Diseases & Conditions Archive

Too much or too little potassium can harm the heart. Diet, medications, and kidney function can affect the body's potassium level. Dietary potassium helps keep blood pressure in a normal range, but most Americans don't consume enough of this mineral. However, people taking medications that raise potassium levels—which includes certain drugs to treat high blood pressure and heart failure—should avoid salt substitutes made with potassium chloride.

Medically unexplained symptoms, which are not easily deciphered account for many visits to primary care doctors and specialists. Individuals seeking answers should work with closely with their primary care doctors.  Strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help people manage stressors that affect physical health.

A cold-stimulus headaches, or "brain freeze," happens after a person eats or drinks something very cold. It causes a sharp pain that centers on the forehead and usually lasts several seconds. Taking smaller bites and chewing slowly can ward off this reaction.

Men do not have to worry about getting bladder infections from their female partners. Women can get urinary tract infections after sex, but this is a result of irritation at the opening of the urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter.

It's hard to accurately predict when new viral outbreaks will appear or old viruses will reappear and how to figure this out quickly enough to respond quickly. Wastewater testing, a tool that can help predict upticks in COVID cases, has also captured evidence of infectious diseases like polio, allowing preventive measures to be taken.

A 2022 study found that women are more likely than men to have "generalized" stroke symptoms such as weakness and confusion, in addition to classic signs such as speech or movement problems.

Most people with obstructive sleep apnea don't know they have it. An at-home or in-lab sleep study can reveal the condition, which hinders breathing while asleep. A doctor can determine which type of test is best for each patient.

Teeth-grinding during sleep is common. People with the habit may wake up with sore teeth, headache, or earache. Over time, it can lead to broken teeth or jaw pain and clicking. A dentist can create a fitted mouth guard or prescribe muscle relaxants.

Recent guidelines suggest a blood pressure reading of less than 120/80 mm Hg as normal. But the ideal number for individuals depends on their individual goals and whether they also have a chronic condition, such as heart disease or kidney disease.

A randomized trial published May 14, 2022, in The Lancet found that people with heart disease who ate a Mediterranean diet for seven years had a 26% lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke, compared with people who ate a low-fat diet.