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Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to repair or remove damaged structures in the knee joint that can be causing pain and limiting knee range of motion. During knee arthroscopy, a surgeon uses an arthroscope, a tool about the width of a pencil with a camera and light attached, to view the inside of your knee joint. This allows the surgeon to examine the inside of the knee joint without making a large incision along the outside of the knee, as is done in open surgery....

Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and removes carbon dioxide from the lungs. The body is able to make hemoglobin through iron, a natural mineral found in red blood cells. Having low hemoglobin can hurt the body and could lead to serious health issues, including heart problems. When the cause of low hemoglobin is low iron levels, the condition is called iron deficiency anemia....

Many people know someone who has had lung cancer. It’s a frightening cancer diagnosis because, although it is so common, it’s also deadly. While there are multiple types, lung cancer as a whole was the second most diagnosed cancer in 2020. It was estimated that in 2022 there would be close to 237,000 new lung cancer cases. And about 6% of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lives....

If you’re currently living with migraines, you may be wondering how your condition could be affected by COVID-19. Because headache is a well-known symptom of COVID-19—including both an active infection and the “long COVID” syndrome—many individuals prone to migraines fear that the virus could worsen their condition. Research is ongoing, and we continue to learn more. Here we’ll discuss the latest research findings on migraines and COVID-19, as well as how the virus could affect your medications and treatment schedule....

Neurological physical therapy is aimed at restoring functional mobility, strength, balance, and coordination in people with neurological conditions that affect their quality of life and ability to move. Neurological physical therapy can help people recover from neurological injuries or prevent the progression and worsening of chronic neurological conditions. Uses Neurological physical therapy is geared toward treating patients with conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease, to help them function as best as possible....

New research shows potential for developing new targeted therapies for breast cancer that will not only stop cell growth in cancer cells, but also kill them without damaging healthy cells. Although targeted therapies are not new, this research identifies a new target, as well as a way to determine people who would benefit from future therapies aiming for that target. Key Takeaways People who undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer deal with side effects from their healthy cells being killed along with their cancer cells....

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered a chronic (long-term) mental health condition. This psychiatric disorder is characterized by obsessive, distressful thoughts and compulsive ritualistic behaviors. A person with OCD commonly performs the same rituals (such as handwashing) over and over and may feel unable to control these impulses. These repetitive behaviors are often performed in an effort to reduce distress and anxiety. This article will look at the causes and symptoms of OCD and some of the available treatment options....

A sentinel node biopsy is a surgical procedure used to look at a sample of tissue (biopsy) from your lymph nodes to see if an early-stage breast cancer has spread beyond the initial tumor. “Sentinel” means to guard or stand watch, so sentinel lymph nodes are the first ones a cancer is expected to be found in if it has spread (metastasized). Checking these lymph nodes can help your healthcare team identify your breast cancer stage and prescribe a treatment plan....

At some point or another, everyone deals with digestive problems, whether it’s constipation, diarrhea, or just a general upset tummy. These issues range from things that are mildly inconvenient to ones that can be serious and life-threatening. Understanding what different symptoms might mean can help you manage the problem and find a long-term solution. This article explains a range of digestive problems including those that affect the upper GI tract (from the mouth to the start of the small intestines) and lower GI tract (from the small intestines to the anus)....

The symptoms of lung cancer in non-smokers may be different from those in people who smoke, and this isn’t surprising, as the types of lung cancer (and the most common locations of these cancers) often differ. Among never smokers, the early signs of lung cancer are often subtle and nonspecific, such as shortness of breath that is only present with activity or fatigue. For this reason, and because there isn’t yet a screening test available for never smokers, lung cancers are frequently diagnosed in more advanced stages of the disease....

Losing weight can be a real struggle when you have thyroid disease, even with a healthy diet and exercise. Multiple changes in your body are believed to be behind this problem. It can be discouraging when you work hard to lose weight and don’t see a change on the scale. The good news is that the proper treatments and strategies may help with weight loss. This article discusses why it’s so hard to lose weight with hypothyroidism (low thyroid activity) and the role of hormones....

