Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get and maintain an erection. It is a very common condition, particularly in older men, with an estimate that half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree. Problems getting or keeping an erection can also be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment and a risk factor for heart disease. Erectile dysfunction symptoms might include persistent trouble getting an erection, trouble keeping an erection, and/or reduced sexual desire. There are many possible causes of ED and can include both emotional and physical conditions. Common causes include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, low testosterone levels or other hormone imbalances, kidney disease, increased age, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and certain prescription medications, such as those used to treat high blood pressure or depression, sleep disorders, drug use, consuming too much alcohol, using tobacco products, certain health conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS), damage to the pelvic area through injury or surgery, or Peyronie’s disease, which causes scar tissue to develop in the penis. If you would like to find out more and receive a second opinion regarding your diagnosis and treatment, please contact us at secondopinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Emphysema is a lung disease that causes shortness of breath and belongs to a group of lung diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.

Emphysema involves damage to the inner walls of the alveoli, the air sacs in the lungs. The alveoli are located in clusters at the end of the bronchial tubes, deep in the lungs. As you inhale, the alveoli expand, bringing in oxygen to transport in your blood. When you exhale, the alveoli contract, forcing carbon dioxide out.

As emphysema develops, the alveoli & lung tissue are damaged causing the bronchial tubes to collapse causing a blockage or obstruction, trapping air in the lungs. So when people with emphysema breathe, there is no room for oxygen to enter, causing shortness of breath, coughing fits, tightness in the chest, or wheezing.

It is most common in men, ages 50 to 70 and is caused by long term exposure to smoking, air pollution, or chemical fumes, it is rarely genetically inherited.

There are many doctors online that can diagnose emphysema with radiological imaging, bloodwork, & lung function tests.  Although there is no cure, there are medications, breathing therapies, & surgeries that online doctors can recommend.

If you have emphysema or would like more information and receive a second opinion on your diagnosis & treatment plan, please visit us at www.secondopinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Deep Vein Thrombosis, also known as DVT, is a serious condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep inside your body. A blood clot is a clump of blood that’s turned into a solid state, most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. If the vein swells, the condition is called thrombophlebitis.

The blood clots of deep vein thrombosis can be caused by anything that prevents your blood from circulating or clotting normally, such as injury to a vein, surgery, certain medications, and limited movement.

Some risk factors include:

• Inheriting a blood-clotting disorder
• Prolonged bed rest, such as during a long hospital stay, or paralysis
• Injury or surgery
• Pregnancy, Birth control pills, or hormone replacement therapy
• Being overweight or obese
• Sitting for long periods of time, such as when driving or flying

Symptoms can include pain, swelling, redness, and enlarged veins in the affected area, but some DVTs have no symptoms. The most life-threatening concern with DVT is the potential for a clot (or multiple clots) to detach, travel through the right side of the heart, and become stuck in arteries that supply blood to the lungs which can cause serious problems in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism (PE).

If you have been diagnosed with any of the above Deep Vein Thrombosis symptoms and would like a second opinion, please visit SecondOpinions.com for your peace of mind.

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough) is a bacterial infection that gets into the nose and throat and is highly contagious. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by weeks of severe coughing fits. Following a fit of coughing is a high-pitched whoop sound or gasp that may occur as the person breathes in. The coughing may last for 10 or more weeks which is why it is called the 100-day cough. Because the cough is dry and doesn’t produce mucus, the spells can last up to 1 minute and sometimes cause the face to briefly turn red or purple. If you would like to find out more and receive a second opinion regarding your diagnosis and treatment with a doctor online, please contact us at SecondOpinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Scleroderma, also known as System Sclerosis, is a group of diseases that cause hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissue. This occurs due to the overproduction of collagen in the skin tissues.

Diagnosis of Scleroderma may be difficult as it can affect many areas of the body (including organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys) and your doctor may need to order certain tests such as blood tests, pulmonary function tests, skin biopsy, CT scan or an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis.

Though there is no cure for Scleroderma, there are treatments that aim at managing the symptoms associated with the condition such as medication, procedures, therapy, self-care, and nutrition. In some cases, skin problems may resolve on their own in a few years.

Scleroderma symptoms of the skin include:

• Hardening & tightening of the skin
• Responses to cold in fingers/toes
• White lumps under the skin
• Numbness & pain
• Hair loss
• Shiny skin

Scleroderma symptoms of the digestive system include:

• Restricted movement when food passes through the digestive tract
• Malnutrition
• Acid reflux

There are other causes, complications, and ways to prevent Scleroderma.

If you would like more about this condition please contact a doctor or specialist. You can always find an online doctor to discuss Scleroderma from the comfort of your home. You can contact doctors online now at SecondOpinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Tourette Syndrome, TS, is a neurological disorder that usually shows up in children around the age of 6, but can show signs anytime between the ages of 2 and 15 years of age, with males being 3-4 times more likely to be affected than females.

This nervous system condition causes people to have 2 types of  “tics,” motor or vocal, which are further divided into simple or complex tics.

