Endometriosis - Animation

A common gynecological problem in women occurs when cells that are supposed to form in the uterus of a woman, attach themselves to tissue in other places of the body, causing pain, irregular bleeding, and problems with getting pregnant, or infertility. Let's talk about endometriosis in a little more detail. Every month, a woman's ovaries produce hormones that tell the cells lining the uterus, or womb, to swell and thicken. The body removes these extra cells from the womb lining, or endometrium, when you get your period. But if these cells, called endometrial cells, implant and grow outside the uterus, endometriosis results. The growths are called endometrial tissue implants. Women with endometriosis typically have tissue implants on the ovaries, or bowel, rectum, bladder, or on the lining of the pelvic area. We don't know what causes endometriosis. One theory is that the endometrial cells that shed when you get your period travel backwards through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis, where they implant and grow. This is called retrograde menstruation. This backward menstrual flow occurs in many women, but many think the immune system may also be different in women with endometriosis. Symptoms of endometriosis include painful periods, pain in your lower belly before and during menstruation, cramps before and during menstruation, pain during sex, painful bowel movements, as well as pelvic or lower back pain. To treat endometriosis. . . The goal of treatment is to improve pelvic pain, reduce pelvic masses, or improve fertility. If you have mild symptoms and do not want to have children, you may choose to have regular exams every 6 to 12 months so your doctor can make sure the disease isn't getting worse. Treatment options also include pain medicines, hormone medicines to stop the disease from getting worse, or surgery to remove the area of endometriosis or even the entire uterus and ovaries if you have severe pain that does not get better with other treatments. Hormone therapy doesn't cure endometriosis, but it can relieve some or all of your symptoms. Unfortunately, removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and both ovaries may eliminate symptoms, but it also eliminates fertility. A combination of limited surgery and assisted reproduction techniques may improve fertility. So, if you have any questions about endometriosis, please see your doctor.

Kidney stones - Animation

If you ever have severe pain in your belly or one side of your back that comes and goes suddenly, you may be passing a kidney stone. Let's talk about the painful condition of kidney stones. A kidney stone is a mass of tiny crystals in your kidney or urinary tract. Stones are quite common, and tend to run in families. They can form in weeks or months when your urine contains too much of certain substances. There are several kinds of kidney stones. Calcium stones are by far the most common kind. They often form in men between the ages of 20 to 30. Calcium can combine with other substances found in your food, like oxalate, phosphate, or carbonate, to form stones. Cystine stones can form in people who have cystinuria, a condition passed down through families in which stones are made from an amino acid called cystine. Struvite stones are found mostly in women who have urinary tract infections. These stones can grow very large and can block the kidney, ureter, or bladder. Uric acid stones are more common in men than in women. They can occur in people who have a history of gout or are going through chemotherapy. So, how do you know if you have kidney stones?Well, you may not have symptoms until the stone move down the ureter tubes through which urine empties into your bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of your kidneys. The main symptom is severe sharp pain that starts suddenly, usually in your belly or one side of your back, and it may go away just as quickly. Other symptoms can include abnormal urine color, blood in your urine, fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting. So, what do you do about kidney stones?Well, your health care provider will perform a physical exam. You may need blood tests, kidney function tests, and tests that look for crystals in your urine. Several imaging tests, like a CT scan, can see stones or a blockage in your urinary tract. Treatment will depend on the type of stone you have, and how bad your symptoms are. Small kidney stones that are less than 5 mm in diameter will usually pass on their own. You should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day to produce a large enough amount of urine to help bring the stone out. Pain can be pretty bad when you pass a kidney stone, so your doctor may prescribe pain medicines to help as well as medications that will help the stone pass. Other medicines can decrease stone formation or help break down and remove the material that is causing you to make stones. You may need surgery if the stone is too large to pass, the stone is growing, or the stone is blocking your urine flow. Kidney stones are painful, but you can usually pass them without causing permanent harm. However, kidney stones often come back, so you and your doctor will need to work on finding the cause of your stone. Lastly, delaying treatment can lead to serious complications, so if you think that you have kidney stones see your doctor right away.

