A health care provider can diagnose most cases of appendicitis by taking a person’s medical history and performing a physical exam. If a person does not have the usual symptoms, health care providers may use laboratory and imaging tests to confirm appendicitis. These...

Early treatment is critically important to prevent some common eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (gradual breakdown of light-sensitive tissue in the eye) from causing permanent vision loss or blindness. Of the estimated 61 million US adults at high...

It can take as long as 10 to 15 years after the first symptoms appear before narcolepsy is recognized and diagnosed. This is because narcolepsy is fairly rare. Also, many narcolepsy symptoms are like symptoms of other illnesses, such as infections, depression, and...

Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Memory problems are typically one of the first warning signs of cognitive loss. According to the National Institute on Aging, in addition to memory problems, someone with Alzheimer’s disease may experience one or more...

How Is Cystic Fibrosis Treated? Cystic fibrosis (CF) has no cure. However, treatments have greatly improved in recent years. The goals of CF treatment include: Preventing and controlling lung infections Loosening and removing thick, sticky mucus from the lungs...