This summer, reports have emerged of a woman who died following an infection with "brain-eating" amoeba contracted while rafting at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in North Carolina and a man who contracted "flesh eating" bacteria after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. What are these infections and how great a concern are they for…...

Summertime is the perfect time of year for outdoor cookouts and picnics.  Unfortunately, food safety features that a home kitchen provides, such as temperature-controlled cooking, refrigeration, and washing facilities, are not always available when cooking or picnicking outdoors. This increases the risk of food poisoning, more accurately known as acute gastroenteritis. The most common causes…...

Most people are aware of the spread of the mosquito-borne viral disease, Zika, in many countries in South and Central America.  Worldwide, the most important disease transmitted by mosquitos is malaria. Instead of being caused by a virus, however, malaria is caused by a parasite that infects the Anopheles mosquito. The World Health Organization (WHO)…...

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the eye and sends visual messages through the optic nerve to the brain. The macula is a portion of the retina which provides the detailed, central vision needed for activities such as reading and driving.  Macular degeneration is the breakdown of this…...

Sweating is a physiologic process whose primary purpose is to help with regulation of body temperature. People normally sweat more profusely when it's hot outside or when exercising. People also sweat more in response to situations that make them nervous, angry, embarrassed, or afraid. In an estimated 2 to 3% of Americans, however, sweating can…...

Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas or simply "myomas", are non-cancerous tumors that grow in, on, or outside of the wall of the uterus. In a study involving U.S. women between the age of 35 and 49 years of age, it was found that 60% of African-American women and 40% of Caucasian women had evidence…...

Last article we learned about a very common gynecological problem, uterine fibroids, and the symptoms that they can produce.  In the past, many women with large or highly symptomatic fibroids opted to undergo surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy). While removal of the uterus does provide definitive treatment for symptomatic fibroids there are a number…...

Almost everyone has had (or knows someone who has) bad breath. Termed "halitosis" in medical jargon, bad breath has a number of identifiable and often correctable causes. Unfortunately, the flavored gums, mints, and mouthwashes available in the local pharmacy provide only temporary improvement and do not generally address the underlying cause. Let's look at some…...