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When mucus produced from a cough contains blood, it raises concern. But people with simple bronchitis can cough up a few specks of blood. Coughing up clots of blood or persistent bloody mucus may indicate a serious problem and requires medical evaluation. People often believe that green mucus means a bacterial infection. That is not a reliable indicator. White cells that are fighting a viral infection can turn mucus green or dark yellow. 

The most common symptom of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding although not all pregnancies with bleeding end in miscarriage. The bleeding may begin as a brownish discharge but often becomes heavier, sometimes with blood clots or other tissue. Pelvic cramping, abdominal pain, and lower back pain are also common symptoms of miscarriage.

In most cases, the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is based on the combination of symptoms, physical examination and certain imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain.

For example, a young adult with eye discomfort and vision loss may be examined by an ophthalmologist and diagnosed with optic neuritis. This is an inflammation of the optic nerve at the back of the eye and a common early symptom of multiple sclerosis. A brain MRI may then demonstrate multiple abnormalities (called “plaques”) in particular areas of the brain that are characteristic of multiple sclerosis.

In some cases, the diagnosis is not clear despite this evaluation and additional testing, such as lumbar puncture or spinal MRI, is recommended to confirm the diagnosis or to identify alternative explanations for the symptoms.

In most cases, the only way to prevent your hair from becoming white is to dye it. There’s not much you can do about your genetic makeup and your genes play a large role in when or if you’ll have white hair.

However, there some exceptions: white hair can be due to reversible or preventable factors, including:

• vitamin or nutrient deficiency – examples include vitamin B12 or copper deficiency

• thyroid disease – timely diagnosis and treatment may prevent changes in hair color

• smoking – the connection between greying of hair and smoking suggests that quitting could be preventive

• stress reduction – there appears to be a correlation between stress and greying of hair, though it isn’t clear that stress reduction measures can prevent or reverse it.

People often think they have a sinus headache when the pain is just in the front of the head. But most often the pain is due to migraine or tension headache. With a sinus infection there would usually be other symptoms such as tenderness over one of the sinuses above or below the eyes, a thick nasal discharge or post nasal drip, and fever.

Hypercapnia refers to a blood level of carbon dioxide that is above the normal range of 23 to 29 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). This usually happens when the lungs are not being able to exhale sufficient carbon dioxide. Most often people with hypercapnia also have low oxygen blood levels and experience shortness of breath. 

There are many causes of low back pain. In many cases, the cause is unknown even after full evaluation. When a cause can be identified, some of the most common causes are:

•    trauma – injuries to bones can lead to fracture; muscle injury, strain and tears are also common and may lead to muscle spasm
•    disc disease – when a one or more discs bulges out of its normal location between spinal bones; also called a herniated disc or “slipped disc”
•    osteoarthritis (also called degenerative joint disease)
•    scoliosis – this is curvature of the spine and may begin in childhood or develop much later
•    spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spinal canal, where the spinal cord is located
•    nerve compression or irritation – this may complicate any of the conditions above
Dangerous conditions, such as infection or tumor, are much rarer causes of back pain.
In many cases, low back pain is not caused by a single cause; instead, 2 or more of the conditions noted above contribute to symptoms.

Peripheral edema means there is swelling of the feet, ankles and legs due to fluid accumulation in the tissues. The most common cause is venous insufficiency, leaky valves in the leg veins. The leg veins return blood to the heart after the blood has delivered its oxygen and nutrients to the feet and lower legs. The veins need the valves to stop blood from backing up, which can lead to fluid leak. Other causes include heart disease, kidney conditions, malnutrition, thyroid disorders and blocked lymph channels (lymphedema). 

Sinus tachycardia refers to a heart rate above 100 beats per minute, with the electrical impulses originating  in the sinus node and travelling normally through the rest of the heart. Sinus tachycardia is an appropriate response when you are exercising, have a fever or are anxious. Most often you will not be aware of the high heart rate, but you might feel pounding in the chest. People with an underlying heart problem may develop chest pain, shortness of breath or lightheadedness during sinus tachycardia.

Bloating usually goes away on its own as gas makes its way out of the digestive tract through belching and passing gas. But if bloating is a frequent issue, try cutting out milk products to see whether you have become lactose intolerant.
If that doesn’t help, examine your regular diet for FODMAP foods. It’s best to speak with a dietitian to help identify possible problem foods and design a strategy to either eliminate them and replace them with other foods or adjust their amounts.
You also can protect against bloating caused by excess air by eating slower, consuming smaller meals, and cutting down on carbonated beverages. Taking an over-the-counter anti-gas remedy with simethicone may help with occasional bloating.