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The recommended treatment for most cases of craniosynostosis is surgery. During the procedure, the surgeon moves your child’s bony plates in the skull into a more circular shape. The two goals of craniosynostosis surgery are to correct your baby’s head shape and to provide sufficient room for their brain to grow normally. In this article, we’ll discuss the two types of craniosynostosis surgery and how to determine which one is right for your child....

Cryotherapy—also known as cryosurgery—uses freezing temperatures to destroy abnormal cells or tissues. Cryotherapy can be performed externally for skin conditions—like plantar warts and molluscum contagiosum or more serious conditions like basal and squamous cell carcinomas. It can also be performed internally for tumors. This article will cover cryotherapy’s uses, its purpose, and what to expect during the procedure. It will also discuss contraindications and potential risks. What Is Cryotherapy? Cryotherapy is typically an outpatient procedure for destroying abnormal cells and tissues....

There is no evidence that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can cause ovarian failure. The HPV vaccine can protect against cancer-causing forms of this sexually-transmitted infection. Despite this, some families opt to forego giving it to their children for a variety of reasons. While a common one is the contention that it encourages girls and boys to be more sexually active, the persistent—though unfounded—belief that the HPV vaccine can cause ovarian failure in young women has helped fuel lower-than-expected turnout rates among American schoolchildren....

An elastogram is a type of medical imaging test that maps stiffness and elasticity (stretchiness, springiness, flexibility) of soft tissues. This information tells healthcare providers a lot about the health of tissues and can help in diagnosing breast cancer. Elastography combines the latest in ultrasonic imaging technology with the oldest form of breast cancer detection: touch. Purpose of Test From 1988 to 1990, 55% of women with breast cancer found a lump on their own through self-examination....

Eosinophilic bronchitis is a common cause of chronic (long-term) cough. The condition is characterized by inflammation of the airways, which is common in bronchitis. However, with eosinophilic bronchitis, there is no bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways). There are, however, increased eosinophils (white blood cells that are associated with allergic disease, but also fight parasitic infections) in the lungs. Eosinophilic bronchitis is not well understood, and it’s thought to be underdiagnosed. It has been linked to exposure to occupational toxins, including dust....

Do certain foods seem to make your fibromyalgia symptoms worse? What about better? A lot of people with this condition look for dietary methods to help alleviate symptoms, and you can find a lot of stories online about people who say they’ve gotten a lot better by eating more of X or less of Y. But what does medical science tell us about the relationship between our diets and our symptoms?...

Neurontin (gabapentin) is used to treat nerve pain. Nerve pain typically cannot be relieved using other pain relievers like anti-inflammatories. Gabapentin is sometimes used in combination with other drugs to manage pain. Gabapentin is prescribed for controlling partial seizures in people with epilepsy. It is not a cure for the condition, but it can reduce the number of seizures for as long as it is taken. Gabapentin has also been prescribed off-label for treating conditions such as anxiety, fibromyalgia, and migraines....

Diagnosing carbon monoxide poisoning is harder than it sounds. In theory, carbon monoxide exposure leads to high levels of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream, and that’s the diagnosis. The reality is that carbon monoxide exposure is both concentration (how much carbon monoxide is in the air) and time (how long the patient was breathing it), which means that diagnosing carbon monoxide poisoning is a combination of recognizing signs and symptoms as well as measuring the amount of CO in the bloodstream....

Some drugs can cause a type of liver damage known as drug-induced liver disease, or drug-induced liver injury. These drugs include both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Taking a drug that is no longer considered safe or using too much of a certain drug, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), can hurt your liver. If you have a liver condition, taking certain medications can be risky. This article will go over what drug-induced liver damage is....

Blood lipid levels (specifically, cholesterol and triglyceride levels) have been strongly correlated with a person’s risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) and other types of cardiovascular disease. Experts now recommend everyone should have blood testing for lipid levels. Purpose of the Test Your blood lipid levels are a critical factor in determining your risk of cardiovascular disease, and in deciding whether you should be doing something to reduce that risk....

What Is Mepron? Mepron (atovaquone) is an orally administered medication used to prevent and treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). PCP is a type of pneumonia likely to impact those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Specifically, Mepron works to prevent PCP in those who cannot tolerate trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX; a drug used to treat urinary tract infections [UTIs]) or to treat PCP in those with mild-to-moderate PCP. Mepron is an antimalarial approved for people 12 and older....

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS). However, medications called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) can help prevent MS relapses and slow the progress of the disease. And research on other experimental therapies is steadily advancing with the goals of stopping the condition, reversing the damage, and even preventing MS in the first place. This article will discuss MS discoveries and treatments that can help people with this potentially disabling disease....

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a type of fatty liver disease. It often develops due to a metabolic disorder, such as obesity or diabetes, resulting in a toxic buildup of fat in the liver. It is the most severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NASH symptoms are often silent or nonspecific, making it difficult to diagnose. As a result, NASH patients can remain unaware of their condition until the late stages of the disease....

A Pap smear (or Pap test) is a quick, painless procedure that screens for cervical cancer. It involves examining cells taken from the cervix under a microscope. The test looks for abnormal cervical changes (cervical dysplasia)—precancerous or cancerous cells that could indicate cancer. If any are found, further testing, such as a colposcopy or biopsy, will be done in order to diagnose cancer. The test is named after George Papanicolaou, the Greek doctor who invented the procedure in the early 1940s....

Along with Parkinson’s disease symptoms like stiffness and tremors, delusions and hallucinations are common symptoms that can develop as the disease progresses. Learn more about Parkinson’s hallucinations, what causes the symptoms, and how they are treated. What Are Parkinson’s Hallucinations? Symptoms of psychosis occur in up to 50% of people with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease psychosis is considered a neuropsychiatric condition. This means it involves neurology (the nervous system) and psychiatry (mental and behavioral health)....

If you have acne, there are many options to choose from in the battle against breakouts. One acne-fighting product that is commonly used and easy to find is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid has numerous benefits for the skin, and it can have a major impact on your overall appearance or complexion. To help you understand this ingredient, let’s look at what salicylic acid is and how it treats acne. What Is Salicylic Acid?...

Schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) is a chronic mental health condition that involves social isolation and difficulty forming close relationships. People with STPD exhibit odd and eccentric behavior, fears, preoccupations, ideas, appearance, and speech. Like other personality disorders, STPD involves long-term, unhealthy patterns in thinking and behavior. These patterns significantly affect someone’s functioning in work, school, relationships, and other aspects of daily life. This article will discuss STPD, including symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment, and more....

Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common skin condition where the glands that make oil for the skin are bigger than usual. It can cause bumps on the skin that are usually flesh-colored and smooth or slightly uneven and coarse to the touch. The bumps are often caused by blocked hair follicles. Sebaceous hyperplasia usually does not go away without treatment, but the bumps are also harmless and don’t necessarily need to be treated....

Sleep deprivation is getting less sleep than your body needs. This differs, in part, based on your age, but also your needs as an individual. Sleep deprivation can obviously make you feel tired. But a lack of sleep, especially chronic sleep deprivation, can also cause you to develop impaired memory, oversensitivity to physical pain, hallucinations, altered blood pressure, and more. Sleep Deprivation Symptoms The effects of sleep deprivation vary throughout the day....

On days when you’re struggling with negative thoughts about your body, many different coping mechanisms can help. But new research suggests you should get outside and spend time in nature to soothe those feelings. Key Takeaways Spending time in nature may strengthen cognitive processes that help people cope when they are feeling negative about their body.Many factors, such as nature’s interaction with the brain and time away from technology may explain this finding....