It was discovered during the latter-half of the 20th century that smoking is not a healthy social habit. The American Heart Association reports that smoking is one of the most preventable causes of death. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control...
When you are experiencing hardening patches of skin on your fingers accompanied by itching, you could be developing a wart, or you may be experiencing a problem with limited scleroderma, formally known as CREST syndrome. Scleroderma literally...
Wounds are injuries to the body that range from very minor, like a scratch that bleeds very little, to severe, such as complete removal of a body part. Wounds are often categorized into four main classes based on the type of injury.
It doesn't take long for exposed skin to develop frostbite. Even a few minutes in harsh conditions can cause tissue injury, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. In mild cases of frostbite, called frost nip or superficial...
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the leading cause of death from skin disease. It is cancer arising from melanocytes, cells that produce melanin in the skin. Melanin is...
Your hands are composed of muscles, bones, joints and tendons. Unfortunately, repetitive hand use, such as when playing the piano or typing, can lead to pain, problems with hand movement and numbness. Dupuytren's contracture, arthritis of the hand...
A wound is an injury that typically causes a break in the integrity of the skin. The skin is the body's first protection against infection. When there is a break in the skin, there is an increased risk of infection. Certain wounds have a higher...
The American Cancer Society says most smokers begin as teens due to peer pressure or curiosity. Unfortunately, the younger a person starts, the more likely he is to become addicted. Because the chemicals and poisons found in cigarettes can be...
The skin is the primary barrier blocking microbes from entering the body and causing infection. Breaks in this skin barrier result in wounds, which can be caused by various different injuries or bites. Wounds can result in excessive blood loss,...
Numbness in your fingers results from several causes, ranging from remaining in one position too long to life-threatening conditions. Determining the source or reason for your numbness is essential to relieving your symptoms and perhaps preventing...
Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a hardening of the skin as well as arterial walls. The disorder can be localized to one area of the body, or systemic, and affect the entire body including the lungs, heart and other organs. The...
Cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals. Among the most dangerous chemicals are nicotine and carbon monoxide. According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Many diseases...
More than any other body part, fingers take the brunt of daily activities. The longest fingers on each hand are at the most risk for injury, but all of fingertips contain sensitive nerve endings that can make a tear painful or annoying. Whether...
Commonly called amniotic band syndrome, amniotic banding is a rare abnormality of the placenta that may affect up to 1 out of every 2250 live births, according to data from Carole Kenner, coauthor of the book "Comprehensive Neonatal Care."...
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2010, more than 68,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States, and 8,700 people will die from the disease. Melanoma, or malignant melanoma, is a form of skin cancer that...
There are more than 100 different types of peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.Numbness from nerve irritation can range from merely annoying to life-threatening,...
Circulatory problems in the hands may be caused by a variety of conditions, including autoimmune diseases, injuries, structural defects, anemia and genetic diseases, according to the Mayo Clinic. The patient's first indication of a circulatory...
Overexposure to temperatures below 32 degrees F can result in frostbite, frozen skin and tissue in areas of cold exposure. Fingers are a common site for frostbite, because blood vessels farthest from the heart constrict in cold weather to conserve...
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "motivation" as an act or process of creating a stimulus, force or influence. Motivations to lose weight depend on the overweight person and include a myriad of reasons. MayoClinic.con suggests that assessing a...
