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Numbness in the hands can be uncomfortable, and the lack of normal sensation can affect your ability to use your hands the way you want to. There are several causes, including nerve conditions, spine problems, disorders that affect the brain, and medication. Depending on the cause, hand numbness can get worse, and it can also be associated with other symptoms—like pain or weakness. Usually, hand numbness can be treated, and the sooner it’s treated, the better the chance of recovery....

Hemophilia B is a rare genetic blood-clotting disorder. Similar to the more common hemophilia A, this condition can cause increased bleeding after even minor injuries and, in more severe cases, extensive, prolonged bleeding that can be life-threatening. Other symptoms include easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, and joint pain and swelling. These signs are often seen in childhood, but sometimes symptoms may not develop until adulthood. This article will review the symptoms and causes of hemophilia B....

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the most common type of spondyloarthritis. These are arthritis conditions that affect the spine, sacroiliac (SI) joints, and entheses (the areas where ligaments and tendons attach to bones). AS is also an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy tissues. It causes inflammation that primarily causes pain and stiffness in the spine and SI joints connecting the base of the spine (sacrum) to the pelvis....

Using an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug is an important part of treating heart failure. In people with this condition, ACE inhibitors have been shown to improve symptoms, reduce the need for hospitalization, and even prolong survival. If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, you may be treated with an ACE inhibitor. How ACE Inhibitors Work ACE inhibitors block a key enzyme in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The RAAS is a chain of enzymes that work together to regulate blood pressure and the concentration of sodium in the blood....

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) occurs because your body lacks adequate iron to produce enough hemoglobin. The goals of treatment for IDA are to treat underlying causes and to restore levels of red blood cells (RBCs), iron, and hemoglobin. Treatment might include home remedies and lifestyle changes, over-the-counter (OTC) therapies, prescriptions, blood transfusions, and intravenous (IV) iron therapy. Options depend on the severity of IDA and what has caused it. IDA cannot be corrected overnight....

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a hands-on emergency intervention used to restore breathing and a heartbeat in a person who has gone into cardiac arrest. Common causes of cardiac arrest are a heart attack or near-drowning. CPR involves performing chest compressions and, in some cases, rescue (“mouth-to-mouth”) breathing. These techniques can keep blood flowing to the brain and other organs until medical help arrives. When oxygen-rich blood cannot get to the brain, brain damage can occur within minutes....

There’s no specific hyperthyroidism diet. Recommendations typically depend on your testing values, but tend to follow some basic principles that can support the effectiveness of your treatment plan. This may include monitoring your iodine intake, as well as limiting your salt and seafood intake. Learning to balance your consumption of other ingredients that affect thyroid function—like soy, selenium, and cruciferous vegetables—can also help keep your overactive thyroid under control and limit potentially harmful medication interactions....

Malaria is an infection caused by a parasite. If you have malaria, you are likely to experience a number of vague symptoms that are typical of most infections, as well as some trademark symptoms that are more specifically associated with a malaria infection. The physical effects of malaria occur largely because the parasite invades red blood cells, producing toxins, causing anemia (diminished red blood cell function), and potentially blocking small blood vessels throughout the body....

Merck announced on Monday that it plans to discontinue the development of its SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, vaccine candidates, V591 and V590. The pharmaceutical company reported disappointing results in phase 1 clinical trials of its two vaccines. Key Takeaways Merck announced it will halt the development of its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates.The vaccines did not produce a strong enough immune response in early clinical trials to protect people against COVID-19....

Mood involves a subjective emotional state that persists for a period of time. In bipolar disorder, mood-congruence or incongruence describes symptoms of psychosis that are in alignment or in conflict with a person’s mood state. When psychotic symptoms are present, it’s important to determine whether they are mood-congruent or incongruent. Read more to learn about psychosis in bipolar disorder, including mood-congruent and incongruent features. Psychosis in Bipolar Disorder Psychosis is defined by a loss of touch with what is real....

Occasional morning diarrhea (watery or loose stool) is completely normal and usually not something to worry about. However, if diarrhea is happening frequently or consistently (which is called chronic diarrhea), there could be something more going on. This article discusses short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) causes of morning diarrhea, problems you may develop due to diarrhea, and how to get digestive issues under control. Short-Term Causes Most of the time, diarrhea is acute and self-limiting, meaning it doesn’t last long and will go away on its own....

The neutropenic diet is a way of eating that may reduce the risk of developing bacterial infections from certain types of foods. Also known as a low-microbial diet, it is often recommended for people with severely weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The neutropenic diet is named after a medical condition called neutropenia. Neutrophils are an important type of white blood cell (WBC) that help fight infection. When the neutrophil count drops dangerously low, people are considered neutropenic....

A phalloplasty, also called transmasculine bottom surgery, is the surgical construction (or in less common cases, reconstruction) of a penis using a skin graft from a patient’s forearm, thigh, or upper back. While potentially rewarding—both physically and psychologically—the decision to undergo a phalloplasty requires ample thought and consideration. There are multiple risks involved, the surgery is extremely challenging, and the preparation and healing process are extensive. What Is Phalloplasty? A phalloplasty creates a penis, called a neophallus....

Reflexology is a practice based on the premise that areas and organs in the body are linked to reflex areas on the hands and feet. Reflexology is considered a complementary therapy, meaning that it is meant to be used alongside conventional medical care rather than instead of it. There is no scientific evidence to prove that it can prevent or cure any type of disease, but some studies show it may help relieve certain symptoms, such as pain and anxiety....

Anemia of chronic disease, sometimes referred to as anemia of inflammation, is a common extra-articular (non-joint related) manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anemia of chronic disease is the second most common form of anemia worldwide, behind only iron-deficiency anemia. Anemia of chronic disease is characterized by normal or sometimes high levels of ferritin, the protein used to store iron, but low levels of iron within the bloodstream. This is believed to be caused by systemic inflammation triggered by the immune system....

Spinal stenosis is a degenerative condition of the spine that causes narrowing of the openings of the vertebrae. These openings are either in the central spinal canal, where the spinal cord sits, or the foramen, small openings on the sides of each vertebra where spinal nerve roots branch off from the spinal cord. Spinal stenosis is most common in the lumbar spine of the low back, affecting more than 200,000 adults in the United States....

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant that plays essential roles in joint health and immune function that may benefit people with arthritis. A growing body of research suggests the vitamin may ease pain, reduce inflammation, and protect against cartilage damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). An autoimmune disease, RA is the result of an immune system malfunction where healthy cells are attacked by mistake, causing inflammation and swelling in affected joints....

Thymoma is a tumor (growth) of the thymus gland. It may be benign or malignant (cancer). The thymus gland is part of the lymphatic system—the tissues that help produce, store, and transport white blood cells. The thymus helps white blood cells called T lymphocytes grow and multiply. It’s found in the chest behind the breastbone. Thymomas are rare. There are only about 400 cases of thymomas per year in the United States....

Diastasis recti—or diastasis rectus abdominis, as it is known in medical terms—is a common condition that develops when the two portions of the outermost abdominal (stomach) muscle separate. This issue typically happens during pregnancy, when the muscle stretches to accommodate a growing baby, but it can also occur in infants or in older men and women as well. Learn how to treat and prevent diastasis recti with physical therapy in the sections below....

Uterine cancer is cancer that begins in the uterus, one of the organs in the female reproductive system, which also includes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. It is a hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman’s pelvis (between your hip bones). The uterus, or womb, is where a baby develops and grows. The most common type of uterine cancer is also called endometrial cancer because it forms in the lining of your uterus, called the endometrium....