Every time you hand over that small cup at a prenatal visit, your urine is screened for a few specific things: protein, glucose, ketones, bacteria, and sometimes signs of dehydration. Each one gives your ob gyn a different window into how your pregnancy is progressing. The test is quick, cheap, and one of the most … Read more
Smoking tends to make people skinnier, not fatter — at least in the short term. Nicotine suppresses appetite and slightly raises the rate at which the body burns calories, and smokers on average weigh a few pounds less than nonsmokers of the same age. But the effect is small, it fades, and it comes with … Read more
Snoring happens when air moves through a narrowed airway and makes loose tissues in the back of the mouth and throat vibrate. Tongue and throat exercises aim to firm up those tissues so they hold their shape and resist collapse during sleep. The approach is real and studied, but it works best for mild snoring … Read more
Scalp massage is one of the few hair-growth habits that costs nothing and carries almost no risk. The technique is simple: press the fingertips (not the nails) into the scalp and move the skin over the bone in small circles, covering the whole head for about five to ten minutes. The evidence that this grows … Read more
Dexamethasone mouthwash is a steroid rinse a doctor prescribes to calm severe inflammation inside the mouth. You swish it, hold it, and spit it out — you do not swallow it. It is not a general-purpose rinse you can buy and use on your own. A prescriber decides the strength and schedule, and a pharmacist … Read more
Yes, stress can contribute to elevated liver enzymes, but usually indirectly. The more common and more powerful causes are things like fatty liver disease, alcohol use, medications, viral hepatitis, and muscle injury. Stress tends to matter most when it changes behavior — poor sleep, heavy drinking, overeating — or when the body is under intense … Read more
The term “test cell” doesn’t refer to a single thing in medicine. It describes several different concepts depending on context — from cells used in laboratory testing to a type of immune cell measured in blood work to a controlled testing chamber in a research facility. This article covers the most common meanings, what each … Read more
Finger inflammation can make the simplest tasks feel hard. Buttoning a shirt, opening a jar, holding a phone — all can become painful when a finger swells, stiffens, or feels hot. At-home steps can genuinely help with some causes, but the right approach depends on what is driving the inflammation in the first place. This … Read more
Staphylococcus bacteria are common germs that live on the skin and in the noses of many healthy people. Most of the time they cause no harm at all. MRSA is a type of staph that has become resistant to several antibiotics, which makes some infections harder to treat. The key fact to hold onto: MRSA … Read more
Most people get their first period about four to six weeks after an ectopic pregnancy ends. That timing holds whether the pregnancy was treated with medication or surgery. The exact number depends on how high your hCG levels were and how quickly they fall back to zero. Your body needs to finish clearing the pregnancy … Read more