Can a Lentigo Turn into Melanoma?
A lentigo can pass as a mole or birthmark; can it ever become a melanoma? Whether or not a lentigo, which often looks just like a small mole or birth mark, could morph into melanoma, [...]
White Sticky Stuff on Inner Walls of Mouth: Causes
There are several possible causes for the white, slimy and sticky substance that forms on the inner walls of your mouth. Though experiencing a white, gooey substance on the inner walls of your mouth is [...]
Itchy Arms and Legs in Winter: Causes & Solutions
A dermatologist explains causes of itchy arms and legs during winter and what you can do about this. “Winter itch is extremely common,” says Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, and assistant professor of dermatology and pathology [...]
Is a Scab that Won’t Heal Always Cancer?
Can a non-healing scab be benign or is it always cancer? You’ve probably heard for years that one of the classic signs of cancer is “a scab that won’t heal.” But is a non-healing scab [...]
Can Microdiscectomy Be Performed Under Regional Anesthesia?
If you need a microdiscectomy but are not suitable for general anesthesia, this procedure CAN be done using regional. You may fear general or be a poor candidate for it, but this doesn’t mean you [...]
Best Medications for Sciatic Nerve Impingement
A spine doctor explains about medications for the pain of sciatic nerve pressure. Sciatic nerve impingement can be caused by a herniated disc or a spasming piriformis muscle. Either way, the pain has been described [...]
How Painful is Therapy for a Bulging Disc Supposed to Be?
How can a patient do physical therapy for a herniated disc if it hurts too much to exercise? What if you have a herniated disc and find that the physical therapy exercises are impossible to [...]
Risk of Stroke after TIA “Soft” Symptoms vs. “Hard”
The risk of stroke seems to differ depending on type of transient ischemic attack symptoms a person experiences. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini stroke, when a clot forms in a blood vessel in [...]
TIA Symptom: Body Pulling to One Side?
If your body suddenly feels like it wants to pull or veer to one side, could this mean a transient ischemic attack? If you’ve recently experienced the sensation that your body was pulling to one side, [...]
Can a Recent Transient Ischemic Attack Be Detected on Exam?
Is there a special test that can tell if you just had a transient ischemic attack? A TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a mini stroke—and even though the symptoms may vanish after only 30 seconds, [...]
Single Symptom TIA vs. Multi-Symptom
If you think a TIA that causes only one symptom isn’t as serious as a multi-symptom transient ischemic attack, you’re in for a shock. Suppose you have sudden-onset blurry vision but no other symptoms, and you [...]
Can a Doctor Tell if You Had a TIA By Looking into the Eyes?
A transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke) is a scary thing, and a doctor will use a special instrument to peer into the patient's eyes. This will help the physician, giving information or clues to see if [...]
When Is Surgery Needed for a Lumbar Herniated Disc?
What is the point at which it’s time to seriously consider surgery to remedy a herniated disc in the low back? "Learning to live with the pain" is the mantra heard by many people who [...]
Can a Bulging Disc Be Untreatable?
Find out from a doctor if a low back herniated (bulging) disc can be untreatable. A bulging disc puts pressure on nerves that come out of the spinal cord. A bulging disc occurs when the [...]
Herniated Disc Surgery: What’s Involved
Find out what’s involved in surgery to treat a herniated (bulging) disc. A herniated disc is common in the general population, but not all cases produce symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they include the following: Pain [...]
Causes of Chest Pain, Jaw Pressure in Middle of the Night
A cardiologist names some likely causes for chest pain and jaw pressure in the middle of the night. The cause of pain in your chest or pressure in your jaw that awakens you in the middle [...]
Best Exercises for a Low Back Herniated Disc
Here is what a pain specialist doctor recommends as best exercises for a herniated disc in the low back (lumbar region). A herniated disc in the low back (lumbar spine) is very common, and also goes [...]
About this Site
Knowledge Is Power Founded in 2012, Scarysymptoms.com has established itself as a leader for providing visitors in-depth information about their symptoms -- not the template information of most other medical sites, but information straight from [...]
Can a Pulmonary Embolism Kill You on the Way to a CT Scan?
A pulmonary embolism is suspected, and the patient is being taken to the CT scanner to confirm this. The D-dimer was positive and the patient is exhibiting the classic symptoms of a pulmonary embolism. But [...]
Is Chest Pain, Breathing Trouble After Pulmonary Embolism Treatment Normal?
Is it normal to have trouble breathing and chest pain after successful treatment of a pulmonary embolism? Might these symptoms reflect anxiety over the pulmonary embolism, or is it more likely that this means you [...]
Pulmonary Embolism: What Can You Do Besides Call 9-1-1?
