When seeking medical second opinions, be sure that you access leading-edge research. Medical research may begin in a lab, but its effects are felt in hospital rooms, in homes, in workplaces—and in the body itself. Those effects are measured in years and in quality of life:...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes hardening in the brain and the spinal cord, which damages nerve cells. This nerve cell damage will eventually compromise a person’s ability to move their muscles voluntarily, affecting their ability to walk, speak,...
Major depressive disorder often goes by a simpler name: “depression.” Depression is more than a bad mood or feeling blue. It’s a persistent feeling of sadness that interferes with daily life and productivity. People with depression often lose interest in things that once brought them...
Ovarian cancer occurs when cancer cells form within the ovaries, which are almond-sized glands on either side of the uterus. When these cancerous cells multiply, they form a tumor. During advanced stages of the disease, these cells may spread to other areas of the body...
Lung cancer occurs when cells within the lung mutate, transition into tumors, and experience rapid growth. These tumors can destroy healthy tissue within the lung, and they may also spread to other parts of the body. Historically, the main cause of lung tumors has been...
Scientists are advancing research to create new therapies to treat this wide-ranging condition. For those diagnosed with this condition, their experiences will vary widely depending upon the type, stage, and size of their tumor. Following are details regarding different types of brain tumors and advancements in...
Multiple sclerosis (MS), is a disease of the central nervous system. It occurs due to damage to a tissue called myelin, which protects nerve fibers. When myelin gets damaged, it can affect the functioning of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The World Health...
As an increasing number of people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, research into new treatments has accelerated. Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition, is the fastest-growing brain disorder in the world. About 8.5 million people around the world have Parkinson’s, according to the World Health Organization. The...
Prostate cancer is a tumor that occurs in the prostate, the walnut-sized gland in men that’s located just below the bladder. It’s the most common cancer diagnosis in men followed by lung, colorectal and bladder cancers, and the World Health Organization estimates that about 1.5...
The experience of a dangerous or shocking event can trigger a mental health disorder called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When someone has PTSD, they can re-experience a traumatic event through nightmares, memories, or flashbacks, which can significantly decrease their mental and physical health. A person...
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. As an autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis causes the immune system to attack healthy cells throughout the body. This, in turn, leads to inflammation which then causes joint pain. Sometimes, however, it can damage organs, too, including the...
Pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed and irritated. Lifestyle factors that increase the risk of pancreatitis include heavy alcohol use, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and a diet high in processed or fatty foods. Rates of pancreatitis have increased over the past 50 years in most...
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that can cause thyroid levels to dip to unhealthy levels. A healthy immune system targets disease to keep the body healthy, but with this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the thyroid gland. This affects the...
Congenital birth defects, also called congenital disorders, are abnormalities present in babies at the time of birth. They affect approximately six percent of births, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and the defects range from mild to life-threatening. While some congenital birth defects can...
Here’s what you need to know about advanced kidney disease, which affects millions of people each year. Renal failure is the fifth and most severe stage of chronic kidney disease. It occurs when the kidneys can only function at 10-15% of their normal rate, which is...
While the incidence rates of diabetes are climbing, new therapies and technologies help patients better manage the condition. The statistics surrounding diabetes can be overwhelming. About 10.5% of the adult population around the world has diabetes—that’s about 537 million people—and almost half of them are unaware...
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), skin cancer accounts for one in every three cancer diagnoses. In 2020, there were more than 1.5 million new skin cancer diagnoses around the world. Skin cancer is becoming increasingly...
More than 38 million people around the world live with HIV or AIDS, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). About 1.5 million were diagnosed in 2021, their last year of full data at this time. Healthcare professionals have a much greater understanding of HIV than...
Almost everyone has a story to tell of how their lives have been affected by cancer. Whether through their own illness, that of a loved one, or someone they know, cancer, in its various forms, is pervasive. Each year 12.7 million people worldwide are diagnosed...
Ben Smith, a 25-year-old resident of New South Wales, Australia, was concerned about a hard lump on his left testicle in December of 2017, when his general practitioner told him that the swelling and pain was probably just hormonal and that the lump did not...
Louise Gleadell, a 38-year-old mother of three from Leicester, United Kingdom, was pregnant with her son Jude in late 2015 when she first presented with serious health concerns that were repeatedly dismissed by her doctors. She had a “strange dizziness” and an aching pelvis, which...
In November 2016, Jacqueline Dibb and her husband Rob were told by consultants at Hull Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom that Jacqueline had frontotemporal dementia, a neurodegenerative disease classified as the “worst” type of dementia that “makes you violent” and “lose recognition of the...
Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder that affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated three to six percent of the world population. The disorder causes widespread pain and tenderness to touch that can occur body-wide or migrate over the body....