Every month when you have your menstrual cycle, you experience severe pain and heavy bleeding. It’s only been a few months, but you decide to see your doctor. She tells you that you might have endometriosis and suggests testing to confirm. What causes this to occur? How is it treated?

One day you notice that the nails on your right foot seem to be thicker and discolored than they usually are. You go to the doctor, and he tells you that you might have a fungal infection. How did this happen? What do you need to do to get rid of it? Is there a way to prevent it from appearing on your other nails?

Just hearing the word “scabies” can make some people itchy. Most of us view it as a condition that affects people with poor hygiene. However, that’s not always the case. How do you get scabies? What can you do to treat an infection? How do you prevent spreading it? 

When you hear the word toxoplasmosis, what’s the first thing you think of? For some people, it’s pregnant women. For others, it might be cats. Neither group is wrong. What exactly does either of these have to do with the condition? How serious is a toxoplasmosis infection? What can be done to treat it? Is there a way to prevent it?

One foodborne illness that can be very serious, especially for pregnant women, elderly individuals, or those with compromised immune systems, is listeria. Where does it come from? How can you prevent it in the first place? What’s the treatment for a listeria infection?

You spent a nice, relaxing weekend out on the lake swimming, kayaking, and fishing. A few days later, you notice that your stomach is cramping, and you have diarrhea that smells really bad. You go to the doctor, and she thinks that you might have a giardia infection. What caused it? How is it treated? Can you prevent it in the future?

One afternoon, you’re at work when your stomach starts cramping, and you make a run for the bathroom. You make it just in time! This happens several more times before you finally decide to go home. You don’t really become concerned until you notice there’s blood in your stool. You go to the doctor, and he suspects you might be infected with shigella. What is this? How serious is it? What do you need to do to get rid of it?

You’re in the kitchen cooking and crack open an egg for the omelet you’re making. After you throw away the shell, you wash your hands because you know that touching raw eggs puts you at risk for salmonella. However, it’s not the only way that you can encounter it. Where else do the bacteria live? What else can you do to prevent an infection?

You’re sleeping peacefully one night when suddenly, you’re woken up by burning pain in your stomach and chest and feel slightly nauseous. You roll over, trying to ignore the pain, but in the morning, it’s still there. After eating a small breakfast, you notice that the pain eases up some. This pattern repeats for the next several days, so you go to the doctor and find out you have an ulcer. What caused it? How can you get rid of it? Are there ways to prevent it from coming back?

You’re eating dinner with your parents and notice that your dad seems to be having trouble swallowing. When you ask him about it, he says it hurts to swallow, and it feels like the food is getting stuck in his throat. You take him to the doctor the next day, and he says that your dad has dysphagia. What is this? How did it happen? Is it fixable?