Seborrheic keratoses can look like melanoma, the deadly skin cancer. These benign lesions can come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes, and can raise concern if you just happen to discover one or a [...]
Here's what a dermatologist says about itching moles. If you’re concerned about an itching mole (could it be melanoma?), first make sure that the itching is coming from the actual spot itself, rather than nearby [...]
We’ve been scared by the media about changes in moles, and skin cancer, a la, “If you notice any changes in a mole, see a doctor immediately, as this could mean skin cancer.” And you [...]
Lots of big moles on your child's back can be intimidating to look at. With all the heightened awareness over the past decade of moles, melanoma and skin cancer, it's only natural that you'd be [...]
A dermatologist speaks about strange or weird looking moles. Have you discovered a funny looking mole on your body and wonder if it’s melanoma? The aggravating thing about finding a strange looking spot is when [...]
Trouble breathing or shortness of breath after coronary bypass surgery? There are actually several causes for breathing difficulties following coronary bypass surgery (aka CABG). "Shortness of breath is very common after coronary artery bypass grafting," [...]
"Change in bowel habits" is commonly listed as a symptom of colon cancer, but this doesn't mean that microscopic colitis can't also cause a change in poop habits and appearance. Your stools and bowel habits [...]
Ever had yellow, chalky, green or black stools? What about reddish stools? Do you ever even look at your BMs? Certain colors of BMs or stools can be a warning sign of cancer. “Brown, gray, [...]
Are malabsorption syndrome and cancer necessarily in the same sentence? Do you fear you're suffering from a malabsorption malady? Is there a way you can tell at home if you have this gastrointestinal ailment? If you've [...]
You think you have acid reflux but you may have sinusitis; or, you're convinced you have sinusitis but it just might be GERD! The symptoms of GERD or acid reflux and sinusitis, do indeed overlap, [...]
Malabsorption that results in odd-looking stools can have a variety of causes, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) can also cause stools to appear less-than-normal. You may be wondering if there was a way to distinguish [...]
Do narrow stools have you fearful of colon cancer, even though you've been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? If narrow or thin stools are common with IBS, then this may certainly provide more peace [...]
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause back pain. If you have back pain that has not responded to massage or other typical treatments, you may actually have IBS. First of all, how does IBS even [...]
Leg pain can have a ton of causes ranging from so very benign to life threatening--and one of those possible causes is irritable bowel syndrome. Having pain in your leg and wondering if this is [...]
Colon cancer can cause abdominal pain, but does it always? When I say "pain," I don't mean cramps. There's a difference between abdominal pain and abdominal cramps. Abdominal pain can result from colon cancer. But have you [...]
Is it possible for diarrhea to be the only symptom of colon cancer? You may be familiar with colon cancer's classic signs such as abdominal pain, weakness, weight loss, blood in stools and ribbon-like stools [...]
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and microscopic colitis produce symptoms that are similar enough to result in misdiagnosis. So do you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or microscopic colitis? After all, the symptoms overlap. Furthermore, symptoms [...]
Does your very bad headache have you fearing you have a brain tumor? Does the pain make you think it could only be from a brain tumor? Though the only way to rule out a [...]
If your twitching tongue is driving you mad with anxiety and fear of bulbar onset ALS, then you need to know how to rule out bulbar onset ALS, which is diagnosed in only about 600 [...]
Is your twitching tongue keeping you up all night worrying you might have bulbar onset ALS? Relax, relax. Don't let a twitching tongue ruin your life. Do you realize how exceedingly rare bulbar onset ALS [...]
Have you been closely monitoring the twitching in your calf muscle? Counting the number of “fasciculations” per minute, watching the muscle move as it twitches, and even going as far as repeatedly testing out the [...]
Did you know that the symptoms of an impinged neck nerve can masquerade as carpal tunnel syndrome? A doctor might get fooled by this. This happened to my mother. The doctor who misdiagnosed my mother’s [...]
Does a twitching tongue have you fearing you might have bulbar onset ALS? When a person initially becomes aware of tongue twitching, he or she normally has no idea what bulbar onset ALS even is. [...]
If you hit your head and don’t have immediate symptoms or even symptoms for a few weeks after, you can still develop symptoms of bleeding in the brain at least six weeks later that are [...]
If you have muscle twitching and have googled twitching muscles, you've most likely stumbled upon some links for the deadly disease ALS. You now might think you have ALS, since muscle twitching is a symptom of [...]
Sjogren's syndrome can be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis; symptoms are similar. Sjogren's syndrome can actually cause symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis (MS). Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that is commonly associated with dry mouth [...]
Out of nowhere I began developing dry mouth. What can sudden onset dry mouth mean? Could it mean the beginnings of Sjogren's syndrome? One day during the midst of working out at the gym, I began [...]
Has your mouth become cottony dry out of the blue, just like that? And is Sjogren's syndrome constantly on your mind? Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that primarily affects [...]
A gynecological oncologist explains appetite suppression caused by ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer can suppress appetite; this is a hallmark feature of this disease, the deadliest of all gynecological malignancies. I was wondering just what mechanisms [...]
A Harmless Ovarian Cyst Can Show Up on an Ultrasound and Masquerade as Cancer Short of surgery, can a doctor tell the difference between an ovarian cyst and cancer? Some time ago, I had an [...]
Ovarian cancer can cause bloating: not just a feeling of bloating, but a visible abdominal distention. If you have unexplained bloating sensations or your stomach seems to be growing, even though you haven't been eating [...]
How can you ever know if your breast cancer has been missed by your doctor? There are potential tell-tale signs of a breast cancer misdiagnosis that every woman should know. It is entirely possible for [...]
How many periods in a row can you miss from stress? Well in my case it looks like five. "It has been known for years that the menstrual cycle can become dis-regulated when a great [...]
An OB/GYN explains reasons for blood in cervical mucus after menstruation is over. Have you noticed blood in your cervical mucus even though your period has ended? Perhaps you’ve noticed the blood in the cervical [...]
Can a late period be a sign of cancer? Are late periods really worrying you? Menstruation normally occurs every 21 to 35 days. After 35 days is a truly late period, and your worry is [...]
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) can cause swollen ankles. Sometimes this is merely a cosmetic issue, appearing unsightly. But other times, the swollen ankles caused by PMS can be very tender to the touch, even somewhat painful. [...]
Mid-cycle joint aches or pain can affect some women. Mid-cycle joint pain or aches are when a woman experiences a discomfort in her joints that feels just like the joint aching she gets in the [...]
Experiencing burning in the breasts during breastfeeding or shortly after is not uncommon. But don't confuse this with actual pain in the breast. It's also not the same as soreness. So what causes burning in [...]
Ovarian Cancer Can Cause Leg Pain, but Why? One of the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be leg pain. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers, though it kills 14,000 to 15,000 women [...]
When the heartbeat does what you'd describe as flutters, these are "usually called palpitations, which represent an awareness of our heartbeat (it may be described as an irregular beat, a forceful beat, or a [...]
