Just who should worry about soft plaque rupture every time they work out? “We define plaque in two ways,” begins Pilar Stevens-Cohen, MD, FACC, Department of Cardiology, South Nassau Communities Hospital. “Soft/unstable vs. stable/calcified plaque. [...]
If you have a mild heart attack but no surgical treatment, how long will you survive? “The short answer is we don't know,” says Pilar Stevens-Cohen, MD, FACC, Department of Cardiology, South Nassau Communities Hospital. [...]
A myocardial infarction is a heart attack. Troponins “leak” from damaged heart tissue and make their way to the bloodstream. Normally in the absence of a heart attack the levels are very low. A heart [...]
If you've been diagnosed with heart disease, does this mean that strenuous exercise is off-limits? Is intense exercise even POSSIBLE with blocked arteries? First of all, let’s define strenuous exercise. Some people think this is [...]
Find out a possible explanation for why your triglyceride level has jumped from last time you had it taken. You awaken at 7 a.m., knowing that at 10 a.m. you’ll be going to the medical [...]
Here’s what a cancer-gyn doctor says about ovarian cancer vs. IBS symptoms. There are many articles or forum postings online with titles like “ovarian cancer vs. IBS” or “Is it IBS or ovarian cancer.” I [...]
Is it possible for a CT scan to rule out angina? Angina is chest pain caused by blockages in the coronary arteries: coronary heart disease. It may also be accompanied by shortness of breath and/or [...]
Maybe you’ve read a few things about “picking off” a melanoma, but what about shaving it off—by accident? Are you wondering if melanoma can be picked off? “It is moles and nevus or seborrheic keratosis [...]
If you’re eager to buy Schiff’s “MegaRed” krill oil capsules, you may want to know that they contain sorbitol—a synthetic version. When I first saw the TV commercials for Schiff’s MegaRed krill oil capsules, I [...]
Have you found a breast lump but the mammogram is clear? Should you just let this go and put all your faith in the mammogram? […]
I was noticing a strange though mild soreness in the front of my neck soon after I awakened, and initially didn’t know what could have caused it. Then I soon realized that the day before, [...]
When colon cancer develops between routine colonoscopies, does this mean it was missed or is it usually a new fast growing tumor? We are advised to have a screening colonoscopy beginning at age 45 and [...]
It's not pretty finding out you have "extremely dense" breasts -- because this is a big risk factor for breast cancer; what makes this worse is that a tumor can pass as benign fibrous tissue [...]
Find out what a breast cancer surgeon has to say about the idea that a mammogram can compress a pre-existing tumor and make it spread. The compression from a mammogram can hurt quite a bit. [...]
Have you ever had menstrual pain or cramps but no period? If your only symptom is pelvic discomfort, a number of conditions can cause this. But the more locations of your body, that have the [...]
Don’t assume your throat issues can’t be acid reflux just because you have no heartburn, chest discomfort or abdominal pain. My father was recently coughing for no apparent reason, and I suggested it might be [...]
Though cancer can cause burping, this symptom can also be caused by psychological factors. Anxiety can cause a LOT of symptoms, including headache, backache, stomach ache, a knotty feeling in the stomach, diarrhea, a racing [...]
Is it possible for acid reflux disease to cause blood to be in one’s stools? “It is unlikely that acid reflux can cause blood on or in the stool,” says Dr. Jeffrey Fine, MD, chief [...]
Is that gurgling inside your stomach coming from acid reflux, cancer or what? Now, gurgling from your stomach can be either annoying, embarrassing or scary (if you read somewhere that it could be a sign [...]
Are you wondering if that discomfort in your chest or stomach while working out on an empty stomach might be from acid reflux? "Yes, exercising on an empty stomach can cause acid reflux," says Jeffrey Fine, [...]
Are you wondering if high intensity interval training can bring on acid reflux? “Yes. High intensity training can trigger acid reflux for some people, depending on what type of exercise the person is doing and [...]
You may know that chocolate can cause acid reflux, but how soon after eating it can it produce this symptom? Acid reflux, even when caused by eating chocolate, can result in a burning sensation in [...]
Find out what that tiny red speck on your toilet paper after wiping yourself might actually be. Recently after wiping myself after having a “number 2,” I noticed what appeared to be a very small, [...]
There really IS some truth to the saying, “If you don’t calm down you’ll have a heart attack.” You’ve heard of extreme sudden fear causing a heart attack soon after, but can anger (which is [...]
Do you have spells of “I can’t breathe!” that last maybe five or seven seconds? Instead of allowing this to scare the pants off of you, see a doctor to get to the bottom of [...]
Here’s the scoop on accidentally taking 300 mg a day of hydralazine (Apresoline) instead of the prescribed 30 mg a day. My mother’s cardiac nurse made a mistake which resulted in the pharmacist preparing her [...]
A doctor explains that there are several possible causes to a pain in the ball of the foot when cycling. This can occur while riding outdoors or while using a stationary bike. There are several [...]
DVT (blood clot) prevention after joint replacement surgery can be done with a portable compression device that straps onto the legs. The standard of care following joint replacement surgery is to send the patient home [...]
Find out the percentage of people with liver disease who have bad body odor. What percentage of patients with liver disease have the bad odor? What's really odd is that when I do a search [...]
Can a bad body stink be caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? Ever wonder if non-alcoholic fatty liver disease cause foul body odor? If so, how? “Yes. If the patient is in liver failure, [...]
Find out if an elevated ALT or AST can ever have a benign cause. Just what does “elevated” mean in reference to the liver enzymes of ALT and AST? The elevation can be mild, moderate [...]
The value of the ALT and AST liver enzymes will vary depending on the type of liver sickness including cancer. In general (numbers vary from one lab to the next), a blood test value of [...]
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease means something is very wrong with your body. Can this condition, which is often brought on by poor diet, actually raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol? “Yes. LDL receptors are located primarily [...]
Below are links to articles about liver disease that answer questions that perhaps you've been struggling to find answers for with extensive online searches--which either turned up nothing or vague, overly-broad information. So I asked [...]
Do you dread walking anywhere thanks to a mysterious pain that's developed in your shins? There are multiple possible explanations for a recurring pain in your shins whenever you go walking. “Shin pain when walking [...]
If running causes a sharp pain in one or both of your knees, don't ignore this or try to "run it out." It is not normal and can have a variety of causes. The human [...]
Do you have a pain where your rear-end meets the back of your upper thigh? This area is also known as the glute-hamstring tie-in or junction. What could be causing pain there? “Pain in the [...]
Though pain in the neck that makes its way down to the left shoulder usually has a benign orthopedic cause, lung cancer can also cause this symptom. “Pain in the neck and shoulder region can be hard [...]
Chondromalacia patella and bursitis are common conditions that involve the kneecap, causing distinct pain. But does one have any unique characteristic that the other one doesn't? “Bursitis usually involves inflammation of the prepatellar bursa,” says [...]
Liver disease can cause a strong body odor, but just what does this mean? What body part does this stink come from? Is it the entire body or some localized area like the armpit? You [...]
MOLES AND MELANOMA
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