Almost everyone who has ever had an x-ray, or who has seen a show where a doctor slaps the x-ray film into the lighted box, has wondered how to read the image. Reading an x-ray may be easier than you think. X-rays use electromagnetic rays, which are a type of radiation. An x-ray machine emits these rays, which pass through the human body to reach a...

The results of a new study suggests that PET/CT imaging may do a better job of helping doctors diagnose dangerous blood clots than several other methods used today. Blood clots are normally a good thing – the formation of blood clots stop excessively bleeding. Sometimes, though, blood clots can pose a health hazard and can even be life threatening....

You probably already know that varicose veins are those twisted and enlarged veins that can appear on the lower legs. You might have already noticed that varicose veins are extremely common too – more than one-third of people in the United States have them, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery. If you are like many people, though, you may ...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claiming approximately 610,000 lives each year. Doctors use a variety of tests, such as stress echocardiograms, catheterizations and stress nuclear exams, to detect heart disease, assess its severity...

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancers that affect both males and females in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is also the fourth most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the nation. Colorectal screening can accurately detect colorectal cancer long before the disea...

Tattoos are gaining in popularity these days, with four in ten Americans sporting at least one tattoo, according to Statistica. People are more likely to get ink nowadays because tattoos do not carry the taboo they once held. Many people avoided tattoos because they worry that such body art might prevent them from getting a job. Today, some people ...

Susan Lucci is the picture of health – she's slim, she exercises and she eats the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Her regular check-ups went well, routine EKGs showed no problems, and her blood pressure was on the lower end of normal. On the outside, she didn't seem to have any of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. On the inside, t...

Type 2 diabetes has a number of warning signs, such as frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue, hunger, and slow wound healing. The results of a new study suggest that shoulder "brightness" on an ultrasound test might also be a sign of diabetes. Doctors frequently use ultrasound to diagnose shoulder problems, such as sprains, strains, tears, ...