Fibromyalgia - Animation

Usually when you're in pain, you can quickly find the cause, like the muscle you strained while working out, or the cut you gave yourself while slicing carrots. Yet for people with fibromyalgia, the source of their pain is harder to pinpoint. Although they experience pain daily, it can take some time to find the cause, and to get the right treatment for it. Fibromyalgia is still somewhat of a mystery, because no one knows what causes it and it's often mistaken for conditions with similar symptoms, like Lyme disease or depression. Some people think fibromyalgia stems from physical or emotional trauma. Others believe it's caused by an abnormal response to pain. Whatever the cause, fibromyalgia leads to widespread areas of pain on both sides of the body, and both below and above the waist. The pain may feel like an ache, or a sharp stabbing feeling, and it doesn't go away. To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you need to have physical findings at at least 11 specific tender points, which can be in your arms, buttocks, chest, knees, lower back, neck, rib cage, shoulders, or thighs. Doctors may diagnose fibromyalgia without a tender point examination by using the widespread pain index (WPI), and the symptoms severity scale score (SS). If the symptoms have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months and there is no other disorder that would otherwise explain the pain. The pain may get worse when you exercise, go outside in cold weather, or are under a lot of stress. In addition to pain, you may have problems concentrating or fatigue, and waking up unrefreshed. And you may have any of a long list of other symptoms as well including in the GI tract, urinary system, nervous system, and skin. There's no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments to control your symptoms. Your doctor will probably start you on an exercise regimen and have you work with a physical therapist. Some have found real help from acupuncture, learning Tai Chi, or taking yoga classes. You may also need to take medicine to help you sleep and relieve your pain. Medicines that are commonly prescribed for fibromyalgia include antidepressants, antiseizure medications, pain relievers, and sleep aids. Meanwhile, talking to a therapist can help you better manage and live with your pain, and deal with any negative thoughts you may have about your condition. Despite improvements in the way doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia, it's still a chronic condition. But by working with your doctor, you can manage the symptoms and learn to live with them, so that you can control your fibromyalgia, rather than the other way around.

Herniated disk - Animation

You might have heard a friend say that they have "slipped a disk. " Or, you may have slipped a disk yourself during an overly strenuous workout, or by straining while lifting something heavy. A slipped disk can be painful, so painful, in fact, that you can barely move. But what exactly is a slipped disk? And what can you do about it if you have one?This is your spine. In between the bones, which are called vertebrae, are little cushioning disks. These disks not only allow you to bend and move but also prevent your bones from rubbing against each other. Sometimes an injury can push a disk out of place, producing a bulge. This bulge is called a herniated disk. Or, a disk may break open. When a disk moves, it puts pressure on nearby nerves, and that's when you start to feel pain. Most slipped disks are found in the lower back or lumbar region, although you can also have one in your neck, or cervical region. When you have a slipped disk, you'll hurt, but often just on one side of your body. If the disk is in your lower back, you may feel a sharp pain in one part of your leg, hip, or buttocks. Your leg may also feel weaker than usual. If the disk is in your neck, the pain and numbness can stretch all the way from your neck down to your shoulder and arm. You may notice that it hurts even more when you stand for a long period of time, or if you sneeze, cough, or laugh. So, how do you treat a slipped disk?First your doctor will want to make sure that you actually have a slipped disk. To find out, the doctor will check your muscle strength, feeling, and reflexes, and have you move in different ways, for example, by bending, standing, and walking. You may also have a scan to find the exact location of the slipped disk. While bed rest was once the standard therapy for low back pain, studies show that for most people it does not help and may even make the situation worse. Rapid return to healthy normal activity is usually best, being careful not to put too much stress on the back. While you're doing that, you can take medicines like ibuprofen or aspirin to relieve the pain. Muscle relaxants may also help. Acupuncture, massage, and yoga have also been shown to be affective in some studies. Physical therapy may be helpful after the first two or three weeks. It can help strengthen the muscles of your spine, and teach you how to move properly so you don't injure yourself again. If these measures don't help, your doctor may suggest getting steroid injections into the area where you slipped the disk, to reduce pain and relieve swelling. As a last resort when all other treatments have failed, you may have a surgery called a diskectomy to remove the damaged disk. You may be in pain now, but don't despair, with treatment it should ease. Realize that it may take a few months before you're back to your old self. Don't try to overdo it by bending or doing any heavy lifting. You'll just wind up back on your couch, hurting again.

Heel pain - Animation

Heel pain can be a common problem. Though the cause is rarely serious, the pain can be severe and sometimes disabling. Heel pain is often the result of overusing your foot. Causes may include, running, especially on hard surfaces like concrete, tightness in your calf, or from Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of that large tendon that connects your calf muscle to your heel), shoes with poor support, sudden inward or outward turning of your heel, or landing hard or awkwardly on your heel after a jump or fall. Problems related to heel pain include bursitis (inflammation of the bursa at the back of the heel), bone spurs in the heel, and plantar fasciitis (swelling of the thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot). Heel pain is something you can usually treat at home. If you can, try resting as much as possible for at least a week. Apply ice to the painful area twice a day or so, for 10 to 15 minutes. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. If you need to, you can buy a heel cup, felts pads, or shoe inserts to comfort your heel. You should call your doctor if your heel pain does not get better after two or three weeks of home treatment. But also call your doctor if your pain is getting worse, or your pain is sudden and severe, your feet are red or swollen, or you can't put weight on your foot. If you visit the doctor, you may have a foot x-ray. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your heel pain. You may need to see a physical therapist to learn exercises to stretch and strengthen your foot. To prevent future heel pain, we recommend you exercise. Maintaining flexible, strong muscles in your calves, ankles, and feet can help ward off some types of heel pain. And do yourself a favor, trade those sleek high heels in for a comfortable, properly fitting pair of shoes.

