Harvard Health Content API

Confabulation, which has also been referred to as “honest lying”, is the creation of false memories without the intention to deceive others.  People who confabulate believe they are conveying true memories when, in fact, they are not.  People with dementia or brain injuries may confabulate.  Lying, on the other hand, is the deliberate misrepresentation of the truth.

While people with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a leg often experience discomfort, they usually also have other symptoms such as foot, ankle and lower leg swelling and a sensation of heaviness in the leg, particularly when standing.

A deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot (thrombus) that forms inside a deep vein, most often in a leg. DVTs are treated with medications that stop additional clot formation and allow the clot to naturally dissolve. They are commonly called "blood thinners." The blood clot may or may not fully dissolve. With treatment blood flow from the leg will improve, but there may be residual swelling in the lower leg.

Approximately 10% of people with Crohn’s disease have related skin disorders. These include:

• erythema nodosum – This is a particular type of skin inflammation in the fatty layer of the skin that causes red, painful lumps. It most commonly occurs on the front of the lower legs.

• pyoderma gangrenosum – This is a serious condition marked by large, painful ulcers in the skin, most commonly occurring on the legs.

• skin tags around the anus – These are harmless, noncancerous skin growths often attached to the skin by a thin stalk.

• enterocutaneous fistula – This is an abnormal connection between a part of the intestinal tract and the skin. It develops because of chronic intestinal inflammation.

• Canker sores – While these painful sores are common in the general population, they are even more common and more severe in people with Crohn’s disease. These ulcers tend to appear when the bowel disease is flaring.

Does protein intake and retention have anything to do with age? or is it a fabrication?

Rapid hair loss can occur from many causes, including illness, stress, medications, and hormone changes. Not all hair loss is a result of abnormal conditions. Hair loss can result from normal shedding. At times, shedding may be greater than usual. This can occur during "telogen effluvium," a normal "resting" phase of hair growth. Hair loss can also result with normal aging. This type of hair loss, called "androgenic alopecia," often has an inherited component.

Alcohol consumed in moderation (no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 drinks per day for men) has a low risk of long term effects. However, drinking in excess of these limits can be detrimental to your health. Long term excessive drinking can affect your heart and liver. One of the devastating effects of long term excessive alcohol consumption is alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a kind of heart failure caused by alcohol damaging the heart. Another serious consequence of excessive drinking is alcoholic cirrhosis, liver failure due to alcohol damaging the liver. While no amount of alcohol consumption is 100% safe, drinking in moderation can help avoid long term health effects. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you should not consume alcohol at all.

The physical effects of anorexia nervosa include:

• Significant weight loss (more than 15% of ideal body weight)

• Distorted self-image; feeling fat despite being thin

• Self-esteem that depends on weight and appearance

• Amenorrhea (stopping of menstrual periods or a delay of starting menstruation in young teens)

• Skin dryness or flakiness

• Brittle nails and hair

• Anemia

• Swelling in feet and ankles

• Intolerance to cold

• Hypothermia (low body temperature)

• Poor concentration

• Dehydration

• Fainting

A combination of psychotherapy and medication is considered the best way to treat depression. The most helpful type of psychotherapy depends on a number of factors, including the nature of any stressful events, the availability of family and other social support, and personal preference. Examples of antidepressant medications include a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI such as fluoxetine, sertraline), a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI such as venlafaxine), mirtazapine and bupropion.

Monkeypox is caused by a virus that typically passes from person to person, not through casual contact, but through close physical contact. Examples include touching the rash, scabs, or bodily fluid (like saliva) of a person with monkeypox, touching contaminated objects or fabrics, or prolonged face-to-face contact.