The spine has two curves, which helps it carry the weight of the trunk, arms and neck in a balanced way. The spine curves slightly backwards where it joins the pelvis. This curve is called lordosis. At chest level where the ribs join the...

Detailed information on flea, mite, and chiggers bites

Fleas, mites, and chiggers are different kinds of small insects. They are also parasites. This means they feed off the blood, skin, or both of animals and humans. These insects are more common in the warm weather. They bite skin and ...

The floor of mouth is a horseshoe-shaped area under the tongue, between the sides of the lower jawbone (the mandible). Cancer of the floor of mouth accounts for 28-35 percent of all mouth cancers. Men are diagnosed with floor of mouth ...

A person with fluency disorder has trouble speaking in a fluid or flowing way. They may repeat parts of words (stutter) or speak fast and jam words together (clutter).

Fluoroscopy is a study of moving body structures. It’s much like an X-ray "movie" and is often done while a contrast dye moves through the part of the body being examined. Fluoroscopy, as an imaging tool, allows healthcare providers to ...

Folate deficiency is the lack of folic acid in the blood. Folic acid is a B vitamin needed to make normal red blood cells. Low levels can cause megaloblastic anemia.

Folate deficiency is the lack of folic acid in the blood. Folic acid is a B vitamin needed to make normal red blood cells. Low levels can cause megaloblastic anemia. Read on to learn more.

Detailed information on folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.

Detailed information on folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.

Bacteria on the skin can cause an infection of one or more hair follicles. A hair follicle is the base or root of a hair.

A food allergy is when your child’s body has a bad immune reaction to a certain food. This is different than a food intolerance which does not affect the immune system. This is true even though some of the same signs may be present.

A food allergy is when your body has a bad immune reaction to a certain food. This is different than a food intolerance, which does not affect the immune system. Read on to learn more.

Food intolerance is a risk after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) surgery. You may have trouble eating certain foods, such as meat, fruits, or vegetables.

Food poisoning (foodborne illness) is caused by bacteria or viruses found in food. Food poisoning symptoms often look like stomach flu (gastroenteritis). Many people with a mild case think they have stomach flu or a virus.

The talus is a small bone that sits between the heel bone (calcaneus) and the two bones of the lower leg (the tibia and fibula). It has an irregular, humped shape like a turtle's shell. The bones of the lower leg ride on top and around ...

Each of the 33 bones of the spine has a large central opening for the spinal cord. Additional openings called foramen allow the nerves branching from the spinal cord to travel to the arms, legs and other parts of the body. Normally nerve...

A foraminotomy is a surgical procedure. It enlarges the area around one of the compressed nerves in your spinal column. Here's what you need to know about the procedure.

A foreign body in your child’s eye is any object that isn’t supposed to be there. The foreign object may be in the conjunctiva. This is a thin membrane that covers the white of the eye. Or it may be in the cornea. This is the clear, ...

The fourth cranial nerve controls the actions of one of the external eye muscles. It can be damaged by disease or injury. The condition usually affects only one eye.

In most cases, a broken kneecap is caused by a direct blow to the front of the knee from a car accident, sports or a fall onto concrete. Two types of surgery may be done to repair a fractured kneecap. Once your kneecap has healed, making...

A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. Read on for details about causes, symptoms, and treatment.

A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. When a fracture happens, it is classified as either open or closed.

An orbital fracture happens when one or more bones around one of your child's eyes is broken. The orbit is the bony structure around the eye.

Friedreich's ataxia is a rare, inherited, degenerative disease that damages the spinal cord, peripheral nerves and the cerebellum. It causes movement problems and loss of sensation due to nerve injury.

A frontal paranasal sinus mucocoele (pronounced 'myü-k&-"sEl) is a cystic lesion full of thick mucous in the paranasal sinuses. It develops when the opening of a paranasal sinus becomes obstructed because of trauma, infection, chronic ...

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a common cause of dementia, is a group of disorders that occur when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are lost. This causes the lobes to shrink. FTD can affect behavior, ...

Detailed information on frostbite, including symptoms and what to do if frostbite happens.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. When the condition rapidly progresses, it is known as an acute form of the condition called fulminant ...

Sinusitis affects 37 million Americans annually. Although medications help the majority of people, there are still many that require surgery for relief of their symptoms. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is a minimally invasive ...