Sciatica - Animation

Sciatica. It's not a new trendy restaurant in New York or LA, or a new SciFi program on your favorite cable channel. Sciatica is something much less sexy. Sciatica might actually be the cause of that the sharp pain you occasionally feel in your backside, or traveling down your hip or leg. What is sciatica? What does this pain mean? Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the Sciatic nerve. This large nerve starts in your lower spine and runs down the back of each leg. It controls the muscles of the back of your knee and lower leg. It also provides sensation to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg, and the sole of your foot. Sciatica is usually caused by another problem, such as a slipped disk, spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal column, piriformis syndrome, the narrowing of muscle in your buttocks, a pelvic injury or fracture, and perhaps even tumors. Your pain may feel like a mild tingling, a dull ache, or a burning sensation. Sometimes the pain can be so bad you might not be able to move. The pain will usually occur on one side, perhaps as a sharp pain in one part of your hip or leg, or maybe you will notice the numbness. The pain may get worse after you stand or sit, at night, when you sneeze, cough, or laugh, or when you bend backwards or walk forward. For treatment, your doctor will perform a careful physical exam. Your doctor might find you have weakness when you bend your knee or move your foot, trouble bending your foot inward or downward, weak reflexes, or pain when you lift your leg straight up off the examination table while lying down. Your doctor may also do other tests to find what's causing your sciatica, including blood tests, x-rays, and other imaging tests. Treatment will focus on what causes your sciatica. Sometimes you may not need treatment because your pain will go away on its own. Your doctor will likely first recommend that you take steps to calm your symptoms and reduce inflammation, such as applying heat or ice to the painful area. You might try ice for the first 48 to 72 hours after you feel pain, then use heat afterwards. Your doctor might also tell you to take over-the-counter pain relievers. If conservative measures don't help your problem, your doctor may recommend you have injections to reduce inflammation around your sciatic nerve and other medicines to reduce the stabbing pain. Physical therapy may be a viable option, so talk to your healthcare provider about this option. Whatever you do, don't stay in bed all day. You need to reduce your normal activity for the first few days after you start having pain, but getting no activity will only make your pain worse. After a few days, try gradually returning to your normal routine. But, avoid heavy lifting or twisting your back for at least 6 weeks. Make sure you start exercising again though after 2 to 3 weeks. Remember, include exercises to strengthen your abdomen or belly and improve the flexibility of your spine.

Peptic ulcer - Animation

If you've got stomach pain and nausea, any number of gastrointestinal problems could be to blame. When these symptoms don't go away, one possibility is that you have a peptic ulcer. Let's talk about peptic ulcers. A peptic ulcer is a defect in the lining of your stomach or the first part of your small intestine, the duodenum. When the defect is in your stomach, it's called a gastric ulcer. A defect in your duodenum is called a duodenal ulcer. Your stomach is filled with strong acid, which breaks down and digests the foods you eat. If you've ever seen a strong acid at work, you know that it starts to burn away anything it touches. That's why your stomach and intestines are equipped with a special lining to protect them. But if that lining breaks down for any reason, acids can start eating their way through. When acids burn a hole all the way through the stomach or duodenum, it's called a perforation, and that's a medical emergency. You may joke that your boss is giving you an ulcer, and it's possible that stress does play some part in ulcers. More likely, your ulcer is caused by a stomach infection with a type of bacteria called H. pylori. Other common ulcer risks include smoking cigarettes, drinking a lot of alcohol, or regularly using NSAID pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen. If the ulcer is small, you may have no idea that you have it because there are no symptoms. Larger ulcers can cause abdominal pain, a feeling of fullness in the stomach, and nausea. If you have any of these ongoing symptoms, your doctor will look inside your GI tract to see what's going on. One way to do this is with an upper endoscopy, a thin tube with a camera on one end that takes pictures as it moves through your stomach and small intestine. A lower GI is a series of x-rays that are taken after you drink a radioactive substance called barium. Your doctor will also test you for the H. pylori bacteria that may be causing your ulcer. Treatment for peptic ulcers works in two ways. If you have an H. pylori infection, you'll have a medication regimen to kill the bacteria. You'll also get a medicine called a proton pump inhibitor, such as Prilosec or Prevacid, which reduces the amount of acid in your stomach. Try to avoid taking NSAID pain relievers for long periods of time, especially if you have a problem with H. pylori. Use Tylenol instead. If you do have to take NSAIDs, also take an acid-blocking drug to protect your sensitive stomach. Also avoid tobacco smile and excess alcohol. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully for treating a peptic ulcer. If you don't follow your treatment as directed, your ulcer could come back. Call your doctor right away if you have sharp stomach pain, you're sweating a lot or feeling confused, or your stomach feels hard to the touch. These could be signs of a serious ulcer complication that needs immediate medical help.

