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…...

Fatigue is defined as a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy. There are a number of conditions that can lead to fatigue including anemia, depression, thyroid disease, and diabetes. Many people reporting temporary or recurrent fatigue, however, are tired because of three factors---inadequate sleep, poor nutrition or excessive stress. In today's Health Tip,…...

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones lose strength and density. Results of studies have been inconsistent, but some point to soft drink consumption as having a negative effect on bone density. This has important implications to the more than 10 million Americans, mostly women, who have osteoporosis as well as those who are at…...

Fibromyalgia is a chronic medical condition characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender areas known as "trigger points". Fibromyalgia is considered to be an arthritis-related condition, but it is not truly a form of arthritis because it does not affect the joints (knees, shoulders, wrists, etc.) per se. Nor is it associated with…...

"Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver. Toxins, certain medications, heavy alcohol use, as well as bacterial and viral infections can all cause hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, each caused by a different virus. These viruses may produce similar symptoms (yellowing of the skin and…...

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Some of these risk factors can be modified, while some can't be changed. For example, even though breast cancer does occur in males, being a woman is its biggest risk factor since breast cancer is about 100 times more…...

Last article we looked at several factors that increased a woman's risk of developing breast cancer but could not be changed. The purpose of this was to encourage women at increased risk to receive screening measures beyond those developed for women at average risk. Today we'll look at a number of factors that increase the…...