Your Health Questions
Answered by Professionals

Yes, inflammatory bowel disease can cause weight gain, often indirectly due to corticosteroid treatment, weight rebound during remission, reduced physical activity, dietary shifts toward easier-to-digest but calorie-dense foods, and short-term fluid retention. There are several factors to consider. See below for signs that warrant medical attention and practical next steps, including medication review to limit steroids, dietitian-guided nutrition, gradual activity, and how IBS differs from IBD to help guide your care.

Yes, sleep apnea can be life-threatening over time if untreated, since it raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, dangerous heart rhythms, high blood pressure, diabetes, and serious accidents, though most people do not die suddenly from it and it is highly treatable. There are several factors to consider, including severity, other health conditions, warning signs, and proven treatments like CPAP that reduce risk; see below for key details and guidance on when to see a doctor and what to do next.

Ulcerative colitis does not biologically turn into Crohn’s disease; however, in about 5 to 10 percent of people the diagnosis may be reclassified as new features appear. Many treatments overlap, and a label change reflects better information rather than worsening disease. There are several factors to consider; see below for signs that should prompt a doctor visit, what can trigger reclassification, and how it may affect next steps in your care.

It’s generally not recommended to drink alcohol while taking gabapentin; together they can heighten drowsiness, dizziness, poor coordination, and in some people dangerously slow breathing, with higher risk if you use other sedatives, have lung disease, are older, on higher doses, or early in treatment. There are several factors to consider, and the details below could change your safest next steps. In select cases a small, occasional drink may be acceptable only after your prescriber confirms your dose is stable and you have no other risk factors, but there is no universally safe amount; see below for practical precautions and urgent warning signs.

Hip dips are a common, normal anatomical contour driven mostly by pelvic and femur shape and genetics, so exercise cannot remove them, although targeted glute strengthening can build surrounding muscle and make them look less prominent over time. There are several factors to consider; see below for realistic expectations and timelines, which exercises help and what they cannot change, why weight changes and symmetry are unpredictable, how to distinguish appearance concerns from hip pain that may need medical attention, and key cautions about cosmetic procedures and mental health.

Sudafed’s active ingredient, pseudoephedrine, can act like a mild stimulant that disrupts sleep; it peaks 1 to 3 hours after a dose, has a half-life of about 5 to 8 hours, and can linger 20 to 40 hours, with sleep disruption most likely in the first 6 to 12 hours, especially after afternoon or extended-release doses. There are several factors to consider, including your sensitivity to stimulants, other medications, age, and whether you took an immediate- or extended-release product; taking it early in the day and considering non-stimulant alternatives can reduce insomnia. See below for important details, safer timing tips, and when to seek care if symptoms are severe or persistent.

Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that typically shows up as a warm, red, swollen, and painful patch with ill-defined edges on one side of the body; if it worsens, you may see red streaks, blisters, or skin darkening. Spreading redness, increasing pain, fever or chills, numbness, or involvement of the face or genital area need urgent medical care and antibiotics, and conditions like diabetes or poor circulation can change the right next steps. There are several factors to consider. See below for complete details that can guide what you do next.

Spreading, hot, painful redness that worsens suggests cellulitis, while a simple bug bite is mostly itchy, small, and improves within a few days. Seek care promptly if redness is rapidly expanding, the area is very tender and warm, you have fever, red streaks, facial or genital involvement, or a weakened immune system; early antibiotics help prevent complications. There are several factors to consider that could change your next steps; see below for important details.

Digestive symptoms that worsen around your period are common and usually driven by hormone shifts, prostaglandins, and mild inflammation, causing bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, or reflux. There are several factors to consider, including flares of IBS or endometriosis and red flags that warrant medical care, so see the complete guidance below for specific relief tips, what to track, and when to talk to a doctor.

A simple TSH thyroid stimulating hormone blood test is often recommended when you have signs of thyroid imbalance, including persistent fatigue, weight or mood changes, feeling too cold or hot, palpitations or tremor, menstrual changes, or unexplained cholesterol issues, and it is also prompted by risk factors like pregnancy, autoimmune disease, certain medications, or a family history. There are several factors to consider, including which symptoms make testing more urgent and how TSH is interpreted with other labs; see below for the complete list of triggers, risk factors, result meanings, and the next steps to take with your doctor.

