Fasting Glucose 109, Normal A1C: What Does this Mean?
A normal A1C is always good news, but what if it comes with a fasting glucose of 109, which is in the so-called prediabetic range? “A fasting glucose is a snapshot of what someone’s blood [...]
Cramping in the Forearm Muscles: Can this Be Serious?
The muscles of the forearm are relatively small but can cramp up due to many causes. The question is can this ever mean a serious condition? […]
How LONG Can You Have Skin Cancer Without Knowing It?
“Skin cancer can look like many things; therefore people can go long periods of time without recognizing that they have a skin cancer,” says Dr. Steven Musick, MD, a board certified dermatologist who runs Musick [...]
How Long Does It Take Melanoma to Grow to 2 Millimeters?
It’s a fact that melanoma can be well under six millimeters, and in fact, can be only one millimeter in diameter. The ABCD rules for melanoma certainly do not apply to all such skin cancers. [...]
Can Melanoma Patients Live More than 30 Years?
How many people walking around today were diagnosed with melanoma 30 years ago? This deadly skin cancer is on the rise, but is highly curable when caught at the stage 0 or “in situ” (in [...]
Can People Ever Smell Skin Cancer?
Have you been sniffing at that strange mole or patch on your skin to see if you could smell something odd that might mean cancer? Melanoma produces a distinctive odor that some dogs can detect. [...]
What’s the Biggest that Melanoma In Situ Can Grow?
Melanoma in situ is the earliest stage of this skin cancer, and it will often spread out before it goes deep. So what’s the biggest an in situ melanoma of the superficial spreading type can [...]
Can Melanoma Grow Inside the Belly Button?
Not only can melanoma grow inside the belly button, but this particular location makes the cancer potentially more aggressive and able to spread faster than if it were, for example, located on the chest, back [...]
Vision Blackouts, Heartbeat in Ear, Headache: Brain Condition
If you’re been suffering from blackouts, headaches and hearing your heartbeat in your ear, this could mean a serious brain condition. In fact, just one of these symptoms can be caused by something serious affecting [...]
Ascites, Jaundice, Mental Impairment in Chronic Heart Failure
Suppose an elderly person with chronic heart failure starts getting ascites and suddenly develops jaundice and change in mental status. The triad of ascites, jaundice and visible ascites (even mild) is often associated with cirrhosis [...]
Pain in One Eye with Movement: Brain Tumor? Aneurysm?
If you have pain in one eye when you move it, this can have many causes and unfortunately, two can be a brain tumor or an aneurysm. […]
Blurry Vision that Alternates Eyes: Tumor, TIA, Dry Eye?
If you’ve been experiencing blurry vision that alternates eyes, what are the odds that this could be caused by a tumor or transient ischemic attack, vs. a more benign cause? […]
Hearing Every Tiny Movement of One Eyeball: Causes & Solutions
If you've been hearing your eyeballs move -- does this mean you've gone bonkers? Or is this an actual phenomenon that's recognized by doctors? It Has a Name “Hearing every tiny movement of your eyeball [...]
Headache Pain When Moving Both Eyes: Can Be Emergency Condition
Do you feel headache pain whether you move your eyes right, left, up or down? Under certain circumstances this can mean an emergency situation. […]
One Pupil Is Dilated, Cheek Tingling: Likely Causes
If one pupil is noticeably dilated, especially if your cheek is tingling, this is a medical emergency. […]
One Eye Suddenly Turns Inward in Young Child: Brain Tumor?
There’s the woman who thought the reason her young child’s eye was turning inward was “cross eyes” but it turned out to be a brain tumor. […]
Clicking Sound When Blinking Your Eyes: Causes and Solutions
Do you hear a clicking sound with every blink of your eyes? Maybe it happens only sometimes or with nearly every blink – and it’s not only impossible to ignore. But it brings to mind [...]
Acute Liver Failure Secondary to Heart Failure Always Terminal?
In acute liver failure (hypoxic or ischemic liver) that’s caused by chronic heart failure, the damage to the liver is not intrinsic to the organ but rather, the result of chronically poor blood flow. An [...]
Sigvaris Comprefit Edema Compression Sock: Waste of Money
Do NOT buy the Sigvaris Comprefit compression sock with wraps or you will totally waste your money. This product was a sorry disappointment for an elderly man with edema in both legs. […]
Why There’s a 1 Percent Mortality Rate for Melanoma Stage 0
The 10 year survival rate for stage 0 melanoma (in situ) is 99 percent. So what happens with that one percent? Do they die from their melanoma in situ? • How does anyone die from [...]
