Harvard Health Content API

Many of the remedies for mild hiccups may work by creating a stimulus that interrupts the signals causing the reflex. In effect, you take the nervous system out of its rut. So, for example, when you drink from the wrong side of the glass, you may be exciting nerves in the back of the mouth, nose, and throat that aren't stimulated by normal drinking. 
Breathing into a paper bag works a different way. It increases the carbon dioxide (CO2) level in your blood, and it's been shown that as CO2 levels go up, hiccups tend to recede.
Another maneuver: You exhale and then take a very deep breath and hold it for 10 seconds. Then, without exhaling, you breathe in again, pause, and then breathe in a third time. 
The most commonly prescribed medicine for hiccups is chlorpromazine.

Among the most common causes of foot pain are:

•    Arthritis (including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout)
•    Bunions
•    Injury or overuse (including sports injuries, stress fractures, sprains or strains)
•    Plantar fasciitis
•    Excess weight (which is more of a contributor than a cause)
•    Poorly fitting or restrictive footwear
•    Morton’s neuroma
•    Neuropathy

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comes in a variety of forms. Common symptoms include difficulty focusing, being easily distracted, daydreaming, fidgeting, restlessness, and impulsivity. The exact cause of ADHD is not clear. First-degree relatives of people with ADHD are at increased risk of developing it, so genetics probably play a large role, but environmental factors may also contribute.

When considering the cause of unexplained weight loss, it’s important to determine whether the person still has a good appetite or not, and reviewing the number of calories the person is actually eating. Appetite loss leading to decreased caloric intake is the usual problem. Causes of persistent loss of appetite include medication side effects, stomach, liver, and bowel disorders; depression; chronic pain; diabetes and cancer. Weight loss despite consuming plenty of calories can happen in people with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).

There is no single ideal sleeping position for scoliosis (curvature of the spine).

For one thing, there are many types of scoliosis: it may vary by location in the spine, severity, cause, and duration. And it can vary in what symptoms it causes. Therefore, it is not surprising that a position that is comfortable for one person may be the worst position for someone else.

In addition, we all move when we sleep, so even if a particular position seemed best for an individual, it’s unlikely they would maintain that position throughout the night.

In most cases, the best positions for sleep are discovered by trying different positions to determine which is most comfortable..

Ringworm, also called tinea, is a skin infection caused by fungi, microscopic organisms that are similar to yeast and molds. It does not have any relation to worms, but is called "ringworm" because the infection can produce ring-shaped patches on the skin that have red, wormlike edges. It is treated with an antifungal cream, lotion or powder applied to the affected area(s). Rarely, a person might need an oral antifungal drug.

Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes repeated episodes of sudden, brief changes in the brain’s electrical activity. Epileptic episodes are called seizures or convulsions. Epilepsy is not lethal condition because even untreated most seizures last less than two minutes. Rarely, a generalized tonic-clonic seizure can last five minutes or more, a situation known as status epilepticus. Untreated, this medical emergency is potentially deadly.

Yes, but it depends on the specific condition causing alopecia.

 

Alopecia is a medical term for hair loss. There are many causes and types. For some of them, hair can grow back, particularly if there is no scarring in the skin and damage to hair follicles where hair is lost. But, if the hair follicles are severely damaged and there is extensive scarring (as may occur in some cases of lupus or with burns, for example), hair cannot regrow.

 

However, if alopecia is due to a different condition, such as alopecia areata, it is common for hair to eventually regrow. Male pattern baldness is another condition that has at least some capacity for hair regrowth in some men: medications that encourage hair regrowth are effective in some, but not all, cases. Alopecia due to a medications tends to resolve once the medication is stopped.

Endometriosis is a painful condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, called the endometrium, grows outside of the uterus in other parts of the body such as the outer surface of the uterus, the ovary, fallopian tubes, and bladder. The exact cause is unknown though genetics or hormonal irregularities may contribute. Birth control pills can help reduce the pain associated with endometriosis and are a common treatment option.

There is no individual test to establish the diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome. In practice, the diagnosis depends on the combination of symptoms, physical examination findings, selective testing and the exclusion of other conditions.

Criteria for the diagnosis include the following:

• Chronic pain without clear explanation

• At least 3 of the following 4 reported symptoms –

o Excessive sensitivity or pain to stimulation that ordinarily doesn’t cause discomfort

o Abnormal temperature or skin color (such as one arm feeling cooler to the touch or appearing redder than the other)

o Swelling or changes in sweating in an extremity

o Reduced motion or function in an extremity and/or abnormal hair, skin or nails

• At least 2 of the following 4 examination findings –

o Excessive sensitivity to pinprick or excessive pain to light touch, temperature, pressure or movement

o Temperature or skin color difference between extremities

o Swelling or abnormal sweating

o Decreased range of motion or function or changes in skin, nail or hair

Testing may include x-rays, a bone scan and measures of skin temperature.