Diagnosing Jaw Pain
One of the reasons "pain" is so often misdiagnosed is that "pain" isn't a very helpful description of what's going on. Different kinds of pain have different causes. You can...
What Can You Do to Relieve Pain after Disc Fusion?
Pain after surgery to fuse discs anywhere in the spine is almost universal. Your muscles take a major hit, and you have to adjust to a new range of motion and...
Similar Symptoms in Vasovagal Response, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Migraine, Mitral Valve Prolapse, and Other Conditions
Some people have diseases that baffle their doctors. Consider the following collection of complaints. Someone who suffers from a vasovagal response disorder might have an exaggerated response to having blood...
Possible Causes of Swollen Temples
Swelling of the temple, and swelling of the face in general, is relatively common in children and relatively rare in adults. It is the kind of condition that can develop...
Smelling Smoke When There Isn't Any Around
General overview The medical term given for smelling any odour which isn't present - whether it be smoke, dirt, cabbages, etc. - is phantosmia or olfactory hallucinations. The odours which are experienced vary from person to...
Soft Drinks and Stomach Upset
Some people can drink carbonated beverages and feel fine. Some people can drink carbonated beverages and feel awful. It doesn't really make any difference whether the soft drink has sugar...
Chronic Back Pain at L5/S1 Isn't "Normal"
Fully 80 percent of the population in most developed countries have at least one round of debilitating lower back pain at least once in their lives. For 10 to 15...
What to Do About Popcorn and Other Husks Stuck in the Throat
Every year about 500 children worldwide wind up in the hospital because they got a husk of popcorn stuck in their throats. Popcorn actually isn't the most common problem food; more...
Brain Freeze, Back Freeze, and What to Do About Them
People who live in warm climates frequently experience something that has come to be known as a "brain freeze." You're probably familiar with it. You eat a big spoonful of...
"Water Works" Is a Reaction of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Natasha is a doctor. She's not someone who is overly sentimental. As a forensic pathologist, she has seen thousands of decaying corpses of people who were brutally murdered. She has...