Vulvar fissures are small cracks or tears in the skin of the vulva — the external female genital area. They are most often caused by low estrogen after menopause, eczema or contact irritation, or an active skin condition like lichen sclerosus. Treatment starts with finding the cause: a fragrance-free barrier ointment and a low-potency topical … Read more

Body aches during the flu are not a side effect you have to push through. They come from your immune system releasing signaling molecules called cytokines as it fights the virus, and they usually ease as the infection resolves. Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen are the main ways to relieve … Read more

Running burns calories, and burning more calories than you eat can reduce body fat over time. But no specific number of miles or minutes guarantees that fat will come off your belly first. Spot reduction — losing fat from one chosen area by exercising that area — is not how the human body works. Research … Read more

Vaginal discharge changes throughout the menstrual cycle, and many people pay close attention to it in the days before a missed period. If pregnancy has occurred, discharge often becomes thicker, whiter, and more abundant than usual. That change is driven by rising estrogen and increased blood flow to the pelvic area, and it is one … Read more

A bleeding lower lip usually looks worse than it is. Lips have a rich blood supply, so even a small cut or split can bleed steadily and take a few minutes to settle. The fix is simple: press clean gauze or a clean cloth firmly on the spot for 10 to 15 minutes without lifting … Read more

A leaking belly button is usually fluid from inside the navel itself, not from deep inside your abdomen. The most common causes are a minor infection, poor hygiene in the folds of the navel, or a cyst or sinus tract left over from birth. Less often, it signals a problem in the abdominal wall or … Read more

Becoming a medical lab scientist means earning a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science or a related science, completing a supervised clinical internship, and passing a national certification exam. Most people take four to five years to reach entry-level work. Pay varies widely by state and setting, with most U.S. medical lab scientists earning somewhere … Read more

Losing 50 pounds in two months is not a realistic or safe goal. That works out to roughly 6 pounds per week, and standard clinical guidance places sustainable weight loss at about 1 to 2 pounds per week. A loss of that speed would require a daily calorie deficit that is difficult to sustain and … Read more

A sunburn is not a quick event. The redness, heat, and pain you see on your skin are the visible part of an injury that starts within minutes of exposure and keeps developing for hours afterward. Most sunburns peak between 6 and 24 hours after you were in the sun, then gradually fade over the … Read more