Diseases and Conditions

Of the many things parents are encouraged to freak out about, the fear that a peanut will cross your toddler's lips is way up there. Just how much fear is necessary, and how much is due to the 24-hour news cycle?

By Tom Scheve

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home and this little piggy gave us swine flu? Wrong. The swine flu of 2008 and 2009 doesn't even come from pigs. So why do we call it that?

By Tom Scheve

"Don't go outside with a wet head or you'll catch your death of cold!" It's a warning that's been passed from one generation of parents to the next. But is it a warning worth heeding?

By Stephanie Watson

When you're doubled over with a burning pain in your stomach, is your love of flamingly spicy meals to blame? Or does your passion for chili peppers have little to do with the cause of your digestive ills?

By Shanna Freeman

If Superman had celiac disease, his weakness wouldn't just be kryptonite anymore -- he'd have to worry about wheat, barley and rye. How does gluten manage to wreak such havoc?

By Molly Edmonds

If you have a fever, is the only prescription more cowbell, as SNL would have you believe? Or does the solution lie in fasting, as an old adage says? Put a cold washcloth on that burning forehead and find out.

By Patrick J. Kiger

When your mom spooned you chicken noodle soup to help you get over a cold, she was on to something. Why is it a good idea to eat when you have a cold, and what kinds of foods bring you back to health?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Heartburn may seem like just another unpleasant thing to endure, much like taxes, rush hour traffic and the contents of a baby's diaper. But when should you bite the bullet and make a doctor's appointment?

By Molly Edmonds

While many of us abstain from foods simply to keep our weight down, those with acid reflux often have to abstain from certain foods to keep their stomach acid down. Which are the most likely culprits?

By Molly Edmonds

The digestive system is a bit like a toilet. When everything works properly, we have a tendency to take it for granted. The second that something goes haywire, however, it's impossible to ignore.

By Molly Edmonds

Many of us think of arthritis as a condition that causes old people to rub their hands together and predict changes in the weather. That's not entirely the case. Who else suffers from pain in the joints?

By Tom Scheve

Back pain and kidney infection can be related. See how you can tell the difference between muscular back pain and kidney infection.

By Brion O'Connor & Discovery Fit and Health Writers

There are a lot of ways to die. Some are just more interesting than others. For example, death by deodorant or death by underwire bra.

By Charles W. Bryant

Dying is one thing we all have in common. Our bodies weren't built to last, and you can't trick the Grim Reaper out of coming to call. So what are we in for at the end of life?

By Molly Edmonds

You can blame your family for psychological trauma, but you might want to look to them to find out your risk for heart disease. The No. 1 killer in the United States isn't pretty -- do you know what you're in for?

By Tom Scheve

Bet you didn't know that flossing your teeth had anything to do with your heart. You probably don't think about your heart valves all that often, but we've got five simple things you need to know.

By Tom Scheve

If sitting still all day long at work leaves you feeling like you just spent eight hours lifting heavy boxes, you're not alone. About eight out of 10 people report having some back pain, and our desk chairs could be to blame.

By Cristen Conger

You figure that if you eat right, don't smoke and exercise regularly, you're probably safe from a heart attack, right? So how could a person with good habits still have one?

By Julia Layton

You probably haven't thought too much about the valves that guard the passageways of your heart. But what if one those sentries were to spring a leak?

By Tom Scheve

Sometimes the grim reaper is subtle. With the silent heart attack, the victim experiences no obvious signs or symptoms. Or is the problem that we need to revamp our symptom checker?

By Charles W. Bryant

It's a nuisance getting up from your seat on a flight. The cabin is filled with obstacles and space is tight. But what's worse, a stumble through the cabin or a potentially deadly clot?

By Julia Layton

Cities have banned them, citizens have sued over them and cholesterol levels have soared because of them. Why are a couple of bonded hydrogen and carbon atoms regarded as evil incarnate?

By Tom Scheve

Unless you've been hiding under a giant cheeseburger for the past decade, you probably know that having high cholesterol is bad for you. But it's not all created equal, and knowing the difference will help you to make sense of your cholesterol test.

By Tom Scheve

If you think exercise is just about losing weight, think again. It's also an important defense against heart disease. How does aerobic exercise lower your blood pressure and keep cholesterol in check?

By Julia Layton

At first, you're tired all the time. The migraines set in, along with tingling and temporary vision loss. Your doctors are stumped -- until the MRI and spinal tap reveal the culprit behind your pain: multiple sclerosis.

By Shanna Freeman