A bladder diary is a fundamental tool doctors use to obtain objective information about a person’s urinary symptoms. It can help doctors evaluate problems such as nighttime or frequent urination, urgency, accidental leakage, and production of unusually large or small amounts of urine.
Walking pneumonia and bronchitis can cause similar symptoms, but walking pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria, and bronchitis typically arises from a virus. Symptoms alone can’t reliably tell the two conditions apart.
A family history of gynecologic cancer doesn’t necessarily mean a woman automatically needs genetic testing to determine her risk. However, women should discuss testing if close relatives have had gynecologic or breast cancers, or if several more-distant relatives have been affected.
People who feel hooked on digital devices often blame dopamine, a brain chemical linked with feelings of pleasure. But people’s brains need dopamine to function, so a “dopamine detox” is not possible. People should instead change habits and environments that draw them to their devices.
Less-recognized symptoms of “classic” pneumonia can include unusual exhaustion, shortness of breath out of proportion to what a person is doing, confusion or sudden mental changes, nausea or loss of appetite, mild fever or none at all, sweating, chills, rapid breathing, or fast heart rate.
Using a vibration plate has become a wellness fad, with proponents claiming it can improve bone and muscle strength, balance, circulation, weight loss, and more. But little research backs up those claims. Only balance appears to improve in certain people who use vibration plates.
Pelvic congestion syndrome, which is marked by dull, heavy, dragging pelvic pain, has long been an underrecognized cause of chronic pelvic pain. The condition is caused by loose or faulty valves in pelvic veins that enable blood to flow backward and pool, creating varicose veins.
Research has shown that most cases of ovarian cancer begin in the nearby fallopian tube. Major medical organizations recommend that women at average risk for ovarian cancer who are done having children and who are undergoing abdominal surgery for other reasons also have their fallopian tubes removed at the same time.
Men may expect sex to last a certain length of time based on what they’ve seen in media. Research indicates the average man climaxes five to six minutes after vaginal penetration. Premature ejaculation is loosely defined as ejaculating in under two minutes.
A post-cold cough may signal more than a temporary problem. See how reactive airways disease is evaluated and whether risk can be passed to children.