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While estimates of its prevalence vary, the International Hyperhidrosis Society estimates that the condition affects nearly 5 percent of the world’s population, or about 367 million people. In the United States, the rate of hyperhidrosis appears to be about the same at 4.8 percent, according to a study published in December 2016 in Archives of Dermatological Research. That study also found that only 51 percent of people with excessive sweating had discussed it with a healthcare professional, and that only 27 percent had received a formal diagnosis of hyperhidrosis....

According to an article in Acta Clinica Croatia, there are several kinds of cheilitis. The most common types are: Cheilitis simplexContact or eczematous cheilitisAngular cheilitisActinic cheilitisDrug-induced cheilitis (2) Cracks or fissuresDrynessRednessPeeling That said, your symptoms may vary depending upon the exact type of cheilitis you have. Here are the signs and symptoms of each type: (2) Cheilitis Simplex Lip cracking, usually on the lower lipContact or Eczematous Cheilitis Dryness, scaling, and fissuringAngular Cheilitis Inflammation and redness at the corners of the mouthActinic Cheilitis Red patches, puffiness, scaly plaques, and small bumps caused by sun exposure....

One option your doctor may recommend is to apply a topical corticosteroid, also known as a steroid, to ease redness, itchiness, and inflammation so your skin can begin to heal. “Topical steroids are the first line of treatment after you’ve addressed proper skin care using moisturizers, taking warm baths, avoiding irritants and triggers for a flare-up, and treating infections,” says Luz Fonacier, MD, an allergist at Winthrop-University Hospital, part of the Stony Brook University School of Medicine in Mineola, New York, and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology....

Those microbes in your belly — which scientists refer to as the gut microbiome — influence your mental health via the gut-brain axis, a communication network connecting the gut, brain, and nervous system, according to a review published in January 2021 in Nutrients. If ongoing studies confirm the association between gut bacteria and ADHD, new treatments that alter, eliminate, or prevent the development of certain microbes in the gut could become available for people with ADHD, which affects nearly 7....

Appendicitis is one of the leading causes of sudden severe abdominal pain requiring surgery in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (1) The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine on the lower right side of the abdomen. A particular type of tissue associated with the infection-fighting lymphatic system is found in the appendix. This tissue encourages certain beneficial gut bacteria to grow, aiding in digestion and immunity....

Cerebral edema is a life-threatening condition that can cause permanent brain damage or death if not treated quickly. Typical signs of brain swelling include: Headache, which is the most common symptom anytime the brain starts to swell, Dr. Balu saysDizzinessNauseaMood changes, such as depression, anxiety, or aggression as a result of a brain injuryMemory lossAltered consciousnessSeizureIntoxicationLack of coordinationIntestinal obstruction (volvulus, intussusception)Numbness or weakness that can be generalized or localizedDouble vision due to inability to fully move one of your eyes in a particular directionBulging in the soft spots of an infant’s skull...

“Cognitive dissonance is basically this phenomenon whereby we have a natural drive for consistency, in that our belief system must be consistent with itself and it must be consistent with our actions,” says Matt Johnson, PhD, a professor and research fellow at Hult International Business School who is based in Boston. But that consistency doesn’t always happen, and distress can arise as a result. Festinger’s original premise was that humans prefer to live in a stable world, in which beliefs are consistent with one another and actions align with beliefs....

Medications Options Some medicines used to treat diabetic macular edema include: Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Anti-VEGF) Drugs These medicines are given as an injection into the eye. They block the development of new, abnormal blood vessels and help control leakage from damaged blood vessels. Typically, several injections are needed.Research published in April 2018 in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes shows that this form of therapy can improve vision.According to the National Eye Institute, anti-VEGF medicines are currently considered the standard of care for macular edema....

This cancer begins in the bone marrow — soft, spongy tissue inside bones. Bone marrow produces a number of different types of blood cells. Hairy cell leukemia involves the B cells (also called B lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that normally helps the body fight infection by making antibodies. With hairy cell leukemia, the bone marrow produces large amounts of defective B cells. These cells have short, thin, hair-like projections on their surface (thus giving the disease its name)....

While it’s normal and healthy for the liver to contain some fat, if more than 5 to 10 percent of the liver’s weight is fat, it’s called a fatty liver, also known as steatosis. (1) When inflammation and liver cell damage occur along with fat in the liver, it’s called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is a type of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and it affects about 1 out of 5 people with NAFLD....

