Medical Advice & Resources

Acne is a skin condition caused by a blocked pore, leading to skin blemishes such as blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules, cysts, and nodules. There can sometimes be associated inflammation, which results in redness and irritation. Clinicians evaluate cases of acne based on two factors: lesion type and severity. Acne lesions most often occur in areas where there are more sebaceous (oil) glands, including the face, neck, chest, and back.

Anxiety is a mental health condition involving anxiousness, fear, and worry, often accompanied by physical signs such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate. Anxiety can take many forms and can often overall be characterized by a feeling of unease in the body or in the mind.

Asthma is a chronic disease that causes airways to become inflamed, making it hard to breathe.

Back pain is the most common reason people go to see their doctor. The universality of this ailment speaks to the variety of causes of low back pain. Although “back pain” is frequently used to refer to a single entity, it’s important to realize that the term describes a symptom rather than a particular disease.

The pill—like all other forms of hormonal contraception—works by inducing a steady-state hormone level. This consistent level of hormones suppresses ovulation, which normally occurs after an undulating pattern of fluctuating hormones. Ovulatory suppression thereby prevents pregnancy.

Bronchitis is a general description referring to inflammation of the airways of the lungs. The term is commonly used to describe both viral and bacterial lung infections, but viral bronchitis is notably different than bacterial bronchitis, and the two require distinct treatments. The same is true for acute (short-term) bronchitis and chronic (long-term, recurrent) bronchitis–they are different entities, requiring different treatment approaches.

Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is inflammation of the small intestine caused by exposure to gliadin—a component of gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and (to a lesser extent) oats. (Oats do not contain gluten by nature, but they can become contaminated in facilities that process the other grains.)

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids.

COVID is an infectious disease, caused by a strain of coronavirus that was first seen in 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared COVID a pandemic in March 2020. As of January 2023, the disease was responsible for over 6 million deaths worldwide.

Depression is a mental health disorder that manifests as extended periods of low mood and other symptoms that interfere with daily activities.

Diabetes is a disorder of the endocrine system that is primarily divided into type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. In all forms of diabetes, the body loses its ability to properly process blood glucose.

Ear infections are caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. They can be divided into two categories: middle ear infection otitis media and external ear infection otitis externa). Middle ear infections involve the space behind the tympanic membrane (eardrum), while external ear infections involve the ear canal leading to the tympanic membrane.

Eczema is a chronic condition that causes inflamed, irritated, itchy skin. The term eczema is often used interchangeably with the medical term “atopic dermatitis.” Atopic refers to a genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases. Dermatitis means inflamed skin. Eczema usually begins in childhood, but frequently affects adults.

Fatigue has multiple forms. Physical fatigue can involve difficulty initiating or maintaining an activity, while mental fatigue includes reduced concentration, memory, or emotional stability.

Influenza (flu) generally refers to the illness that results from infection with one of the influenza viruses. There are two primary types of human influenza viruses (A and B).

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or “GERD” for short, is the name given to symptoms that occur due to reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. GERD can be further classified based on its effect on the tissue, erosive or nonerosive.

Acute gastroenteritis is a rapid-onset diarrheal disease that can include symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Viruses, such as norovirus and adenovirus, cause the vast majority of cases. But bacteria and parasites may also contribute to this type of illness. Symptoms usually last less than two weeks.

The causes of hair loss can be broken into roughly six categories: effluviums (hair loss due to emotional of physiological stress), alopecia areata (an autoimmune process), scarring alopecias (an inflammatory condition of the scalp), infectious causes, physical causes (e.g. too much tension placed on hair), and genetic causes (male and female pattern hair loss).

A headache is a pain or discomfort in any part of the head that sometimes involves pain to the face. “Primary” headaches typically involve an abnormality of pain structures within the head. “Secondary” headaches are caused by another medical condition or represent a symptom of some other disease.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2. Being underweight is a BMI of under 18.5 kg/m2

Cholesterol is a commonly occurring molecule that’s a critical building block for cell membranes and hormone production. Disease-causing elevations in cholesterol are a result of genetic and lifestyle factors.

Hypertension is the medical term for abnormally high arterial blood pressure.

Thyroid deficiency is the underproduction of thyroid hormone, typically caused by autoimmunity against the thyroid gland.

Insomnia is present when someone has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep—or is waking too early, which results in impaired daytime functioning. This is despite adequate opportunity for sleep.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a recurrent pattern of abdominal pain that’s often associated with abnormal frequency or form of bowel movements. Some people have hard or infrequent stools; some have loose or frequent ones; and some have both. IBS is not a single disease, nor does it have a single cause. Rather, it involves a constellation of influences that contribute to a pattern of digestive imbalance.

Lyme disease is a bacterial spirochetal infection, caused by the Borellia species, most often Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria is transmitted to humans by a bite from an infected black legged tick (also called “deer tick”). It can cause acute symptoms, including a rash, flu-like symptoms, and tiredness. It can also develop into a more chronic disease affecting the nervous system, heart, and joints.

Measles is a virus that is highly contagious and replicates in the nose, mouth, or throat of infected people. It is transmitted by way of respiratory droplets from sneezing, saliva, or other means of travel (including deposit onto surfaces).

A migraine headache is a unique type of headache that causes moderate-to-severe pain, usually accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and light or sound sensitivity. Migraine is thought to be a complex neurological condition.

Post-COVID is a multi-system disease in which patients experience persistent, fluctuating symptoms more than 3 weeks from their initial COVID infection. These lingering symptoms can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.

“Seasonal allergies” is a term that refers to symptoms experienced after exposure to plant pollens and molds. Symptoms most commonly include sneezing, runny nose, and nasal itchiness (allergic rhinitis), as well as itchy or watery eyes (allergic conjunctivitis).

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are transmitted through sexual contact. This can be through vaginal, oral, or anal contact.

Sinusitis refers to inflammation of the nasal cavity mucous membranes. Mucous membranes help clean and remove unwanted particles, such as pollen and dust, from our nasal passages. The moist environment of our mucous membranes is a preferred site for infectious viruses to replicate and result in sinus inflammation.

A sore throat is due to the inflammation of the pharynx and surrounding area. It is most commonly caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

A sprain is an injury to the tissue that connects two bones together, while a strain is an injury to a muscle or the tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.

Food poisoning occurs when you eat something that’s been contaminated by a harmful bacteria, virus, or toxin. Summer food poisoning is a term used to describe those cases where the contamination is connected to certain warm-weather behaviors (leaving food out in the sun, for example).

A sunburn is the damage to the skin that’s caused by overexposure to the sun and/or ultraviolet (UV) light. Sunburns are inflammatory reactions that make the skin turn red, painful, and feel warm when you touch them.

The temporomandibular joint is the joint of the jaw, the hinge that connects the jaw to the skull. The name comes from “temporo-,” referring to the temporal bones on the sides of the skull, and “-mandibular” which is the medical term for the lower half of the jaw. The temporomandibular joint is supported and stabilized by several muscle groups. It is the joint that allows you to open and close your mouth, eat, talk, and make facial expressions.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) starts when bacteria travel into the urethra and ascend up to the bladder. If not treated with antibiotics, the bacteria can travel farther along the tract, through the ureters and all the way into the kidneys.

Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina. It can be internal or external, and can cause a variety of symptoms such as redness, pain, swelling, irritation, urinary discomfort, discharge, and itching. There are both infectious and non-infectious causes.

Viral upper respiratory infections are acute, contagious infections that affect the nose, sinuses, and throat. They are caused by viruses or (less frequently) bacteria that can also affect the bronchi (upper airways) and lungs.