Hirsutism is a common condition that causes excessive hair growth. It primarily affects women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). You may develop coarse, dark hair growth on your upper lip, chin, chest, abdomen or back instead of the fine hair sometimes referred to as “peach fuzz” that commonly grows in those areas. Hirsutism can cause distress, but it’s …

Your eardrum is a flexible membrane that separates your outer ear from your middle ear. You can rupture your eardrum if you have a severe middle ear infection or you injure or damage your eardrum. A ruptured eardrum may affect your hearing and sense of balance. Ruptured eardrums often heal without treatment. Sometimes, however, you may need surgery to repair your damaged eardrum. Protecting …

Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) is an ear canal infection. Your ear canal is the pathway between your outer ear and your middle ear. Swimmer’s ear can be a bacterial infection or fungal infection. We call it “swimmer’s ear” because avid swimmers commonly experience it. But anyone can get it — especially during the warmer months when many people spend more time in the …

An ear infection, also called acute otitis media, is a sudden infection in your middle ear. The middle ear is the air-filled space between your eardrum and inner ear. It houses the delicate bones that transmit sound vibrations from your eardrum to your inner ear so you can hear. Eustachian tubes are canals that connect your middle ear to the back of your throat. They …

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes an urge to fall asleep suddenly during the daytime that’s almost impossible to resist. Although this condition isn’t common, it’s widely known because of its symptoms and how they happen. Narcolepsy is usually treatable, but the condition can still cause severe disruptions in your life, ability to work and social relationships. What are the symptoms …

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. The word “acute” in acute lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones. The word “lymphocytic” in acute lymphocytic leukemia refers to …

Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world. But survival rates are improving for many types …

Corns and calluses are a buildup of hard, thick areas of skin. Although these hardened areas of skin can form anywhere on your body, you’ll usually see them on your feet, hands or fingers. What’s the difference between a corn and a callus? Corns and calluses are essentially the same tissue. Corns tend to be small and round. You’re most likely …

Calciphylaxis (kal-si-fuh-lack-sis) is a rare, painful and deadly disease that causes calcium deposits to form in your blood vessels and block blood flow. This leads to areas where skin and tissue just underneath break down and die. In most cases of calciphylaxis, calcium deposits form in blood vessels that supply your skin and the tissue just underneath it. In rare cases, deposits can form internally in …