Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is the uncomfortable feeling of dryness in the mouth that often stems from reduced saliva production. While it might seem like a minor issue, saliva plays a key role in ...

Black stool isn’t always a cause for alarm—sometimes it’s just the result of something you ate or a side effect of medication. But in some cases, it can signal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal ...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections, particularly among women. Caused by bacteria entering the urinary system—often from the large intestine—UTIs can lead ...

Doctors often refer to neuropathy as peripheral neuropathy (PN), a condition that affects the peripheral nerves—those responsible for transmitting signals between the central nervous system and the ...

Lupus is a long-term autoimmune condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue. It can affect almost any part of the body, from joints and skin to internal organs like the ...

A cardiac ablation is a procedure performed by an interventional cardiologist to treat irregular heartbeats. Using long, flexible wires called catheters, the doctor threads the instruments through a ...

Primary bone cancer is rare, making up about 0.2 to 0.3 percent of all cancers, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The cause is not fully understood, though hereditary factors may ...

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral disease that affects the nervous system. The varicella-zoster virus causes it—the same virus responsible for chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk ...

Vasodilation is the widening of the blood vessels, a process that happens naturally in response to various conditions to ensure blood flow is directed to where it is needed. Vasodilation can be useful ...

Many disorders can affect the digestive system. Some are physiological, while others are physical conditions with a strong psychological component. Rumination syndrome is one of the latter. People ...

Ligaments are the specialized tissues that connect bones to other bones and ensure organs stay in place. Joints are the most place where ligaments attach, though they serve different purposes as well.

Freckles are small areas of skin with extra pigment. These tiny spots are usually tan or light brown and lie flat. They often develop during childhood, though people can continue to get them ...