Author: Washington University Physicians

Your teenager has a new habit – e-cigarettes. Over the past few years, a new generation of American teens has taken up these battery-powered smoking devices who see them as fashionable accessories and a clean, “safe” way to indulge in a grown-up habit. Are e-cigarettes a harmless fun fad or a teen health risk?

It can happen to any woman. Your symptoms included heavy or irregular bleeding and pressure in the lower abdomen. On exam your doctor detects an enlarged uterus and further tests (ultrasound, MRI or CT scan) shows uterine fibroids. You may even be anemic, with low blood counts.

Many people have bunions – the unsightly and sometimes painful bump on one or both big toes. Most people can live with bunions pain-free, but for others, bunions are progressive and can lead to excruciating pain.

Vaccinations against life-threatening diseases are one of the greatest public health achievements in history. Yet, even today, one in four children in the United States is not fully vaccinated.

Bright red blood in your stool, on the toilet paper, or in the toilet water can be alarming, and may well be due to hemorrhoids, but other conditions may be the cause, some potentially serious. About half the United States population has experienced problems with hemorrhoids by age 50, but because other anorectal problems have similar symptoms, it is important to see your doctor any time bleeding from the rectum occurs.

A concussion is an injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the function of the brain. It can cause irreparable damage to anyone – changing a life forever. Washington University now has a specialized clinic for evaluation and treatment of concussions.

Your son thought the stiffness in his hip would go away, so he kept playing competitive soccer. After several weeks, it was even too painful for him to flex his hip beyond a right angle. What could cause a healthy young athlete to be so disabled with hip pain? His orthopedist suspected your son might have hip impingement, a condition that commonly affects active adolescents and young adults.

You’ve had a stress electrocardiogram (EKG) and now your doctor wants you to get a stress echocardiogram (echo). You’re wondering about the difference between the two tests and why you need both.

The doctor says you are a candidate for home dialysis and would like you to consider it. In-home dialysis provides many advantages to traditional outpatient dialysis treatments.

A parent’s initial fear when a child complains about a sore throat is usually, could it be strep? Here is some helpful information when you hear “Mommy, daddy — my throat hurts.”

Is that really your face in that photo? Today’s pictures are now posted, shared and liked in a matter of seconds – and you might not recognize the online version of yourself. It may be time to freshen your appearance for the sake of your personal, as well as professional image.

The strands, particles and specks that drift through your line of vision can be annoying. They are commonly referred to as “floaters” and typically related to age-related changes in the eye.

Cholesterol levels are some of the most important numbers you need to know for heart health. It is recommended that these levels should be measured at least once every five years for everyone over the age of 20.

The bad news is that you’ve just been told you have a small cancer on your prostate. The good news is that because of improvements in biopsy techniques, for some men it is now possible to destroy only the cancerous part of the prostate.

Most people assume numbness or tingling in their fingers means they have carpal tunnel syndrome — but that is not always the case. If your symptoms include a loss of sensation in half of your ring finger and all of little finger, you most likely have cubital tunnel syndrome.

If you notice your hands are shaky when pouring a cup of coffee, holding a bridge hand or combing your hair, you may leap to the conclusion you are in the early stages of Parkinson disease. But actually, essential tremor is the most common form of abnormal trembling — primarily of the hands.

For most of us, the ability to drive a car equals independence. However, as your parents age, physical and mental abilities may decline, affecting their skills behind the wheel of a vehicle. The changes might be so gradual that your parents are not aware they are no longer a safe driver — but you suspect it may be time to ask them for their car keys.

It would be reasonable to assume that nagging groin pain is due to a pulled muscle. You don’t remember what you did, but what else could be causing the pain? However, recurrent episodes of groin pain, or pain that gets worse over time, might be the result of an underlying hip problem.

Your nagging wrist pain is interfering with simple activities. Normal everyday movements you previously took for granted – pinching, gripping, twisting – are now very painful. The weakness and discomfort are most likely caused by an inflammation of the wrist tendons at the base of your thumb.

It was a beautiful game-winning catch during a weekend game of touch football, but unfortunately, your knee paid the price for glory. There was a pop and your knee hyper-extended when you landed – a few weeks rest did not help. Your doctor said you probably tore your ACL.