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Being diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease can be stressful. For some people, knowing that their penile curvature is a medical problem can make it harder to deal with, while others who are diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease find it doesn’t have that much of an effect on their lives. For those who do need treatment, support is essential. It may be useful to talk to an individual or couples therapist, or even a sex therapist, to address the changes in your intimate life....

Soft tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of cancers that arise from fat, muscle, tendon, cartilage, lymphoid tissues, vessels, and so forth. There are more than 80 types of soft tissue sarcoma. Although most sarcomas are soft tissue sarcomas, they can also affect bone. The diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue sarcomas are involved and multidisciplinary, requiring the input of oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiologists, interventional radiologists, and more. Treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, and, in some cases, chemotherapy....

If you stub your toe or drop something heavy on your foot, you may develop a subungual hematoma, which is blood and fluid trapped beneath the toenail. This gives the toenail a red, black, or purple discoloration. It is often called black toenail for that reason. A subungual hematoma is usually caused by trauma from a heavy object, but a single incident isn’t always the cause. It can also develop from frequent rubbing against a shoe....

A thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test is a diagnostic test that involves taking an intravenous (IV) dose of TRH to assess its effect on your thyroid hormones. This test can provide information that may be useful in distinguishing different types of thyroid problems. However, the TRH stimulation test is not considered safe and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a diagnostic test for patients....

It might surprise you to know that the weather can have an impact on your allergies. If you feel congested when it rains, or have runny watery eyes when it’s windy outside, you might have weather allergies. Read more about weather allergies, the seasons you’re most at risk, and how to treat those symptoms. How Weather Allergies Can Affect You Allergic reactions occur when your immune system reacts to an allergen—anything your body identifies as “foreign....

The symptoms and complications of lobar pneumonia, a condition that affects one or more of the lobes of the lungs, can be broken down by stages into early findings and late findings. This article discusses the progression or stages of pneumonia from early to late in people who receive treatment as well as in those who do not. Early Stage of Pneumonia The symptoms of the first stage of pneumonia, or what you might expect in the first 24 hours, are very important to understand....

Tonsillar crypts are pockets or folds that occur naturally in tonsils, which are lumps of soft tissue on each side of the throat that are part of the immune system. The average adult tonsil has anywhere from 10 to 20 crypts. The tonsil crypts appear as lines in the tonsils where two edges of the folds meet. Crypts in the tonsils are usually small and debris-free. However, if food, mucus, and other debris collects in them and gets stuck, it can harden into tonsil stones, also called tonsilloliths....

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and you are on insulin or need more specific care, you may be sent to a diabetes specialist by your primary care provider. This specialist is called an endocrinologist, specializing in disorders of the endocrine system. This system produces hormones that regulate metabolism, reproduction, and homeostasis. What Is an Endocrinologist? An endocrinologist may provide care in a specialized endocrinology practice, such as one that focuses on diabetes and endocrinology, or split their time by seeing both endocrinology and general internal medicine patients....

When you feel your knee is giving out, meaning that the knee suddenly feels unstable, it is usually due to a ligament injury. A ligament is a short, tough band of tissue that connects two bones. In the knee, there are four major ligaments and several minor ones. If your knee suddenly gives out, it is often the result of a tear in one of three of these major ligaments. This article explores what it feels like to have your knee give out, which ligaments are commonly involved, and some of the treatments used to correct the injury....

What Is Xalatan? Xalatan is a prescription eye drop medicine used to treat adults with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (increased pressure in the eye). Xalatan belongs to a group of drugs called prostaglandin analogs. It lowers eye pressure by increasing the flow of fluid out of the eye. What Is Xalatan Used For? Xalatan is a medication used to treat open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (increased pressure in the eye) in adults....

Lung cancer starts in your lungs, but there’s a strong possibility that it will spread (metastasize) beyond the lungs and surrounding lymph nodes to other parts of the body if it isn’t brought into remission early. Doctors may refer to metastatic lung cancer as advanced lung cancer. The condition is considered inoperable, but it may be helpful to know that treatments that can help halt further spread and potentially extend life are improving every day....

Back mice is a non-medical term used to describe painful masses of fat in and around the hips, the end of the spinal column (sacrum), and lower back. The term is used by some—chiropractors, in particular—to describe several different conditions. Some professionals argue against calling such bumps “back mice” because the term is not specific. They argue that it may lead to misdiagnoses or incorrect treatment. This article looks at what back mice are, the conditions linked to them, their symptoms, and how they’re diagnosed and treated....

Bloom syndrome, or Bloom’s syndrome, is an extremely rare genetic disorder mainly characterized by short stature, extreme sun sensitivity, and increased cancer risk. Other potential complications affect multiple systems in the body. It’s caused by an inherited mutation in what’s known as the BLM gene, which is particularly prevalent in people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (Jews from northern and eastern Europe). There is currently no cure for Bloom syndrome, so treatment options are largely focused on preventing and managing the various symptoms and complications....

A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, is a cosmetic surgery that has grown in popularity by 70% since 2000. A breast lift reshapes and remodels breasts that have become stretched out through factors such as aging, pregnancy, or weight fluctuations. During a breast lift, excess skin is removed, breast tissue is remodeled, and the nipples are raised to a new position. Sometimes, the size of the areola (the area around the nipple) is reduced....

A butterfly needle, also known as a scalp vein set or winged infusion set, is a device used to draw blood from a vein or deliver intravenous (IV) therapy to a vein. A butterfly needle consists of a very thin needle, two flexible “wings,” a flexible transparent tubing, and a connector. The connector can be attached to a tube to collect blood or to tubing from an IV bag to deliver fluids or medications....

The coronavirus pandemic hit most of us by surprise. One moment, we’re enjoying brunch and a matinee with friends. And the next? Lockdown—and things haven’t been normal ever since. Key Takeaways When used in conjunction with other disease surveillance strategies, Google Trends may be a useful tool for helping scientists predict infectious disease hotspots.Examined retroactively, popular search queries can help scientists glean information about diseases—for instance, “loss of taste” as a symptom of coronavirus....

Infectious mononucleosis, most notably known simply as mono, is a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is typically found in young adults and teenagers, and is nicknamed the kissing disease because it spreads through saliva and other bodily fluids. The infection is common, and roughly 90% of all Americans will have been infected by the time they turn 35. Once the virus has made its way into the body, it stays there for the rest of a person’s life—remaining inactive in tissues and immune cells....

With the emergence of medical and recreational cannabis, an increasing number of people have started using cannabinol, or CBD, for arthritis and pain in the joints. CBD is a nonpsychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant; while it can cause drowsiness, it doesn’t cause a “high” like its cousin, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). For arthritis and chronic pain, people often apply topical creams or oils directly to the joints, take oral formulations, or inhale CBD to ease pain and inflammation....

Cervical spondylosis, sometimes called cervical arthritis or arthritis of the neck, refers to changes due to wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) that occur over time and affect the bones, disks, and joints of the neck. This condition affects over 85% of people over age 65. The most common symptoms of cervical spondylosis are neck pain and stiffness. It is also possible to have cervical spondylosis and not have any symptoms. Most people respond well to treatment, which includes medication and physical therapy....

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are both sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that can infect the vaginal, oral, anal, urethral, and throat tissues. While some of the symptoms may be the same, many people are asymptomatic (experience no symptoms at all) with either infection. It can be difficult to determine if you have chlamydia or gonorrhea by symptoms alone. To get effective treatment, STIs must be diagnosed by a healthcare provider. Read on to learn more about the similarities and differences between these infections, risk factors, and prevention....