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Hydronephrosis, or swollen kidney, occurs when urine backs up into one or both of the kidneys. Usually, urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder via the ureter. When a blockage or obstruction impedes the normal flow of urine, hydronephrosis can develop. Overview The urinary tract serves two distinct purposes. The primary function of the kidneys is to filter out extra water, salt, and waste. The second is to collect and excrete urine from the body....

There has been an upward trend in the number of children with hypertension (high blood pressure) in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these cases go undiagnosed and untreated, leading health officials to call for increased surveillance of blood pressure reading in kids. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), up to 19 percent of American boys and 12 percent of American girls have hypertension. The prevalence increases with age and is especially high in Hispanic and African-American children....

If you experience rapid breathing, racing heart, and a funny feeling in your chest, you may be wondering if you’re having a heart attack or a panic attack. Since they share some symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish the two. To add to the confusion, one mark of a panic attack is a concern that you are having a heart attack or dying. This article discusses the symptoms of panic attacks and heart attacks, ways to tell the difference, and when to seek medical attention....

Polyneuropathy is a type of neuropathy, or nerve disease, that affects many nerves. In general, polyneuropathy is caused by a systemic disease process (affecting the whole body) that damages many nerves, like diabetes or chronic alcohol overuse. The types of conditions that cause polyneuropathy often harm peripheral nerves throughout the body, causing symptoms such as pain, decreased sensation, and weakness. Treatments can include medication to prevent nerve damage, physical therapy, and pain medications....

What Is Qinlock? Qinlock (ripretinib) is an oral medication used to treat a type of cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in people who have received at least three prior treatments. It belongs to a drug class called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Qinlock works by blocking specific pathways from being able to continue to help cancer cells grow. What Is Qinlock Used For? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Qinlock for adults who have advanced GIST....

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare autoimmune condition that causes recurrent inflammation of cartilage and other tissues throughout the body. Cartilage is the tough and flexible tissue that covers the ends of the bones at the joints and gives shape and support to other body parts. The ear is most often affected by RP, but any part of the body containing cartilage can be affected, including the nose, airways, ribcage, and joints....

Any parent who has handed over a reluctant child to a caregiver has seen separation anxiety in action. Separation anxiety is a condition in which a person feels extreme fear or distress when separated from an emotional attachment, such as a parent, a loved one, or a place they feel safe, like their home. While the tears can be heartbreaking, the good news is separation anxiety is a normal part of child development and usually gets easier with time....

Stress refers to your physical and psychological response to demands, difficulties, or challenges. Common symptoms of stress include muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, irritability, and difficulty breathing. Anxiety involves feelings of fear, worry, and/or dread in anticipation of possible danger or a negative outcome. Like stress, anxiety can cause symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing, and tension. You may experience anxiety even in the absence of a potential stressor or long after a perceived threat has gone away....

Tear ducts drain tears from the eye through small tubes (called nasolacrimal ducts) that extend from the eye into the nose. When the ducts are infected or blocked, they can become swollen. A swollen tear duct can usually be managed with self-care measures such as warm compresses and massage. Sometimes, however, a swollen tear duct may require antibiotics or surgery in order to heal. This article explains common causes of swollen tear ducts and how they are diagnosed and treated....

A troponin test is a blood test that can help assess heart damage. It is used along with other diagnostic tests to help evaluate the likelihood of a heart attack. Your healthcare provider might order a troponin test for you if you experience symptoms such as sudden chest pain, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. The test results generally come back fairly quickly, although urgent treatment for a heart attack might need to be initiated even before the test results return....

In a June testimony to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Britney Spears spoke out against her 13-year conservatorship, asking that it be disbanded. In the 23-minute long statement, she described being medicated against her will, barred from seeing her friends, forced into work without break, and denied the right to remove her birth control to have a baby, among other abuses. Key Takeaways In June, Britney Spears spoke to a court describing why she wants to end her conservatorship....

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with infertility and several pregnancy risks and complications. These include high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia) and preterm labor or birth. Diabetes can also develop during pregnancy. This type of diabetes is called gestational diabetes. If you have diabetes, there are several steps you can take to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy. This article looks at different types of diabetes and how they affect fertility and pregnancy....

If you are living with heart failure that is no longer responding to conventional heart therapies and your symptoms are getting worse, you may have advanced heart disease. About 6.2 million people are living with heart failure in the United States, and that number is expected to rise. Because improvements in the treatment of heart failure have allowed people with this condition to survive substantially longer than they used to, the number of people that reach an advanced phase of the disease—also called end-stage, refractory, or terminal heart failure—is steadily growing....

Zeaxanthin is a common carotenoid, a pigment found in high levels in dark green vegetables, orange and yellow fruits, and egg yolks. It is also one of only two carotenoids found in the human eye, where it helps protect the eyes from the harmful effects of oxidation and light. Carotenoids act as antioxidants, substances that protect the body’s cells from damage. They are also thought to have cancer-fighting properties. This article explains how zeaxanthin works, the benefits it may have for eye health, and how people take its supplement form....

A 504 plan is part of an antidiscrimination law in the United States. It helps provide resources for children with disabilities. Students with a mental health or physical disability that impacts their ability to carry out activities of daily living can qualify for this plan. It is provided at no extra cost to families. The plan covers accommodations or services the school can offer to help remove barriers so the child can continue going to school....

Type 2 diabetes is caused by many factors, and what you eat is one of the things that you can most control. Some foods seem OK at first glance, but they contain hidden sugar or excess saturated fats that can lead to health problems. Cutting back on these foods can improve your overall health and help you lower your risk of diabetes and other diseases associated with diabetes. While no single food directly causes type 2 diabetes, this article discusses foods to limit to help improve your overall health and decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes....

Anger is a natural emotion, and when managed well, it can even be healthy and productive. But when anger escalates to the point that it causes harm to yourself and others, it’s time to make some changes. Anger management refers to a set of skills used to handle and express anger in healthy ways. Read on to learn more about anger management counseling and why it’s important. What Is Anger Management?...

“Bareback sex” is a term mostly used to describe men having unprotected anal intercourse with men, but it is also sometimes used to refer to unprotected sex in general. Bareback sex increases the risk of getting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so it is important to learn what precautions you may need to take if you wish to have it. What Does “Bareback” Mean? The term “bareback” refers to having penetrative sex without the use of a condom....

There can literally be dozens of reasons why you can’t stop coughing, a condition referred to as a chronic cough. Moreover, the cough itself can vary based on the underlying cause with some being “wet” or productive (meaning that you’re coughing up phlegm or mucus) and others being “dry” or non-productive (meaning that you’re coughing up nothing). The main causes of a chronic cough can be broadly categorized as being either infectious (caused by a virus or other disease-causing organism), immunological (such as an allergy), pulmonary (related to the lungs), or gastroesophageal (related to the upper digestive tract), Less common causes include heart failure and cancer....

Color blindness is common in the male sex, but does that mean only men experience it? Can women be color blind? Color blindness is often linked to certain genes. Whether a person is color blind has to do with how the condition is inherited. While most cases of color vision deficiency are the result of genetics, there are also non-genetic causes of color blindness. This article will go over why color blindness happens....