Diarrhea vs. Loose Stools Comparison
The line between diarrhea and “loose” stools is very fuzzy; at what point are loose stools actually diarrhea? Is there a way to test the substance to classify it as one or the other? “To [...]
What Is Pronator Syndrome: Causes, Solutions, Prevention
Pronator syndrome can cause painful symptoms in the hands and forearms that mimic carpal tunnel syndrome. Pronator syndrome is when the pronator teres muscle of the forearm presses upon the median nerve, the same nerve [...]
Strength Tests if You Fear ALS for Legs & Upper Body
Ever wonder what strength tests for ALS that a healthy person could pass? Here are strength tests for the lower and upper body: legs, arms, shoulders and hands. As a fitness expert and former personal [...]
Twitching Muscles: Most Common Cause of Muscle Twitching
Twitching muscles (fasciculations) are very common. Every man and woman experiences muscle twitching. Twitching muscles are most often in the legs, but twitching can occur in the facial, neck, chest and even back muscles. Almost [...]
Twitching Muscles, ALS and Beating Fear
If you're terrified of ALS because of twitching muscles, here is a complete guide to get you through your most terrifying moments. As you already know, ALS is an incurable, fatal disease, and if you've [...]
Twitching Muscles: Exercise that Can Cause Muscle Twitching
Do you have twitching muscles? Does muscle twitching scare you into thinking you might have ALS or multiple sclerosis? After all, muscle twitching can be a symptom of ALS, but save the panic attack because [...]
Thigh Muscle Twitching: Don’t Worry, or Panic?
Does your thigh muscle twitch like thump thump thump!? Whether your thigh muscle twitching is continuous, periodic, just a flutter or a real thumper, perhaps you're freaking out that you might have ALS, since ALS sites list muscle [...]
Triceps & Other Muscle Twitching, ALS Fear
Muscle twitching is a terrifying topic for many people because when they do some Googling, they think, “Twitching muscles is a symptom of a killer disease.” Muscle twitching is very common, affecting millions of people, [...]
Benign Fasciculation Syndrome: Causes and Solutions
If you've been diagnosed with benign fasciculation syndrome, you may still be experiencing a lot of panic as a result of what you've been through for the past several weeks or months. This is because the [...]
Doctor Describes what Clay Colored Stools Look Like
Do you keep seeing “clay colored” as a descriptor of stools on medical sites and wonder exactly what this refers to? There’s a lot of misinterpretation as to what “clay colored” refers to, even though [...]
Can Gallbladder Problem Cause Loose Orange Stools?
If you have loose orange stools, here’s why a gallbladder problem is not causing this. “The color of stool normally is brown,” says Akram Alashari, MD, a trauma surgeon at Geisinger Medical Center in PA, [...]
Why Your Hair Smells Burnt: Causes, Solutions
A dermatologist explains what can cause hair to smell burnt and what the treatment is for this most unpleasant problem. Does your hair have a burnt smell to it? What can cause this and what [...]
Does Your Hair Smell Like a Wet Dog?
A dermatologist explains why your hair smells really bad, like a wet dog, and how to get rid of this problem. Peeuww ! Does your hair’s smell remind you of a wet dog? The natural [...]
Benefits of Having a Shy Child: Nothing Is Broken!
Trying to “fix” your child’s shyness may cause more harm than good. I recently read in an advice column of a woman who complained that her husband would make his child sit in the laps [...]
Benign Causes of Bilirubin in Your Urine
If bilirubin has been found in your urine, is there ANY reassurance that this might have a benign cause? “Bilirubin is not normally found in the urine,” says Akram Alashari, MD, a trauma surgeon at [...]
Can Gallbladder Removal Cause a Noisy Stomach?
Have you had your gallbladder removed and are now experiencing strange, funny sounds that seem to be originating from your stomach? “I am unaware of this condition. Have not read about it or seen it [...]
Is Gallbladder Removal Necessary for Only Pain, No Stones?
Wondering if your gallbladder pain warrants the removal of this organ even though you don’t have gallstones? “Gallbladder dyskinesia [impairment of movement] is a motility disorder that affects the gallbladder,” explains Akram Alashari, MD, a [...]
Middle Back Pain after Gallbladder Removal: Causes, Solutions?
Are you suffering from back pain post-gallbladder removal and are wondering what’s causing this and what can be done about it? “It is not unusual for people who have had laparoscopic cholecystectomy [gallbladder removal] to [...]
Stem Cell Injection into Total Knee Replacement for Pain Reduction?
Can stem cell therapy work on a knee that’s had a total replacement? An orthopedic surgeon who also uses stem cell treatments was asked this question by me, at his seminar, regarding my father who [...]
Can a Painful Fatty Cyst in Your Armpit Come and Go?
