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Blanching, blueness, or redness of fingers and toes in response to heat and cold (Raynaud's phenomenon; Pain, stiffness, and swelling of fingers and joints; Skin thickening and shiny hands and forearm; Skin is hard; Tight and mask-like facial skin...
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Constipation refers to infrequent or hard stools, or difficulty passing stools. Constipation may involve pain during the passage of a bowel movement, inability to pass a bowel movement after straining or pushing for more than 10 minutes, or no bowel movements after more than 3 days. Infants who are still exclusively breastfed may go 7 days without a stool.
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Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Bowel habits vary, but an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
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Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Contrary to popular myth, it is not necessary for you to be "regular" (have daily bowel movements) for your bowel pattern to be normal. If your bowel movements are so infrequent that they cause you discomfort, or if bowel movements are an effort for you, then you are experiencing constipation.
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Oncology: Controlling ConstipationConstipation(difficulty passing stool) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Constipation can be caused by the medications you are taking.
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Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on constipation, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Difficulty with producing a bowel movement, or infrequent bowel movements. Constipation, a condition that can affect the human digestive system at any stage of life, is rarely serious or chronic.
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Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Although constipation is a relative term, with normal patterns of bowel movements varying widely from person to person, generally an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
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ConstipationSymptom and DescriptionConstipation means being unable to move your bowels, having to push harder to move your bowels, or moving them less often than usual. Bowel movements will be small, dry, and hard.
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Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Bowel habits vary, but an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated.
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Lots of children suffer from constipation -- bowel movements that are hard or painful. Your child may become constipated because of toilet-training troubles or anxiety related to using the toilet. Or, he may not be getting enough fiber or liquids in his diet or may not be getting enough exercise.
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Colds usually are mild illnesses that get better within one or two weeks. However, even mild symptoms can make children feel miserable.
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Many parents worry that their baby is constipated, which can happen for many reasons. Sometimes, however, babies are not really constipated, but just have their own way of pooping.
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What's the best way to relieve constipation in babies?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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The most common beliefs about alleviating constipation may be myths, say some experts.
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Why does taking iron cause you to be constipated?
Mary Pickett, M.D., is a lecturer for Harvard Medical School and an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. At OHSU, she practices general internal medicine and teaches medical residents and students.
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I am suffering from constipation. Dulcolax works, but it cannot be taken too often. Could you suggest a better, non-habit-forming medicine?
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Diarrhea is loose, watery, and frequent stool. Diarrhea is considered chronic (long-term) when you have had loose or frequent stools for more than 4 weeks.
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Diarrhea From ChemotherapyDiarrhea can occur in cancer patients for a number of reasons. The tumor itself can bring on this side effect, as can changes in diet or an infection in the intestine.
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Oncology: Controlling DiarrheaDiarrhea(loose stools) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Diarrhea results when treatment affects the normal cells lining the intestine.
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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If your diarrhea is substantial, if you have other unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, or blood in your bowel movements, or if your diarrhea has persisted for more than five days, you should visit with your doctor to discuss your symptoms.
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Detailed information on traveler's diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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We all dread diarrhea. But when the patient is your infant or toddler, diarrhea can range from a minor annoyance to a medical emergency.
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Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Common causes of diarrhea in babies include infections of the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract) or changes in diet. Most cases of diarrhea are not serious, go away in a day or two and can be managed at home.
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Answering the questions in this tool will help you understand more about the possible causes of diarrhea in children, and will help you decide when to call your doctor.
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To most persons, diarrhea means an increased frequency or softer consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. Diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 300 g per day generally indicates diarrhea.
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Cyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes caused by lack of oxygen in the blood.
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Detailed information on the most common skin color changes in a newborn
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Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder. Some coughs are dry, while others are considered productive. A productive cough is one that brings up mucus. Mucus is also called phlegm or sputum. Coughs can be either acute or chronic: Acute coughs usually begin suddenly. They are often due to a cold, flu, or sinus infection. They usually go away after 2 to 3 weeks; Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
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A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
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Coughs, those mini-explosions in your throat, are valuable weapons in your body's self-defense arsenal. Their assignment: keep airways clear by quickly expelling intruders from the lower respiratory system -- principally your throat and upper lungs. If dust, fluid, viruses, bacteria or even tumors block any part of this region, your cough reflex takes explosive action.
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Cough suppressants are medicines that prevent or stop a person from coughing. Cough suppressants act on the center in the brain that controls the cough reflex.
