Waking up with a dry mouth is often just a sign that your overnight saliva production dropped. But for many people, it is a daily occurrence that signals a deeper issue. The root causes range from simple breathing habits and medication side effects to underlying health conditions like sleep apnea or Sjögren’s syndrome. Figuring out … Read more

A bad smell in your nose is almost always a sign that something is trapped inside your nasal passages or sinuses, not a problem with your sense of smell itself. The most common causes are bacterial infections, chronic sinusitis, or a foreign object that has been lodged in the nose for a long time. While … Read more

Yes, alcohol causes inflammation. This is one of the most consistent findings in medical research. When you drink, your body treats alcohol as a toxin and works to break it down, a process that produces inflammatory byproducts and triggers an immune response. Even moderate drinking creates a measurable inflammatory state that can last for hours … Read more

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne illness that can cause anything from no symptoms at all to a serious infection of the brain and nervous system. It is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, though most people who are infected never get sick. The virus is spread through the bite … Read more

Your bladder is a muscle, and like any muscle, it responds to training. Strengthening your bladder for better control starts with two things: retraining your pelvic floor muscles and retraining your bathroom habits. The pelvic floor muscles support your bladder and help hold urine in. When they are weak, leaks happen. When they are tight … Read more

Alcohol and diarrhea are a common pair. If you have ever woken up after a night of drinking with an urgent need to use the bathroom, you are not imagining things. Drinking alcohol can directly cause diarrhea, both during the night and for a day or two afterward. This happens because alcohol irritates the digestive … Read more

A battery cell is the basic building block that stores and releases electrical energy through chemical reactions. Every battery you use — from the AA in a remote to the pack in an electric vehicle — is made of one or more cells. Understanding how a battery cell works comes down to three parts: two … Read more

Hot tub folliculitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria. It happens after sitting in a poorly maintained hot tub or spa. The bacteria, usually Pseudomonas aeruginosa, thrive in warm water. When the water is not properly treated, the bacteria multiply and infect your hair follicles. You will often see an itchy rash with red … Read more