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There are many sites of foot pain, but when most people talk about foot pain they are describing pain under the ball of the foot. Metatarsalgia is the medical term for pain under the ball of the foot. It often occurs in association with deformities of the foot, although it may also occur without an obvious structural abnormality. Causes Metatarsalgia occurs in the region between the arch and the toes. The medical term comes from the name of the bones that are in this part of the foot: the metatarsals....

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, taking more lives each year than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined. It’s estimated that nearly half of all adults in the United States have heart disease. This article will highlight important facts and statistics you should know about heart disease. Heart Disease Overview Cardiovascular disease (referred to here simply as heart disease) is a condition that affects the heart or blood vessels....

In the spirit of Dry January, some people may have started a monthlong sobriety stint. For casual drinkers, going alcohol-free completely might seem excessive. Haven’t scientists suggested that a glass of red wine a day can help people live longer? But two-thirds of U.S. adults routinely drink above moderate levels, which are defined as “two drinks or less in a day for men or one drink or less in a day for women....

Celiac disease is a genetic condition, which means you need to have certain genes to develop it and to be diagnosed with it. HLA-DQ2 is one of two main celiac disease genes, and it is the most common gene implicated in celiac disease (HLA-DQ8 is the other celiac gene). Most doctors believe you need at least one copy of either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 to develop celiac disease. Celiac Genetics Basics The genetics of celiac disease can be confusing....

Giving yourself shots—of insulin or for fertility treatment, for example—requires proper technique and the right equipment. Needles and syringes come in different sizes, and some are better suited for certain uses than others. The right needle size for your injections depends on how much medication you need, your body size, and whether the drug has to go into a muscle or under the skin. Your syringe also has to be big enough to hold the right dose, but not so big that it makes measuring small amounts difficult....

Women with PCOS often need medical help to get pregnant, and many of these fertility treatments can involve hormone injections to stimulate egg production and ovulation. If your healthcare provider has prescribed a fertility drug such as Follistim, Gonal-F, Repronex, Bravelle or Menopur, which are delivered subcutaneously, you will need to learn how to give yourself an injection. It may sound scary or intimidating to give yourself a shot, but it isn’t difficult....

Knee problems are common complaints evaluated by orthopedic surgeons. Often people seek the help of an orthopedist for knee pain, swelling, or difficulty bending the joint. One way to help diagnose and treat a variety of knee conditions is to inject the joint or remove fluid from the joint. Your healthcare provider may recommend injecting a medication, such as Synvisc or cortisone, into the knee. In addition, your practitioner may recommend removing fluid from the knee joint through a needle....

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. Because of this, there are many myths and false information about how it spreads. You cannot catch HPV from a toilet seat—at least, a toilet seat in a developed country—but the question encourages a review of some of the lesser-known facts about how the virus is transmitted. Unlike some STIs, HPV doesn’t require sexual contact to spread and can even be spread from mothers to babies at times....

I was officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was pregnant with my son, but my journey with this disease started long before that. This article is part of Health Divide: Type 2 Diabetes in People of Color, a destination in our Health Divide series. Meet the Author Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis is a mother, wife, and heart attack and stroke survivor who continues to live a beautiful life despite a diagnosis of type two diabetes and heart-related challenges....

Allergies to cacao (the bean that is the main ingredient in chocolate) are possible, but they’re incredibly rare — so rare that they don’t even show up in recent medical literature. Therefore, if you’ve experienced food allergy symptoms after eating chocolate, you can safely assume that another ingredient in the chocolate is causing your symptoms unless testing shows otherwise. If you do experience allergy symptoms, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss testing....

If you have muscular dystrophy or suspect you have it, you need to check in with a healthcare provider. Properly understanding and treating this disease is paramount to successful management of the condition. And one important component of understanding the disease is knowing what causes muscular dystrophy. Types and Genetics There are more than 30 different types and manifestations of muscular dystrophy. Since it is a genetic disease, the type you have depends on which mutation has taken place on a specific gene....

According to a study published earlier this month in The British Medical Journal (BMJ), a delay in cancer treatment of only one month can increase mortality risk. Key Takeaways Delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment due to COVID-19 increase mortality.Newly developed tools can predict the impact of treatment delays on cancer mortality and could be beneficial in any circumstances where healthcare providers may need to prioritize care.Cancer screenings can still be performed safely, even during COVID-19....

Each year, gullible, desperate patients spend millions of dollars on quacks and fraudulent products they choose through false advertising. Quacks and Quackery A quack is a person who pretends to be educated and licensed or somehow credentialed to be able to diagnose or treat a patient with a health problem. He creates a persona that entices people to trust him with their health, then fraudulently sells that patient (or at least attempts to sell) a product or service that will supposedly cure the patient....

Shock wave therapy has emerged as a possible treatment option for patients with chronic tendon problems. The procedure uses either pressurized air or electromagnetic pulses to delivers shock waves to the body to help treat a variety of chronic disorders, including: Plantar fasciitis Calcific tendonitis Tennis elbow How It Works There is both a high-energy and low-energy form of shock wave treatment. Both forms can be used in the treatment of these conditions....

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in men, affecting 23 percent to 91 percent of men. MS is a disease characterized by the progressive damage of nerves. When nerves associated with the erectile response are involved, ED can occur or worsen, leading to impaired stimulation and/or arousal. Types of Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction is a common medical condition which can affect men of any age but is more common in those over 65....

Thrombocytosis, also known as thrombocythemia, is the term for having too many platelets in the blood. Platelets are tiny blood cells that help blood to clot and heal the walls of blood vessels in the instance of bleeding. There are two types of thrombocytosis, both of which occur due to the bone marrow making too many platelets. The two types are: Primary thrombocytosis: This occurs due to an abnormality in the precursor bone marrow cells that make platelets....

Biologic drugs are among the medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These medications reduce immune cell activity to decrease the inflammation that damages joints in this condition. Biologic Drugs and Their Targets There are a variety of biologic drugs, each of which targets a specific type of molecule involved in the inflammatory process—such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukins (ILs), and cell surface molecules on T and B lymphocytes....

Voice therapy for transgender individuals helps them present their voice in a way that is better aligned with their gender identity. Transfeminine people, in particular, may experience significant dysphoria about the way their voice is perceived by others. Voice therapy can help individuals retrain the pitch (highness or lowness, also referred to as frequency) of their voice and can also include vocal production techniques and mannerisms that are perceived as masculine or feminine....

Before signing up for the event, would-be participants often ask, “What is Relay for Life, and what’s the registration fee?” The relay is an American Cancer Society-sponsored event that raises money and awareness for cancer across a 24-hour period. Events ranging from 6 to 24 hours long take place in cities and small towns worldwide. The event lasts an entire day to recognize that when someone has cancer, it does not stop; the disease is present around the clock....

As our disease progresses, we often witness our productivity declining as well. This may in part be due to an increase in motor symptoms and the accompanying disability, but it also may also be a result of an insidious, fairly common nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s—apathy. It is estimated that approximately 40 to 45% of Parkinson’s patients suffer from apathy. This number, however, is likely an underestimation given the vagueness of the symptom making it more difficult to recognize thereby leading to underreporting....