This is a chronic inflammatory condition. Once rosacea sets in, flares can happen at any time. The length and severity of flares vary. Some people have symptoms that last a few weeks, others a few months. A rosacea diagnosis can be upsetting. But the more you learn about this condition, the easier it will be to cope. (1,2,3) The four types of rosacea are erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous, and ocular. The symptoms associated with these four types include: (2)...

Probably the best-known diseases under the spondyloarthritis umbrella are ankylosing spondylitis — which typically affects your spine and sacroiliac (SI) joints, where your spine connects to your pelvis — and psoriatic arthritis, which tends to affect your skin and small joints in your hands and feet. But there’s much more to spondyloarthritis than the classic symptoms of lower-back pain and stiffness associated with ankylosing spondylitis. Different diseases in this category can affect not just your back and hips but also your shoulders, hands, knees, toes, eyes, skin, digestive tract, and reproductive organs....

Public health experts began researching the link between heart disease and COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, and the picture has become more clear as we settle into year three of the pandemic. According to an early bulletin released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) on March 6, 2020, people who have underlying cardiovascular disease have a higher mortality rate with COVID-19 (10.5 percent) than people who have an underlying chronic respiratory disease (6....

Vision Problems and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: It’s All a Blur Most often, patients report having periods where everything appears blurry or seems foggy. “This will happen most commonly when they stand up and get lightheaded,” says Peter Rowe, MD, director of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. Other vision problems that chronic fatigue syndrome patients report include: Difficulty or slowness in focusing on objects, usually those that are close upNot being able to see objects in side or peripheral vision — some say they feel as though they have tunnel visionFeeling dizzy and not being able to tolerate looking at moving objectsSeeing floaters and flashes of lightBeing intolerant to light — “They find it uncomfortable to be in brightly lit rooms and outdoors in the bright sunshine,” Dr....

As a doctor, when I’m asked, “Is my cough serious?” I think about it in two ways: Is the cough coming from a contagious infection? (That would mean you need to stay away from people.) And is the cough a sign of an illness that you need to talk about with a doctor? First, if you have a new cough, I want you to put a mask on. With the numbers high right now, it could be COVID-19, even if you don’t feel bad (and even if you got vaccinated)....

Early treatment is very important for whooping cough (also called pertussis). Antibiotics are often given to treat the infection, and if given before coughing attacks begin, they can make your infection less severe and keep you from spreading the disease. If treatment is given after having the illness for three weeks, it most likely won’t help. This is because the bacteria has already done its damage and left your body, even though you may still have symptoms....

That time commitment may seem like a tall order in your busy life. But the good news is that you don’t have to book sessions in a gym to get in shape. Outdoor exercises are just as effective as indoor ones, can be more fun, and have some other appealing advantages. Working Out Outside Comes With Perks for the Body and Mind Outdoor fitness can be a structured exercise program that takes advantage of natural terrain to get you in shape, or it can be as simple as a brisk walk around the block....

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which over time can damage the esophageal lining and can lead to a host of illnesses, including throat cancer. However, what will help one person avoid GERD might not necessarily help another. “There are many lifestyle modifications we tell people to do. There’s not one specific thing,” says Michael Vaezi, MD, PhD, clinical director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology and director of the Center for Esophageal Motility Disorders at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn....

What’s the reason for its popularity? “It seems a lot easier for some people. Traditional lifestyle changes tend to rely a lot on calorie counting or point watching or rules, and for some people — especially people with busy lives or who feel pulled in a lot of directions — that feels like a lot of work and effort. So for this, where they literally have to do nothing but skip a meal, it’s just a lot easier for them to maintain,” says Elizabeth Lowden, MD, a physician in Warrenville, Illinois, who is board certified in obesity medicine, endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, and internal medicine....

For most people, all of these changes may be no big deal. In fact, they can be a nice break from the daily grind. But if you’re living with migraine, any or all of these could trigger an attack. “Anything that gets you out of your normal routine can cause a headache, because the migraine brain likes to be as steady and stable as possible,” says Katherine Hamilton, MD, an assistant professor of clinical neurology and a headache specialist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia....