Ocular rosacea is a condition that causes inflammation in your eyes and the skin around them. It’s a specific type of rosacea — a skin disease that causes inflammation and discoloration on your whole face. Healthcare providers sometimes call ocular rosacea “meibomian gland dysfunction.” Ocular rosacea might make your eyes and the skin around them feel irritated, painful, itchy and uncomfortable when you’re having a symptom flare-up. There’s …

Childhood sleep apnea is a common condition that causes a pause in your child’s breathing pattern while they sleep. Your child’s breathing changes due to an obstruction or blockage in their airway or because their brain isn’t communicating with their breathing muscles. When your child’s brain senses changes to their body’s air intake, it’ll signal their lungs to breathe. This may cause your child to wake …

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where a blockage or narrowing in your airway keeps air from moving through your windpipe when you’re asleep. The blockage and lack of airflow can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop. This triggers a survival reflex in your brain that wakes you up just enough to breathe again. While that reflex is key in keeping you breathing, …

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition in which you have frequent unwanted thoughts and sensations (obsessions) that cause you to perform repetitive behaviors (compulsions). The repetitive behaviors can significantly interfere with social interactions and performing daily tasks. OCD is usually a life-long (chronic) condition, but symptoms can come and go over time. Everyone experiences obsessions and compulsions at some point. …

Obesity is when you have excessive body fat. It’s a chronic (long-term) and complex disease that can affect your overall health and quality of life. Obesity can lead to serious medical conditions. It can affect your self-esteem and mental health. If you have obesity, you’re not alone. It’s a common disease that affects 2 in 5 adults in the United States. A healthcare provider can …

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a combination of symptoms that may cause you to urinate (pee) more frequently, have uncontrollable urges to pee, experience incontinence and have to pee at night. Who does overactive bladder affect? Overactive bladder is most common in people 65 and older. Women may have OAB at a younger age, usually around 45. How common is overactive bladder? Overactive …

Norovirus is a group of viruses that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. It’s a very common illness and it’s very contagious. Norovirus outbreaks usually happen seasonally in colder months. The infection is the No. 1 cause of foodborne illness in the United States. The first norovirus outbreak occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, USA, in a school in 1968. For this reason, …

Noonan syndrome is a genetic condition that can affect your child in many ways. While some children born with this condition have mild symptoms, others can have more issues. Symptoms typically include unusual facial features such as a tall forehead and wide-set eyes, lower-set ears and a shorter neck. Many children born with Noonan syndrome also have short stature (short …

Nonmelanoma skin cancer refers to all the types of cancer that occur in the skin that are not melanoma. Several types of skin cancer fall within the broader category of nonmelanoma skin cancer, with the most common types being basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Nightmare disorder is a pattern of repeated frightening and vivid dreams that cause significant distress or impaired functioning. Nightmare disorder is one type of parasomnias, which are behavioral sleep abnormalities. Nightmare disorder ranges in severity based on the occurrence of nightmares: Mild: Less than one nightmare per week on average. Moderate: One or more nightmares per week, but less than nightly. …