Diseases & Conditions Archive

Hiccups are sometimes triggered by emotional stress such as surprise, fright, or nervousness. People can try to stop hiccups by holding their breath for five to 10 seconds, breathing into a paper bag, or sipping ice water. Occasionally, hiccups signal other conditions.

Most people have eye twitches at some point in their lives. These are usually a sign of minor physical or mental stress. Spasms can be calmed with a warm compress, sleep, or exercise. People should see a doctor if one or both eyes close involuntarily with spasms.

While not as routine as cataract surgery, corneal transplants are becoming more common. A number of things can go wrong with the cornea, especially as people get older, and a partial-thickness or full-thickness transplant can restore vision.

Women are more likely to get acne after age 20 than men. Unfortunately, treatment options that worked in the teenage years may not work as well in adult females. The emotional toll of acne may include a higher risk of developing depression, and having severe acne can negatively affect quality of life.

Thunderstorm asthma is an attack that starts or worsens after a thunderstorm. It can occur in anyone with asthma, but it most often affects people with seasonal allergies. There are several risk factors that make experiencing this phenomenon more likely, so it's important to know what these are.

Migraines can last hours or days and span several distinct phases. A post-headache phase leaves as many as four out of five migraine sufferers feeling like they have a hangover. Experts recommend different approaches to help ward off lingering symptoms depending on their intensity.

The ability to function relies on maintaining a core body temperature. In a hot environment, body temperature starts to rise and the body releases heat by sweating or by carrying blood away from the body's core to the skin surface, where heat leaves the body. But those functions wane in older age. As a result, heat can build up, putting organs at risk for severe damage. To avoid such problems, it helps to stay hydrated; avoid going outside during the peak temperatures of the day; stay inside in an air-conditioned environment; and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing in warm weather.

Among people with chronic heartburn, sleeping on the left side appears to help backed-up stomach acid leave the esophagus faster than sleeping on the right side or back, according to a study in the February 2022 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

When doctors say that it's okay to take proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) "on demand" for chronic heartburn, the advice doesn't apply to everyone. PPIs inhibit the production of stomach acid, which can back up into the esophagus and can cause pain (heartburn) and damage the lining of the esophagus. People with damage to the esophagus often stay on PPIs long-term to prevent further problems. People without damage to the esophagus can take a short course of PPIs as needed.

In January 2022, the CDC published updated recommendations for vaccinating adults against pneumococcal disease and approved two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs).