Cranberry juice isn’t likely to lessen menstrual cramps. The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in cranberries — and its juice, for that matter — do nothing to combat the source of the pain. Other methods are often necessary to relieve any discomfort associated with menstruation.
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A bulging disk refers to a protrusion in the soft pad that separates the vertebrae in your spine. The term is often used interchangeably with other disk problems, such as a slipped or ruptured disk, though the conditions aren’t the same.
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Cold sores are blister-like lesions caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, often manifesting around the lips, nose and chin. The virus associated with this condition is highly contagious, being passed from one person to the next by an active lesion.
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The lower esophageal sphincter is the ring of smooth muscle fibers that separates the esophagus from the stomach. It's basically a barrier to prevent stomach contents from escaping into the food pipe. Whenever you eat or swallow, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes, allowing food and liquid to pass into the stomach.
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The numbness in your mouth after eating is likely the result of a food allergy. Your body can begin to recognize certain food proteins as harmful substances. Upon ingestion, the food triggers an immune response, causing the release of antibodies to protect you from harm.
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Lifting weight can lead to what’s commonly referred to as overuse injuries. Two of the more common are elbow injuries called medial epicondylitis and lateral epicondylitis -- both forms of tendinitis.
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Headache accompanied by chest pressure is commonly seen as a result of stress or anxiety. In either situation, these psychological or emotional states bring about a wide array of feelings, ranging from frustration and nervousness to anger and fear.
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Tennis elbow most often develops in your dominant arm. If you’re right-handed, you’re more apt to develop this condition in your right elbow than your left. The reverse is true for someone who is left-handed. This isn’t to say tennis elbow can’t affect both elbows at the same time; it’s just not as common.
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Sciatica is best described as a symptom of an underlying condition more than a disorder in and of itself. It's usually the result of pressure placed on the sciatic nerve, causing the sensation of pain or discomfort to radiate from the back and into the leg.
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A number of types of bumps can develop on the inside of the eye. More often that not, the bumps are benign and not cause for alarm. The most common bumps are styes, but these inflamed oil glands are red in color and quite tender to the touch.
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Bad breath is one of the potential symptoms of a tooth infection, explains the National Institutes of Health. The foul or offensive odor is usually a result of a tooth abscess, which is often characterized as a collection of pus caused by tooth decay.
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One of the ways in which the berries of the hawthorn tree may help to lower your blood pressure, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, is through dilation. It appears that flavonoids and oligomeric procyanidins, nutrients in the flavonoid family, help dilate the blood vessels.
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The American Heart Association considers between 60 and 100 to be a normal resting pulse rate for an adult woman. This means that her heart should beat between 60 and 100 times per minute when she is sitting or lying in a calm and relaxed state.
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Ovarian cysts can form in or on the ovaries, and can be the result of a hormonal imbalance. Chronic problems with ovarian cysts or numerous cysts on the ovaries may indicate a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS.
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The Mayo Clinic characterizes thin, fragile skin as skin that easily tears or breaks. It's a common problem in older adults. As you advance in years, the layers of your skin simply thin and become more fragile. However, there are a number of other factors affecting the skin's thickness.
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Costochondritis is best described as inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone. Most people with this condition suffer a sharp pain near the sternum, which sometimes mimics the pain associated with a heart attack. Since this condition usually clears on its own, treatment isn’t often necessary.
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When you suffer from acne, it's usually a product of dead skin and oil forming a plug within a pore, according to the Mayo Clinic. For some people, the presence of a plug increases the chances of infection, which can prompt inflammation of the follicle, resulting in a pustule, nodule or cyst under the skin.
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According to MayoClinic.com, rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that results in the formation of red, acne-like pustules on the surface of your skin. Left untreated, it typically worsens over time.
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The dark spots on your face are most likely age spots or solar lentigines. They're a result of sun exposure that stimulates the production of melanin, a compound responsible for pigmentation. As you continually expose the skin to ultraviolet light, some of the melanin can begin to stick together.
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Any type of injury you sustain to the skin can result in scarring. Cuts, burns, incisions and acne lesions are all known to stimulate the production of scar tissue, especially when the wound penetrates into the deeper layers of your skin.
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