Tonsillitis happens when the two pads of tissue at the back of your throat become infected and swollen. The cause is almost always a virus or a bacterium, and those two categories behave differently. Viral tonsillitis is far more common, while bacterial tonsillitis is less frequent but more likely to need antibiotics. Knowing which one … Read more

Making a mold for glass casting with the lost wax method starts with a wax model of the object you want. You build a refractory mold around that wax, melt the wax out, and pour molten glass into the empty space it leaves behind. The wax is “lost” because it is destroyed in the process. … Read more

A health risk assessment is a structured set of questions, measurements, and sometimes lab tests used to estimate a person’s likelihood of developing a health problem. It is a screening and information tool, not a diagnosis and not a treatment. The results are meant to guide conversations with a clinician about which risks deserve attention … Read more

Breast growth during pregnancy usually slows or stops in the third trimester, roughly around weeks 36 to 40, though the exact timing varies from person to person. Most of the change happens in the first trimester, when rising hormone levels trigger the milk ducts and milk-producing tissue to expand. After that, growth tends to level … Read more

Widespread muscle spasms are usually not a muscle problem at all. They are a nerve signaling problem, and most often a sign that the nerves controlling your muscles are being overstimulated, irritated, or deprived of the chemical balance they need to fire normally. When spasms happen all over the body rather than in one spot, … Read more

Physical activity level, or PAL, is a number that reflects how much energy you burn through movement in a typical day. You calculate it by dividing your total daily energy expenditure by your basal metabolic rate. Most adults fall between 1.4 and 2.4, with 1.4 to 1.69 considered sedentary or lightly active, 1.7 to 1.99 … Read more

Industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant grown for its fiber, seeds, and oil rather than for its psychoactive effects. It contains only trace amounts of THC, the compound that causes a high, and is legally defined in the United States as cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC on a dry … Read more

Levoconvex scoliosis is a description of a spinal curve, not a separate disease. The word tells you two things: the spine bends sideways, and the convex — or outer — edge of that curve points to the left. That is the whole definition. It is not a distinct diagnosis with its own cause or its … Read more

Nails grow from a structure called the nail matrix, a small area of actively dividing cells tucked just under the skin at the base of each nail. Nothing you apply to the visible nail plate speeds that process up. What actually supports normal growth is steady blood flow, adequate nutrition, and protecting the matrix from … Read more