BIPOLAR DISORDER
Published July 28, 2024 | 
WHAT IS IT?
We all have highs and lows-we feel lively and happy one day, a bit blue the next. But for some people, mood swings can get out of control. The result is bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression): sudden swings in mood from wild elation to the deepest gloom.
These mood shifts can happen fast, though sometimes an “up” or “down” can last for weeks. A person with bipolar disorder may also enjoy long stretches of normal moods between the highs and lows. Continue reading
ANXIETY DISORDERS
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
People with anxiety disorders often feel severe panic or constant long-term tension. For them, normal worries can progress into extreme fears that can lead to problems with other people, their jobs, even the routine tasks of daily life.
Anxiety disorders affect about 19 million Americans. The most common are:
Generalized anxiety disorder: severe long-term tension for no clear reason. Continue reading
ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
As many as 8 million people-90 percent of them women-in the United States have an eating disorder: an illness marked by an obsession with food and body image. The three main eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (self-starving), bulimia nervosa (bingeing and vomiting, or “purging”), and binge eating (bingeing without purging). Anorexia and bulimia, the most common, are the most risky. They are a type of mental illness to begin with and can lead to other serious mental-and physical-problems. They may even be fatal if untreated. Continue reading
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
For most people, a memory lapse once in a while is nothing to worry about. But sometimes forgetfulness can be the first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, a breakdown of brain cells that slowly worsens, leading to confusion, wandering, and extreme personality changes, such as aggression or lack of interest in life. In the late stages, patients have profound memory loss and loss of control over body functions. They may be unable to recognize even close family members. Continue reading
ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Many of us enjoy a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail to unwind now and then, or because we like the flavor. The use of alcohol in this way has been common in most cultures throughout history, and it’s usually harmless. But some people abuse alcohol: They drink too much or too often. Then they have problems with their health, work, or relationships. And some may become addicted to alcohol. Continue reading
VAGINITIS
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
If you’re bothered by sore genitals and perhaps an unusual discharge from the vagina-the ailment called vaginitis-the cause may be an infection, a medicine you’re taking, or something else.
Yeast infection, the most common of three infections, occurs when a fungus that always lives in the vagina grows out of control. Bacterial vaginosis occurs when bacteria that always live in the vagina grow out of control, Continue reading
URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Your urinary tract plays a vital role. It filters wastes from your blood-substances that would poison your cells if they were allowed to build up in your system. Then it flushes these toxins out of your body in the form of urine.
The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys; the ureters, two tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder; the bladder, the balloonlike organ that stores urine; and the urethra, the tube that passes urine out of the body. Normally the tract is free of bacteria, viruses, or fungi. In fact, the urine that travels through the tract is normally sterile; it contains no germs. Continue reading
ULCERS AND GASTRITIS
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
In your stomach, gastric juices break down the food you swallow and kill bacteria that come with it. These juices consist mostly of acids and enzymes (proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body). They don’t digest your stomach at the same time because it protects itself by making a slippery fluid, called mucus, that coats the stomach lining. If that layer of mucus is damaged, though, the juices can get through and cause a couple of problems: gastritis and ulcers. Continue reading