Gallbladder attacks can happen suddenly — often without warning — and the symptoms can range from uncomfortable to alarming. For many people, the pain starts under the ribs or in the upper right side ...

A lot of research has explored the possible link between cancer risk and certain foods. While some food components and chemicals have been shown to increase cancer risk in lab settings, these findings ...

Potassium is a vital mineral and electrolyte that helps regulate fluid levels, support muscle function, and keep your heart rhythm steady. It also plays a key role in transmitting electrical impulses ...

Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy red blood cells, brain function, and nerve tissue. Though the body can store B12 for years, people with absorption issues or those following vegetarian ...

Goosebumps occur when the arrector pili contract. These tiny muscles are attached to each hair on the body. The contractions cause a depression in the skin that pushes the hair upright and makes the ...

Ammonia is a chemical that both occurs naturally and can be created. It is a colorless gas — one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen — with a foul smell that most people easily recognize.

Nitric oxide isn’t a nutrient you’ll find on food packaging — but it plays a critical role in how your body moves, recovers, and circulates blood. This molecule helps blood vessels relax and widen, ...

Fissured tongue is a common condition that describes a tongue with unique fissures or grooves that vary from person to person in size, location, and depth. Depending on the context, doctors also refer ...

In March 1991, a team of London ophthalmologists and visual scientists discovered one-fifth of people have unequal pupil size. The condition is scientifically referred to as anisocoria and is often ...

Doctors sometimes prescribe medications called diuretics to increase urine production, often for patients experiencing high blood pressure or fluid retention. Different types of diuretics work best ...

Peripheral neuropathy is a broad term for any condition that damages the peripheral nerves that transfer sensory information and carry signals from the central nervous system in the brain and spinal ...

Vasodilation is the widening of the blood vessels, a process that happens naturally in response to various conditions to ensure blood flow is directed to where it is needed. Vasodilation can be useful ...