Harvard Health Content API

Asthenia is defined as physical weakness or lack of energy and can be a symptom of many conditions including anemia, heart disease, sleep disorders, vitamin deficiencies, neurological conditions, diabetes, depression, thyroid disease, infections, and cancer.  Medications can cause asthenia including those used to treat depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and cancer.  Aging can also precipitate asthenia.  You can reduce your risk by eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol intake, and reducing stress.

The best ways to manage knee pain depend on why the pain is there, though in many cases, the cause of knee pain isn’t immediately clear. For non-urgent situations, acetaminophen, rest, and a cool compress are good first steps. When the knee pain represents an emergency (such as following major trauma, when there’s knee swelling and fever, or there’s an inability to bear weight) the person with knee pain should seek medical attention right away. 
Some of the more common causes and initial treatments of knee pain include:
•    Osteoarthritis – exercise, loss of excess weight, topical anti-inflammatory pain relievers or capsaicin
•    Noninfectious bursitis – exercise, loss of excess weight, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injection
•    Tendinitis – rest and ice, followed by exercise, physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication or acetaminophen
•    Rheumatoid arthritis – anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications, exercise, physical therapy, cortisone injections 
•    Gout – anti-inflammatory medications (when gout attack begins), cortisone injection, long-term medication to lower uric acid (such as allopurinol)

Most people with swollen ankles have "venous insufficiency." Valves inside your veins help move blood from your feet back to your heart. When the valves are working correctly, blood flows in just one direction — back toward your heart.  If the valves in the veins become leaky, with age or because of a medical problem that raises the pressure inside the veins, blood flows in the wrong direction.  The higher pressure inside your veins forces fluid out of your small blood vessels, making your ankles and legs puffy.
Medical conditions such as kidney disease, heart disease or a blood clot in the leg can cause can raise pressure inside the veins and force fluid backward and into the tissues in your legs.  One additional cause of swollen ankles can be medications. Some drugs, such as calcium blockers like amlodipine or nifedipine, can lead to swelling of the feet and legs.
Treatment depends on the cause of swollen ankles. General measures that help are elevating the legs whenever possible, wearing support stockings and limiting sodium intake. For swelling related to heart failure or kidney disease, doctors prescribe diuretics (water pills). Blood clots are treated with anticoagulant drugs.

A panic attack is an unexpected episode of intense fear and anxiety accompanied by physical symptoms that are similar to the body's normal response to danger. Panic disorder is the term used when a person is prone to repeated attacks of panic. “Chronic panic” probably means there are persistent symptoms, more suggestive of generalized anxiety disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is a challenge to treat. Although it is heterogeneous in nature, causing different clusters of symptoms in different people, the disorder has three major clinical components: a fragile sense of self that impairs relationships with other people, impulsiveness, and emotional volatility. Psychotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment, including cognitive behavioral approaches and psychodynamic therapies.

Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids. It can be caused by a problem with the oil glands near the base of the eyelids, a bacterial infection, or skin conditions like rosacea or seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff of the scalp and eyebrows). Treatment may be as easy as regularly clean your eyelids with a warm washcloth and artificial tears. Your doctor may recommend a short course of steroid and/or antibiotic eye drops.

For people suffering from poor concentration who also have bipolar disorder, often the concentration issues are a side effect of the underlying bipolar disorder. Therefore, when we treat the bipolar disorder successfully, concentration can improve. Bipolar disorder can be treated with a combination of medications and cognitive behavioral therapy.

There are many reasons why a person has a dry mouth. Thirst from insufficient daily fluid intake will be felt as a dry mouth. Mouth breathing because of nasal congestion will dry out the usually moist membranes in the mouth, especially if humidity is low. Anxiety often makes your mouth dry – think about how your mouth feels when speaking in front of a large audience. 
Diabetes with high blood sugars results in dry mouth and frequent urination. Many medications cause dry mouth, including antihistamines, some antidepressants, and drugs for bladder control. Any condition that interferes with the normal production of saliva will cause a dry mouth, such as diseases of the salivary glands or blockage of the salivary ducts. Addressing the underlying cause is the key to improving the symptoms.

Natural remedies to help prevent and relieve constipation include getting enough fluids every day, staying physically active and engaging in regular exercise, and ingesting plenty of dietary fiber. Good food sources for fiber include Brussels sprouts, apples, figs, bran cereal, and black beans. Prunes and kiwifruit are especially helpful for people with constipation.  

Photophobia refers to excessive sensitivity to light. If photophobia is caused by an underlying eye condition, migraine or medication, correctly identifying and treating the condition or eliminating the medication may cure the light sensitivity. Some people need to wear special tinted eye glasses or contact lenses regularly to reduce symptoms.