At some point in their lives, many women hear that a menstrual cycle is supposed to last 28 days. Although this is the average length of time in between menstrual cycles, many women have cycles that are longer or shorter than this and fall well...
A "chest cough" is a type of cough in which congestion is present in the lungs. Pregnancy can be a state of decreased immune function and mothers-to-be are at risk for a number of infections. The worst of these is pneumonia, which can be...
People with vision abnormalities often consider using contact lenses or laser eye surgery instead of eyeglasses. There are several facts to keep in mind about these methods of vision correction when making a decision between them.
Few things in life are as exciting as the birth of a baby. After months of waiting and wondering, the parents finally get to find out what the baby looks like. Several factors influence how a baby develops, some of which are "written in the genes"...
Hair loss can cause anxiety and other reactions, from denial to panic, for both men and women. Fortunately, most cases are only a cosmetic, and not a medical, concern. Men often accept, and sometimes even embrace, balding as time goes by. But in...
Water weight loss supplements, also referred to as diuretics, may help to reduce water retention, or water weight. In the United States, 66 percent of adults are either obese or overweight, according to MedlinePlus. Water weight may be a factor in...
An underactive thyroid means your thyroid gland produces less than the normal amount of thyroid hormone. Having an underactive thyroid is also known as hypothyroidism and can create a host of different health concerns and symptoms. It is wise to...
A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered premature. According to 2010 information supplied by the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, approximately 12 percent of all babies in the United States are born prematurely. The...
Hair loss, also called alopecia, is a problem for millions of people around the world. For some, it can seriously affect self-esteem and body image. Recently, certain treatments for hair loss using lysine, one among several essential amino acids...
Antibodies are proteins that the body makes in order to fight off infection or foreign substances; in other words, antibodies are the body's natural defense system. According to MedlinePlus, the body sometimes cannot tell the difference between...
Alfalfa is found in a variety of forms -- seeds, sprouts, leaves and extractions. It's cultivated as hay for livestock and as health food for humans. Alfalfa leaf is also an herbal remedy with numerous potential health benefits. As with any herbal...
Nettles includes more than 30 plants of the Urticaceae family. Stinging nettle or common nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a green-leaved plant with small purple flowers that is native to Europe and North America. The plant's root is sometimes used in...
The heart consists of four chambers, the left and right atria and left and right ventricles. The lower chambers, the ventricles, pump blood to different parts of the body, with the left side sending oxygenated blood from the lungs out to the rest...
The immune system, which includes bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and the white blood cells, functions to recognize and eliminate foreign invaders. When the immune system fails to differentiate between foreign invaders and normal healthy...
Systemic lupus erythematosus, often abbreviated to simply lupus, affects at least 1.5 million Americans, the Lupus Foundations of America (LFA) reports. Lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks organs and joints, affects mostly women of...
Dark facial blemishes can occur after an injury or as a part of aging. While a dark spot isn't usually a sign of a serious health problem, in some cases, a spot can be a sign of skin cancer. Special creams and other treatments can lighten your...
A low platelet count, or thrombocytopenia, is a disorder in which the body produces abnormally low platelets. Platelets play a vital role in helping the blood to clot. Signs of thrombocytopenia include excessive bruising, nosebleeds, spontaneous...
High blood pressure developed during pregnancy indicates a condition called pregnancy-induced hypertension. Certain medical conditions may cause pregnancy-induced hypertension, although the exact cause remains unknown. Many pregnant women with...
Neem has long been used in many countries, particularly India, to treat a wide range of health problems. Nearly every part of the tree is used medicinally, from which about 700 therapeutic preparations have been listed. In addition, twigs from the...
According to MedlinePlus.com, your scalp naturally sheds about 100 hairs every day as a part of your normal hair cycle. However, some women can experience excessive hair thinning. If you have recently noticed that the full head of hair you once...
Although fish oil is most commonly taken to treat arthritis and prevent heart disease, you could also take the supplement to help treat certain inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Fish oil contains certain compounds that have...
Eczema is a group of skin conditions that causes highly sensitive, dry, scaly skin patches. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema, affecting 20 percent of infants and toddlers in the United States, according to the BabyCenter...
Depression is a common and distressing mental disorder characterized by fear, intense sadness, sleeping problems, worry and anger. According to the U.K. health information website netdoctor, there is a 20 percent chance that you will suffer from...
Estrogen, the dominant female hormone, fluctuates at different times during your life and at different times during the menstrual cycle. Men produce estrogen, too, although not in the same amounts that women do. If estrogen levels vary from the...
The American Academy of Dermatology says that while shedding hair is normal, excessive hair loss is reason to see your doctor or a dermatologist. Although some hair loss problems will resolve on their own, others may require medical treatment....
