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Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Auscultation How to say it: Auscultation (oss-cull-TATE-shun) What it means: Listening to the sounds organs make inside the body. Where it comes from: Latin, auscultatio, “to listen” Where you might see or hear it: One of the most common things your provider will do at a routine check-up is to listen to your heart with a stethoscope. They may also listen to your lungs as you breathe....

Every day, about eight million people in the United States (many who are children and adolescents) have back pain for the first time in their lives. If or when this happens to you or someone you care about, what should you do about it? Do you really need to see a healthcare provider? What should be your approach to pain relief? And when would you need X-rays or MRIs? Let’s take a look at the basics of what you can expect from medical treatment for your first time non-traumatic back pain....

What does it mean to have remission from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis? For many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), remission might come about pretty quickly—but for some, it may take more time, and trials of one or more drugs and/or surgery. According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, during a typical year, about 48% of people with ulcerative colitis will be in remission, 30% will have mild disease activity, 20% will have moderate disease activity, and only 1% to 2% will have severe disease....

Zovirax (acyclovir) is a prescription medication drug that is used to treat cold sores, shingles, chickenpox, and sometimes genital herpes. These infections are caused by the herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses, and though the drug does not cure the infections, Zovirax can decrease the severity and length of the outbreaks. Antiviral Medications on the Market Zovirax is the oldest of the antiviral medications out there, as it has been available since 1982 in the topical form as an ointment cream, and since 1985 as a pill....

Since 1933, March 30 has been recognized as National Doctors’ Day, a day to acknowledge the incredible work of physicians and the contributions they make to their communities. This year, the team at Verywell celebrates the endurance of medical professionals who’ve been faced with unprecedented demands. We know burnout exists among physicians and front-line workers, but the reality is that they’re often faced with the expectation that they can deal with the trauma of COVID-19 on their own....

Allergies to non-traditional pets have grown in recent decades due to the increasing popularity of exotic and traditionally undomesticated pets. From ferrets and snakes to rabbits and pigs, the rise in pet-related allergies is as much associated with the way we live as the animals we live with. Certainly, with more people living in smaller apartments today, the likelihood of an allergy is increased simply due to the confined space the animal and owner share....

Cadmium is a metal used in batteries, solar cells, alloys, pigments, and more. Cadmium poisoning occurs when someone ingests or inhales contaminated food, water, or air. If you come into contact with toxic levels of cadmium, you may experience respiratory or digestive effects depending on whether you inhaled or ingested the substance. Cadmium Poisoning Symptoms Symptoms of cadmium poisoning differ depending on whether you inhaled or ingested the metal. If you ingest contaminated food or water that contains cadmium, you may experience:...

As COVID-19 has swept the world, researchers and doctors have primarily thought of it as a respiratory virus. Even its clinical name—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—addresses its most pressing impact: breathing. But doctors are finding that side effects can include vascular problems as well, including erectile dysfunction (ED). Key Takeaways While COVID-19 initially presents as a respiratory illness, it has wide-reaching effects.Many urologists report that vascular damage can lead to erectile dysfunction....

It’s not infrequent to find someone with celiac disease who also has asthma. But it also appears that people with celiac disease may be at moderately increased risk for another respiratory disorder: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD, a lung disease, progressively makes it harder for you to breathe as your airways lose their elasticity and their walls thicken, becoming inflamed and clogged with mucus. Most COPD cases involve current or former smokers....

Although traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become increasingly popular in the United States, an understanding of thyroid disease and the endocrine system is relatively new among practitioners of this ancient approach to health care. TCM uses a personalized approach to treating disease—one that’s based on an individual’s specific symptoms and that may include any of a number of practices commonly used by Chinese medicine practitioners. For these reasons, TCM offers no standardized medications or therapies for thyroid disease, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)....

Dating is a great part of being young, and you should not miss out on the fun because you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (​Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis). You can still be a part of the social scene, even though you may choose to attend fewer parties than you used to. Dating and IBD aren’t mutually exclusive—you just need to keep some things in mind before you go out....

On October 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to venetoclax, a new drug, in combination with other standard treatments to treat patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The FDA had initially granted the drug accelerated approval in November 2018. An August study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the therapy could reduce patient mortality by as much as 34%. Key Takeaways...

A metacarpal fracture is a common injury of the hand that involves one or more of the five metacarpal bones that run from the wrist (carpal) bones to the knuckles. An impact injury, such as a fall or blow to the hand, is usually the cause. Treatment typically involves immobilization, pain relief, and rehabilitation, although surgery may be needed in severe cases. Metacarpal fractures can take more than a month to heal....

Healthy spine rotation is an important aspect of preventing injuries. And rotated vertebrae or “twisted spine” can result from spine, nerve, or muscle disease—or from certain movements. Understanding the causes and prevention of rotated vertebrae can help you protect your spine from harmful vertebrae rotation. The Twisting Capability of a Normal Spine Your spine can move in several ways, including twisting. Tilting sideways is powered by some of the same muscles that twist the spine....

Melatonin supplements are well-known for their ability to help you sleep. They remain the standard treatment for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder (non-24). Non-24 is a disorder in which the body’s own biological clock, or circadian rhythm, fails to align with the 24-hour day. The condition is most commonly seen in people who are visually impaired but sometimes in other groups too. Hetlioz (tasimelteon) is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of non-24 in adults, and also for the genetic Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS)....

If you need emergency medical services and an ambulance arrives, you may assume that you will be taken to your nearest medical center, providing you the care you need in the shortest amount of time. While that would seem reasonable, in practical application it’s not always the case. How Decisions Are Made Where an ambulance crew ultimately takes you depends on the system used. The determination is sometimes made automatically the moment you call 911....

Stomach flu, also known as norovirus infection, is a contagious illness that can affect people regardless of age. The infectious disease often spreads in areas where people are in close contact for long periods, like cruise ships or prisons. Because many different types of norovirus exist, it’s possible to contract the virus multiple times in a lifetime. It can be challenging to prevent this very transmissible illness, but you can take steps to try and prevent it....

Whooping cough is caused by bacteria, so it’s treated with antibiotics, which are medications that fight bacterial infections. It’s possible to recover without antibiotics, but the medicine can help you recover faster. In addition, you can use home remedies like a humidifier to manage symptoms at home. Some people, especially young babies, may need to be hospitalized for whooping cough. In a hospital, they’ll be treated with fluids, suctioning mucus, and antibiotics....

Humira (adalimumab) is a human monoclonal antibody. It works by blocking tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a cytokine that plays a role in the inflammatory process. People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have an abnormal amount of TNF-alpha, and it is thought that this plays a role in the disease process. Humira stops TNF-alpha from being used by the body. How Humira Is Taken Humira comes in the form of an injection and should be stored in a refrigerator....

Treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with vitamin-like substances called inositols—a type of sugar in the body—has shown promising results. They are used to help people with PCOS control blood sugar and increase their chances of becoming pregnant. Read on to learn more about how taking inositols can help treat PCOS. Inositol Improves Insulin Resistance Inositols are a kind of sugar the body makes. They help balance chemicals that control your blood sugar and fertility....