Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a narrowing or blockage of your coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. This happens because, over time, plaque (including cholesterol) buildup in these arteries limits how much blood can reach your heart muscle. Picture two traffic lanes that merge into one due to construction. Traffic keeps flowing, just more slowly. With CAD, you might not …

Functional neurologic disorder — a newer and broader term that includes what some people call conversion disorder — features nervous system (neurological) symptoms that can’t be explained by a neurological disease or other medical condition. However, the symptoms are real and cause significant distress or problems functioning. Signs and symptoms vary, depending on the type of functional neurologic disorder, and …

Contact dermatitis is your skin’s reaction to something in your environment that causes an itchy rash. “Dermatitis” is the medical term for skin irritation or swelling (inflammation). You get contact dermatitis by coming into contact with a substance, organism, object or chemical that’s irritating to your skin. What are the types of contact dermatitis? There are two types of contact dermatitis: Allergic …

Constipation in toddlers is very common. Toddlers who are constipated poop (have a bowel movement) less frequently than usual. Every toddler is different, but this usually means they poop less than two times a week. When they do go, their poop (stool) is hard, dry and large in size. Their poop may be difficult or painful to pass. Toddler constipation usually …

Having fewer than three bowel movements a week is, technically, the definition of constipation. But how often you poop varies widely from person to person. Some people poop several times a day while others only poop one to two times a week. Whatever your bowel movement pattern is, it’s unique and normal for you — as long as you don’t stray too …

Pink eye is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a clear membrane layer that covers parts of your eyes and the inside of your eyelids. This condition is extremely common, partly because it happens for so many different reasons. Many of those reasons are also common. Pink eye can be acute (short-term), meaning it lasts under four weeks. Or it can be chronic (long-term), meaning it lasts …

When two babies are physically connected to each other at birth, they’re called conjoined twins. Experts don’t know exactly what causes the condition. But it likely involves splitting or fusion of very early-stage embryos soon after fertilization. All conjoined twins are identical, and about two-thirds are assigned female at birth (AFAB). How common are conjoined twins? Conjoined twins are rare. …

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. When this happens, blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath. Certain heart conditions gradually leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump blood properly. These conditions include narrowed arteries in the heart and …

A newborn baby’s skull consists of several bones that fit together. Usually, newborns have spaces called sutures between their skull bones. The sutures let the skull size grow to accommodate the baby’s growing brain. When the bones of the skull are fused together either at birth or fuse too soon, the condition is called craniosynostosis. The sutures of the skull …

Congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) is a group of conditions that cause muscle weakness that gets worse with physical activity (exertion). “Congenital” means the condition is present at birth. It most commonly affects your facial muscles, like the ones you use to chew, swallow and blink. But it can also affect the skeletal muscles you use for movement. Symptoms can be mild …