Swollen feet are a common symptom with many potential causes. Sometimes it’s as simple as standing too long or eating a salty meal; in other cases, swelling may signal an underlying health condition ...

Gout is a chronic condition that occurs when elevated levels of uric acid cause arthritis pain in the joints. The attacks are very sudden and can be difficult to predict. Symptoms of flares include ...

Kidney stones develop when substances like calcium, oxalate, or uric acid accumulate in the urine and crystallize. While many stones are small enough to pass unnoticed, larger ones can cause painful ...

An enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, isn’t a disease in itself—it’s a sign of something else going on in the body. An enlarged heart is often discovered during routine scans and occurs when the ...

In 1968, Dr. Richard Hornberger wrote a novel under the pseudonym Richard Hooker, using his experiences in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the Korean War. Several years later, his novel served as ...

An electrocardiogram, called an EKG or ECG, measures the electrical activity of the heart and collects data about heart's health. Typically, a doctor or technician places electrodes connected to a ...

Lower back pain is extremely common, affecting millions of people every day. But what does it mean when the pain is felt only on one side? One-sided lower back pain could represent a minor issue that ...

Many disorders can affect the digestive system. Some are physiological, while others are physical conditions with a strong psychological component. Rumination syndrome is one of the latter. People ...

A heart is one of the most important organs in your body, so it's a good idea to understand what makes your ticker tick. This vital structure beats 100,000 times a day. About eight pints (five liters) ...

Ischemia happens when blood flow is reduced or stopped to a body part, leading to decreased oxygen supply to that part of the body. Types of ischemia get their names according to where they occur in ...

Metabolic diseases or disorders interrupt the normal processes of metabolism within the body, the many chemical reactions responsible for breaking down food and either using, storing, or disposing of ...

For most mothers-to-be, childbirth is the finish line after a nine-month journey. The big day ideally arrives between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. No matter how excited and ready pregnant mothers are ...