Medical dictionaries describe lockjaw as a tightness or spasm of the jaw muscles due to a bacterial infection from Clostridium tetani, commonly called tetanus. [1] Tetanus has become very rare in the United States with only about 30 reported cases per year. Almost everyone who gets tetanus today has not … Read More
Throat cancer is not one type of cancer. It is an area where cancer can occur and it includes six types of cancer. Three types can occur in your upper throat, called your pharynx, and three types can occur in your lower throat, called your larynx. Treatment for throat cancers … Read More
SIBO is the acronym for a disease called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. [1-3] It is hard to know how common SIBO is. It causes digestive symptoms that are very common like belly, pain, bloating, and bowel changes. Many cases of SIBO may be missed because the diagnosis requires special testing. … Read More
A relatively easy procedure, blue light therapy has successfully treated multiple conditions, including cancer, actinic keratosis (a type of superficial skin cancer), and acne. More commonly known as photodynamic therapy (PDT), blue light therapy works often as well as surgery or radiation therapy. Plus, it doesn’t cause awful side-effects. What … Read More
More than 26,000 people in the United States—approximately 16,000 men and 10,000 women—are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), and nearly 11,000 die from it. The cancer develops for unknown reasons and can be difficult to diagnose early, because its symptoms mimic those … Read More
As someone who’s had five surgeries in the past six years (a result of my hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), I know a thing or two about scars—namely, that they can be an eyesore. For years, I’ve struggled to find a scar treatment that works to minimize their appearance. From vitamin … Read More
Once you’ve received the sobering news that you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, the next step is to discuss a personalized breast cancer treatment plan with your medical team. Your doctor’s recommendations will involve many factors, including your age, medical history, the type, location, and size of the cancer, and … Read More
Receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer is shocking—so much so that you might not fully process anything your doctor says after the “C word.” Consequently, you might forget about another “C word”—cure—and fail to understand that a prostate cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. So, can prostate cancer be … Read More
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder characterized by hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). And it's not particularly rare: It affects 1 in 200 Americans. If untreated, Graves’ disease can cause serious health issues within many of the body's systems—and it even can prove fatal. Graves' disease is up to eight times more … Read More
Do you have a pacemaker? If so, you're benefiting from one of the most important developments in the history of medical technology. When the heart’s natural timing circuits go on the fritz, and if medication falls short, pacemakers can come to the rescue. Heart conditions that used to be fatal … Read More
