Dry eye is a condition wherein your tears cannot offer the necessary amount of lubrication to the eyes. This can happen due an array of reasons. In general, dry eyes may occur if you do not produce enough tears or if the quality of tears is poor. This insufficiency of tears can cause inflammation or damage to the eye’s surface. 1. Diagnosis Different procedures or tests may be performed for the diagnosis of dry eyes. These include: A complete eye check-up In this, the doctor will demand a comprehensive history of your overall health, particularly your eye health. It helps determine the cause of dry eyes. They may also run other tests to evaluate your overall health and vision. Schirmer’s test Doctors use the Schirmer’s test to assess the eyes’ tear production capacity. In this test, paper strips are placed underneath the lower lids for five minutes. After that, the doctor checks the extent to which both strips have been soaked by tears. Typically, the smaller the amount that has been soaked, the lesser is the tear volume. Phenol red thread test Alternatively, the phenol red thread test may be performed to assess tear production. In this method, a pH-sensitive dye-containing thread is placed on the lower eyelid.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a typically disabling spinal cord and brain disease. In this disease, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which is a protective covering on the nerve fibers. Consequently, the patient experiences communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. In the long run, it can lead to nerve deterioration or permanent damage. So, what are the treatment options for MS? Let us find out. 1. Disease-modifying drugs When a person suffers from relapsing-remitting MS, and the symptoms are acting up, the first line of treatment is a disease-modifying drug. These drugs can help slow down the disease progression and simultaneously prevent symptom flare-ups. Further, these medicines also restrict the immune system so that it does not attack the myelin. There are certain drugs that are injected into the muscle or skin. These injections can make your skin dimply, itchy, red, or sore. 2. Injectables Interferon-beta medications: These are the most prevalently used medications to treat MS. They are injected to lower the severity and frequency of symptom relapse. However, it has a few side effects, such as injection site reactions and flu-like symptoms. Glatiramer acetate: It can restrict the immune system’s attack on myelin.

Also known as sudorrhea or polyhidrosis, hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes excessive sweating. This can negatively impact a certain body part or the whole body. Of course, it is not life-threatening, but it can be quite uncomfortable and lead to psychological trauma and social embarrassment. In this article, we will discuss the causes of primary and secondary hyperhidrosis. So let us get started and address them one by one. 1. Causes of primary focal hyperhidrosis In primary focal hyperhidrosis, you experience sweating in one or more than one focal area in the body. In this case, sweating is seen mainly in the underarm region, palms, or soles. At times, primary focal hyperhidrosis tends to affect the scalp and the face. Primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis Idiopathic stands for a disease where the mechanism of the origin or the cause is not known. Typically, maximum hyperhidrosis cases are idiopathic. Frey’s syndrome It is a rare neurological disorder and is known as gustatory sweating. Other neurologic conditions It includes miscellaneous conditions or spinal injuries all associated with the nervous system. 2. Causes of secondary hyperhidrosis In secondary hyperhidrosis, there is sweating involved. However, it is relatively different from primary hyperhidrosis sweating. In this case, you will experience sweating in one general area or all over, instead of just the face, hands, feet, or underarms.

Melanoma is one of the gravest kinds of skin cancer, which develops in melanocytes. These are the cells responsible for melanin production, which gives the skin its color. Melanoma can develop on the skin and even in your eyes. At times, melanoma may develop inside the body, such as in the throat or nose. What causes melanoma? Let us take a look at some of the key causes of melanoma. 1. UV rays from the sun Skin cancer is mostly caused by harmful UV rays, which damage the skin cell DNA. The primary source of UV light is sunlight. Sunlight has three kinds of UV lights – UVA, UVB, and UVC. Of all these lights, UVC is the most dangerous for the skin, but it is majorly filtered by the earth’s atmosphere. As a result, UVB and UVA tend to damage the pale skin, making it susceptible to melanoma. Overall, UVB rays are believed to be the primary cause of melanoma, and there is not enough study to prove whether UVA is also a cause of melanoma or not. Artificial light sources, such as tanning beds and sunlamps, also aggravate your risk of developing skin cancer. In general, repeated sunburn by artificial light sources or sun can exacerbate the melanoma risk.

The small intestines contain an enzyme called lactase that enables the body to digest lactose (a sugar or carbohydrate constituent in milk and dairy products). When lactase fails to digest these sugars, the condition is called lactose intolerance. Nevertheless, the condition is different from milk allergy, an unusual reaction of the immune system upon taking milk and milk products. Common signs of lactose intolerance include: 1. Diarrhea or loose stools During the fermentation, microflora bacteria break lactose into short-chain fatty acids. The process increases the water content in the colon, which passes out of the body in the form of loose stools. However, the frequency of the urge to visit the toilet escalates beyond normal, leading to diarrhea. When the carbohydrate levels in the colon surpass 45 grams, and the liquid levels are elevated, diarrhea is inevitable. However, note that lactose intolerance is not the only reason for excessive carbohydrates in the gut causing diarrhea. 2. Increased gas or bloating Fermentation of lactose in the colon produces hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide gases. Excessive production of these gases causes you to feel like your stomach is full of gases. The feeling is called bloating. Usually, a hydrogen breath test helps to determine if a person is lactose intolerant.