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Different types of physicians practice different types of medicine. Everyone knows that a family physician isn’t trained to perform a heart transplant. However, what exactly do different types of physicians do, and what conditions do they most commonly treat? Let’s take a look at several different specialties and subspecialties. We’ll first start with a look at physicians who specialize in primary care and then we’ll look at some other fields. A lot of this information is derived from association websites that represent these physicians....

If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer, your tumor is classified based on a stage. Cancer staging is a way to describe how serious the disease is. The five stages of melanoma range from stage 0 (least serious) to stage 4 (most serious). Your oncologist, a doctor who specializes in cancer, decides how to treat the disease based on its stage. In this article, you’ll learn what helps define each stage and what staging means in terms of prognosis....

It can be easy to mistake a cold for allergies, and vice versa. Cough, runny nose, stuffiness, for example, are common with both conditions. But while they’re similar in many ways, colds and allergies are quite different. Aside from having different causes, subtle nuances in symptoms and how they present can help distinguish one from the other. What Are Allergies? Allergies generally occur when your immune system mistakes harmless allergens, such as dust or pollen, for germs and attacks them....

A lighter period is not usually a cause for concern, but it can sometimes be a sign of hormonal shifts or certain medical conditions. Most people experience a natural fluctuation in their menstrual periods from time to time, and it can happen with stress, weight loss or gain, or changes in birth control. It can also be a sign of pregnancy. Spotting in early pregnancy is often caused by implantation bleeding, which may just seem like a light period....

What Is Xultophy? Xultophy is an injectable prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes. Xultophy contains two medicines—insulin degludec and liraglutide. Insulin degludec is a long-acting insulin that controls your blood sugar levels by moving glucose (sugar) from your blood into other parts of your body where it can be used for energy. Liraglutide belongs to a group of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It helps lower blood sugar levels by increasing insulin release from your pancreas and preventing glucose release from your liver....

What Is Zetia? Zetia (ezetimibe) is an oral prescription drug used to lower cholesterol. It belongs to a drug class known as antihyperlipidemic agents. Zetia can be used by itself or with other drugs, like statins. Ezetimibe is the active ingredient in Zetia and prevents cholesterol absorption in the small intestine. It helps your body get rid of more cholesterol. It also reduces the transport and storage of cholesterol in the liver....

We are surrounded by mold. Countless species of mold exist in nature and the vast majority are harmless to humans, although terms like “toxic mold syndrome” and “toxic black mold” have been sensationalized in the media. In reality, mold can only cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems (i.e. immunocompromised). People who work or live in buildings with water damage sometimes complain of “black mold” or “toxic mold.” Instead of the mold is toxic, it’s more likely the mold is causing allergies....

What Is Addyi? Addyi (flibanserin) is a prescription medication option for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in people who have not gone through menopause. It’s thought to work by influencing chemicals in the brain—serotonin and sometimes dopamine. Addyi is available in tablet form. What Is Addyi Used For? Addyi is used to treat HSDD, which affects an estimated 10% of people assigned female at birth. Drug Facts...

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to rapid heart rates and increase stroke risk. AFib with rapid ventricular rate (RVR) can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue to lightheadedness and fainting, increasing the risk of heart failure. AFib is the most common arrhythmia, affecting an estimated 3 to 6 million people in the United States. About 1 in every 3 to 5 people is expected to develop AFib in their lifetime....

As COVID vaccines became widely available in 2021, the ALS Association recommended that people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) discuss getting vaccinated with their healthcare provider as soon as possible. There is no evidence that COVID vaccines trigger or accelerate the symptoms of progressive neurological diseases like ALS. This article will discuss how COVID vaccinations can help protect people with ALS in the same way they do almost all individuals, including safety, which type to get, side effects, timing, and where to get the vaccine....

Long COVID is proving to be a systemic, often debilitating result of a SARS-CoV-2 infection that lingers long after a person’s system has cleared the virus. There is no data regarding who is most susceptible to becoming a “long hauler,” as members of this group call themselves. The symptoms are as varied as the people who experience them. This is David Smith’s story. You can see David Smith’s stories in his scars....

Anemia, which is diminished red blood cell (RBC) quantity, size, or function, has several causes, including low RBC production, defective RBCs, and destruction or loss of RBCs. A wide variety of medical conditions can cause anemia, such as nutritional deficiencies, hereditary sickle cell disease, and infectious malaria. You may have a health condition that increases your risk of anemia, and lifestyle factors can contribute as well. Because there are so many causes of anemia, the extent and the effects of the condition could be more serious for your overall health if you have more than one risk factor at a time....

Some foods have fats that are bad for your cholesterol and best avoided by everyone (not just by those watching their cholesterol levels). The American Heart Association recommends that everyone restrict trans and saturated fats. These include fried foods, processed foods with partially hydrogenated oils, and processed meats such as bacon. These fats raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, and lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. But what about the so-called “healthy” fats?...

A blood smear is a test for detecting problems in red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. It’s sometimes called a peripheral smear for morphology. The test has a wide range of uses. It can be used to tell whether an infection is viral or bacterial. It can also detect anemia, find causes of jaundice, and diagnose malaria. A blood smear is different from automated tests such as a complete blood count (CBC)....

Borborygmi describes the sounds that come from your gastrointestinal (GI) tract (the pathway from your mouth to your anus). While they’re often simply called “stomach growling” or “stomach rumbling,” these sounds can come from either the stomach or the small or large intestine. Borborygmi can occur at any time. The sounds are usually most noticeable when you’re hungry. You hear them when you have gas or food moving through your digestive system....

Clear discharge from the vagina can be normal at any time during the menstrual cycle. Changing hormone levels can impact the consistency and color of the discharge and it can be fully translucent or a little milky, thick or thin, and odorless or musky. Clear discharge is common in most women when they are ovulating. It can also happen at other specific times, such as during sexual arousal or when exercising....

Coloboma is a congenital (present at birth) abnormality of the eye. Colobomas are missing pieces of tissue that may appear as gaps or notches. When coloboma affects the iris, it manifests as a keyhole or cat-eye appearance of the pupil. Coloboma is estimated to affect 1 in 10,000 people. The condition does not always change the appearance of the eye, nor does it, in every instance, impact a person’s vision. Therefore, it is thought that it is likely undiagnosed in some people....

A coma is when someone is unconscious for an extended period of time. Their eyes are closed and they do not respond to sounds or other things in their environment. They can’t be awakened, even with vigorous or painful stimulation. A coma is not the same as sleep. In a coma, the brain doesn’t go through normal sleep cycles. Someone who is sleeping may move if they’re uncomfortable, but a person in a coma will not....

Coping mechanisms are strategies that help people deal with stress and uncomfortable emotions. Whether you realize it or not, you are using coping mechanisms regularly. These behaviors can help you cope with stress in a positive way or can sometimes be harmful. This article discusses different coping styles, types of coping mechanisms, and ways to improve your coping skills. Why Do We Use Coping Mechanisms? Coping mechanisms help decrease the side effects of stress....

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts in childhood and usually continues into adolescence. People with ADHD show symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, inattention, or a combination of both. Echolalia is when a person repeats what another person has said, either immediately after or later on. Echolalia is a normal part of language development but usually stops by about age 3 when children have acquired more developed language skills....