Is the Biggest Goal in Your Life to Wear a Bikini to the Beach?
If the biggest goal in life is to wear a bikini to the beach or for Instagram despite being plus size — you need to rethink your priorities. It’s just flabbergasting how many women in [...]
Cause of Groin Pain Only in the Morning
Every time you awaken in the morning, you’re rudely greeted with groin pain – no matter how many times you’ve tried new sleeping positions, pillows or different mattresses. Just what is causing this morning groin [...]
Can Shoulder Pain & Numb Thumb Be Caused by One Condition?
If your shoulder hurts and your thumb or other fingers are numb and tingling, is this more likely multiple sclerosis, ALS or a more benign condition? […]
Runny Nose After Root Canal: Causes and Treatments
A root canal is unpleasant enough without a runny nose to go with it. Sometimes a root canal can cause a runny nose. But this does not reflect an inadequate job by the doctor who [...]
Diseases that Can Cause TMJ Disorder: from Benign to Cancer
An assortment of benign conditions can lead to TMJ problems, but so can a variety of cancers. This is why if your TMJ pain hasn’t resolved despite dental-based treatment, you should request an MRI of [...]
Can Obstructive Sleep Apnea Cause TMJ Disorder?
You know that TMJ disorder can cause obstructive sleep apnea… But what about the other way around: Can temporomandibular joint problems lead to obstructive sleep apnea? […]
What Nighttime Problems Can TMJ Disorder Cause?
Many symptoms can be caused by TMJ disorder overnight. In fact, you may not have even made the connection between these nighttime issues and temporomandibular joint disorder. […]
How Long Can You Put Off Wisdom Teeth Extraction?
If your wisdom teeth appear normal on an X-ray and are not causing pain, do you still need to have them removed? Of course, if there’s pain, you shouldn’t put off extraction. […]
What’s the Youngest a Child Can Have TMJ Disorder?
Can TMJ disorder occur in young children? And if so, what is the youngest age that temporomandibular joint disorder can develop? “TMJ disorders mainly occur in adults but can occur in very young children as [...]
Can TMJ Disorder Cause a Sharp Stabbing Ear Pain?
Having sharp stabbing ear pains lately? Many conditions including cancer can cause ear pain, but the causes get narrower when the pain is sharp or stabbing in nature, vs. dull or achy. A piercing brief [...]
How Often Is Excess Saliva Caused by TMJ Disorder?
Excess saliva with no apparent explanation can make some people think of ALS, but before you fear a death sentence, consider TMJ disorder. […]
Can Loud Music Make TMJ Disorder Worse?
If you have TMJ disorder (TMD), it would definitely be in your best interest to avoid loud music, as this can aggravate the condition. “Regardless of the underlying mechanism behind TMJ disorders, the symptoms are [...]
Can Growth of Wisdom Teeth Cause Ear Pain?
Ear pain can have many causes including a brain tumor and sinus cancer. But what about wisdom teeth growing in the wrong way? […]
Can a Burning Gum Feeling Be Caused by TMJ Disorder?
Those burning gums, like they’re on fire; what can be causing this? It’s possible that temporomandibular joint disorder is the culprit. […]
Causes of Occasional Double Vision: Cancer, Other Serious Disorders
Causes of intermittent or occasional double vision are varied including very benign to cancer. […]
Why LASIK Makes It Feel You Have an Eyelash in Your Eye
Before you undergo LASIK, your surgeon will inform you that one of the immediate effects is feeling you have an eyelash in the eye. This is a persistent sensation that can border on feeling as [...]
Why Your Eyes Feel Like Gnats or Bugs Are Crawling on Them
Unfortunately, a possible cause of making your eyes feel like bugs or gnats are crawling on them is a worm infestation: tiny worms literally crawling around on the surface of your eye. “There are nerves [...]
Blurry Vision After Walking a Few Minutes: Causes, Solutions
You begin walking and within minutes notice that you have blurry vision, or vision that is more blurred than usual. What is the cause of this worrisome response to walking? […]
Cause of Seeing Blue Spots in One’s Vision
It’s one thing to see brown or tan floaters and spots in one’s vision, but just what does it mean when these spots and dots are BLUE? “Floaters are seen as dots (sometimes appearing blue) [...]
Cause of One Pupil Temporarily Dilated, No Response to Light
If you suddenly realize that one pupil is noticeably larger than the other and does not respond to light, take this matter seriously. It could mean a problem with your brain. […]
