HB Mag Health Research Team
That constant urge to urinate — finishing in the bathroom and feeling like you need to go again five minutes later — is one of the most common reasons adults see a doctor. It is not normal, and it is not something you simply have to live with. The medical term for it is urinary … Read more
Pressure on the top of your head usually comes from one of four places: the muscles and fascia of the scalp and neck, the sinuses, the blood vessels and nerves that supply the head, or the brain’s own pain-sensitive structures. Most of the time it is not a sign of something dangerous. Tension-type headache is … Read more
Chickenpox spreads mainly through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and through direct contact with the fluid inside the rash blisters. You can also catch it by touching something an infected person recently used, like a tissue or a toy, though this route is less common. The virus is highly contagious, and … Read more
If you dread the moment your voice might crack in front of someone, you are not broken and you are not cold. Discomfort with showing emotion usually comes from a mix of learning, temperament, and biology. Many people were taught early that feelings were unsafe, inconvenient, or unwelcome. Others are wired to feel things intensely … Read more
Clindamycin for acne comes in two main forms: a topical gel, lotion, or solution you apply to your skin, and an oral capsule your doctor prescribes for more severe cases. Topical clindamycin is usually applied once or twice daily to clean, dry skin, and it works best when combined with benzoyl peroxide. Oral clindamycin is … Read more
Wisdom teeth erupt because they are the third and final set of molars, and they follow the same biological schedule that guides every other tooth into the mouth. They typically begin pushing through between ages 17 and 25, though the exact timing varies widely from person to person. The reason they cause so much trouble … Read more
The name “chicken pox” has puzzled people for centuries. The disease has nothing to do with chickens, and the blister-like rash it causes does not look like a bird. The name most likely comes from the small, chickpea-sized red spots that appear on the skin during infection. “Chicken” may be a corruption of “chickpea,” the … Read more
Seeing bright red blood on toilet paper is startling, but it is usually not an emergency. Bleeding from hemorrhoids happens when the swollen veins in the anal canal get irritated, and the thin tissue over them tears. The bleeding almost always stops on its own within minutes. If it does not, or if bleeding keeps … Read more
Bad breath — the medical term is halitosis — affects a large share of adults at some point, and for most people the cause is not mysterious. It usually comes from bacteria living in the mouth breaking down food particles, dead cells, and other debris, and releasing sulfur-containing gases in the process. The nose simply … Read more
A pimple under the skin — the kind you can feel but can’t see a head on — should not be popped. There is no safe technique for squeezing a deep, unopened pimple at home, and attempting it often pushes bacteria and inflammation deeper into the skin. The best approach is to leave it alone, … Read more