Mar 11th, 2023 - Overview Type 2 diabetes is a condition that happens because of a problem in the way the body regulates and uses sugar as a fuel. That sugar also is called glucose. This long-term condition results in too much sugar circulating in the blood. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems. In type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two probl...

Mar 9th, 2023 - Overview Sinusitis is an inflammation of your sinuses. It can cause facial pain and a stuffy or runny nose with thick mucus. What is sinusitis (sinus infection)? Sinusitis is an inflammation, or swelling, of the tissue lining your sinuses. Sinuses are structures inside your face that are normally filled with air. Bacterial infections, viral infections and allergies can irritate them, causing th...

Mar 8th, 2023 - Overview Tear glands and tear ducts Open pop-up dialog box Close Tear glands and tear ducts Tear glands and tear ducts The tear glands located above each eyeball, called the lacrimal glands, continuously supply tear fluid that's wiped across the surface of your eye each time you blink your eyelids. Excess fluid drains through the tear ducts into the nose. When you have a blocked tear duct, your...

Mar 7th, 2023 - Brain aneurysm care at Mayo Clinic Your Mayo Clinic care team Team approach to care Mayo Clinic neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and others work together for brain aneurysm care. Note: Items within this content were created prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and do not demonstrate proper pandemic protocols. Please follow all recommended Centers for Disease C...

Mar 7th, 2023 - Overview A muscle cramp is a sudden, unexpected tightening of one or more muscles. Sometimes called a charley horse, a muscle cramp can be very painful. Exercising or working hard, especially in heat, can lead to muscle cramps. Some medicines and illnesses also might cause muscle cramps. Muscle cramps aren't usually harmful. Self-care measures can treat most muscle cramps. Products & Services B...

Mar 7th, 2023 - Treatment Self-care measures usually can treat muscle cramps. A health care provider can show you stretching exercises that can reduce the chances of getting muscle cramps. Drinking plenty of fluids can also help prevent muscle cramps. If you keep getting cramps that wake you from sleep, a care provider might prescribe medicine to relax muscles or help you sleep. Request an Appointment at Mayo ...

Mar 7th, 2023 - Overview What is phantosmia? Phantosmia (pronounced “fan–TAAZ–mee–uh”) is a condition that causes you to detect smells that aren’t actually present in your environment (phantom smells). These odors may be pleasant or unpleasant, occasional or constant. Phantosmia can affect one or both nostrils. In most cases, phantosmia isn’t a cause for concern and will go away in time. However, in rare insta...

Mar 2nd, 2023 - Overview Vasovagal syncope (vay-zoh-VAY-gul SING-kuh-pee) occurs when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress. It may also be called neurocardiogenic syncope. The vasovagal syncope trigger causes your heart rate and blood pressure to drop suddenly. That leads to reduced blood flow to your brain, causing you to briefly ...

Mar 2nd, 2023 - Overview Hiccups: What causes them Open pop-up dialog box Close Hiccups: What causes them Hiccups: What causes them Spasms of your diaphragm that you can't control cause hiccups. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your chest from your stomach area and plays an important role in breathing. This spasm causes your vocal cords to close briefly, producing a "hic" sound. Hiccups are repeated ...

Feb 24th, 2023 - Overview Periodontitis Open pop-up dialog box Close Periodontitis Periodontitis Periodontitis is a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss, bone loss and other serious health complications. Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth. Without treatment, periodontitis can destroy the bone that support...

Feb 22nd, 2023 - Overview Burning mouth syndrome is the medical term for ongoing or recurring burning in the mouth without an obvious cause. You may feel this burning on your tongue, gums, lips, inside of your cheeks, roof of your mouth or large areas of your whole mouth. The feeling of burning can be severe, as if you injured your mouth with a very hot drink. Burning mouth syndrome usually comes on suddenly, b...

Feb 18th, 2023 - Overview Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical help or miss work. Back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Fortunately, measures can help prevent or relieve most back pain episodes, especially for people younger than age 60. If prevention fails, simple home treatment and using the body correctly often will heal the back within a few weeks. Surgery is rarel...

Feb 15th, 2023 - Diagnosis During the physical exam, a health care provider might press gently on the ribs, listen to your lungs and watch your rib cage move as you breathe. One or more of the following imaging tests might help with the diagnosis: X-ray. Using low levels of radiation, X-rays allow the bones to be seen. But X-rays might not show a fresh break, especially if the bone is only cracked. X-rays also ...

Feb 15th, 2023 - Overview Broken ribs Open pop-up dialog box Close Broken ribs Broken ribs A broken rib occurs when one of the bones in the rib cage breaks or cracks. A broken rib is a common injury that occurs when one of the bones in the rib cage breaks or cracks. The most common causes are hard impacts from falls, car accidents or contact sports. Many broken ribs are simply cracked. Cracked ribs are painful....

Feb 10th, 2023 - Overview Sepsis is a serious condition in which the body responds improperly to an infection. The infection-fighting processes turn on the body, causing the organs to work poorly. Sepsis may progress to septic shock. This is a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs. When the damage is severe, it can lead to death. Early treatment of sepsis imp...

Feb 9th, 2023 - Overview Galactorrhea (guh-lack-toe-REE-uh) is a milky nipple discharge unrelated to the normal milk production of breast-feeding. Galactorrhea itself isn't a disease, but it could be a sign of an underlying problem. It usually occurs in women, even those who have never had children or after menopause. But galactorrhea can happen in men and even in infants. Excessive breast stimulation, medicat...

Feb 9th, 2023 - Overview Amenorrhea (uh-men-o-REE-uh) is the absence of menstruation, often defined as missing one or more menstrual periods. Primary amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in someone who has not had a period by age 15. The most common causes of primary amenorrhea relate to hormone levels, although anatomical problems also can cause amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea refers to the absen...

Feb 9th, 2023 - Overview Blastocystis is a microscopic parasite that can live in your digestive tract. Researchers don't fully understand the role blastocystis plays, if any, in causing disease. Some people experiencing diarrhea, abdominal pain or other gastrointestinal problems have blastocystis organisms in their stool. Most commonly, however, blastocystis organisms simply live in a person's digestive tract ...

Feb 9th, 2023 - Overview Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite. The parasite is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. People who have malaria usually feel very sick with a high fever and shaking chills. While the disease is uncommon in temperate climates, malaria is still common in tropical and subtropical countries. Each year nearly 290 million people are infected with malaria, and mo...

Feb 7th, 2023 - Overview What is the common cold? A cold is a contagious upper respiratory infection that affects your nose, throat, sinuses and windpipe (trachea). You may have heard that the common cold is a coronavirus. In fact, more than 200 different types of viruses can cause a cold. The most common cold virus is the rhinovirus. We call colds “common” because as their name implies, they’re widespread. Yo...