Pierre Robin syndrome is a birth defect that affects as many as 1 in 8,500 newborns. The main characteristics of this condition are facial malformations. If your baby has Pierre Robin syndrome, he will have a small, underdeveloped jaw...
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a retrovirus that progressively destroys CD4+ lymphocytes, making the body susceptible to attack by foreign, infectious agents and many forms of cancer. During the initial period of infection, the HIV virus...
Cleft palate is the fourth most common birth defect in the United States, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Cleft palate can affect just the soft palate, or the top of the mouth at the back of the throat, or the hard palate, which...
Your hard palate is the roof of your mouth's hard part right behind your front teeth. Your soft palate -- the continuation of this muscle -- is the soft, fleshy part of the roof of your mouth just above the back of your tongue. You use your soft...
As a baby develops, the lip and palate grow together and fuse in the middle. This fusion forms the roof of the mouth and the upper lip. When the area does not close correctly, a cleft lip or a cleft palate occurs. Some children have a cleft lip or...
Hiccups--involuntary contractions of your diaphragm muscle that cause your vocal cords to close-- afflict nearly everyone at one time or another. They can result from a large meal, alcoholic beverages or sudden excitement, and usually last only a...
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a virus that attacks the immune system cells that normally protect individuals from disease. Over time, HIV destroys the immune system, and the body is no longer able to fight off common infections....
Snoring is a sleeping problem that occurs in at least half of adults, according to the Mayo Clinic. It happens when your breathing is obstructed while sleeping---often due to the tissues in your throat and soft palate. These tissues vibrate at...
Breastfeeding is one of the best gifts you can give to your baby. Breastfeeding provides the perfect balance of calories, protein, fat and nutrients. It also actively promotes health in your baby by reducing the risk of several illnesses,...
The National Cancer Institute, NCI, groups cancers of the lip with other oral cancers that arise on the front two-thirds of the tongue, inside the cheeks, under the tongue, on the hard palate and in the little space behind the innermost teeth....
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2010, over 23,000 new diagnoses of oral cavity cancers will be made in the United States. Gum cancer is included in the larger category of oral cavity cancers, and treatment for these cancers also...
The air passages of the human body, including the nose, mouth, trachea and lungs, as well as the digestive tract are all lined with specialized cells and tissues referred to as mucosa. This tissue is moist and releases thick fluid called mucus,...
Cancer of the lip is typically grouped with other cancers of the oral cavity. This group is defined by the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center as including the front two-thirds of the tongue, the gums, the inside lining of the cheeks...
Lip cancer occurs when there is abnormal growth of cancer cells in the lips. Lip cancer is commonly classified with other cancers of the oral cavity. According to the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, the oral cavity includes the...
Acne and cold sores are both lesions that occur on the face. They can look similar. However, they have different causes, they can be distinguished visually as well as by their location on the face, and their treatment differs. Most importantly,...
Blisters on your hands and mouth, accompanied by vomiting and fever, most likely signifies that you have contracted Hand, Foot and Mouth disease, or HFM. Treatment options are limited, but can make this viral infection more tolerable. HMF is...
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, or HFMD, is a viral illness that most often affects children and infants. Not to be confused with hoof-in-mouth -- a disease which strikes cattle -- those infected with HFMD often pass the illness to others without...
According to Roll Back Malaria, mefloquine and amodiaquine are drugs used to treat or suppress malaria. Similar to the action of chloroquines, amodiaquine influences hemoglobin digestion, preventing the malaria-causing parasite from digesting...
A swollen painful roof of the mouth after drinking alcohol may result from excessive drinking the night before or may indicate underlying health issues. You can get a dry mouth from drinking too much because high amounts of alcohol cause a dry...
According to the American Social Health Association (ASHA), oral herpes affects between 50 and 80 percent of the adult population in the United States. One-third of those people experience periodic recurrences of about one to six episodes per...
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking accounts for a number of cancers and for at least 30 percent of all cancer-related deaths. Many known carcinogens, substances known to directly cause cancer, are present in cigarettes. The risk of...
Capsaicin is a colorless and odorless compound found in chili peppers, which creates a burning sensation in any tissue that it contacts. Capsaicin is produced in the fleshy parts of the pepper and is used in topical ointments, creams, and dermal...
For a variety of reasons, black tea can contribute to weight loss as long as you drink it unsweetened. Although this makes it an inexpensive and effective weight loss supplement, unsweetened black tea can be hard on the palate. A squeeze of lemon...
Brain freeze, also called ice cream or slushy headache, results from eating or drinking very cold substances. It’s a self-resolving condition that’s not thought to cause any damage to your brain. Older theories speculating on the...
A cleft palate occurs whenever the soft and sometimes hard palates in the roof of the mouth do not close properly. As a baby grows and develops in the womb, these structures may not form properly and may also extend to the lip causing both a cleft...
Headache is a term used to describe pain in one or more areas of the head, upper face, or upper neck. Headaches can be chronic, cyclical, or acute, with varying qualities and intensities of pain. The two most common types of headaches, tension and...
If you are a smoker and find that you get dead skin inside your mouth, you should not be surprised. Mouth changes with tobacco use. The lining of the oral cavity is composed of layers of flat scale-like cells called squamous epithelium. Tobacco...
Wang Shu Jin was a 20th century martial arts practitioner who gained recognition in the West for his large stature and larger-than-life martial skills. In his book "Bagua Linked Palms"---on a martial art based on turning an opponent's force...
Herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus that produces blisters and sores almost anywhere on or inside the body. The American Social Health Association reports that up to 90 percent of people with herpes have no idea they are...
