Medically known as recurrent herpes labialis, cold sores or "fever blisters," are groups of painful, fluid-filled blisters that tend to cluster on or around the lips, though they can occasionally affect the tongue, gums and the hard and soft palate. Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) is the most common virus that causes cold sores and is usually acquired through direct contact with infected lesions or body fluids such as saliva.
"An outbreak generally causes small blisters or sores around the mouth, and they heal within a couple of weeks," said Dr. Alan Mensch, the senior vice president of medical affairs at North Shore - Long Island Jewish’s Plainview and Syosset hospitals.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the gradual and permanent loss of kidney function over time, usually over the course of months or years.
Kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from the body. When these organs stop functioning properly, waste builds up to high levels in the blood, which can make a person feel sick. Over time, other health complications can develop as a result of decreased kidney function, including high blood pressure, anemia (decreased red blood cells), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, is a puzzling medical condition that usually strikes women ages 30 to 50, though the condition can affect anyone, according to the National Institutes of Health. Up to 1 million people in the United States are affected by chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, according to the Solve ME/CFS Initiative (formerly the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America).
Because there is no known cause or even specific diagnosis for the malady, doctors and the general public have historically puzzled over whether CFS is real. But many doctors today view the syndrome as a serious medical condition requiring treatment, according to Dr. Richard Podell, a clinical professor in the department of family medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
While the vast majority of those who develop cataracts are senior citizens, this vision-blurring condition is not always related to age.
More than 90 percent of Americans have at least one cataract by age 65, and half of those between 75 and 85 have lost some vision because of the condition, according to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.
Causes & risk factors
Cataracts occur when the eye's lens, the clear layer that focuses light on the retina, becomes cloudy. Because of this, the lens cannot send a sharp image to the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that transmits nerve signals to the brain recording what is seen.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve-related condition that causes pain and numbness in the wrists and hands. It affects three times as many women as men, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). It's primarily seen in adults, especially those who perform assembly-line-type work. Such workers are three times more likely to get CTS than those who perform desk work, according to the NINDS.
Causes
The carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist that protects the median nerve, the main nerve to the hand; the flexor tendons that bend the fingers and thumb; and other soft tissues, such as ligaments and blood vessels. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS),
Canker sores, or aphthous ulcers, are small sores on the inside of the mouth. They can occur in both men and women of any age, but they're more common in women and in people between the ages of 10 and 40, according to the National Institutes of Health. They are usually very painful, but are benign and are not contagious.
Types
There are three types of canker sores: minor, major and herpetiform. Minor canker sores are the most common and are a ½ inch (12 mm) in diameter and oval shaped, according to the Mayo Clinic. The pain usually goes away in a few days and the sores completely clear up without scarring in one to two weeks, without the need for medication.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which people regularly binge (or overeat) and then engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as vomiting or using laxatives, to prevent putting on weight. The condition can lead to serious complications, such as dehydration, heart rhythm problems and permanent damage to the esophagus. It most often begins in the teen years or young adulthood, but the disorder can occur at any age.
In the United States, about 1.5 percent of females and 0.5 percent of males will be diagnosed with bulimia in their lifetimes.
Symptoms
Bulimia is characterized by frequent binge eating episodes — sometimes as often as several times a day — followed by purging, according to the National
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that starts in the breast tissue. About one in eight women in the United States will develop the condition in her lifetime, according to the National Institutes of Health.
It is the second most common cancer in women, after skin cancer, and in 2014 more than 232,000 U.S. women were diagnosed with the condition, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Breast cancer is most commonlydiagnosed in women ages 55 to 64. The disease can also occur in men, but it is much less common: Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases,
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by periods of manic and depressive episodes, interspersed with relatively normal states of mind. The unusual shifts in mood interfere with one's ability to carry out a normal daily life.
In bipolar disorder, people can have "overly euphoric or irritable mood, or low or depressed mood," said Dr. Scott Krakower, a psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York.
"The disorder tends to hit young adults. But there's a fairly high number of children who can have it too," Krakower said.
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At least half of all cases of bipolar disorder start before age 25,
according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The condition affects about 5.7 million adults, or about 2.6 percent of the adult population in the United States, and more than 80 percent of these cases are classified as "severe," according to the NIMH.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person's ability to communicate, interact and behave appropriately with others in social situations. Approximately 1 in 68 children in the United States has autism, and the condition is about five times more common in boys than in girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Autism is characterized by impairments in social skills, communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior such as hand flapping and an insistence on sameness. Many children also have unusual sensory responses, and may shy away from bright lights or may not notice if their clothes are rough and twisted.
Earlier versions of the
Bad Breath: Causes and TreatmentBad breath, or halitosis, is familiar to many people. Although precise epidemiological data are missing, some studies have suggested that bad breath may rank only behind dental cavities and gum disease as the most frequent reasons for visits to the dentist.
The averge human mouth produces about two liters of spit every day.
The averge humanmouth produces about two liters of spit every day.
Credit: National Institutes of Health
Causes
The root cause behind bad breath can range from banal — such as poor oral hygiene after meals — to potentially life-threatening complications from diabetes and kidney failure.
The food you eat can affect your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors, such as garlic or onions, the smells will
