Alopecia areata is a disease that affects hair follicles, resulting in patchy areas of hair loss.  In rare cases, the disease causes total loss of hair on the head and other areas of the body.  In general, alopecia areata is a benign condition, although it may cause significant emotional or psychological distress. Who Gets alopecia…...

For several decades, the humble egg has been maligned because of its cholesterol content and the concern that eating eggs raises coronary heart disease risk. Most of this concern appears to be theoretical, however, since more recent data from population studies indicates that moderate egg consumption does not significantly raise cholesterol levels, nor does it…...

Nocturia is defined as “excessive urination at night”. Normally, the amount of urine the body produces goes down at night, reducing the need to urinate for the 6 to 8 hours that people are sleeping. Since waking to urinate on one occasion during the night is generally considered to be “normal”, having nocturia generally implies…...

Listeria monocytogenes, or Listeria for short, is a bacterium that causes an infection called listeriosis. Recently, Sabra Dipping Co. voluntarily recalled 30,000 cases of its Classic Hummus because of possible Listeria contamination.  Just prior to that, several people became infected with Listeria due to contamination of Blue Bell ice cream.   As of this writing, no…...

Cigarette smoking, obesity, and alcoholism are all well-known causes of premature death.  Recently, two closely related risk factors---social isolation and loneliness---have also been identified as being important in causing early mortality.  Social isolation can be characterized by living alone, having few social network ties, or having infrequent social contact. These issues are considered to be…...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis affecting up to 27 million Americans.  In OA, cartilage that lines the joints breaks down.  With loss of this natural cushion, the bones begin to rub together, damaging the joint. Symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain, swelling and reduced range of motion.  OA can develop in any…...

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, occurring in over 3.5 million people each year.  Three of the most common types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.   Of these, the least common, but most serious is melanoma. What is melanoma?---Melanoma is a cancer…...

The term “gluten-free” is increasingly being seen attached to foods in restaurants and grocery stores throughout the U.S.  Even food items such as bottled spring water, fruits and vegetables, and eggs are being labeled "gluten-free" without ever containing gluten to begin with.  With millions of Americans making a change to eating gluten-free products, what are…...