What Is Enuresis? The medical name for not being able to control your pee is enuresis (pronounced: en-yuh-REE-sis). Sometimes enuresis is also called involuntary urination. Nocturnal enuresis is involuntary urination that happens at night while sleeping, after the age when a person should be able to control their bladder. (Involuntary urination that happens during the day is …
Earbuds are basically a pair of tiny speakers that you wear inside your ears. At low volumes, they’re useful little devices. But playing loud music so close to your eardrums can cause permanent hearing loss. How Does Noise Cause Hearing Loss? The ear is made up of three parts that work together to process sounds: …
What Is Abnormal Uterine Bleeding? Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is the name doctors use to describe when something isn’t quite right with a girl’s periods. Doctors also sometimes call AUB “dysfunctional uterine bleeding” (DUB). Like lots of medical names, it can sound worse than it is. Most of the time, AUB isn’t something to worry about. …
What Is Asthma? Asthma (pronounced: AZ-muh) is a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe. Lots of people have asthma, from young kids to the elderly. What Causes Asthma? No one knows exactly why some people develop asthma. Experts think it might be a combination of environmental factors and genes. People with asthma may have …
Concussion #1 I got my first concussion playing dodgeball in gym during my sophomore year. Exactly how it happened is still a little blurry. From what I remember — and from what friends told me later — I fell forward while I was diving away from a ball. For some reason, I didn’t put my …
What Are Arrhythmias? Arrhythmias are abnormal heartbeats usually caused by an electrical “short circuit” in the heart. The heart normally beats in a consistent pattern, but an arrhythmia can make it beat too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. This can cause the heart to pump inconsistently, leading to symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and chest pain. What Causes Them? …
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disease for doctors to diagnose — and even fully understand. CFS is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that makes people feel very tired and weak. They can also have headaches, dizziness, or other physical symptoms. Sometimes they have emotional symptoms too, like anger or …
What Is Celiac Disease? Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. It happens when someone has a food intolerance to gluten. Gluten (pronounced: GLOOT-in) is the general name of proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. In celiac (pronounced: SEE-lee-ak) disease, the body can’t absorb important nutrients. If that happens, a person can become …
Cancer Treatments and Fertility Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other treatments can be very effective at doing their job. But what makes them good at fighting cancer or other illnesses also can cause side effects: As these treatments attack harmful cells, they may affect some healthy cells too. Your doctor has probably talked about whether you’ll have any …
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disease for doctors to diagnose — and even fully understand. CFS is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that makes people feel very tired and weak. They can also have headaches, dizziness, or other physical symptoms. Sometimes they have emotional symptoms too, like anger or …
