Cold, bluish-purple feet can indicate poor circulation, but it is just one of several potential causes for the condition, the medical name for which is cyanosis. While cold and discolored feet and hands may mean you suffer from poor circulation,...
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but the skin reveals lot about what a person is feeling too. Skin changes can be due to psychological or emotional factors: The glow associated with pregnancy, the blush of an embarrassed schoolgirl,...
Discoloration of the skin is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of skin-related symptoms. It can refer to a reddish rash, patchy dry spots, brown age spots and even drastic color changes such as those caused by certain chemicals, illnesses...
Blue baby syndrome is a condition characterized by the bluish discoloration of the skin seen in newborns. Blue baby syndrome manifests as soon as the child is born or within the first few days of life. This syndrome is usually caused by a group of...
When the skin receives an injury, such as a cut or a scratch, the resulting inflammation often sends the skin's pigment-producing cells---the melanocytes---into overdrive. Consequently, once the wound heals, it sometimes leaves behind a patch of...
Skin color results from the blood flow in the tiny vessels within the skin as well as the amount of pigment present in the dermal layers. Any number of normal conditions can alter the pigmentation of the skin, but only abnormal causes result in...
Circulation problems in the hands cause numbness and tingling, blanching of the skin, bluish discoloration to the nail beds, cold hands, decreased mobility and pain. Certain disease states and medications decrease circulation to the hands or...
The vitality of the body depends on a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients delivered by the blood via the circulatory system. As such, the structural integrity and function of the circulatory system is the keystone of health. Diseases that...
Hay fever is a type of allergy caused by airborne irritants found naturally in the environment. Such pollen grains can come from trees, weeds and some grasses. Spring, summer and fall are often referred to as allergy season, because the pollens...
A blood clot in the upper arm is not life-threatening unless it breaks free and becomes lodged in the lung, according to Cleveland Clinic. Blood clots are produced by the body to plug holes in veins in response to an injury. Sometimes these clots...
Exercising helps to improve blood flow to vital organs and improve your cardiovascular health. If you are experiencing symptoms such as blue fingers, fingernail beds, lips or skin when you exercise or overexert yourself, this could be a sign of a...
Homeopathic remedies incorporate medicinal treatments derived from very small quantities of natural substances. Such remedies are intended to alleviate symptoms associated with a myriad of health problems, like allergies, muscle pain, teething,...
Inguinal hernia is a medical condition seen mainly in the groin area. In inguinal hernia, the fat within the abdomen or sections of the small intestine bulges through a weak area in the lower muscles of the abdomen. When these hernias become large...
Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries that supply the lungs increases to abnormal levels. In its early stages, pulmonary hypertension typically causes no symptoms; however, as it...
MayoClinic.com says coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgical procedure that's performed for people with coronary artery disease. In this surgery, a piece of vein is taken from the leg or artery from the chest or wrist. This is attached to the...
Tight clothing around the legs as well as tight and poor-fitting shoes may impede circulation in the feet. Ridges around stockings also may stop the circulation in the feet. Smoking decreases circulation to the feet and can cause heart and lung...
Maternal use of methadone, a synthetic opioid, during pregnancy can cause the baby to go through withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms can occur in varying degrees. The severity of symptoms will vary depending on the amount of methadone the mother last...
Vitamin B12 or cyanocobalamin is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is important for metabolism, red blood cell production, DNA synthesis and maintenance of healthy nerve cells. Vitamin B12 is found in beef liver, fish, red meat, shellfish,...
Each day, adults should consume between 8 and 18 mg of iron, depending on their sex and age, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. If consuming dietary sources of iron, such as beef, poultry, oatmeal and beans, doesn't provide you with enough...
To the parents of newborns, any changes in a baby's respiratory pattern may seem alarming. Although many babies experience brief episodes of rapid breathing, a condition clinically known as tachypnea, this symptom is only rarely a sign of a...
Children naturally breathe at a faster rate than adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, adults generally breathe 8 to 16 times per minute, while normal newborns may breathe up to once per second. In children, rapid breathing can...
Armpit or underarm pain can be caused by numerous conditions. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, the underarm is a common location for bacterial infection, although other...
Groin hernia surgery is meant to repair hernias in the abdominal wall next to the groin. The groin is the area between the abdomen and the thigh, and a groin hernia is a condition in which the fatty tissue in the abdomen or a section of the small...
Poor circulation most often occurs in the legs and feet but can also affect the arms and hands. Poor circulation can be caused by numerous illnesses, including heart disease, Raynaud’s disease, blood clots and diabetes. It can also be caused...
The heart can be described as the muscle pump of the body. A congenital heart problem can arise when there is abnormal heart development that happens in utero, before birth. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that annually approximately...
Complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, most often involve the lungs and the heart, as they work in unison to provide oxygen to the body. Warning signs of impending complications may include shortness of breath, wheezing,...
Ammonium nitrate, chemical formula NH4NO3, comes in the form of colorless or white crystals. Although it has many useful applications, such as in fertilizer due to its high nitrogen content and in first aid cold packs for its endothermic reaction...
Congenital heart defects, CHD, are problems with the baby's heart structure at birth. Sometimes the defects are so severe, they need immediate surgical intervention. The most dangerous defects are found during pregnancy or soon thereafter. Less...
Colloidal silver has a long history of use in home remedies and alternative health solutions, but the scientific evidence for its effectiveness is mixed. Individuals who are considering taking colloidal silver as a dietary supplement should...