Health and Fitness

Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa) Overview Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) is an ear canal infection. Your ear canal is the pathway between your outer ear and your middle ear. Swimmer’s ear can be a bacterial infection or fungal infection. We call it “swimmer’s ear” because avid swimmers commonly experience it. But anyone can get it — especially during the warmer months when many people spend more time in the water. Left untreated, swimmer’s ear may muffle your hearing. In some cases, it can even cause temporary hearing loss. Most of the time, treatment solves any infection-related hearing issues. Healthcare providers treat swimmer’s ear with ear drops. Symptoms Swimmer’s ear symptoms can be mild or severe and may include: A feeling of fullness in your ear. Ear pain that may increase when gently tugging on your earlobe. Fever. Fluid draining from your ear. Itchiness inside of your ear. Muffled hearing. Redness and swelling in your outer ear. Swollen lymph nodes around your ear or upper nec...

 Hip Arthritis Overview Hip arthritis is pain and stiffness in your hip joint, related to the soft tissues in the joint. It usually affects the cartilage that cushions your joint, and sometimes the synovial membrane that lubricates it. Arthritis causes inflammation and swelling in these tissues, or it wears them down, or both. If they wear down, your joint won’t have enough padding or lubrication when it moves. Swelling may make the joint stiff. Are there different types of hip arthritis? Most of the time, arthritis of the hip is osteoarthritis, which is simple wear and tear on the joint. Less commonly, inflammatory types of arthritis may affect your hips — like rheumatoid arthritis. This is a different type of disease. Typically, inflammatory arthritis will affect many parts of your body at once, not just large joints like your hips. Besides joint pain, these conditions often cause other symptoms, too. Types of inflammatory arthritis that may affect your hip include: Rheumatoid ar...

Neck injuries Neck injuries, often causing pain and stiffness, can stem from various causes like muscle strain, whiplash, or injuries to the spine or nerves. Symptoms can include localized pain, stiffness, and pain radiating to the shoulders or arms, with treatment varying depending on the cause and severity.  Neck problems can cause a range of symptoms including: pain (which may go down your arm) stiffness pins and needles or numbness in your arm or hand In many cases, new or flare-up of long-standing neck problems should begin to settle within 6 weeks without the need to see a healthcare professional. you feel clumsiness in your hands, numbness, pins and needles or weakness that is worsening, in one or both arms you have problems with your balance or walking since your neck pain started if your neck pain is associated with a severe headache What causes neck problems? Neck problems are normally caused by an accident or normal age-related changes. They can also start for no obvious...

Osteosarcoma Overview Osteosarcoma is a kind of cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteosarcoma tends to happen most often in teenagers and young adults. But it also can happen in younger children and older adults. Osteosarcoma can start in any bone. It's most often found in the long bones of the legs, and sometimes the arms. Very rarely, it happens in soft tissue outside the bone. Advances in the treatment of osteosarcoma have improved the outlook for this cancer. After treatment for osteosarcoma, people sometimes face late effects from the strong treatments used to control the cancer. Healthcare professionals often suggest lifelong monitoring for side effects after treatment. Which bones does osteosarcoma affect? Osteosarcoma most often affects long bones, like the ones in your arms and legs. It usually develops near the ends of your bones around joints, especially near knees, hips or shoulders. The bones most often affected include the: Shin bone (tibia) Thigh bone...

Osteoarthritis Overview Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis symptoms can usually be managed, although the damage to joints can't be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving certain treatments might slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and joint function. Symptoms Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include: Pain . Affected joints might hurt during or after movement. Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon awakening or after being inactive. Tenderness . Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it. Loss of flexibility . You might not be...

Obstructive sleep apnea Overview Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. People with obstructive sleep apnea repeatedly stop and start breathing while they sleep. There are several types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax and block the airway. This happens off and on many times during sleep. A sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring. Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea are available. One treatment is a device that uses positive pressure to keep the airway open during sleep. Another option is a mouthpiece to thrust the lower jaw forward during sleep. In some people, surgery might be an option too. Symptoms Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include: Excessive daytime sleepiness. Loud snoring. Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. Waking during the night and gasping or choking. Awakening in the morning with a dry mouth or sore throat. Morning headaches. Trouble focusing during the day. Mo...

Obesity Overview Obesity is a complex disease involving having too much body fat. Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's a medical problem that increases the risk of many other diseases and health problems. These can include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea and certain cancers. There are many reasons why some people have trouble losing weight. Often, obesity results from inherited, physiological and environmental factors, combined with diet, physical activity and exercise choices. The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. A healthier diet, increased physical activity and behavior changes can help you lose weight. Prescription medicines and weight-loss procedures are other options for treating obesity. Symptoms Body mass index, known as BMI, is often used to diagnose obesity. To calculate BMI, multiply weight in pounds by 703, divide by height in...