Health A-Z Medical Reference

Diamond-Blackfan anemia is a rare type of anemia. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options of this condition.

What are the symptoms of sideroblastic anemia and how are they treated?

Do you know all of the details of your medical history? Learn what a personal and family medical history is, why you need to know it and how to gather the information.

Buerger’s disease is a rare illness that mostly affects smokers. It causes pain in the hands, feet, arms, and legs. Find out more about symptoms, tests, and treatments.

Mosquitoes in some tropical areas can spread the parasite that causes elephantiasis. Learn about the symptoms, treatment and how to avoid the disease.

Babesiosis is an infection of the red blood cells spread mostly by ticks. Find out about the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of this potentially serious condition.

Why is an autopsy needed, and when is it performed?

Health care agents play a key role in end-of-life planning. Find out what they are, how they can help, and how to choose one.

We all hope surgery goes smoothly, but sometimes the road to recovery has bumps. Find out what's most likely to happen afterward and how to speed up your healing.

Learn how medical marijuana works, where it’s legal, what it’s used for, and what side effects it might cause.

Find out how to get your body -- and mind -- ready for kidney donor surgery.

Interested in donating a kidney? Learn about the screening process.

Ready to donate a kidney? Here’s what to expect from the surgery.

ORIF surgery is performed to repair broken bones. Learn more about when you might need it, what to expect, and more.

Ligamentous laxity is when you have loose joints. Learn more about what causes it, what to expect, and more.

They can cause everything from "walking pneumonia" to problems during your pregnancy. Find out how you can prevent and treat them.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus has caused panic in Brazil since it first appeared there in May 2015. Officials believe it’s likely to spread to the U.S.

What can baking soda do for you? Learn when to use this household product and when to leave it on the shelf.

Get tips on how to take medicines you need during your busy day at work.

Going on vacation? Get tips on how to manage your meds while traveling.

Epsom salts have been used for hundreds of years to ease all kinds of aches and pains. A simple soak with it in the tub may help you feel better.

Immunoglobulin therapy is used to treat immune deficiencies and various autoimmune conditions. WebMD explains IVIg therapy, uses, side effects, results, and more.

If you find yourself constantly reaching for more water, it could be a sign of a health problem.

Hitchhiker’s thumb is when your thumb is very flexible and can bend backward, sometimes up to 90 degrees. Learn more about what causes it, what conditions are associated with it, and more.

CRE are dangerous germs that are hard to treat. These antibiotic-resistant superbugs can become deadly when they move out of your gut.

Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of thrombocytopenia, a condition that leads you to have low levels of platelets, the cells that help your blood clot.

Chagas disease, spread by "kissing bugs," is now affecting a part of the U.S.

WebMD explains hearing loss and congenital deafness, including causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack healthy cells instead of invading bacteria or viruses.

Metabolic acidosis happens when a problem in your cells throws off the chemical balance in your blood, making it more acidic. Your treatment depends on what's causing it.

Learn about the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of an infection with Epstein-Barr, the virus that causes mononucleosis.

The causes, symptoms, and treatment of thrombocytopenia and ITP, conditions that cause you to have an abnormally low number of platelets in your blood.

Symptoms, causes, and treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare blood disease.

Find out what you need to know about 24-hour urine protein tests and discover what it’s for and how it may affect health.

Details about this rare inherited disorder.

The causes, symptoms, and treatment of acromegaly, a rare disease that causes your hands, feet, face, and other parts of your body to swell and grow too much.

Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of Cushing's syndrome, a condition in which your body produces too much of the hormone cortisol.

Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that attacks the immune system and organs. Learn more about symptoms, treatment options, and how to prevent it.

WebMD explains aplastic anemia, a serious but treatable blood condition.

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans has hearing problems, but only half have had their hearing checked. WebMD explains why it's important to treat hearing loss.

Do you find yourself shivering when no one else is? WebMD explains possible causes for the condition.

Factor X is a protein that helps your blood clot. Learn about factor X deficiency, what causes it, what to expect, and more.

Your immune system can be weakened by disease, medications or genetics. Learn more about these disorders.

WebMD explains self-treatment strategies for tinnitus.

WebMD describes the causes, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of glomerulosclerosis, the scarring of blood vessels in the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure if untreated.

If your doctor tells you that you have porphyria, it means you have one of a group of disorders that can cause nerve or skin problems. Find out what can trigger the symptoms and how you can get treated.

WebMD explains how to find a clinical trial and the questions you may want to ask before agreeing to participate.

WebMD explains what to expect after an organ transplant, including tips for managing medication, monitoring your progress during recovery at home, and guidelines for diet and exercise.

Learn about different types of hearing loss and the solutions and treatments that are best suited for each type.

Get tips for preventing noise-induced hearing loss and slowing the progression of age-related hearing loss.