Are you noticing that the cyst under your arm seems to disappear, then return, back and forth? What’s really going on? The cyst “can get enlarged and inflamed at times and make it feel as [...]
Daily Itching Attacks on Entire Body with Rash: Causes
Sudden attacks of itching all over the body with a rash can mean one of several serious conditions. What appears to be a rash may also be termed as “hives.” “Paroxysms of pruritus (episodes of [...]
Flat Mole Rapidly Rises to Pencil Eraser Height
Should you panic and fear melanoma if a flat mole quickly becomes elevated to pencil eraser height? I read in a skin care forum of a woman who was very worried about melanoma because one [...]
Do You Have an Itchy Painful Armpit? Cause and Solution
Itchy armpits can drive you crazy. And the more you scratch them, the itchier they get. The area under the arm may even begin feeling rather painful. One possible cause -- something that may not [...]
Muscle Twitching: Why You Should Feel Good About Twitching Muscles
Muscle twitching is quite a popular topic, but not one you'll hear a lot about at the water cooler. In cyberspace, twitching muscles are discussed quite prominently, because muscle twitching, though extremely common, is also [...]
Why Does Running Increase the Urge to Urinate?
Is it just imaginary, or does running really increase your need to take a leak? Have you ever noticed that you seem to have to urinate more when you’re running, whether it’s outdoors or on [...]
Noise vs. Odor Sensitivity: Which Should You Tune Out?
Why are people told to “just tune out” annoying sounds, but these very same critics don’t feel this way when something begins stinking really bad? How many times have you complained about a noise and [...]
Herniated Disc Symptoms vs. Spinal Tumor: Symptom Comparison
“Both herniated disc and tumors can present with symptoms that are consistent with the nerve compression,” says Charles Park, MD, Director of The Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. [...]
Migraine Headache vs. Chronic Subdural Hematoma
A neurosurgeon says there is one distinguishing feature between a migraine headache and chronic subdural hematoma head pain. Chances are, if you have a chronic subdural hematoma, you might remember in your recent history getting [...]
Risk of Chronic Subdural Hematoma in Elderly Who Exercise
A chronic subdural hematoma is a gradual brain bleed that's common in the elderly. Can exercise bring this on, being that sometimes exercise involves jarring or erratic movements? Perhaps you know that a whiplash-type movement [...]
Traumatic Chronic Subdural Hematoma in Young Adults
Can young adults get a chronic subdural hematoma from head trauma? “It's possible but not likely,” says neurosurgeon Charles Park, MD, Director of The Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in [...]
Why Can Young Athletes Get a Herniated Disc?
Even young athletes can suffer from a herniated disc; it’s not just for older couch potatoes. Charles Park, MD, neurosurgeon, Director of The Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, [...]
Sitting a Lot Every Day Raises Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer is linked to prolonged periods of sitting done most days of the week. For this study, other variables were adjusted for like physical activity and body mass index, and the results still came [...]
Bench Pressing with a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm?
The guidelines for bench pressing with a thoracic aortic aneurysm are not encouraging. If you found this article, you’ve probably been diagnosed, or know someone who has, with a thoracic aortic aneurysm—and know exactly what [...]
How Painful Is Pronator Teres Syndrome?
Just how painful can pronator teres syndrome be? This condition is much under-publicized, and its symptoms can mimic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Any condition that involves a nerve can cause pain. Pronator teres syndrome involves [...]
Carpal Tunnel vs. Pronator Syndrome: Symptom Comparison
Jonathan Oheb, MD, compares the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome with pronator teres syndrome. “Whereas carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve at the wrist, pronator syndrome is median nerve compression at the [...]
Pronator Teres Syndrome Pain: Solutions
Dr. Jonathan Oheb provides solutions for when the pain of pronator teres syndrome strikes. Pronator teres syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve as it travels through the forearm, typically at the level [...]
How Normal Is Pain After Carpal Tunnel Release?
There are two explanations for pain persisting after carpal tunnel release. What is a carpal tunnel release? The median nerve and tendons pass through a narrow passageway in the wrist: the carpal tunnel, formed at [...]
Can One Bowel Movement a Week Be Normal?
If you’re having only one bowel movement a week, this can mean an obstruction, says gastroenterologist Sander R. Binderow, MD. “It is important to also ask patients if they are passing gas if they have [...]
Does Housework Count As Physical Therapy for a Herniated Disc?
Huge mistake if you think your housework magically replaces the physical therapy you’ve been prescribed for a herniated disc. You’ve been diagnosed with a herniated disc. You had a session of physical therapy with a [...]
Can Excessive Rest Interfere with Herniated Disc Rehabilitation ?
A spine doctor has bad news for those with a herniated disc who spend lots of time lying around, even if they do therapy exercises. So you have a herniated disc and it hurts like [...]