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Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience night sweats. It may be a part of IBD that occurs every night or might be a problem that comes around from time to time. Night sweats could happen more frequently during a disease flare-up or perhaps when switching between medications or changing the dosage of an existing medication. No matter when or how often the sweats take hold, it is a problem that needs to be dealt with in order to get a good night’s sleep....

Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cancer cells. It also ends up killing some rapidly dividing normal cells in the body, like those in the bone marrow that produce white blood cells (WBCs). As a result of chemotherapy treatments, WBC counts usually temporarily fall. Blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma can also cause WBC counts to fall when cancerous cells replace the healthy blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. Often when chemotherapy affects WBC levels, it also affects red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets....

Brain death is one of the most serious diagnoses a neurologist can make. Unlike severe forms of coma, a diagnosis of brain death means there is no coming back. Medically, brain death is death. If the diagnosis is made properly, it can be done just by ensuring the patient is in a coma of a known and irreversible cause, and that certain physical exam findings are absent, including brainstem reflexes and any effort to breathe during an apnea test....

Research is next to mum about which—or if any, for that matter—back and core exercises are effective for treating symptoms of sciatica. Just the same, many people, including physical therapists and healthcare providers, report good results with a movement based approach. In fact, in 2012 a Work Group from the North American Spine Society recommended a limited course of exercise as an option in cases of mild and moderate herniated disc with radiculopathy symptoms....

Foods that increase uric acid can contribute to gout flare-ups, often making the symptoms of this common type of arthritis worse. That’s because gout develops when a person has too much uric acid in the body, the result of a metabolic process that converts purines into uric acid. Purines are produced naturally but also are found in many foods. Managing uric acid levels is key to reducing the risk of developing gout or its flare-ups, so it’s important to limit high-purine foods, like red meat, found in the diet....

Social communication is one of the core deficits (challenges) of autism. Whether a person on the spectrum is young or old, verbal or nonverbal, male or female, he or she will have a difficult time understanding and responding to social language and cues. For people at the more severe end of the spectrum, social communication is extremely challenging. The use of spoken or written language may be very limited or non-existent....

A colonoscope is a long, thin, flexible instrument that is inserted into the anus for a visual inspection of the colon and rectum. It has a digital camera and light source mounted at the end and is used to perform a common diagnostic procedure known as a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy can be performed in a hospital or clinic setting. Persons undergoing the procedure are typically sedated so that they experience no discomfort....

Alzheimer’s disease, in its middle stages, can present some very challenging behaviors for the individual and loved ones. One of those challenging behaviors is wandering. Up to 60 percent of individuals with dementia will wander at some time during their disease. Is Wandering Preventable? Some wandering can be proactively prevented, especially if you can determine the motivation for the behavior. Searching for a Bathroom: If you think your loved one may not be able to find the bathroom, taping a large picture of a toilet on the bathroom door can sometimes assist with this....

Brain fog is recognized as a symptom of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, people with celiac disease and other autoimmune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, also report problems with brain fog, as do people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. But what exactly is “brain fog”? Can gluten cause brain fog? Brain Fog Effects People with brain fog often feel tired, even if they just got out of bed....

The mucus plug consists of mucins, which are glycoproteins that form at the cervix to protect the fetus from infections and preterm labor. The mucus plug, which weighs approximately 10 grams, is formed during pregnancy and is shed when labor is near. Without the formation of the mucus plug, pregnancy likely will not continue. The shedding of the mucus plug is often a sign that labor and delivery could occur soon....

Paronychia is a common infection of the soft tissue bordering the fingernail or toenail. It is usually caused by bacteria that enters a break in the skin in these areas. Though it can be painful, most cases aren’t serious if treated promptly. Antibiotics are often necessary, and some people may also need to have pus drained from the infected tissue by their healthcare provider. This article discusses the symptoms and causes of paronychia, how it is diagnosed and treated, and how you can reduce your risk of developing this infection....

Sometimes, after a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common question many men ask is whether or not HPV leads to other complications—specifically, whether there are any symptoms to watch for that would point to penile cancer. Penile cancer is a rare but devastating disease that usually develops when cells begin to grow out of control in or on the penis. These cells can become cancerous in nearly every part of the body and they can also spread to other areas....

A pneumothorax is a type of collapsed lung where air collects inside the chest cavity, between the lungs and the chest wall. A pneumothorax, sometimes called just a “pneumo,” can be mild or severe depending on how much air is present. A pneumothorax can be caused by air entering the chest from outside the body or from the lungs themselves. In the NICU, most pneumos occur when air from inside the lungs leaks out....

Hearing loss can stir up some pretty strong feelings. The arts offer an outlet for those feelings. One popular medium for expressing feelings about deafness and hearing loss is poetry. Poetry has been used to express feelings, offer a different view of the world, and express a single moment in time. Many deaf poets use their art to overcome misconceptions the hearing world has about deaf culture and to show others the pride in their culture, the success of their members, and the beauty of their language....

Dubbed “Mom Jobs” and “Mommy Makeovers,” having plastic surgery after baby seems to be the trend of the day. And who can blame anyone? Celebrity moms on TV and in magazines seem to get back to their pre-baby weight and practically unattainable pre-baby bodies. With pregnancy comes a number of external and internal changes to the body. Some women come out of pregnancy looking as good as they did before and others may not....

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) causes inflammation in the joints, resulting in pain. It is often seen in people with an inflammatory skin condition, called psoriasis, although you do not have to have psoriasis to develop PsA; sometimes the arthritis develops before the skin lesions do. . The same inflammation and pain affecting the knees, hips, and back also affects the hands. In the hands, it causes swelling of the joints in the wrists, hands, and fingers and limits the ability to use those joints....

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a chronic condition that usually begins in childhood. ADHD can cause hyperactivity and impulsivity. Common symptoms include trouble paying attention, trouble controlling impulsive behaviors, fidgeting, and talking excessively. While all kids have behavioral issues from time to time, children with ADHD experience severe behavioral problems more frequently than others. It’s estimated that about 9.4% of children in the United States ages 2 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD....

Using CBD as a pain reliever may not actually reduce your pain intensity, but it might make it feel less unpleasant, according to researchers. Key Takeways A study found that a mix of the pharmacological effects of CBD and the placebo effect can lead to pain relief.Research suggests that CBD may be helpful in managing certain types of chronic pain.CBD, like the cannabis industry at large, is largely unregulated, which can make it difficult to know what dose and products to take....

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is largely classified as a condition of exclusion. In other words, IBS is usually diagnosed after all other causes of symptoms, such as infection or disease, are ruled out. This is costly, time-consuming, and quite inconvenient for patients as well as for physicians. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, researchers began to look more closely at IBS as a serious disorder and not a psychosomatic problem....

There are five types of viral hepatitis—A, B, C, D, and E. Each is caused by a different hepatitis virus. Viral hepatitis is common. Worldwide, 354 million people are living with hepatitis B or C. The CDC estimates that around 3 million people will develop new, chronic cases of one of these viruses each year. This article will help you understand how you might get each of these viruses, how you could pass them to other people, what illnesses they cause, and how they are treated....