Most cellulitis needs antibiotics because it is a bacterial infection in deeper skin layers; home care like elevation, wound care, and pain relief can support healing but is rarely enough once redness is spreading or symptoms persist beyond 24 to 48 hours. There are several factors to consider, including worsening redness or swelling, moderate to severe pain, fever or chills, drainage, infection near the eyes, face, or genitals, and conditions that weaken the immune system. See below for important details on when to seek urgent care, how doctors choose antibiotics and for how long, complications of delaying treatment, common look-alikes that do not need antibiotics, and prevention steps that could change your next best move.

Hip dips are a normal, genetics-driven contour shaped mostly by bone structure, not weak glutes, poor posture, or a medical problem; exercise can build strength but cannot erase the dip, and weight changes may alter visibility. There are several factors to consider. See below for the evidence on anatomy, healthy training goals, when hip pain needs evaluation, and the benefits and risks of cosmetic options, plus mental health tips and a symptom checker to guide next steps.

Yes, berberine can interact with medications; the riskiest combinations are with diabetes drugs, blood pressure medicines, heart rhythm medications including digoxin, statins, and blood thinners, and it may also affect antibiotics, antifungals, and sedatives. There are several factors to consider, including how it can lower sugar and blood pressure, alter drug levels, and who should avoid it; most interactions are manageable with monitoring and clinician guidance, but see below for complete details and next steps to use it more safely.

It does not detox your body; your liver and kidneys do that, while lymphatic drainage massage simply supports lymph flow and can reduce swelling in conditions like lymphedema, improving comfort but not flushing toxins from organs. There are several factors to consider, including when it actually helps, who should avoid it, and better ways to support real detox such as hydration, nutrition, movement, and sleep; see the complete details below to guide your next steps.

Sudafed usually does not cause drowsiness, but some people feel sleepy due to individual nervous system responses, rebound fatigue, being sick, medication or alcohol interactions, or taking combination products with sedating antihistamines. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. Important details below include how to lower your risk by checking labels, using the lowest effective dose, staying hydrated, taking it earlier in the day, avoiding alcohol, and when to contact a doctor if drowsiness is severe or you have warning symptoms that could change your next steps.

Sudafed can keep you awake, especially products with pseudoephedrine, because it has stimulant-like effects that may cause alertness, restlessness, a faster heart rate, and insomnia. Immediate-release effects typically last 4 to 6 hours with a 5 to 8 hour half-life, extended-release can disrupt sleep if taken late, and phenylephrine is shorter and usually less stimulating. There are several factors to consider, including dose, timing, caffeine, your sensitivity, and medical conditions or medications; practical ways to reduce sleep disruption, who should be cautious, warning signs, and alternatives are detailed below to help you decide next steps and when to speak with a doctor.

Healing times vary by piercing site: earlobes usually need 6 to 8 weeks for initial healing and up to 3 months total, while cartilage often takes 3 to 6 months and inner cartilage 6 to 12 months; early, mild redness, swelling, itching, and clear crusting that improves are normal. Worsening pain, redness that spreads, thick yellow or green discharge with odor, heat, swelling after week one, or fever signal possible infection and need prompt care; there are several factors to consider, so see the detailed week by week expectations, care tips, and red flags below.

Farxiga 10 mg is an SGLT2 inhibitor taken once daily to help control type 2 diabetes and to reduce hospitalizations and protect kidneys in heart failure and chronic kidney disease, even without diabetes; there are several factors to consider, so see below for who should avoid it and how to use it safely. You may notice more urination, thirst, and mild dizziness, while urgent care is needed for signs of ketoacidosis, serious infection, allergic reaction, little or no urination, or fainting; important red flags, sick-day rules, and next steps for your situation are detailed below.

Farxiga is now used not only for type 2 diabetes, but also for heart failure (HFrEF and HFpEF) and chronic kidney disease, with strong studies showing fewer hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths and slower kidney decline, even in people without diabetes. There are several factors to consider, including who should not use it and potential side effects like increased urination, genital yeast infections, dehydration, and rare ketoacidosis; see below for key precautions, guideline updates, and the next steps to discuss with your doctor.

Farxiga treats type 2 diabetes, heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction, and chronic kidney disease, including in many people without diabetes. It is an SGLT2 inhibitor that helps the kidneys excrete extra sugar and fluid, which improves blood sugar, modestly reduces weight and blood pressure, lowers heart failure hospitalizations and cardiovascular death, and slows CKD progression and the need for dialysis. There are several factors to consider, including who should avoid it and safety issues like genital or urinary infections, dehydration, and rare ketoacidosis, as well as how and when to take it; see the important details below to guide your next steps.

