Coughing is a reflex action where the air is rapidly expelled from the lungs to clear excessive secretions, fluids, or foreign material from the airway. Therefore, cough is an important respiratory defense mechanism. However, coughing may also be a symptom of an underlying disease. Apart from the discomfort of coughing itself, excessive coughing can cause multisystem problems. For … Read more
In the early fall of 1975, two mothers from Old Lyme, Connecticut, desperately sought medical help because of a mysterious outbreak of a strange, unexplainable disease. Both children and adults were affected, and arthritis appeared to be the most prominent symptom. It was soon discovered that many patients also reported a skin lesion with an … Read more
Migraine is characterized by recurrent attacks of headache. The pain is often described as throbbing, and there may be a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Migraines are commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound (1). The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but they’re believed to be the … Read more
Reports of possible cabin air contamination onboard aircraft on commercial flights have become increasingly common in recent years. Such incidents are often described as fume events. Most often, fume events describe abnormal odors, smoke, haze or fumes in the cabin which may arise from various internal or external sources in an aircraft. More specifically, the … Read more
High blood pressure (BP), also called hypertension, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. It is one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide. In 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion adults will be living with hypertension (1). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hypertension kills nearly 8 million people every … Read more
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and circadian rhythms in humans. Circadian rhythm describes the sleep/wake cycle, a biological clock that runs in our brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness. It explains why we may feel energized or sleepy at around the same time each day. We all know that sleep is crucial … Read more
Major depression affects more than 16 million American adults each year (1). It can occur to anyone, at any age. And, importantly, depression is not a personal weakness but a severe medical illness. Of course, we all have times when our mood is low. Gloom, heartache, melancholy, woe, desolation. These are all parts of life’s … Read more
For the last few days, my Kindle has been my closest companion. “What are you reading”? my wife asked. “I’m reading Lore of Nutrition.” “Ooh, I was sure it was a thriller or one of your crime stories.” In fact, she was right. Although Lore of Nutrition is a book about nutrition, it reads like … Read more
Tremor is defined as an unintentional, rhythmic, oscillatory muscle contraction causing shaking movements of one or more parts of the body. It can affect the hands, head, face, jaw, lips, torso, and legs. Sometimes the voice may be affected as well. Hand tremor is the most common form. Tremor is a normal physiologic phenomenon. Most … Read more
“Fatigue is here, in my body, in my legs and eyes. That is what gets you in the end. Faith is only a word, embroidered.” ― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale. Fatigue or tiredness is a common medical complaint that may seriously affect people’s quality of life. However, despite many possible underlying causes, a specific medical disorder is … Read more