Erection problems - Animation

You're a man and unfortunately, you aren't able to get an erection at all, or, you lose your erection during intercourse before you are ready. What's a man to do? Let's talk about the causes of this condition, and the various ways to make erection problems a thing of the past. Erection problems are pretty common in adult men. Almost all men sometimes have trouble getting or keeping an erection. In many cases, the problem goes away with little or no treatment. In other cases, it can be an ongoing problem. If you have trouble getting or keeping an erection more than 25% of the time, it is a problem. An erection involves your brain, nerves, hormones, and blood vessels. So, anything that interferes with any of these normal functions can lead to problems getting or keeping an erection. Common causes of erection problems include diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or thyroid conditions, poor blood flow, depression, or nervous system disorders like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson disease. Medicines can also be a culprit, including those that treat high blood pressure, heart problems, sleeping pills, and antidepressants. Men who have prostate surgery may also have erection problems, but this is often only a short-term problem. For many men, lifestyle changes can help. Cut down on smoking, alcohol, and illegal drug use. Get plenty of rest and take time to relax. Exercise and eat a healthy diet to keep good blood circulation. Talk openly to your partner about sex and your relationship; if you can't do this, counseling can help. If the problem does not go away with lifestyle changes, or if it begins after an injury or prostate surgery, or if you have symptoms like low back pain, or abdominal pain, or a change in urination, you should call your doctor. If erection problems seem to be caused by a medication you are taking, talk to your doctor about that. You may need to lower the dose or change to another drug. But don't change or stop taking any medications without first talking to your doctor. Treatment may depend on the cause of your problem. Your doctor can prescribe many treatments, including medicines you take by mouth, injections into the penis, medicines inserted into the urethra, vacuum devices, surgery, and penis implants. Ask your doctor about the possible side effects and complications of each treatment. Sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) are popular medications called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. They work, and they work when you are sexually aroused. These drugs can have side effects, which can range from muscle pain and flushing to heart attack. Do not use these drugs with medications such as nitroglycerin. The combination can cause your blood pressure to drop. As you see, there are several ways to treat erectile problems. Talk with your doctor to see what may be the best one for you.

Venous insufficiency - Animation

If you have dull, aching, or cramping pain in your legs, and pain that gets worse when you stand, you may have a condition called venous insufficiency. In venous insufficiency, the veins in your legs have trouble sending blood back to your heart. Normally, valves in your legs keep your blood flowing back towards your heart so it doesn't collect in one place. But the valves in varicose veins are either damaged or missing. This causes your veins to remain filled with blood, especially when you're standing. A blockage in your vein from a blood clot, called a deep venous thrombosis, can also cause this problem. So, how do you know if you have venous insufficiency?Well, you'll probably feel a dull aching, heaviness, or cramping in your legs. Your legs will swell up when you're on them too long. Your legs may itch or tingle. Pain will get worse when you stand, and better when you raise your legs. Your legs and ankles may also be red. You may notice skin color changes around your ankles. You may see varicose veins on the surface of your legs. You may feel thickening and hardening of the skin on your legs and ankles. So, what can you do about venous insufficiency?Well, your doctor will tell you to use compression stockings to decrease the swelling in your legs. You'll probably have to avoid long periods of sitting or standing. Even moving your legs slightly will help the blood in your veins return to your heart. Walking helps in that same way. Your doctor may recommend surgery or other treatments for varicose veins if you've tried everything and you still have leg pain that feels heavy or tired, skin ulcers or sores caused by poor blood flow. If blood clots are causing you problems, your doctor may prescribe anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines, to treat existing blood clots and prevent others. Your doctor may suggest you try to keep your legs elevated above your heart when you lie down. You may improve your circulation through exercise. And finally, if you need to lose weight, weight loss can be a very helpful treatment of venous insufficiency and swelling.

Cluster headache - Animation

Do you sometimes feel really bad pain on one side of your head and face? Do your eyes tear up at the same time? If so, you may be experiencing a cluster headache. Cluster headaches are a fairly common form of repeated headaches. Men get them more often than women, usually in adolescence and middle age. And they tend to run in families. Although we don't know why they happen, they appear to be related to your body releasing chemicals when you encounter things like alcohol, high altitudes, bright light, and heat, among other triggers like certain foods. A cluster headache starts suddenly, and it can be severe. It commonly strikes two to three hours after you fall asleep. But you might get one while you're awake too. Either way, you'll tend to get a headache at the same time of day. The pain typically occurs on one side of your head. You may feel like your head is burning, and the pain will probably be sharp and steady, the worst of it often lasting as long as two hours. You may get headaches daily for months, which is why they're called cluster headaches. Then they may go away for months, only to come back. Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history. You may need an MRI to rule out other headache causes. Unfortunately, treatment won't cure your cluster headaches, but it should relieve your symptoms. Your doctor will ask you to avoid things that seem to trigger your headaches. You may need medicines such as triptans, several weeks of an anti-inflammatory steroid, oxygen therapy, or even injections of a drug that can stop a headache in five minutes. Call for an appointment with your doctor if cluster headaches do not respond to treatment, if they disturb sleep, if they happen whenever you are active, or are accompanied by other symptoms. Emergency symptoms include drowsiness, vision changes, changes in movement or sensation, seizures, changes in alertness, and nausea or vomiting. Cluster headaches aren't life-threatening, but they ARE chronic and often painful enough to interfere with your work and daily life. But if you don't smoke or drink alcohol, and stay away from other triggers, you can avoid a lot of your headaches.

