Bell's palsy, the most common type of facial paralysis, is named for Sir Charles Bell, an early 19th-century surgeon who charted the course of the facial nerve and the muscles of facial expression that are served by that nerve. Though the precise...
When your baby is around six months old, you can start feeding him solid food. Most parents start with rice cereal. This cereal is his first taste of food, and is fortified with vitamins and minerals that he needs for his rapidly growing body....
Dysphagia is a medical term that describes difficulty swallowing, or feeling as though food is stuck in your chest or throat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Sufferers of dysphagia often feel like they are choking, which...
Doxycycline is a medication in a class of drugs known as tetracycline antibiotics. According to Drugs.com, doxycycline is used to treat many different bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections, acne, gonorrhea and chlamydia,...
Human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, is a virus that infects the human immune system. It prevents the immune system from being able to serve its primary purpose, which is to fight off infections. An infectious disease, HIV is found in...
Apple cider vinegar works as a weight-loss aid as an appetite suppressant. For this diet to work, you need to take 1 to 3 tsp. of apple cider vinegar before each meal. For the first three days of the diet, take 1 tsp. before each meal. On days...
Your eyes are itchy and red, your nose is dripping like a faucet and you're sneezing every few minutes. Allergy season has struck again and you want to curl into a little ball of misery. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) more...
DM (or DXM) cough medicines contain a substance called dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan (DM) is an antitussive that treats the symptoms of a cough by decreasing chemical activity in the area of the brain that causes coughing. Dextromethorphan...
The adage “no pain, no gain” is great in theory, but it’s hard to get a good workout when all is not right with your body. It is not uncommon for runners to have pain in places other than their legs. Tongue pain can be caused by...
Incorrect lingual, or tongue, posture is usually the result of a tongue thrust. A tongue thrust occurs when the tongue pushes forward against or between the front teeth, especially when swallowing. Not only do tongue thrusts lead to dental...
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease caused by damage to neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The damage occurs to the outer layer of the neurons, which is called the myelin sheath. The exact cause is not fully understood, but...
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is described by the National Institutes of Health as a degenerative disease where motor neurons die. Motor neurons are cells within the nervous system that send messages to the body telling muscles when and...
Tavist (clemastine) is an antihistamine that works by blocking histamine actions in the body, thereby reducing the effects of allergic reactions. According to the website Drugs.com, Tavist is used to treat or prevent upper respiratory allergies...
The mylohyoid muscle is one of the superficial muscles of the neck. It forms the floor of your mouth cavity and contributes to the shape of your jaw. The muscle also contributes to swallowing and speaking by lifting the tongue and hyoid bone. As...
For stroke victims, loss of the use of different areas of the body is common. If you lose some coordination of your tongue, you can have difficulty swallowing and speaking. Physical therapy exercises can help you regain some control of your...
A 2007 Harvard study examined the most popular and well-known diet plans with the hope of ranking them in effectiveness. The researchers came to the conclusion that there is no "best" diet plan; that the overall effectiveness of the diet is based...
A dry tongue can be an indication of serious underlying disorders. The appearance of the tongue can be a sign of health or disease. A dry tongue can become so dehydrated that it cracks and bleeds. In other situations, the tongue may develop ulcers...
Whether you're doing it for fun or learning how to stay alive after a disaster, survival camping pits your wits against Mother Nature. Do you know how to find water and determine whether a plant is poisonous or edible? If you don't, consider...
The human digestive system has the job of processing ingested food in order to extract nutrients, which are then taken up into the bloodstream. Consisting of the gastrointestinal tract—which stretches from mouth to anus and includes the...
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are infections that can occur within any area of the urinary tract, including the bladder, kidney, ureters and urethra, reports Drugs.com. In rare cases, patients will experience multiple or recurrent urinary...
The human intestines and vagina naturally contain bacteria. The role of the bacteria is to protect the body against bad bacteria, pathogens that causes infection and illness. Unlike antibiotics that cannot differentiate between good and bad...
Actonel (Risedronate) and Fosamax (Alendronate) are bisphosphenates. They are used in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Actonel has also been used to treat other bone diseases, including Paget's disease. Both Actonel and Fosamax...
Dry mouth, or xerostomia, describes an insufficient or absent flow of saliva in the mouth. Dry mouth develops as a result of improperly working salivary glands. Medications, certain diseases, radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and an injury to...
Hiccups are caused by the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and the near-immediate closure of the vocal cords. Normal hiccups last for minutes or hours and usually develop in response to eating too quickly, drinking alcohol, temperature...
The brain, the cranial portion of the central nervous system, is the center for control of all nerve and sensory activity in the body. The weight of the brain is about three lbs. Parts of the brain include the cerebrum, cerebellum, pons, medulla...
Even if you are careful to live an active lifestyle, eat a nutritious diet and generally take good care of your overall health, you must also remember not to neglect another very important component of a healthy body: your teeth. You may think...
If you have more than just a smattering of tiny pimples, you've probably got a bacterial infection as part of your acne. A type of bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes, or P. acnes for short, causes infection in blocked skin openings and can...
Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, according to a 2000 Surgeon General's report on oral health. Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever, the report says. Sippy cups could...
Lisinopril (Prinivil) is used to treat high blood pressure and can be used (with other medications) to treat heart failure. After you experience a heart attack, it can be used to improve chances of survival. Lisinopril works by decreasing the...