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While “dizziness” is a word very commonly used by both healthcare providers and non-healthcare providers, from a medical standpoint it is a very imprecise term. This is because people can mean several different when they say they are “dizzy.” Depending on what kind of dizziness they are talking about, the medical significance of the symptom, and the steps a practitioner should take in evaluating it, can differ substantially. The Two Kinds of Dizziness There are two general kinds of dizziness that produce two distinct kinds of symptoms, and these kinds of dizziness tend to have entirely different sets of causes....

A range of smartphone apps is currently available for the purpose of managing asthma. Some provide education about managing your condition, while others function as journals where you can record data about your medication use and asthma symptoms. There are also apps that connect with your inhaler (or come with a special “smart” inhaler) via Bluetooth technology. These devices automatically collect data about how you are using your medication that you can give to your doctor....

Tucking is a way of disguising the penis and testicles in order to present a more feminine appearance in underwear or under clothing. It, quite literally, involves tucking those body parts between the legs to create a smooth line at the base of the pelvis. Tucking can help some transgender women feel more comfortable with their bodies or in public places. Crossdressers, transvestites, and drag queens may also tuck to make their genital anatomy appear more feminine....

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Ambulatory How to say it: Ambulatory (am-byoo-la-tor-ee) What it means: Able to walk about; not stuck in bed. Where it comes from: From Latin, ambulātōrius, “suitable for walking.” Where you might see or hear it: You might see the word “ambulatory” on a sign at a hospital or clinic. This type of care is also called “outpatient” because you do not need to be admitted to the hospital....

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Word of the Week: Stenosis How to say it: Stenosis (stuh-NO-sis) What it means: When a passageway in the body becomes narrowed or constricted. Where it comes from: The Greek stenōsis, “the act of narrowing.” Where you might see or hear it: People who have cardiovascular disease sometimes develop stenosis in the aortic valve of their heart. If this valve becomes constricted, blood does not flow through it well....

When COVID-19 vaccination began in the U.S., 1 in 5 people weren’t sure if they’d get the vaccine. Verywell has been tracking how Americans feel about the vaccine since December, and over time, we’ve learned that the biggest thing that helps tip someone in the direction of getting the shot is knowing someone who already has. While vaccine hesitancy has since dramatically declined, many people remain concerned about the potential side effects and confused about the whole process....

As your body undergoes change during puberty, it is natural to wonder when your penis will stop growing and whether you are as “big” as you should be for your age. The answer to the first question is more or less around the age of 18. The answer to the second is it depends. For most, the penis stops growing in the late teen years or early 20s. Once your penis has reached its adult size—which is largely determined by genetics—there is little you can do to change or increase the size of your penis....

When getting a joint (hip or knee) replacement, you may be given the choice between general anesthesia and regional anesthesia. The best type of anesthesia for you depends on your case, and your doctor may have good reasons to use one over the other. While being completely under for such a procedure may seem more appropriate for a surgery as significant as this, in overall terms, a growing body of research shows that regional anesthesia may be the safer, cheaper, and more effective choice....

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is a rapid cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that starts suddenly and without warning and stops just as abruptly. It most commonly affects younger adults. The average age at which AVNRT first occurs is 32, and most people with this arrhythmia will have their first episode by age 50. Once it first happens, it may become a recurrent problem. Overview AVNRT is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in adults....

Bladder cancer impacts the bladder, an organ in the pelvis that stores urine before it leaves your body. It’s the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common cancer in women. About 81,180 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and around 17,100 people die annually from the disease. This article highlights important facts and statistics you should know about bladder cancer....

You may be familiar with some of the more common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis can all be treated, and often cured, with antibiotics. It’s important that you find treatment for your STD if you think or know you have one. It’s also important to know that having your STD treated is not a guarantee that it will never come back. This article explains why an STD can return, why taking the wrong medication can hurt you, and the risk of reinfection if you are not careful about safe sex practices....

Cellulitis treatment usually includes oral antibiotics used to kill the bacteria causing the skin infection. Most cellulitis symptoms will decrease after three to five days with most infections clearing up in about 10 days. This article will review the different stages of healing and what to do if antibiotics don’t work. Brief Overview of Cellulitis Infection Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria that enter through a cut, bite, or other type of wound, or through cracked, dry skin....

More than 90 countries have launched their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns with shots made by Chinese biotech companies, Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech. However, several countries including Seychelles, Chile, Bahrain, and Mongolia are struggling with new outbreaks despite high vaccinate rates, according to the New York Times. Key Takeaways COVID-19 vaccines developed by Chinese biotech companies have lower efficacy rates, which may have led to new outbreaks and reinfections in countries that have relied on those vaccines....

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a frightening and potentially life-threatening condition in which blood leaks from a ruptured artery in the brain into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Only about a third of patients with SAH have a “good result” after treatment. As if this wasn’t enough, subarachnoid hemorrhage can set off a cascade of other problems. To safeguard against these further complications, victims of subarachnoid hemorrhage are monitored in an intensive care unit after they first come into the hospital....

Pure word deafness is a rare type of aphasia most commonly caused by stroke. Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke). A transient ischemic attack, or “mini-stroke,” is caused by a temporary clot. Pure Word Deafness and Language Language isn’t just about words....

When we think of the side effects of cancer treatment, hair loss and nausea are usually the first things to come to mind, not loss of sexual interest and desire. However, a low sex drive is a common side effect of cancer treatment, yet it isn’t often discussed outside of the medical community. Many patients are surprised to find that their libido is affected by cancer treatment. Not all drugs and treatments cause a decrease in sex drive, but many do....

Healthcare providers don’t routinely recommend yoga for high-cholesterol treatment—but someday they may. Studies have shown that practicing yoga can have many health benefits, such as aiding in the management of insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and osteoarthritis. Recently, some clinical studies have suggested that yoga can also help reduce your levels of cholesterol (and another blood fat, triglycerides). What Yoga Is Yoga is an ancient mind-body discipline that originated in Central Asia....

Can a child who lives in a house with a patient that is receiving external radiation for cancer be affected in any way? No, a child cannot be harmed by being around or living with someone that is receiving external radiation or any other treatment for cancer. The National Cancer Institute states that “external radiation treatment does not make you radioactive.” Radiation Cancer Treatments Patients receiving temporary internal radiation can sometimes send its high energy rays outside their body, and so that kind of cancer treatment is usually done in the hospital in a private room, at least for a few days while the radiation is most active....

Gastrointestinal cancer is a term that encompasses a group of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Types of gastrointestinal cancer include: Esophageal cancer Stomach cancer Gallbladder cancer Gastrointestinal stromal tumors Liver cancer Pancreatic cancer Colon cancer Rectal cancer Anal cancer Causes and Risk Factors We don’t know the cause of many types of gastrointestinal cancer, but risk factors for gastrointestinal cancer vary among the different types. They include: Smoking Excessive alcohol consumption Increasing age Diet high in animal fat Diet containing high amounts of salted, cured, or poorly preserved foods Chronic pancreatitis Obesity Please note that there are many other risk factors that are disease-specific that are not listed....

A heart-lung machine is a piece of equipment that temporarily takes over the work of the heart and/or lungs, providing blood and oxygen to the body. Also called a cardiopulmonary bypass machine (CBM) or a heart-lung bypass machine, it is most often used during serious procedures that require the heart to be stopped. Patients are kept on a heart-lung machine for only as long as it takes to stop the heart from beating, complete open-heart surgery or a procedure on the lungs, and restart the heart....