What does it mean when you have premature ventricular contractions (PVC's) but also a zero calcium score and normal heart structure? Can the presence of the PVC's still be indicative of something bad? I asked [...]
Find out why caffeine causes premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and how long after eating or drinking this substance it takes to make your heart "skip" beats. How long after eating (or drinking a caffeinated beverage) [...]
Here’s the explanation for why hair has a NATURAL scent or fragrance, rather than what causes a BAD smell. This isn’t a “Why does my hair smell bad?” article. It’s a “What gives hair its [...]
There IS a difference between an soy intolerance and an actual allergy to this food, including how it relates to irritable bowel syndrome. “It is important to differentiate soy allergy from soy intolerance,” explains Dr. [...]
Here is information about the onset of an attack of irritable bowel syndrome. “The onset of IBS symptoms is usually slow and ongoing for a prolonged period of time,” says Dr. Saad Habba, MD, an [...]
Here’s why people with Prader-Willi syndrome should train with weights (strength training). One of the classic features of the genetic condition of Prader-Willi syndrome is that of very poor muscle tone—the result of low muscle [...]
A gastroenterologist discusses differences between colon cancer diarrhea and the diarrhea caused by IBS. Do they look the same? How are they different? You may have read that “constipation alternating with diarrhea” is a possible [...]
It’s a myth that kids who are big or husky hardly ever get bullied. Ever notice that in TV shows and movies, a boy who’s a bully is almost always bigger than his classmates? He’s [...]
Is it at all possible for irritable bowel syndrome to cause any bleeding, or blood to appear in the mucus that comes out when you have a bowel movement? “Mucus is the product of shedding [...]
Here is information about red melanomas vs. benign red moles in terms of physical appearance. “Benign moles can appear reddish in part due to sunburn or irritation,” says Dr. Michael Shapiro, MD, Medical Director and [...]
You may have read that moles can be grey in color, but how normal or common is this? “The most common moles usually have an even pink, tan or brown color,” says Dr. Michael Shapiro, [...]
Sun spots mean there's been damage to the skin. Whether or not these might one day transform into melanoma is a fair question. “While sun spots do not automatically mean skin cancer, people with sun [...]
“Sometimes, nodular melanoma can resemble a pimple you might find on your face,” says Michael Shapiro, MD, Medical Director and Founder of Vanguard Dermatology in NYC, NY. “Nodular melanoma spots, unlike pimples, will be [...]
Age spot Can a melanoma look like an age spot and vice versa? As people get older, their risk of melanoma rises, but they also start developing age spots. Age spots commonly appear [...]
If you suddenly decide that housework counts as true exercise, does this then magically make it so? One of the biggest gimmicks over the past decade or so is this idea that housework gets included [...]
Is there a way to tell if a pill is actually stuck in your esophagus vs. it just feels that way? Not necessarily. Pill Stuck Feeling in Esophagus “This is a something that is not [...]
If your only symptom is excess saliva, can this be caused by GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)? Excess saliva can be quite a scary symptom if you know that it's a symptom of Bulbar-onset ALS. But [...]
A narrowed esophagus can be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This narrowing may be the reason why you've been burping a lot lately or experiencing an unpleasant taste in your mouth. “Long-term acid exposure [...]
Acid reflux or GERD can cause the sensation of food being trapped in the throat. GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. “Acid reflux, or GERD, is a condition where an abnormal amount of acid is [...]
Do you find that after eating, you burp or belch a lot and it’s so embarrassing and frustrating? Many people assume that burping during or after eating is a sign of poor table manners. And [...]
You’ve probably read about medications and irritation of the esophagus, but what about nutritional supplement pills, tablets and capsules? Can these nutritional supplements, too, irritate the “food pipe”? “Certain supplements such as iron, vitamin C and [...]
A sharp pain below the sternum is likely to have a cause other than GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). This includes costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage at the sternum and rib junction), a skeletal muscle spasm [...]
If your only symptom is excess saliva, can this be caused by GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)? Excess saliva can be caused by a number of conditions, but can this symptom be the only presentation of [...]
“There has been a marketing trend propagated to convince people that everyday chores like cleaning a house is exercise,” says Steve Cotter, Director, International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF). Cotter continues, “It’s an attractive concept because, [...]
It’s strange that many trainees who desperately want big arms focus a lot of time on building the biceps and pay little mind to the triceps, not knowing about the lying triceps extension for big [...]
Here are great responses for stay-at-home moms to fire back at people who ask rude or lame questions. Stay-at-home moms have a right to be feisty and respond with clever comebacks to rude or absurd [...]
There's no shame in being the youngest kid in your class or entire grade! I was once that kid, and I will tell you how to deal with it. I skipped kindergarten, was 13 in [...]
If your elderly loved-one's D-dimer result came back positive -- don't yet panic that it's probably a pulmonary embolism. The older a person gets, the less meaningful is a positive D-dimer result when a pulmonary [...]
Even decades after its introduction on the market, the “Thigh Master” remains a popular piece of gadgetry, with its claim that it slims and tones the thighs. One reason women fell for this was because [...]
Few people do what would be called the corner bar single-arm shoulder press. Many people may not even know what the corner bar refers to. The corner bar is the Olympic bar that sits in [...]
“Smile!” Things can’t be that bad!” is one of the rudest things you can say to ANYONE. “Smile!” Don’t you hate when someone says this to you? Even complete strangers will be this rude. And [...]
Why do women feed their Prader-Willi kids cereal for breakfast? I was inspired to write this article after reading about a women whose 14-year-old daughter weighs 343 pounds (as of August 2014). Hannah has Prader-Willi [...]
Does the abdominal pain from colon cancer have any resemblance to that associated with irritable bowel syndrome? “Colon cancer with abdominal pain suggests advance stage cancer,” says Pankaj Vashi, MD, Lead National Medical Director, National [...]
A dermatologist provides the information you really need to know about moles that grow larger, develop an irregular shape and become multi-colored. Certainly, you may already know that suspicious signs of melanoma are changes in [...]
Bullies come in all ages and professions, including that of the school principal. When I was in high school, I witnessed the principal grab a boy by the throat and shove him up against a [...]
Yes, that sweet student who politely greets you and leaves an apple on your desk can also be one of your school’s meanest bullies -- without you having a clue. Maybe that bully sincerely likes [...]
Wondering why nobody wants to be your child’s friend? This is called social exclusion, but it can also come with ridicule and hostile behavior. It’s easy to take a generic, overly-broad approach and say, “A [...]
An expert gives advice on what parents should do and NEVER do upon realizing that their child suffers from social exclusion or that “nobody likes” him or her. Kate Walton, a former public school teacher [...]
Teaching your children to “obey” all adults out of respect to them can increase their risk of being abducted by a predator. Are you the type of parent who preaches to your children, “Obey all [...]
Don’t men realize that revving up their vehicle’s engine will damage their hearing over time? “Eight-five decibels and louder, depending on duration of exposure and individual susceptibility, can be permanently damaging to one's hearing,” says [...]