Endometriosis - Animation

A common gynecological problem in women occurs when cells that are supposed to form in the uterus of a woman, attach themselves to tissue in other places of the body, causing pain, irregular bleeding, and problems with getting pregnant, or infertility. Let's talk about endometriosis in a little more detail. Every month, a woman's ovaries produce hormones that tell the cells lining the uterus, or womb, to swell and thicken. The body removes these extra cells from the womb lining, or endometrium, when you get your period. But if these cells, called endometrial cells, implant and grow outside the uterus, endometriosis results. The growths are called endometrial tissue implants. Women with endometriosis typically have tissue implants on the ovaries, or bowel, rectum, bladder, or on the lining of the pelvic area. We don't know what causes endometriosis. One theory is that the endometrial cells that shed when you get your period travel backwards through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis, where they implant and grow. This is called retrograde menstruation. This backward menstrual flow occurs in many women, but many think the immune system may also be different in women with endometriosis. Symptoms of endometriosis include painful periods, pain in your lower belly before and during menstruation, cramps before and during menstruation, pain during sex, painful bowel movements, as well as pelvic or lower back pain. To treat endometriosis. . . The goal of treatment is to improve pelvic pain, reduce pelvic masses, or improve fertility. If you have mild symptoms and do not want to have children, you may choose to have regular exams every 6 to 12 months so your doctor can make sure the disease isn't getting worse. Treatment options also include pain medicines, hormone medicines to stop the disease from getting worse, or surgery to remove the area of endometriosis or even the entire uterus and ovaries if you have severe pain that does not get better with other treatments. Hormone therapy doesn't cure endometriosis, but it can relieve some or all of your symptoms. Unfortunately, removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and both ovaries may eliminate symptoms, but it also eliminates fertility. A combination of limited surgery and assisted reproduction techniques may improve fertility. So, if you have any questions about endometriosis, please see your doctor.

Kidney stones - Animation

If you ever have severe pain in your belly or one side of your back that comes and goes suddenly, you may be passing a kidney stone. Let's talk about the painful condition of kidney stones. A kidney stone is a mass of tiny crystals in your kidney or urinary tract. Stones are quite common, and tend to run in families. They can form in weeks or months when your urine contains too much of certain substances. There are several kinds of kidney stones. Calcium stones are by far the most common kind. They often form in men between the ages of 20 to 30. Calcium can combine with other substances found in your food, like oxalate, phosphate, or carbonate, to form stones. Cystine stones can form in people who have cystinuria, a condition passed down through families in which stones are made from an amino acid called cystine. Struvite stones are found mostly in women who have urinary tract infections. These stones can grow very large and can block the kidney, ureter, or bladder. Uric acid stones are more common in men than in women. They can occur in people who have a history of gout or are going through chemotherapy. So, how do you know if you have kidney stones?Well, you may not have symptoms until the stone move down the ureter tubes through which urine empties into your bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of your kidneys. The main symptom is severe sharp pain that starts suddenly, usually in your belly or one side of your back, and it may go away just as quickly. Other symptoms can include abnormal urine color, blood in your urine, fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting. So, what do you do about kidney stones?Well, your health care provider will perform a physical exam. You may need blood tests, kidney function tests, and tests that look for crystals in your urine. Several imaging tests, like a CT scan, can see stones or a blockage in your urinary tract. Treatment will depend on the type of stone you have, and how bad your symptoms are. Small kidney stones that are less than 5 mm in diameter will usually pass on their own. You should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day to produce a large enough amount of urine to help bring the stone out. Pain can be pretty bad when you pass a kidney stone, so your doctor may prescribe pain medicines to help as well as medications that will help the stone pass. Other medicines can decrease stone formation or help break down and remove the material that is causing you to make stones. You may need surgery if the stone is too large to pass, the stone is growing, or the stone is blocking your urine flow. Kidney stones are painful, but you can usually pass them without causing permanent harm. However, kidney stones often come back, so you and your doctor will need to work on finding the cause of your stone. Lastly, delaying treatment can lead to serious complications, so if you think that you have kidney stones see your doctor right away.