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Heartburn is a painful burning sensation in the esophagus, just below or behind the breastbone. The pain often rises in your chest and may radiate to your neck or throat.
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Detailed information on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Detailed information on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Heartburn can affect just about anyone—old or young (or in between). An occasional bout of heartburn is nothing to worry about. Chronic heartburn, however, can be a sign of a more serious condition.
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Sixty million Americans suffer heartburn. Almost half have it every day. If you're among them, do you have all the facts?
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At one time or another, most of us have suffered from heartburn -- a burning feeling behind the breastbone or sometimes at the same level in the mid-back.
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Although heartburn can be treated easily with changes in diet, lifestyle, and over-the-counter medications, it can also be a symptom of more serious problems.
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Heartburn is the first sign of a gastric disorder that shouldn???t be ignored.Heartburn is the first sign of a gastric disorder that shouldn’t be ignored.
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Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest that can extend to the neck, throat, and face. It usually occurs after eating and is worsened by bending, lifting, or lying down.
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Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest that can extend to the neck, throat, and face; it is worsened by bending or lying down. It is the primary symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, which is the movement of stomach acid into the esophagus.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about how to tell heartburn from more serious heart trouble.
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Heartburn is a daily problem for about 10 percent of Americans, and at least twice that many suffer occasional bouts.
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Itching is a tingling or uneasy irritation of the skin that makes you want to scratch the affected area.
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Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is pruritus.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about pruritus (itching of the skin) as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of pruritus are discussed.
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Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is pruritus.
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Itching, also called pruritus, is an unpleasant sensation of the skin that causes a person to scratch or rub the area to find relief. Itching can be confined to one spot (localized) or over the whole body (generalized).
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Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface, or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is " pruritus.
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Detailed information on pain management and itching and burn care
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Joint pain can affect one or more joints. See also: Arthritis (inflammation of joints; Bursitis; Muscle pain.
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The hip is prone to developing pain in part because its anatomy is complex and because it has a large range of motion. Some of these structures, including the bursae, muscles, tendons, or ligaments are common causes of hip pain, even when the joint itself is fine.
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Sprained ankles and wrists, arthritic knees and hips and torn rotator cuffs all have one thing in common: They result in joint pain.
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The diagnoses provided are among the most common that could explain your symptoms, but the list is not exhaustive and there are many other possibilities. In addition, more than one condition may be present at the same time. For example, a person with rheumatoid arthritis could also have ulnar neuropathy because swelling in the elbow compresses the nearby nerve.
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Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like your heart is pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat, or may feel skipped or stopped beats. The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. See also: Arrhythmia
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A sensation in which a person is aware of an irregular, hard, or rapid heartbeat. Palpitations mean that the heart is not behaving normally.
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There are many possible causes of heart palpitations, including smoking, stress, and some medications. Though they are typically not serious or life-threatening, it can be difficult to determine the underlying cause.
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Breathing difficulties involve a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air. See also difficulty breathing - first aid.
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Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient ' s level of physical activity. It is a symptom of a variety of different diseases or disorders and may be either acute or chronic.
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Struggling to Breathe: A Nurse’s Tips for Managing DyspneaDyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
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Detailed information on the most common breathing problems in a newborn
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Severe shortness of breath and shortness of breath accompanied by certain symptoms requires immediate medical attention.
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If your child cannot seem to get enough breath in his lungs (shortness of breath) or is having a hard time breathing, he probably has a medical condition that needs treatment. If your child is old enough to talk, he can tell you that he is having difficulty breathing. If your child is younger, you may notice that he is breathing harder or faster than usual, isn't feeding well, or is cranky.
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For the past two months I have experienced increased shortness of breath. I have chronic asthma, but there's concern the shortness of breath could be caused by a blockage in heart. I have experienced difficulties in the past when anesthetized. Is there an effective alternative to heart catheterization? I've read about a new CT scan ? is it recommended?
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I had a quadruple bypass seven years ago. A few months back I found myself taking frequent short breaths when I climbed the stairs. Once I stopped exerting myself, my breathing soon returned to normal. Is this due to a problem with my heart or lungs?
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Shortness of breath may be a warning sign of heart disease.
Chest pain is a near-universal signal of heart disease. Shortness of breath may be an equally valuable tip-off.
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Weakness is a reduction in the strength of one or more muscles.
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Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
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