Gabapentin can relieve certain nerve pain, with about 30 to 50 percent of people getting meaningful but partial relief, usually after 1 to 4 weeks when doses are increased gradually, and it is generally not helpful for non-nerve pain. There are several factors to consider, including side effects, interactions with opioids or alcohol, and who should be cautious, as well as what to do if it does not work. See the complete details below to understand who benefits most, how to start and stop safely, and which alternatives might better guide your next steps with a clinician.

Common gabapentin side effects like drowsiness, dizziness or unsteadiness, blurred vision, mild stomach upset, and leg swelling are usually temporary; serious ones to act on include rash or swelling with trouble breathing, blistering skin, severe confusion or weakness, breathing problems, and new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. There are several factors to consider, including higher doses, interactions with opioids, benzodiazepines, or alcohol, older age or kidney disease, and the risk of seizures if you stop suddenly; see the detailed guidance below for what’s normal, when to call your doctor, and when to seek emergency care.

Gabapentin is used for nerve-related conditions such as partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia, and is often prescribed off label for neuropathic pain, restless legs, hot flashes, and sometimes fibromyalgia, but it is not a general painkiller, antidepressant, or first-line anxiety medicine. There are several factors to consider, including side effects, the need to taper rather than stop suddenly, interactions with opioids, alcohol, and sedatives, misuse risk, and who should be extra cautious such as older adults or people with kidney disease, breathing problems, mood disorders, or pregnancy; see the complete details below to understand more and when to talk to a doctor.

Most people with contagious pneumonia stop being contagious within 24 to 48 hours after starting effective treatment, even though cough and fatigue can linger. For viral cases, contagiousness often ends once fever has been gone for 24 hours and symptoms are improving, which for many adults is around 3 to 7 days from symptom start. There are several factors to consider, including the cause, correct treatment, immune status, close-contact settings, and that most fungal pneumonia is not contagious; see the complete details below to understand exceptions and the safest next steps.

Common causes of a high BUN include dehydration, kidney disease or acute injury, high protein intake, gastrointestinal bleeding, reduced kidney blood flow, certain medications, and age-related changes. There are several factors to consider, and BUN is best interpreted with creatinine, urine tests, symptoms, and trends; see the complete details below to know when it is urgent, when it is likely reversible, and what next steps to take.

High TSH usually signals an underactive thyroid and low TSH suggests an overactive thyroid. Doctors interpret results with your symptoms and other labs like Free T4 and T3 because the typical range of about 0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L can vary with age, pregnancy, medications, and health conditions. There are several factors to consider, including subclinical results that may only need monitoring, common causes and treatments, when to repeat testing, and urgent warning signs like chest pain, severe weakness, or a very fast or irregular heartbeat that need prompt care. See complete details below to guide your next steps and what to discuss with your clinician.

Hip dips are a common, normal anatomical variation shaped mostly by your pelvic and femur bone structure, with muscle attachments and fat distribution making them more or less visible; they are not caused by fitness level or weight and do not need to be fixed. There are several factors to consider about appearance changes with exercise, myths, mental well-being, and when hip or groin symptoms warrant medical care or a symptom check, so see the complete details below to guide next steps.

Pneumonia can be contagious depending on the cause: viral and some bacterial or atypical infections can spread through close, repeated contact in households, while aspiration and other non infectious pneumonias do not. Risk of catching it rises with prolonged indoor exposure and in higher risk people like older adults, infants, smokers, and those with chronic conditions, and bacterial cases are usually less contagious after 24 to 48 hours of antibiotics; there are several factors to consider, including how long someone is contagious and practical steps to prevent spread, which are detailed below.

Cellulitis can get worse quickly, often progressing within 24 to 48 hours if untreated, starting with spreading redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness, and potentially escalating by 2 to 3 days to fever, significant pain, red streaks, and sometimes serious complications. Antibiotics usually stop the spread and bring improvement within 24 to 48 hours, but seek urgent care for rapidly spreading redness, high fever, severe pain, facial or eye involvement, or if symptoms worsen after 48 hours; there are several factors that can change the timeline and your next steps, like diabetes, poor circulation, or immune problems. See the detailed timeline, red flags, and what to do next below.

Contagiousness depends on the cause: viral pneumonia usually spreads from 1 to 2 days before symptoms through about 5 to 7 days after they begin, bacterial pneumonia is typically contagious until 24 to 48 hours after starting the right antibiotics, walking pneumonia can remain contagious for several days to weeks, fungal pneumonia is not contagious, and Pneumocystis spreads person to person only rarely. There are several factors to consider, like age, immune status, and whether fever and cough are improving, which affect when you are no longer contagious and safe to return to normal activities; see below for the full timelines by type, prevention steps, and when to contact a doctor.