Would you know what to do, besides call 911, if someone near you seemed to be showing signs of a pulmonary embolism? After all, a PE can kill in minutes. “Sudden onset of shortness of [...]
When Are IVC Filters Used for Pulmonary Embolus Prevention?
How many hospital patients would die from a pulmonary embolism every year if from this point on, all surgery patients received an IVC filter -- patients undergoing surgeries that increase the risk of a DVT? Surgeries [...]
Heart Attack after Normal Stress Test: How Does this Happen?
Yes, a person can have a normal stress test but a heart attack shortly after, says a cardiologist. Ever wonder if you can have normal stress test results, then suffer a heart attack soon afterwards? [...]
Can Troponin Elevation Mean Something Other than Heart Attack?
Patients who present in the emergency room with chest pain are given a troponin test (blood sample is taken by nurse). Troponin is a protein enzyme that leaks from the heart when this muscle is [...]
Does Zero Calcium Score Always Mean Clear Arteries?
If your calcium score is ZERO, how confident should you feel about not having heart disease, and having nice clean arteries? Did you recently get your coronary calcium score measured and it was zero, but [...]
Why Does Anxiety Cause Premature Ventricular Contractions?
Anxiety can cause PVCs (premature ventricular contractions), especially if you have anxiety over PVCs. But just how does this happen; what is the mechanism? “Anxiety causes increased stimulation of beta receptors on the heart, which [...]
Can PVCs Be Caused By Seasonal Allergies?
A cardiologist addresses whether or not premature ventricular contractions can be caused by seasonal allergies. Many people who have PVCs want to know if seasonal allergies can cause this sometimes very disturbing symptom. “This would [...]
Can Angina Cause Vomiting?
Find out why angina can cause vomiting. Angina is a condition in which insufficient blood flow occurs in the heart due to narrowing of the coronary arteries from disease (plaque buildup), and hallmark symptoms are [...]
Can Muscle Twitching Be Caused by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
A doctor answers the question, Can chronic fatigue syndrome cause twitching muscles. “Chronic fatigue might cause muscle twitching in some people, but the mechanism is not clear,” says Dr. Moshe Lewis, MD, board certified in [...]
Why Does Inactivity Make Back Pain WORSE?
Find out why inactivity is perhaps the worst thing you can do for low back pain. Bed rest and inactivity are bad for low back pain, you may already know, but do you know why? [...]
Causes of Calf Cramps in the Middle of the Night
Cramping in your calves overnight has a number of possible causes. Many people have suffered from the sudden spasm of a calf muscle in the middle of the night, caused by tensing it a bit [...]
How Old Is Too Old for Total Knee Replacement Surgery?
Are you getting up there in years or know someone of very old age and wondering if you can be TOO OLD for total knee replacement surgery? This surgery is invasive and comes with notorious [...]
Best Ways to Prevent a DVT after Joint Replacement Surgery
The complication of DVT following joint replacement surgery can lead to a fatal pulmonary embolism. Therefore, the best prevention tactics for a DVT must be put into place. Other high risk surgeries for DVT are that [...]
Failed Loosened Knee Replacement Missed by Bone Scan
Should you rely entirely on what a bone scan shows if you suspect that your total knee replacement has "loosened" or failed? It is important to discuss this with your orthopedic surgeon. A failed total [...]
Five Causes of Loosened Total Knee Replacement Hardware
“Total Knee replacements can ‘fail’ by a number of mechanisms,” says orthopedic surgeon David Fisher, MD, Director of the Total Joint Center at the Indiana Orthopedic Hospital. There are five chief reasons for a failed [...]
General Anesthesia vs. Regional for Knee Replacement Surgery
Did you know that the use of regional anesthesia for total knee replacement surgery isn’t all that uncommon? General anesthesia brings with it fear in many people that they'll "never wake up." Don't let the [...]
Beets, Red in Toilet, in Urine and Poops
Beets are one of the best foods you can put in your body. At the same time, few foods have caused more anxiety and fear than beets--because in some individuals, they cause urine to turn [...]
How NOT to Let Long Femurs Prevent a Perfect Back Squat
Don't Let Long Femurs Stop You from a Perfect Back Squat There's a HUGE issue in the strength training world with femur length. I'm a former personal trainer who has long femurs -- great for [...]
Is Ejection Fraction a Predictor of Mortality?
A cardiologist addresses the question of ejection fraction being a predictor of mortality. Ejection fraction is the amount of “squeeze” or force that a heart yields with each beat. Can this actually be a predictor [...]
Can a Marathon Runner Have a Low Ejection Fraction?
Marathon runners usually have strong hearts, but believe it or not, they can actually have a low ejection fraction, says a cardiologist. You may have heard that it’s possible for a marathon runner to have [...]