Fibromyalgia - Animation

Usually when you're in pain, you can quickly find the cause, like the muscle you strained while working out, or the cut you gave yourself while slicing carrots. Yet for people with fibromyalgia, the source of their pain is harder to pinpoint. Although they experience pain daily, it can take some time to find the cause, and to get the right treatment for it. Fibromyalgia is still somewhat of a mystery, because no one knows what causes it and it's often mistaken for conditions with similar symptoms, like Lyme disease or depression. Some people think fibromyalgia stems from physical or emotional trauma. Others believe it's caused by an abnormal response to pain. Whatever the cause, fibromyalgia leads to widespread areas of pain on both sides of the body, and both below and above the waist. The pain may feel like an ache, or a sharp stabbing feeling, and it doesn't go away. To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you need to have physical findings at at least 11 specific tender points, which can be in your arms, buttocks, chest, knees, lower back, neck, rib cage, shoulders, or thighs. Doctors may diagnose fibromyalgia without a tender point examination by using the widespread pain index (WPI), and the symptoms severity scale score (SS). If the symptoms have been present at a similar level for at least 3 months and there is no other disorder that would otherwise explain the pain. The pain may get worse when you exercise, go outside in cold weather, or are under a lot of stress. In addition to pain, you may have problems concentrating or fatigue, and waking up unrefreshed. And you may have any of a long list of other symptoms as well including in the GI tract, urinary system, nervous system, and skin. There's no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments to control your symptoms. Your doctor will probably start you on an exercise regimen and have you work with a physical therapist. Some have found real help from acupuncture, learning Tai Chi, or taking yoga classes. You may also need to take medicine to help you sleep and relieve your pain. Medicines that are commonly prescribed for fibromyalgia include antidepressants, antiseizure medications, pain relievers, and sleep aids. Meanwhile, talking to a therapist can help you better manage and live with your pain, and deal with any negative thoughts you may have about your condition. Despite improvements in the way doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia, it's still a chronic condition. But by working with your doctor, you can manage the symptoms and learn to live with them, so that you can control your fibromyalgia, rather than the other way around.

Herniated disk - Animation

You might have heard a friend say that they have "slipped a disk. " Or, you may have slipped a disk yourself during an overly strenuous workout, or by straining while lifting something heavy. A slipped disk can be painful, so painful, in fact, that you can barely move. But what exactly is a slipped disk? And what can you do about it if you have one?This is your spine. In between the bones, which are called vertebrae, are little cushioning disks. These disks not only allow you to bend and move but also prevent your bones from rubbing against each other. Sometimes an injury can push a disk out of place, producing a bulge. This bulge is called a herniated disk. Or, a disk may break open. When a disk moves, it puts pressure on nearby nerves, and that's when you start to feel pain. Most slipped disks are found in the lower back or lumbar region, although you can also have one in your neck, or cervical region. When you have a slipped disk, you'll hurt, but often just on one side of your body. If the disk is in your lower back, you may feel a sharp pain in one part of your leg, hip, or buttocks. Your leg may also feel weaker than usual. If the disk is in your neck, the pain and numbness can stretch all the way from your neck down to your shoulder and arm. You may notice that it hurts even more when you stand for a long period of time, or if you sneeze, cough, or laugh. So, how do you treat a slipped disk?First your doctor will want to make sure that you actually have a slipped disk. To find out, the doctor will check your muscle strength, feeling, and reflexes, and have you move in different ways, for example, by bending, standing, and walking. You may also have a scan to find the exact location of the slipped disk. While bed rest was once the standard therapy for low back pain, studies show that for most people it does not help and may even make the situation worse. Rapid return to healthy normal activity is usually best, being careful not to put too much stress on the back. While you're doing that, you can take medicines like ibuprofen or aspirin to relieve the pain. Muscle relaxants may also help. Acupuncture, massage, and yoga have also been shown to be affective in some studies. Physical therapy may be helpful after the first two or three weeks. It can help strengthen the muscles of your spine, and teach you how to move properly so you don't injure yourself again. If these measures don't help, your doctor may suggest getting steroid injections into the area where you slipped the disk, to reduce pain and relieve swelling. As a last resort when all other treatments have failed, you may have a surgery called a diskectomy to remove the damaged disk. You may be in pain now, but don't despair, with treatment it should ease. Realize that it may take a few months before you're back to your old self. Don't try to overdo it by bending or doing any heavy lifting. You'll just wind up back on your couch, hurting again.

Heel pain - Animation

Heel pain can be a common problem. Though the cause is rarely serious, the pain can be severe and sometimes disabling. Heel pain is often the result of overusing your foot. Causes may include, running, especially on hard surfaces like concrete, tightness in your calf, or from Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of that large tendon that connects your calf muscle to your heel), shoes with poor support, sudden inward or outward turning of your heel, or landing hard or awkwardly on your heel after a jump or fall. Problems related to heel pain include bursitis (inflammation of the bursa at the back of the heel), bone spurs in the heel, and plantar fasciitis (swelling of the thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot). Heel pain is something you can usually treat at home. If you can, try resting as much as possible for at least a week. Apply ice to the painful area twice a day or so, for 10 to 15 minutes. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. If you need to, you can buy a heel cup, felts pads, or shoe inserts to comfort your heel. You should call your doctor if your heel pain does not get better after two or three weeks of home treatment. But also call your doctor if your pain is getting worse, or your pain is sudden and severe, your feet are red or swollen, or you can't put weight on your foot. If you visit the doctor, you may have a foot x-ray. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your heel pain. You may need to see a physical therapist to learn exercises to stretch and strengthen your foot. To prevent future heel pain, we recommend you exercise. Maintaining flexible, strong muscles in your calves, ankles, and feet can help ward off some types of heel pain. And do yourself a favor, trade those sleek high heels in for a comfortable, properly fitting pair of shoes.

