You turn the handle on a ball valve and nothing happens. The ball is stuck, the gate won’t move, and you are not sure what to do next. This happens more often than most people expect. The fix depends on knowing what type of valve you have and what is actually causing the problem. For … Read more

LMP stands for Last Menstrual Period, and it is the most common way healthcare providers estimate a due date and track pregnancy progress. The first day of your last period before becoming pregnant marks the start of your 40-week pregnancy timeline. This method has been used for decades because it is simple, requires no special … Read more

Yes, certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can cause diarrhea. This is not a common symptom for most STDs, but it happens with specific infections that affect the digestive system. The most likely culprits are infections that spread through anal sex or that cause inflammation in the gut. Diarrhea from an STD is usually a sign … Read more

Field mice can get into your home through a hole the size of a dime. That is not an exaggeration. A mouse’s skull is small enough to squeeze through a gap that looks like nothing to you. Once they are inside, they chew wires, contaminate food, and leave droppings everywhere. The good news is that … Read more

You notice a small opening or depression in the roof of your mouth and wonder if something is wrong. A hole in the roof of the mouth, medically called an oronasal fistula or palatal perforation, is a real condition with specific causes ranging from recent dental work to serious underlying disease. The most common causes … Read more

Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in your bone marrow. These are white blood cells that normally help you fight infection. When they turn cancerous, they grow out of control and crowd out healthy cells. The exact cause is not one single thing — it is a combination of genetic changes that happen over … Read more

Gap 1, or G1 phase, is the first stage of the cell cycle where a cell grows and prepares to copy its DNA. During G1, the cell increases in size, produces new proteins, and creates the organelles it needs to function. This phase is also when the cell checks its environment and internal health to … Read more

Kinesiology tape, often called KT tape, is a stretchy cotton strip with an acrylic adhesive. It is not a brace. It is not a splint. It is a tool that some people use to support muscles and joints without restricting movement. The basic idea is to apply the tape with a specific amount of stretch … Read more

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms in adults. But for infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, it can lead to serious lung infections like pneumonia or bronchiolitis. The best way to protect yourself and your family from RSV is a combination of updated vaccines, … Read more

That twitch under your eye is almost certainly a myokymia — a harmless, involuntary muscle spasm in the eyelid. It feels like a fluttering or pulsing and usually stops within a few days. While it can be annoying, research shows it is rarely a sign of anything serious. The most common triggers are things you … Read more