Electrolytes, such as sodium, calcium and potassium, are important minerals in the body responsible for maintaining acid levels, fluid balance, and muscle functioning. A number of factors can lead to electrolyte imbalance, such as excessive sweating, medical conditions, and medications.

Thirst in pregnancy can be a simple sign that your body needs more fluids or it can be a sign of a more serious complication. Always consult your doctor if you have any unusual symptoms during pregnancy, especially if they are persistent.

Personal trainers sometimes recommend having a coffee before a workout to give you an energy boost, so you may wonder whether nicotine can also help your lifts. The effect that nicotine has on your weightlifting routine depends on how you take nicotine.

The American Academy of Dermatology says that an itch consists of a complex process that involves nerves responding to the release of histamine and sending signals to the brain. Implications of itchy skin range from insect bites to drug sensitivity.

The ingredients in food often have a similar effect on your brain and its chemical reactions as drugs, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

A blood test can be used to check for nicotine. The reasons for this can vary, but nicotine is an indication that a person smokes, which can have a large impact on a person’s health. Urine or saliva testing could also be used to test for nicotine.

An estimated 10 percent or more of birth defects are the result of maternal drug exposure, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, or AAFP. If you’re pregnant, it’s important to ask your doctor before using any medication.

Test anxiety is a type of performance anxiety. People who suffer from test anxiety often have other types of anxiety, in particular social anxiety. Nonpharmacological methods are considered the first line of treatment, but if they fail, or if the anxiety is truly incapacitating, medications can be helpful.

Smoking marijuana can be just as unhealthy and addictive as smoking cigarettes, according to DrugAbuse.gov. Once the decision is made to quit smoking weed, you might have no idea where to start and how to do it.

You might be prepared for the morning sickness, exhaustion and overall discomfort that pregnancy brings, but you might not have known about the hemorrhoids.

Prescription drugs have their place in our medically advanced society. There are many diseases people would die from if not for prescription drugs, and some prescription drugs seem to make life easier when you have a small ailment such as the flu or a cough. But prescription drugs have a dark side as well.

You may not see the connection, but numerous studies agree that cutting down your sugar intake can greatly reduce alcohol cravings. Because the body ultimately turns the carbs in alcohol into sugar, your body could be simply looking for another source of sweetness.