Age spots

Age spots — also called liver spots and solar lentigines — are flat, gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms — areas most exposed to the sun. True age spots are harmless and don’t need treatment, but they can look like cancerous growths. For cosmetic reasons, age spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed. However, preventing age spots — by avoiding the sun and using sunscreen — may be the easiest way to maintain your skin’s youthful appearance and to avoid these dark skin spots. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well.

Read the rest »

Kidney stones

Kidney stones (renal lithiasis) are small, hard deposits of mineral and acid salts on the inner surfaces of your kidneys. Normally, the substances that make up kidney stones are diluted in the urine. When urine is concentrated, though, minerals may crystallize, stick together and solidify. The result is a kidney stone.
it’s important to find out what type of kidney stone you have and why it developed. Some of the underlying causes of kidney stones can be treated to prevent new stones from forming.

Read the rest »

Blood in urine – hematuria

Seeing blood in your urine can cause more than a little anxiety. Yet blood in urine — known medically as hematuria — isn’t always a matter for concern. Strenuous exercise can cause blood in urine, for instance. So can a number of common drugs, including aspirin. But urinary bleeding can also indicate a serious disorder. There are two types of blood in urine. Blood that you can see is called gross hematuria. Urinary blood that’s visible only under a microscope is known as microscopic hematuria and is found when your doctor tests your urine for another condition. Either way, it’s important to determine the reason for the bleeding.

Read the rest »

Wrist pain

Chopping vegetables, angling for trout, falling during an athletic activity — there’s practically no end to the ways you can hurt your wrists. In fact, hand pain and wrist pain are among the most common musculoskeletal complaints.  You’re a candidate for wrist pain whether you’re very sedentary, very active or fall somewhere in between.

Your wrist is a complex joint made up of eight small bones (carpal bones) arranged in two rows between the bones in your forearm (radius and ulna) and the metacarpal bones in your hand. Tough bands of ligament connect the carpal bones to each other and to the forearm bones and metacarpals. Damage to your ligaments, bones or the cartilage that cushions your joints can cause pain and affect your ability to use your wrist and hand.  The causes of wrist pain can range from repetitive stress injuries to sprains, fractures and diseases such as arthritis. Because so many factors can lead to wrist pain, and because the wrist is a complex structure, diagnosing the exact cause of long-standing wrist pain can be difficult.

Read the rest »

Foot pain

 

Your foot is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and hundreds of muscles, nerves and ligaments. Given this complex structure and the amount of punishment feet endure every day, it’s no wonder that foot pain is so common.  Foot pain can affect any part of your foot, from your toes to the Achilles tendon at the back of your heel. Some foot pain is simply an annoyance. But foot pain can also be more serious, especially if it affects your ability to work, play sports or get around easily. Minor foot pain usually responds well to home treatment, but disabling pain is likely to need medical attention. If not treated, some types of foot pain can lead to long-term damage or disability.
Read the rest »