Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke so it’s important to know how to lower high blood pressure. Hypertension risk factors include obesity, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, and family history.

Symptoms: One of the most dangerous aspects of hypertension is that you may not know that you have it. Nearly one-third of people who have hypertension don't know it. There are signs of extremely high blood pressure: Learn the signs to watch for.

In most cases, there are no clear warning signs of high blood pressure, but blood pressure can become dangerously high and threaten your organs and your life.

Regular visits to your doctor can help you manage hypertension. However, there may be situations that warrant a call to your doctor between visits. Learn what to watch for and when it's time to pick up the phone.

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Diabetes: Diabetes affects the body's ability to use blood sugar for energy. The main types include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Diabetes insipidus, a rare disorder, is not related to diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes). Diabetes symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, blurred vision, and fatigue.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes due to high blood sugar may include:

• Increased thirst
• Increased hunger (especially after eating)
• Dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry)
• Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Loss of consciousness (rare)

Contact your health care provider if you have any type 2 diabetes symptoms or if you have further questions about type 2 diabetes. It’s important to get diabetes testing and start a treatment plan early to prevent serious diabetes complications.

Type 2 diabetes is usually not diagnosed until health complications have occurred. Most often, there are no diabetes symptoms or a very gradual development of the above symptoms of type 2 diabetes. In fact, about a third of all people who have type 2 diabetes don't know they have it.

Other symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include:

• Slow-healing sores or cuts
• Itching of the skin (usually around the vaginal or groin area)
• Frequent yeast infections
• Recent weight gain
• Velvety dark skin changes of the neck, armpit and groin, called acanthosis nigricans
• Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet
• Decreased vision
• Impotency

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Physical examination: is the process by which a healthcare provider investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history — an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient. Together with the medical history, the physical examination aids in determining the correct diagnosis and devising the treatment plan. This data then becomes part of the medical record.

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Hyperlipidemia: High cholesterol increases the risk of other conditions, depending on which blood vessels are narrowed or blocked. These diseases include: coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. High cholesterol has also been linked to diabetes and high blood pressure. To prevent or manage these conditions, take steps to lower your cholesterol if it is elevated.

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Arthritis: There are over 100 types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. The word "arthritis" means "joint inflammation." Inflammation is one of the body's natural reactions to disease or injury, and includes swelling, pain, and stiffness. Inflammation that lasts for a very long time or recurs, as in arthritis, can lead to tissue damage.

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. Some of the more common types include:

• Osteoarthritis . This is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage covering the end of the bones gradually wears away. Without the protection of the cartilage, the bones begin to rub against each other and the resulting friction leads to pain and swelling. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but most often affects the hands and weight-bearing joints such as the knee, hip and facet joints (in the spine). Osteoarthritis often occurs as the cartilage breaks down, or degenerates, with age. For this reason, osteoarthritis is sometimes called degenerative joint disease.
• Rheumatoid arthritis . Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-lasting disease that can affect joints in any part of the body but most commonly the hands, wrists, and knees. With rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system -- the body's defense system against disease -- mistakenly attacks itself and causes the joint lining to swell. The inflammation then spreads to the surrounding tissues, and can eventually damage cartilage and bone. In more severe cases, rheumatoid arthritis can affect other areas of the body, such as the skin, eyes, and nerves.
• Gout . Gout is a painful condition that occurs when the body cannot eliminate a natural substance called uric acid. The excess uric acid forms needle-like crystals in the joints that cause swelling and severe pain. Gout most often affects the big toe, knee and wrist joints.

What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

Different types of arthritis have different symptoms and the symptoms vary in severity from person to person. Osteoarthritis does not generally cause any symptoms outside the joint. Symptoms of other types of arthritis may include fatigue, fever, a rash and the signs of joint inflammation, including:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Tenderness
• Redness
• Warmth

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Women's Health:

Erectile Dysfunction: Erectile dysfunction or ED is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. Problems with erections may stem from medications, chronic illnesses, poor blood flow to the penis, drinking too much alcohol, or being too tired. Lifestyle changes, medications, and other treatments are often used to treat ED.

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Minor Pain: Pain management is important for ongoing pain control, especially if you suffer with long-term or chronic pain. After getting a pain assessment, your doctor can prescribe pain medicine or other pain treatments to help you get pain relief. Sometimes psychotherapy is also useful in learning new coping skills to help with chronic pain.

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Bacterial Upper Respiratory Infection: Acute upper respiratory tract infections include rhino-sinusitis (Common cold), sinusitis, pharyngitis/tonsillitis,ear infection, laryngitis and sometimes bronchitis. Symptoms of URTI's commonly include nasal congestion, cough, running nose, sore throat, fever, facial pressure and sneezing. Onset of the symptoms usually begins after 1-3 days after exposure to a microbial pathogen, most commonly a virus. The duration of the symptoms is typically 7 to 10 days but may persist longer.

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STD Treatment: Don't try to treat a sexually transmitted disease, or STD, yourself. These diseases are contagious and serious. You must see a doctor.

Bacterial STDs can be cured with antibiotics if treatment begins early enough. Viral STDs cannot be cured, but you can manage symptoms with medications. There is a vaccine against hepatitis B, but it will not help if you already have the disease.

If you are given antibiotics to treat a STD, it is important that you take all of the medicine prescribed to you, even if the symptoms go away. Also, do not take someone else's medication to treat your infection, it may make it more difficult to treat.

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