Mouth Disorders

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink or even smile.

Some common mouth problems include

* Cold sores - painful sores on the lips and around the mouth, caused by a virus
* Canker sores - painful sores in the mouth, caused by bacteria or viruses
* Thrush - a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
* Leukoplakia - white patches of excess cell growth on the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers
* Dry mouth - a lack of enough saliva, caused by some medicines and certain diseases
* Gum or tooth problems

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. Keeping a clean mouth by brushing and flossing often is important.

Mobility Aids

Mobility aids help you walk or move from place to place if you are disabled or have an injury. They include crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs and motorized scooters. You may need a walker or cane if you are at risk of falling. If you need to keep your body weight off your foot, ankle or knee, you may need crutches. You may need a wheelchair or a scooter if an injury or disease has left you unable to walk.

Choosing these devices takes time and research. You should be fitted for crutches, canes and walkers. If they fit, these devices give you support, but if they don't fit, they can be uncomfortable and unsafe.

Cancer in Children

Cancer begins in the cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, new cells form as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. The extra cells can form a tumor. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Malignant tumor cells can invade nearby tissues or break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Children can get cancer in the same parts of the body as adults, but there are differences. Childhood cancers can occur suddenly, without early symptoms, and have a high rate of cure. The most common children cancer is leukemia. Other cancers that affect children include brain tumors, lymphoma, and soft tissue sarcoma. Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases enlarge your heart muscle or make it thicker and more rigid than normal. In rare cases, scar tissue replaces the muscle tissue.
Some people live long, healthy lives with cardiomyopathy. Some people don't even realize they have it. In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body. This can cause serious complications, including

* Heart failure
* Abnormal heart rhythms
* Fluid buildup in your lungs or legs
* Endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining

Heart attacks, high blood pressure or infections can all cause cardiomyopathy. Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families. In many people, however, the cause is unknown. Treatment might involve medicines, surgery, other medical procedures and lifestyle changes.

Cancer Chemotherapy

Normally, your cells grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer cells keep forming without control. Chemotherapy is drug therapy that can stop these cells from multiplying. However, it can also harm healthy cells, which causes side effects.

During chemotherapy you may have no side effects or just a few. The kinds of side effects you have depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get. Side effects vary, but common ones are nausea, vomiting, tiredness, pain and hair loss. Healthy cells usually recover after chemotherapy, so most side effects gradually go away.

Your course of therapy will depend on the cancer type, the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment goal and how your body responds. You may get treatment every day, every week or every month. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells. You might take the drugs by mouth, in a shot or intravenously.