DEFINITION When you have a blocked tear duct, your tears can’t drain normally, leaving you with a watery, irritated eye. Blocked tear ducts are caused by a partial or complete obstruction in the tear drainage system. Blocked…
DEFINITION Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When…
DEFINITION Bird flu is caused by a type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans. More than a dozen types of bird flu have been identified, including the two strains that have most recently infected humans — H5N1 and H7N9.…
DEFINITION Bell’s palsy causes sudden weakness in your facial muscles. This makes half of your face appear to droop. Your smile is one-sided, and your eye on that side resists closing. Bell’s palsy, also known as facial…
DEFINITION Your peripheral nerves link your brain and spinal cord to other parts of your body. These nerves control your muscles so that you can walk, blink, swallow, pick things up and do other activities. Several types…
DEFINITION ნაღვლის რეფლუქსი ნიშნავს ღვიძლში წარმოქმნილი მომნელებელი სითხის (ნაღველი) კუჭში ან საყლაპავში (კუჭისა და პირის შემაერთებელი მილი) ამოსვლას. ნაღვლის რეფლუქსს შესაძლოა ახლდეს მჟავას რეფლუქსიც, რაც ნიშნავს კუჭის მჟავების საყლაპავამდე ამოსვლას. ამის მიუხედავად, ნაღვლის და მჟავას რეფლუქსი სხვადასხვა დარღვევაა.…
DEFINITION Bad breath, also called halitosis, can be embarrassing and in some cases may even cause anxiety. It’s no wonder that store shelves are overflowing with gum, mints, mouthwashes and other products designed to fight bad breath. But many of…
DEFINITION Hairy cell leukemia is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the blood in which your bone marrow makes too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that fights infection. These excess B cells are abnormal and look…
DEFINITION Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off. Basal…
DEFINITION The Bartholin’s (BAHR-toe-linz) glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. These glands secrete fluid that helps lubricate the vagina. Sometimes the openings of these glands become obstructed, causing fluid to back up into…
DEFINITION In Barrett’s esophagus, tissue in the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus) is replaced by tissue similar to the intestinal lining. Barrett’s esophagus is most often diagnosed in people who have long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease…
DEFINITION Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown parasitic insects that bite the exposed skin of sleeping humans and animals to feed on their blood. Although bedbugs aren’t known to spread disease, they can cause other public health and economic issues. …