Healthcare

Headache is a loosely used word that it is not uncommon to hear parents say to children when bothered, “don’t give me headache”. In medical terms, headach
e is pain or discomfort that arises from anywhere above the eyes or ears, in the head or the upper part of the neck (towards the back). It is so common that almost everyone has had one form of headache or the other at some point in their lifetime.

The severity and duration of the headache, the presence or absence of associated symptoms, age at which the headache begins and other background medical problems are some of the things that determine the seriousness of headaches in general.

Types of Headache

There are so many types of headache that they cannot be exhausted in this write up. One way...

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Chest pain can be caused by discomfort from all the structures that are found in the chest. From deeper structures that cannot be seen on the outside such as the heart, lungs, big blood vessels to superficial parts such as the muscles, bones, and skin. The way the pain is perceived may overlap, making it more challenging at times to immediately locate the cause of the pain. This is why the cause of chest pain is interpreted with consideration of the location of pain, the character (what the pain feels like), presence of any additional symptoms/feeling, and the baseline health and health risk of the person. Chest pain is one of the symptoms that should never be taken lightly, because it can lead to death quickly if the heart or another major organ in the body is involved. Always have...

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Urinary Tract infection occurs when bacteria (germs) get into the pathway (tract) urine travels through before it gets out of the body. Urine is made in the kidneys (bean shaped organs located at the mid-back, just below the ribs) and travels through the ureters (straw-like structures) that terminate in the bladder (balloon-shaped storage) before it is finally excreted out of the body through the narrow urethra. Normally urine is sterile (germ-free). Bacteria can be introduced into the tract through the urethra (the place where we urinate from). The bacteria travel up into the bladder, and if not well-treated can ascend to the kidney and cause an...

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At some point in time you may have heard someone mention the term, HPV. It is a virus that causes warts. Warts can be found on different places of the body. When it occurs on the hands, it is called common warts. HPV can also cause genital warts, which is the focus of our discussion. Before we continue, we need to know some facts from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about HPV. According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. At least 50 percent of sexually active people will have HPV at one time or the other in their lives. Currently, approximately 20 million people in the U.S have HPV.

Ques: My partner told me her doctor informed her that she has HPV. She has no complaints. Can this be...

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