in the United States is one of the leading health conditions impacting millions of lives. Statistically, 165 million people or 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and older currently abuse drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. Since 2000, there have been 700,000 overdose deaths in the U.S., with annual rate increases of 4%. In comparison to other chronic diseases, the costs associated with drug abuse are as considerable as diabetes and cancer....

There is no cure for HIV, but treatments to help minimize the impact of the virus on people who have been infected, and preventive medications can lower the risk of HIV transmission. There are over 48 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to treat HIV today. Your healthcare provider will decide which drug you should take depending on your viral load, T cell count, what strain of HIV you have, how severe your infection is, other drugs you are taking, and other illnesses....

“Water breaking” is when the amniotic sac that cushions a fetus ruptures and the fluid that is inside flows out of the vagina. You will realize that this has happened when amniotic fluid, which is clear, thin, and odor-free, either leaks slowly or gushes out. Generally, water breaking signals that you have entered or are about to be in labor. Amniotic fluid protects a developing fetus during pregnancy. Once it drains from the amniotic sac, the risk of infection increases....

Being told you tested positive on an HIV test may seem pretty straightforward and self-explanatory, but it’s not necessarily so. While some people may respond by focusing on the immediate task at hand—getting treatment—others will want a clearer sense of what a positive diagnosis means for their future—both now and in the long term. This article will walk you through what an HIV-positive diagnosis is and how your doctor reached it so that you can take the next step in dealing with what is today a manageable condition....

Granulocytosis is an overabundance of granulocytes in the blood. Granulocytes include some types of white blood cells that play many different roles in the immune system. Your granulocytes can temporarily increase when you have an infection, and they can also be persistently elevated due to inflammatory or autoimmune conditions. Some types of cancer can make granulocyte levels change—causing either granulocytosis or low levels of granulocytes at different stages of the disease....

Vaginal sex between partners is one of the most common ways a person can acquire HIV. Both women and men can be put at risk when they have vaginal sex without using a condom. There are a number of risk factors shared by both partners. There also are reasons for why men may be at risk, and other reasons for why women may be far more likely to become infected with HIV....

A runny or stuffy nose is something you might chalk up to allergies or the common cold and try to manage with at-home treatments or medications that usually work for you. But you can also develop nasal congestion for other reasons, such as the flu and other upper respiratory infections, that may require medical care to manage both the illness and your risk of complications. Often, people are unsure when they should see a healthcare provider for their nasal congestion and put off making an appointment until a minor condition suddenly turns serious....

Most headaches are not a cause for alarm or unnecessary worry. That said, a severe headache, or a headache associated with specific symptoms like a high fever or a new neurologic deficit (alteration of brain, nerve, or muscle function), may be a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition like a brain infection or stroke. Other scenarios like a new headache in pregnancy or a headache changing in pattern also warrant further investigation....

A Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) may be necessary to treat cancer of the pancreas, chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, cholangiocarcinoma (a cancer in the bile duct), and more. A Whipple procedure is the most common surgery for tumors of the pancreas. The surgery involves several procedures in one operation to remove various parts of the gastrointestinal tract commonly involved in the spread of pancreatic cancer (such as the small intestine, gallbladder, and sometimes the stomach)....

Arthritis is a disease of the joints. But many types of arthritis go beyond the joints and affect other parts of the body. When that happens, it’s called “systemic disease,” especially when it impacts multiple organ systems. This article looks at systemic types of arthritis plus their symptoms, causes, and risk factors. Arthritis Types Systemic forms of arthritis include: Rheumatoid arthritis Systemic lupus erythematosus Juvenile idiopathic arthritis Psoriatic arthritis Sjögren’s syndrome While some systemic symptoms are shared by all of these conditions, some are only linked with one or a few of them....

The areolas, the darker circular area around the nipple, are located where the mammary gland ducts reside in women’s breasts. Changes during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and menopause are all normal, and irritations can occur over time. Most irritations are normal, but some symptoms may point to early breast cancer, which primarily develops in the mammary ducts. This article outlines what breast conditions of the areolas to look out for. Changes in the Areolas During puberty the nipples are raised and the areolas darken, getting ready for the next stages of breast development, fully-formed breasts, during the teenage years, according to Stanford Children’s Health....

The bulbourethral glands are a pair of small, round glands that sit next to each other inside the base of the penis. When the penis is aroused, the bulbourethral glands produce a mucus secretion that adds lubricating factors to the ejaculate. They’re also known as Cowper’s glands. Anatomy Location The bulbourethral glands lie below the prostate gland in the deep perineal pouch. They’re sandwiched between layers of fascia (connective tissue) that make up the urogenital diaphragm and enclosed by fibers of the urethral sphincter muscle....

Most people with shingles have a telltale rash on one side of their body, but it is possible to have shingles without a rash. It’s called zoster sine herpete (ZSH) or internal shingles. It’s caused by the same virus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), that causes chickenpox and typical shingles (herpes zoster). Internal shingles still causes pain and itching—just without the rash—along with other symptoms. Because healthcare providers may not recognize it as a shingles infection, ZSH infections may be more common than previously thought....

Cystic fibrosis (CF) symptoms can develop soon after birth and may include salty-tasting skin, greasy and bulky stools, chronic breathing problems, and poor growth. Because the genetic disease interferes with the flow of water and salt in out and out of cells, it causes thickening of mucus that not only clogs the lungs but prevents the pancreas, intestines, liver, and heart from functioning normally. Over time, the ongoing obstruction of air passages and buildup of mucus can lead to recurrent infections, irreversible lung damage, and other serious complications such as malnutrition, diabetes, and more....

Eyelash mites are microscopic arthropods that live on or near hair follicles. On human beings, two types of mites—called Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis—commonly exist on the face and, particularly, the eyelashes. Most of the time, humans and Demodex mites coexist with no problem. But on occasion, the mites can multiply exponentially, resulting in an infestation that can manifest with red, irritated eyes and itchy, crusty eyelids, known as demodicosis....

Having a fever and chills is usually your body’s way of fighting off an infection. As your internal body temperature climbs, you may start to feel cold and shiver. This shivering makes your body feel warmer, but it can make it hard to get comfortable. This article will cover why you may experience chills when you have a fever. You’ll also learn about how to treat chills and fever at home and when to seek medical care....

Worrying is a part of life. It’s natural to worry about the stressful things in our lives. But what happens when that worry becomes invasive and persistent? For people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worrying can take over their lives, becoming excessive and exaggerated. A person with GAD doesn’t simply have rational worries based on actual risk—they worry regardless of outside stressors, exaggerate the perceived level of risk, and cannot rationalize away the worry....