Lethargy is the experience of feeling fatigue, which comes along with depression. It causes a significant decrease in energy that affects your performance in most tasks. Lethargy is both physical and mental when you are depressed. You feel tired...
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "Sleep is as essential for your well-being as food and water." You probably remember staying awake all night studying for a big exam, or getting up in the middle of the...
Weight gain is typically caused by consuming more calories than the number burned through physical activity. Thyroid problems, pregnancy and genetic disorders are also associated with unintended weight gain. If your weight has increased and you're...
Frequent scratching by your boxer may indicate more than a simple flea problem. Itchy skin is a symptom of allergies, skin conditions and even an autoimmune disease, which is a condition characterized by the body attacking its own healthy cells....
The brain accounts for 2 percent of the body's weight, yet consumes 20 percent of the oxygen and 25 percent of the glucose available to the body. During concentration, the brain's energy intake increases further. Supplying the brain with glucose...
Whether taking pain pills for a severe condition such as cancer or using the pills occasionally for minor pains, there is a trade-off. Most pain pills, such as opioids, muscle relaxers and antidepressants have side effects that can become...
The mineral iron is crucial to overall health of the body. More half of the body's iron is located in hemoglobin, which distributes oxygen throughout the body. Iron helps the body manufacture adequate levels of red blood cells. A lack of iron in...
People give up fitness plans for many reasons, including injury, stress and lack of time. Though most people know that there are physiological consequences to ceasing exercise, many are unaware that emotional consequences also may develop....
A healthy diet plays a significant role in your energy levels. Eating too few calories and restricting carbohydrates--your body's primary energy source--causes energy depletion. Overeating and consuming a high-fat diet can also cause energy...
The adrenal glands are thumb-sized glands atop the kidneys. They produce hormones, such as norepinephrine and cortisol, that affect energy production, metabolism and the way the body responds to stress. As the University of Maryland Medical Center...
Aromatherapists have used essential oils for healing a variety of physical and mental complaints since ancient times. Peppermint essential oil was used by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans and is currently used for a myriad of purposes. It...
Diabetes is a long-term condition that can cause symptoms such as dizziness, lethargy, appetite changes, sleep difficulties, cognitive impairment and heart disease. Severe diabetes may lead to coma or death. This condition occurs when the insulin...
Alcoholism is a disease that has detrimental physical, psychological and social effects. One of the severe physical effects of excessive alcohol use is scarring of the liver, also called cirrhosis of the liver. According to Medline Plus, alcohol...
Acute gastroenteritis, also know as the stomach flu, is an inflammation of the intestines caused by microbes. The most common causes of gastroenteritis are viruses and bacteria. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, vomiting and diarrhea,...
Kava kava, or Piper methysticum, a tall shrub in the pepper plant family, has long been valued in Pacific Island cultures for both its intoxicating effects and its medicinal value. Kava kava supplements come from the hairy roots of the shrub and...
Biotin, or vitamin H, is a water-soluble vitamin essential to all organisms. Unfortunately, only bacteria, molds, yeasts, some plants and algae can synthesize biotin, which means humans must obtain the vitamin from external sources. Biotin is...
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, that causes inflammation of the digestive tract lining. Common symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications. Medical and...
A nose bleed, a condition known as epistaxis, generally happen at the septum, or the part of the nose that separates the nasal chambers. On the whole, nose bleeds are not dangerous, although they may mark a more critical problem such as a head...
A back spasm, or back muscle spasm, is a spontaneous and involuntary contraction of one or more of your back muscles. The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, or CSMC, states that back spasms may cause considerable pain if they occur near your spinal cord...
Lap-Band surgery, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery, is a procedure designed to help obese individuals and people at risk for obesity-related health problems manage weight and improve wellness. During the procedure a silicone belt...
Smoked salmon, considered a delicacy by some, is eaten by many people for breakfast --usually on a bagel -- or served with sour cream and caviar at dinner parties. There are some risks associated with eating smoked salmon more than occasionally,...
Iron is a mineral in food that helps produce red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. Different forms of iron are absorbed at different rates, with heme iron from animal products one of the most available to nourish the body. Iron from...
Whether it develops in an adult or teenager, toddler or baby, an earache means one thing -- pain. Sometimes intense and pounding, other times steady or gradually increasing, earaches are a relatively common health condition that lends itself to...
Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, occurs naturally in many foods. It is sometimes used as a food additive too. Ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin for good health, but your body cannot manufacture it. You must obtain ascorbic acid from the food you...
The thyroid is a small gland found in the neck that affects food and energy metabolism. According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than 20 million Americans have a thyroid disease, and it affects more women than men. Thyroid problems may cause...
Athletes take anabolic steroids, which act on the body's testosterone system, to increase muscle strength and decrease recovery time. Most sports agencies have banned these performance-enhancing drugs because they provide unfair advantages and...
Conjunctivitis, or "pink eye," is a common condition affecting infants. According to a 2007 review article published in "Infectious Disease Clinics of North America," conjunctivitis is the most common eye condition from birth to 6 years. Pink eye...
RSV is characterized by the National Institutes of Health as a viral infection of the lungs and airways. It's caused by the respiratory syncytial virus that's passed from one person to the next through nasal secretions. Someone coming into contact...
Princeton University's health services report tobacco use is the leading cause of death worldwide. Alarmingly, complications from tobacco use reportedly result in over 400,000 fatalities annually. A cigarette contains thousands of harmful tars and...
