Health Topics

Acanthosis nigricans is a skin condition that causes darkening and thickening of skin around body folds, including the neck folds, armpits, elbows, knees, or groin.

Acne is a common skin problem that causes blackheads, whiteheads and other skin lesions. Acne can be found on any part of the skin, but are most commonly found in the face, chest, back, and legs.

Actinic keratoses, also known as solar keratosis, are rough, scaly patches on the skin that have a reddish or brown color. 

Alopecia areata is an inflammatory disease of hair follicles that rapidly causes patches of hair loss on the scalp and may continue to expand to other areas of the skin.

Male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) is an inheritable condition that increases in frequency with age. Approximately 50% of males are affected by male pattern baldness, while almost 90% of men over 80 are affected by hair loss. While there is no cure for male pattern baldness, there are some treatments that help to manage hair loss.

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a chronic skin condition that causes patches of dry, scaly skin and is often extremely itchy. Eczema causes the outermost layers of the skin (epidermis) to turn very dry and causes the skin to flake, thicken, and crack.

It is very common for babies to develop different rashes and skin conditions throughout the first few weeks and months of infancy.  Many of these skin conditions can be easily treated.

Bacterial vaginosis is a common type of bacterial overgrowth that leads to vaginal discharge and odor. Up to 1/3 of all women will develop bacterial vaginosis at some point. Bacterial vaginosis is often asymptomatic in many women.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in women. Overall, one in ten women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by infection from certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus that affects an estimated 5o to 80% of all adults.

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted infections. In the USA in 2006, more than one million cases of chlamydial infection were reported to the CDC.

Contact dermatitis is a generic medical term that refers to skin inflammation caused by any type of irritant. Upon direct contact with the irritant, the skin develops into an itchy red rash that usually goes away within a few hours.

Dermabrasion is a cosmetic skin therapy that mechanically resurfaces the outer layers of the skin to decrease wrinkles, acne scars, sun damage, and other skin defects. The popularity of dermabrasion has soared in the US in recent years.

Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) are cramps in the lower abdominal area that occur during menstruation. Most women start to experience painful menstrual cramps within several years of their first menstruation.

Ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. A fertilized egg that implants in the fallopian tubes is also called a tubal pregnancy.

Endometriosis is the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Normally, endometrium cells grow on the walls of the uterus and shed during the menstrual period.

Epididymitis is an infection of the epididymis, which is a coiled structure located on the upper portion of the testicles.  The epididymis is a structure that stores and matures sperm.

Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, is the inability for a man to sustain a firm enough erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse.  Impotence can be caused by many psychological as well as physical conditions.  ED can be also caused by side effects of medications.

A fungal skin infection is an overgrowth of fungi (tinea) on the skin that can express a wide variety of skin symptoms. Fungal infections on the body are commonly known as ringworm...

Genital warts are small, skin-colored bumps that look like tiny cauliflowers. They can be on or inside the genitals.