Sciatica - Animation

Sciatica. It's not a new trendy restaurant in New York or LA, or a new SciFi program on your favorite cable channel. Sciatica is something much less sexy. Sciatica might actually be the cause of that the sharp pain you occasionally feel in your backside, or traveling down your hip or leg. What is sciatica? What does this pain mean? Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the Sciatic nerve. This large nerve starts in your lower spine and runs down the back of each leg. It controls the muscles of the back of your knee and lower leg. It also provides sensation to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg, and the sole of your foot. Sciatica is usually caused by another problem, such as a slipped disk, spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal column, piriformis syndrome, the narrowing of muscle in your buttocks, a pelvic injury or fracture, and perhaps even tumors. Your pain may feel like a mild tingling, a dull ache, or a burning sensation. Sometimes the pain can be so bad you might not be able to move. The pain will usually occur on one side, perhaps as a sharp pain in one part of your hip or leg, or maybe you will notice the numbness. The pain may get worse after you stand or sit, at night, when you sneeze, cough, or laugh, or when you bend backwards or walk forward. For treatment, your doctor will perform a careful physical exam. Your doctor might find you have weakness when you bend your knee or move your foot, trouble bending your foot inward or downward, weak reflexes, or pain when you lift your leg straight up off the examination table while lying down. Your doctor may also do other tests to find what's causing your sciatica, including blood tests, x-rays, and other imaging tests. Treatment will focus on what causes your sciatica. Sometimes you may not need treatment because your pain will go away on its own. Your doctor will likely first recommend that you take steps to calm your symptoms and reduce inflammation, such as applying heat or ice to the painful area. You might try ice for the first 48 to 72 hours after you feel pain, then use heat afterwards. Your doctor might also tell you to take over-the-counter pain relievers. If conservative measures don't help your problem, your doctor may recommend you have injections to reduce inflammation around your sciatic nerve and other medicines to reduce the stabbing pain. Physical therapy may be a viable option, so talk to your healthcare provider about this option. Whatever you do, don't stay in bed all day. You need to reduce your normal activity for the first few days after you start having pain, but getting no activity will only make your pain worse. After a few days, try gradually returning to your normal routine. But, avoid heavy lifting or twisting your back for at least 6 weeks. Make sure you start exercising again though after 2 to 3 weeks. Remember, include exercises to strengthen your abdomen or belly and improve the flexibility of your spine.

Peptic ulcer - Animation

If you've got stomach pain and nausea, any number of gastrointestinal problems could be to blame. When these symptoms don't go away, one possibility is that you have a peptic ulcer. Let's talk about peptic ulcers. A peptic ulcer is a defect in the lining of your stomach or the first part of your small intestine, the duodenum. When the defect is in your stomach, it's called a gastric ulcer. A defect in your duodenum is called a duodenal ulcer. Your stomach is filled with strong acid, which breaks down and digests the foods you eat. If you've ever seen a strong acid at work, you know that it starts to burn away anything it touches. That's why your stomach and intestines are equipped with a special lining to protect them. But if that lining breaks down for any reason, acids can start eating their way through. When acids burn a hole all the way through the stomach or duodenum, it's called a perforation, and that's a medical emergency. You may joke that your boss is giving you an ulcer, and it's possible that stress does play some part in ulcers. More likely, your ulcer is caused by a stomach infection with a type of bacteria called H. pylori. Other common ulcer risks include smoking cigarettes, drinking a lot of alcohol, or regularly using NSAID pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen. If the ulcer is small, you may have no idea that you have it because there are no symptoms. Larger ulcers can cause abdominal pain, a feeling of fullness in the stomach, and nausea. If you have any of these ongoing symptoms, your doctor will look inside your GI tract to see what's going on. One way to do this is with an upper endoscopy, a thin tube with a camera on one end that takes pictures as it moves through your stomach and small intestine. A lower GI is a series of x-rays that are taken after you drink a radioactive substance called barium. Your doctor will also test you for the H. pylori bacteria that may be causing your ulcer. Treatment for peptic ulcers works in two ways. If you have an H. pylori infection, you'll have a medication regimen to kill the bacteria. You'll also get a medicine called a proton pump inhibitor, such as Prilosec or Prevacid, which reduces the amount of acid in your stomach. Try to avoid taking NSAID pain relievers for long periods of time, especially if you have a problem with H. pylori. Use Tylenol instead. If you do have to take NSAIDs, also take an acid-blocking drug to protect your sensitive stomach. Also avoid tobacco smile and excess alcohol. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully for treating a peptic ulcer. If you don't follow your treatment as directed, your ulcer could come back. Call your doctor right away if you have sharp stomach pain, you're sweating a lot or feeling confused, or your stomach feels hard to the touch. These could be signs of a serious ulcer complication that needs immediate medical help.

