The weather has turned colder, which means that it’s time to bundle up before you head outside. For most people, this is enough to keep them warm. For some, despite doing this, it’s not enough to keep their fingers and toes warm, which can result in them feeling numb and turning blue until they’re warm again. Why does this happen? Can it be prevented?

You wake up one morning and notice that you have sharp pain in the bottom of your foot. As you make your way to the bathroom to get ready for work, you notice that the pain starts to ease up and eventually goes away. You assume it was a cramp and don’t think about it until the following morning when it happens again. What’s causing your foot to do this? How can you stop it? Are there ways to prevent it?

You wake up one morning and find that your infant daughter is congested. At first, you don’t think too much about it because your 3-year-old son has had a cold the past few days. A day goes by and you notice that it seems like your daughter is having trouble breathing, so you go to the emergency room. They inform you that she has RSV and needs to be admitted. What is this? Why is it so serious? How is it treated?

It’s not uncommon for most people to not always be in the mood when their partner is and this can contribute to erectile dysfunction. While this is completely normal, if you’re experiencing this frequently, it can be a sign that there’s something wrong. What causes erectile dysfunction to occur? When should you see a doctor? What can be done to treat it?

When you were a child, you remember having itchy areas on your skin, but didn’t really know what it was from. As an adult, you wake up one morning and find that on one of your arms, near your elbow, you have a spot of skin that is red with small bumps and is incredibly itchy. What is this? What is causing it? How is it treated?

You might’ve heard your elderly relatives talking at some point about bone spurs, but probably didn’t know what they were. Is it something you should be concerned about? How common are they? What type of treatment do they require? Is there anything you can do to prevent them?

If you have young children, you probably have heard of hand-foot-mouth disease since it’s common for them to catch it. However, it can happen in adults. Just last summer, a professional baseball player contracted it. So, what is it and what causes it? How is it treated? What can you do to prevent it?

Most women have some form of cramping, back pain and bleeding with their menstrual cycle. What does it mean if you have heavy bleeding, your period lasts longer than a week, pelvic pain that doesn’t go away? Is it something serious? How can it be treated? Is there a way to prevent it?

You’ve probably heard of a gluten free diet. For some people, it’s something to try because it’s the latest health craze. For others, it’s not just a diet, it’s a necessity. Individuals who have celiac disease must follow a gluten free diet in order to be healthy. What is celiac disease? How do you know if you have it? Why does a gluten free diet help?

One morning, your son wakes up and tells you that he has a sore throat and it hurts to swallow. You look in his mouth and notice that the back of his throat looks really red and swollen. So, you take him to the doctor and they tell you that your son has tonsillitis. What can be done to treat it? Is it going to involve surgery? Is there anything you can do to prevent it in the future?

Summer is right around the corner and with it comes our least favorite pests…mosquitoes! While they can carry a variety of diseases, some can be more serious than others. Which category does the West Nile virus fall under? How can you tell if you have it? What is the treatment for it? Can you prevent it from occurring?

It’s the time of year when you want to be outside enjoying your favorite summertime activities. For most of us, this means doing things that require us to be physically active. While this is great for your health, it can put you at an increased risk for an injury, particularly a head injury. How do you know if you have a concussion after hitting your head? How dangerous are concussions? What should you do to treat one? How do you prevent yourself from getting one?

When most people hear the word mononucleosis, they probably think of teenagers and kissing. While this might be accurate most of the time, adults and young children can get it too. Also, kissing isn’t the only way it can be spread. How is it transmitted? How serious of an infection is it? How is it treated?

We all have moments when we are happy and moments when we are sad. Most of the time, we are able to function every day without either of these effecting us too much. What if you go back and forth between these two extremes frequently? While you’re experiencing either one of these, does it making completing daily activities difficult? If it does, you might have bipolar disorder. What does this mean? How is it treated? Can it be prevented?

An arrhythmia isn’t something that you usually have to worry about. Some of them can occur without you even knowing you have one. Others are life-threatening and need immediate medical treatment. What exactly is an arrhythmia? How do you know whether the type you have is serious? What can be done to correct it?

When you hear the term sleep apnea, you probably think of someone who snores loudly at night. Sure, this is annoying, especially for family members, but it can be a serious medical problem. How do you know if you have sleep apnea? What can you do to treat or prevent it?

Most people partake in drinking alcohol at some point in their lives. While an occasional drink isn’t a problem, it can become one if your drinking gets out of hand. How do you know if you have a problem related to alcohol use? What can you do to correct it?

When most people hear the word addiction, their first thought is that a person has problems with drugs. This is especially true now more than ever thanks to the opioid epidemic. However, addiction doesn’t just apply to drugs, but can be a number of substances or behaviors. So, what exactly is addiction? What makes it so hard to stop doing something? Is there a cure?

You wake up in the morning and notice that your throat seems dry and scratchy. The next thing you know you start coughing. After about a minute, your throat clears, the coughing stops and you feel better. What causes this to happen? What’s the difference between a benign cough and one that indicates something more serious is going on?

One day while you are drying off from your shower, you notice that there is swollen, red area on your ankle. It is slightly tender when you touch it, but otherwise isn’t too bad. You go about your day and notice there is a nagging aching in your ankle, but you don’t think much about it. By the time you get your sock off when you get home, you notice the swollen area has doubled in size and it has become even more painful. What is going on? Is it serious? Do you need to get treatment right away?

You are having a problem with your foot, so you go to your doctor and they recommend that you go to a specialist. Should you see a podiatrist, an orthopedist or an orthopedic surgeon? This variety in specialization occurs throughout all areas of medicine. Understanding the differences between types of doctors can be extremely helpful in answering the question: Which one is the BEST one to help you?

While you are picking your son up from school, he says that his head has been really itchy all day. When you get home, you take a look at his head and notice small, white dots scattered throughout his hair. You take him to the doctor and find out he has lice. How did this happen? How do you get rid of them?

You’ve had some burning when you urinate and been prescribed antibiotics by your doctor for a urinary tract infection. A few days go by and you’re still not feeling better. In fact, your back is starting to hurt worse. You go back to your doctor and find out that you have a kidney infection. What is the difference between a urinary tract infection and a kidney infection? Are the treatments the same?

With summer just around the corner, it is time to get ready to be outside enjoying the sunny weather. Most of us have specific things we want to do during the summer and being bitten by a spider is definitely not on that list. Unfortunately, it can happen. What can you do to prevent yourself from getting a spider bite? How do you treat one?