Health Report

Fibromyalgia: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Overview Fibromyalgia can cause physical, mental and emotional symptoms. What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a long-term (chronic) health condition that causes pain and tenderness throughout your body. It causes musculoskeletal pain and fatigue . People with fibromyalgia usually experience symptoms that come and go in periods called flare-ups. Sometimes, it can feel exhausting and challenging to navigate living with fibromyalgia. The peaks and valleys between feeling good and suddenly having a flare-up of symptoms can feel overwhelming. Fibromyalgia is real, and so is how you feel. Experts don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, but studies have found that certain health conditions, stress and other changes in your life might trigger it. You might be more likely to develop fibromyalgia if one of your biological paren...

Blood Types: Differences, Rarity and Compatibility Overview You can safely receive blood from donors with compatible blood types. What are blood types? A blood type is a classification system that allows healthcare providers to determine whether your blood is compatible or incompatible with someone else’s blood. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. Blood bank specialists determine your blood type based on whether you have antigen A or B on your red blood cells . They also look for a protein called the Rh factor. They classify your blood type as positive (+) if you have this protein and negative (-) if you don’t. This makes for eight common blood types: A positive (A+). A negative (A-). B positive (B+). B negative (B-). AB positive (AB+). AB negative (AB-). O positive (O+). O negative (O-). Knowing about blood types allows healthcare providers to s...

Burns: Types, Symptoms & Treatment Overview What is a burn? A burn occurs when heat, chemicals, sunlight, electricity or radiation damages skin tissue. Most burns happen accidentally. There are different degrees of burns. Your healthcare provider determines the seriousness (degree) of a burn based on the depth of the burn and the amount of affected skin. Burns can be painful. Left untreated, a burn can lead to infection. How common are burns? Close to half a million people go to the emergency department every year with burn injuries. Children are at high risk for accidental burns. Every day, more than 300 children receive emergency treatment for burn injuries. Who might get a burn? Accidental burns can happen to anyone, although children, teenagers and older people are most at risk. These age groups are more prone to burn injuries from cooking, such as...

Compartment Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments & Recovery Overview What is compartment syndrome? Compartment syndrome occurs when pressure rises in and around muscles. The pressure is painful and can be dangerous. Compartment syndrome can limit the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to muscles and nerves. It can cause serious damage and possible death. Compartment syndrome occurs most often in the lower leg. But it can also impact other parts of the leg, as well as the feet, arms, hands, abdomen (belly) and buttocks. Are there different types of compartment syndrome? There are two kinds of compartment syndrome: Acute compartment syndrome is usually caused by a bad injury and is a medical emergency. Without treatment, acute compartment syndrome can permanently damage muscles. It can also lead to disability, paralysis or even death. Chronic compartment syndro...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Overview What is ADHD? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common and most studied neurodevelopmental disorders in children. “Neuro” means nerves. Scientists have discovered there are differences in the brains , nerve networks and neurotransmitters of people with ADHD. ADHD is a long-term (chronic) brain condition that causes executive dysfunction , which means it disrupts a person’s ability to manage their own emotions, thoughts and actions. ADHD makes it difficult for people to: Manage their behavior. Pay attention. Control overactivity. Regulate their mood. Stay organized. Concentrate. Follow directions. Sit still. Kids usually receive a diagnosis during childhood and the condition often lasts into adulthood. However, effective treatment is available. Left untreated, ADHD can cau...

ADHD in Adults: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Overview What is adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a condition that affects the development of your brain. It starts in childhood. While people commonly outgrow this condition, many don’t. In children, ADHD can affect things like school performance and social skills. It can have very similar effects in adults, affecting things like work performance, friendships, relationships and mental health. How does this condition affect my body? People with ADHD are “ neurodivergent .” This term means your brain developed differently. When those differences are big enough, they can cause conditions like ADHD. People who don’t have those brain differences are “neurotypical,” meaning their brains developed in a typical way. People with ADHD tend to have lower-than-expected activity in certain brain areas. The affected areas r...