Erection problems - Animation

You're a man and unfortunately, you aren't able to get an erection at all, or, you lose your erection during intercourse before you are ready. What's a man to do? Let's talk about the causes of this condition, and the various ways to make erection problems a thing of the past. Erection problems are pretty common in adult men. Almost all men sometimes have trouble getting or keeping an erection. In many cases, the problem goes away with little or no treatment. In other cases, it can be an ongoing problem. If you have trouble getting or keeping an erection more than 25% of the time, it is a problem. An erection involves your brain, nerves, hormones, and blood vessels. So, anything that interferes with any of these normal functions can lead to problems getting or keeping an erection. Common causes of erection problems include diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or thyroid conditions, poor blood flow, depression, or nervous system disorders like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson disease. Medicines can also be a culprit, including those that treat high blood pressure, heart problems, sleeping pills, and antidepressants. Men who have prostate surgery may also have erection problems, but this is often only a short-term problem. For many men, lifestyle changes can help. Cut down on smoking, alcohol, and illegal drug use. Get plenty of rest and take time to relax. Exercise and eat a healthy diet to keep good blood circulation. Talk openly to your partner about sex and your relationship; if you can't do this, counseling can help. If the problem does not go away with lifestyle changes, or if it begins after an injury or prostate surgery, or if you have symptoms like low back pain, or abdominal pain, or a change in urination, you should call your doctor. If erection problems seem to be caused by a medication you are taking, talk to your doctor about that. You may need to lower the dose or change to another drug. But don't change or stop taking any medications without first talking to your doctor. Treatment may depend on the cause of your problem. Your doctor can prescribe many treatments, including medicines you take by mouth, injections into the penis, medicines inserted into the urethra, vacuum devices, surgery, and penis implants. Ask your doctor about the possible side effects and complications of each treatment. Sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) are popular medications called phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. They work, and they work when you are sexually aroused. These drugs can have side effects, which can range from muscle pain and flushing to heart attack. Do not use these drugs with medications such as nitroglycerin. The combination can cause your blood pressure to drop. As you see, there are several ways to treat erectile problems. Talk with your doctor to see what may be the best one for you.

Venous insufficiency - Animation

If you have dull, aching, or cramping pain in your legs, and pain that gets worse when you stand, you may have a condition called venous insufficiency. In venous insufficiency, the veins in your legs have trouble sending blood back to your heart. Normally, valves in your legs keep your blood flowing back towards your heart so it doesn't collect in one place. But the valves in varicose veins are either damaged or missing. This causes your veins to remain filled with blood, especially when you're standing. A blockage in your vein from a blood clot, called a deep venous thrombosis, can also cause this problem. So, how do you know if you have venous insufficiency?Well, you'll probably feel a dull aching, heaviness, or cramping in your legs. Your legs will swell up when you're on them too long. Your legs may itch or tingle. Pain will get worse when you stand, and better when you raise your legs. Your legs and ankles may also be red. You may notice skin color changes around your ankles. You may see varicose veins on the surface of your legs. You may feel thickening and hardening of the skin on your legs and ankles. So, what can you do about venous insufficiency?Well, your doctor will tell you to use compression stockings to decrease the swelling in your legs. You'll probably have to avoid long periods of sitting or standing. Even moving your legs slightly will help the blood in your veins return to your heart. Walking helps in that same way. Your doctor may recommend surgery or other treatments for varicose veins if you've tried everything and you still have leg pain that feels heavy or tired, skin ulcers or sores caused by poor blood flow. If blood clots are causing you problems, your doctor may prescribe anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines, to treat existing blood clots and prevent others. Your doctor may suggest you try to keep your legs elevated above your heart when you lie down. You may improve your circulation through exercise. And finally, if you need to lose weight, weight loss can be a very helpful treatment of venous insufficiency and swelling.

Cluster headache - Animation

Do you sometimes feel really bad pain on one side of your head and face? Do your eyes tear up at the same time? If so, you may be experiencing a cluster headache. Cluster headaches are a fairly common form of repeated headaches. Men get them more often than women, usually in adolescence and middle age. And they tend to run in families. Although we don't know why they happen, they appear to be related to your body releasing chemicals when you encounter things like alcohol, high altitudes, bright light, and heat, among other triggers like certain foods. A cluster headache starts suddenly, and it can be severe. It commonly strikes two to three hours after you fall asleep. But you might get one while you're awake too. Either way, you'll tend to get a headache at the same time of day. The pain typically occurs on one side of your head. You may feel like your head is burning, and the pain will probably be sharp and steady, the worst of it often lasting as long as two hours. You may get headaches daily for months, which is why they're called cluster headaches. Then they may go away for months, only to come back. Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history. You may need an MRI to rule out other headache causes. Unfortunately, treatment won't cure your cluster headaches, but it should relieve your symptoms. Your doctor will ask you to avoid things that seem to trigger your headaches. You may need medicines such as triptans, several weeks of an anti-inflammatory steroid, oxygen therapy, or even injections of a drug that can stop a headache in five minutes. Call for an appointment with your doctor if cluster headaches do not respond to treatment, if they disturb sleep, if they happen whenever you are active, or are accompanied by other symptoms. Emergency symptoms include drowsiness, vision changes, changes in movement or sensation, seizures, changes in alertness, and nausea or vomiting. Cluster headaches aren't life-threatening, but they ARE chronic and often painful enough to interfere with your work and daily life. But if you don't smoke or drink alcohol, and stay away from other triggers, you can avoid a lot of your headaches.