What Is a Comminuted Fracture? A comminuted (kah-muh-NOOT-ed) fracture is a type of broken bone. The bone is broken into more than two pieces. It takes a lot of force for someone to get a comminuted ...

It’s normal for people to masturbate (touch or rub their own genitals because they like the way it feels). Some people do it to relieve stress or tension. It’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed ...

How Does Air Enter the Respiratory System? Air enters the respiratory system through the nose or the mouth. If it goes in the nostrils (also called nares), the air is warmed and humidified. Tiny hairs ...

Chiggers (also called harvest mites or red bugs) are tiny red, biting mites. Their bites aren't painful, but do cause intense itching. Chiggers are members of the arachnid family (the same family that ...

Most blood tests take only a few minutes. They’re done at some doctor’s offices, and at community labs, diagnostic centers, and hospitals. A doctor, nurse, or phlebotomist (fleh-BOT-eh-mist, someone ...

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections spread from person to person during sex (vaginal, oral, or anal) or close sexual contact. STDs are also called sexually transmitted infections, or ...

Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by bone: the brain by the bones of the skull, and the spinal cord by vertebrae, a set of ring-shaped bones. They're both cushioned by layers of ...

Heavy metals are elements that are found in soil, water, and the air we breathe. Plants take up these metals as they grow and can end up in the food we eat. Our bodies need some heavy metals (like ...

Earaches are common in kids and can have many causes. Here’s why they happen and what to do when your child complains of ear pain. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed to ease pain (check the ...

What Is the Apgar Score? The Apgar score is a test given to newborns soon after birth. This test checks a baby's heart rate, muscle tone, and other signs to see if extra medical care or emergency care ...

Alopecia areata (al-uh-PEE-shuh air-ee-AH-tuh) is a condition that causes hair loss on the scalp and sometimes elsewhere on the body, such as the eyebrows and eyelashes. The condition is not ...

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