Uterine fibroids are extremely common The incidence rate is unknown and varies by study, but they can be detected in up to 80% of women by 50 years of age. Many people with fibroids don’t know they have them because many fibroids are asymptomatic. In other cases, fibroids can cause symptoms like heavy periods, pain, or trouble getting pregnant. The symptoms and severity can depend on what types of fibroids a person has, as well as their location and size....

White discharge before or after your period is normal. It keeps the vagina clean and lubricated. However, white discharge may be a sign of infection if it is unusually thick or clumpy, or is accompanied by itchiness. The amount and consistency of vaginal discharge can change throughout the month due to hormonal fluctuations, but any abnormal discharge should be evaluated. This article will discuss the different types of white discharge and when they occur, as well as how to spot unhealthy discharge and when to call your healthcare provider....

Hives (urticaria) are red, itchy bumps on the skin. You may develop hives for many reasons, including allergic reactions, but the cause may not always be known. Sometimes hives are long-lasting (chronic) and can come and go for months or years. When hives are long-lasting without a known cause, it is called chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) or chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). About half of the people who experience CIU are believed to have hives related to an autoimmune disease (when the immune system attacks healthy cells)....

Carcinoid tumors, also called neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), are cancerous tumors that grow from the neuroendocrine cells, which are found in organs throughout the body and send and receive messages through hormones. Carcinoid tumors typically grow slowly and may not show symptoms for many years. In adults, these tumors are usually found in the digestive tract but may spread to other parts of the body. In children and young adults, they occur most frequently in the appendix or in the lungs and are less likely to spread than tumors in adults....

Lyme disease is a progressive bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of the black-legged tick (sometimes called “deer tick”). Most cases of this condition are effectively treated with antibiotic regimens of four to six weeks. However, in up to 10% of cases of people who have the erythema migrans rash or early disseminated Lyme disease, symptoms such as joint pain and swelling persist despite treatment. This is commonly called “chronic Lyme disease” and is clinically referred to as post-Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS)....

A circular rash can stem from a number of skin conditions. Often, ringworm (a fungal skin condition) is suspected, but rashes may look like ringworm and be something different. Some of the causes of a circular rash are an allergic reaction, infections, or other skin conditions. This article will explain the causes of a circular rash. Ringworm Ringworm (tinea corporis) is a skin infection that is caused by a fungus. It is common in children, but can affect people of all ages....

Schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously called multiple personality disorder, are commonly misunderstood as the same due to overlapping symptoms, such as dissociation from reality and decreased mental functioning. They each have distinct criteria that set them apart, but they can also occur together. Some estimates of people with comorbid schizophrenia and DID are around 20 percent. This article covers similarities and differences between schizophrenia and DID, the diagnosis of one or both of these conditions, and treatment....

There are growing reports that some patients who are treated with Pfizer’s Paxlovid antiviral pills can experience symptoms of the disease or a resurgence of COVID-19 shortly after recovering from an initial infection. Key Takeaways There are some patients who reported having symptoms of COVID-19 after completing a course of Paxlovid treatment.More studies are needed to determine exactly why a relapse of symptoms occurs in some patients.Patients who are relapsing should not take an additional round of Paxlovid pills for treatment, according to the FDA....

Erosive osteoarthritis is an uncommon type of hand osteoarthritis. Compared with typical hand osteoarthritis (OA), this condition is more disabling and causes more severe joint pain and stiffness. Erosive OA is characterized by severe joint inflammation and bone breakdown, leading to characteristic X-ray findings, but it can also take longer to diagnose than typical OA. Erosive OA affects approximately 3% of the general population. Women are affected more than men. However, it should be noted that the definition of this condition is not completely agreed upon by experts....