High cholesterol is an issue that plagues millions of Americans. While it sounds benign, high cholesterol can be life threatening due to the effect it has on the heart and blood vessels. High cholesterol can only be diagnosed through a blood test. Your physician might perform this test as a part of your annual physical,…
Hypertension, or, high blood pressure, is a silent killer that’s quite common in the U.S. This disease requires a physician’s diagnoses, and can be lifelong or temporary. One of the key components of high blood pressure is that it often does not have any symptoms, until it reaches later stages. Hypertension most commonly affects people…
Diabetes mellitus is a blanket term for a group of diseases that result in high sugar (glucose) levels in the bloodstream and urine. This increase in sugar levels is caused because the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin (a hormone) is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, thus causing the increase in…
Asthma is a common disease among children that causes coughing, wheezing and labored breathing. Asthma attacks can be quite frightening for a child – especially young children who have not yet learned how to cope with these episodes. Unfortunately, the disease often goes undiagnosed for many years, instead being mistaken for other chronic diseases such…
Depression and anxiety are serious conditions that can interfere with quality of life, relationships, employment, and overall health. Although it is normal to feel stressed out, worried or ‘down’ from time to time, chronic anxiety and depression can become a serious problem that eventually results in physical complications. Did you know… that anxiety disorders affect…
The arrival of a new baby can be exciting, but for families who suddenly find themselves having to deal with birth defects or rare diseases, the joy can quickly turn to pain, fear, and confusion. Questions about how to manage the disease, care for the baby, and live life likely run through the heads of…
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infectious diseases communicated via sexual contact. Even skin-to-skin contact is enough to spread some infections, such as genital herpes or warts. Some STDs are bacterial while others are viral. Bacterial infections are generally recognized as curable using antibiotics and medical oversight. Viral infections, on the other hand, are non-curable and…