Motor tics are sudden movements or twitches of the body, like blinking, jerking of a body part, mouth movements, or shrugging. Vocal tics are repetitive noises a person makes like grunting, clearing their throat, coughing, or yelling out words or phrases. Simple tics usually involve one or two muscle movements, like blinking & sniffing, while complex tics include multiple muscle movements in a pattern; such as jerking an arm while hopping & nodding your head.

While these tics are considered chronic, they can change over time from the type of tic to how often they occur, even disappearing & reappearing. Tics often decrease or become controlled after the teen years.

While the cause of Tourette Syndrome is unknown, it’s believed to be a combination of environmental & genetic factors. Tics are usually worse when a person is excited or stressed & seem to improve when they are relaxed or focused.

Unfortunately, there is not a specific test to diagnose Tourette Syndrome, however, if the person exhibits both, motor & vocal tics consistently for a year & other mimicking conditions have been ruled out, then a doctor can diagnose TS.

Although there is no cure for TS, many people do not need treatment unless it interferes with their daily life. If that is the case, medication & behavioral or talk therapy are available.

If you think your child may have Tourette Syndrome there are doctors online now to help.  If you would like to receive a second opinion regarding your child’s TS diagnosis and/or treatment plan to manage symptoms, please contact one of the many online doctors at secondopinions.com,  to help you make the best possible choices for your child and for your family. SecondOpinions.com, for your peace of mind.

An autoimmune disease, Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes cramping & stomach pain due to inflammation of the innermost lining of the large intestine.

The 3 main factors believed to cause Ulcerative Colitis, UC, are the immune system, genetics, & environmental factors.

UC symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe depending on what part of the large intestine is inflamed. It is also a progressive disease and will change in your body over time. You may have periods of few or mild symptoms & then suddenly have frequent, moderate or severe flare-ups that can last for a while. It is best to have an open & honest conversation with the doctors online to provide the best prognosis for you.

Symptoms of UC include:

• Abdominal pain and/or cramping
• Weight loss
• Rectal bleeding
• Frequent diarrhea
• Bloody stools
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Constipation
• Joint pain

Although there is no known cure or preventative measures, UC treatments include diet, medication, & in severe cases, surgery, to manage the condition.

If you think you may have UC there are many doctors online now that can help. If you would like to receive a second opinion regarding your UC diagnosis and/or treatment plan, please contact one of the many online doctors at www.secondopinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Chlamydia or Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria that is curable. The infection is caused by a pathogenic bacterium that can afflict the cervix in women and the urethra and rectum in both men and women. Sometimes other parts of the body (lining of the eyelid, throat, and rectum) can also become infected. Most who are infected do not have any signs or symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they may occur several weeks later; the incubation period between exposure and being able to infect others is around two to six weeks. Other symptoms in women may include vaginal discharge or burning sensation with urination. The infection can spread to the upper genital tract in women, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, which may result in future infertility or ectopic pregnancy. Some symptoms in men may include discharge from the penis, burning sensation with urination, or pain and swelling of one or both testicles. If you would like to find out more and receive a second opinion regarding your diagnosis and treatment with a doctor online, please contact us at secondopinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is altered causing seizures. Epilepsy can be a result of a genetic disorder or a trauma to the brain. In an event where someone is actively having a seizure, the best thing for you to do is to lay the person on their side to decrease the risk of them injuring themselves or choking on their saliva. Timing a seizure is another responsibility a bystander has because if the person is seizing for more than 5 minutes, there is a very high risk of the person developing brain damage.

If it is a patient’s first time experiencing a seizure, a neurologist might suggest tests such as an EEG to investigate the patient’s brain waves after doing a series of tasks, for instance, flashing lights, hyperventilating, or sleeping. The neurologist will also tell the patient that they will not be allowed to drive to protect themselves and others. Even though epilepsy is a serious disorder, there are medications that can be administered daily to reduce the number of seizures the patient experiences.

A virtual consultation with a professional can give you peace of mind so you can live a fulfilled life. If you have any questions or concerns about these symptoms, you can always consult a doctor online at SecondOpinions.com, for your peace of mind.

Eczema is a common skin condition that causes itchy and inflamed patches of skin. It is common in babies and young children, appearing on the faces of infants. Eczema comes in a variety of types in children, teens, and adults.

When people refer to eczema, they usually mean atopic dermatitis, which is characterized as dry, itchy skin that often appears with a red rash. This is the most common and chronic type of eczema. Other types are contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis, nummular dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis.

Scratching eczema further irritates and inflames the skin. This can cause infections that must be treated with antibiotics. The cause of eczema is not fully understood, but it’s believed to be triggered by an overactive immune system that responds aggressively when exposed to irritants. Several factors can increase your risk of developing eczema.

There’s no specific test that can be used to diagnose eczema. If your doctor has seen the condition before, they may be able to recognize it by looking at your symptoms. A dermatologist, allergist, or primary care doctor can help you identify the correct treatment for eczema.

If you would like to find out more and receive a second opinion regarding your diagnosis and treatment, please contact us at secondopinions.com, for your peace of mind.