Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. It has many different functions. It allows you to:

• Take in food and drink
• Breathe in air
• Start digestion, with your teeth chewing the food you eat and your salivary glands releasing saliva to help break down the food
• Speak and sing
• Show emotion, by smiling or pouting

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
• Bad breath

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. If a mouth problem is caused by some other disease, treating that disease can help. It is also important to keep your mouth clean and healthy by brushing, flossing, and not using tobacco.

Obesity is a disease that means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. Both terms mean that your weight is greater than what's considered healthy for your height.

Body Mass Index (BMI) measures how much you weigh compared to how tall you are. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or more is considered to have obesity. Severe obesity is having a BMI of 40 or higher. Obesity increases your risk for many other diseases and health problems, especially if the extra body fat is carried around the waist.

Obesity happens over time from taking in more calories (through food and drinks) than used up from physical activity and daily living. Your body stores the extra calories as fat. The right balance between calories and activity is different for everyone.

There are many different factors that can affect your body weight. Certain medicines or medical conditions may affect your weight. Other factors include your:

• Genetic makeup
• Eating habits
• Sex
• Race or ethnicity
• Physical activity level

To find out if you have obesity, your health care provider may:

• Ask about your health history, which may include reviewing your weight history, weight-loss efforts, and how physically active you are.
• Do a physical exam, which may include checking your height, weight, and vital signs, as well as listening to your heart and lungs.
• Order blood tests or other imaging tests, which may include checking any known health problems, as well as for other weight-related diseases and health conditions.
• Calculate your BMI, to check your risk for certain diseases. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk. BMI does not distinguish between fat, muscle, and bone mass. It may also overestimate body fat in athletes or those with a muscular build, or underestimate body fat in older persons, or others who have lost muscle.
• Check your waist size, since a large waistline, with more body fat around your abdomen (belly) rather than your hips, increases your risk for weight-related health problems.

Having a larger body size can make your heart work harder, put extra pressure on your joints, and may increase your risk for many health conditions, including:

• Type 2 diabetes.
• Heart disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Stroke.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Sleep apnea.
• Pregnancy problems.
• Fertility problems.
• Some cancers.

If you have obesity, losing even 5 to 10% of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases. For example, that means losing 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.

Treatment plans for obesity may depend on your overall weight, other health conditions, and your willingness to participate in a weight-loss plan.

Your provider can tell you what a healthy weight is for you, help you set goals, and give you tips on how to lose weight. They may refer you to other providers that specialize in nutrition or weight loss to help you make realistic goals and provide support.

Possible treatments may include:

• Dietary changes and exercise goals to help you learn how to adopt healthy nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes to lose weight safely and keep it off long term.
• Counseling or support groups can give you encouragement and help you understand what's behind weight changes.
• Weight-loss medicines to treat obesity.
• Weight loss procedures or surgery if you have severe obesity or serious obesity-related health problems and have not been able to lose enough weight.

A healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating patterns and regular physical activity can help you lose weight and lower your chance of developing complications related to obesity.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive glands that make eggs and female hormones. Women have one ovary on each side of the uterus (where a fetus grows during pregnancy). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond.

Ovaries play a role in menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Your ovaries:

• Produce and store eggs that are released during ovulation (when an egg leaves the ovary and travels into the fallopian tube). If a sperm fertilizes the egg, you can become pregnant.
• Make the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
• Stop making those hormones and releasing eggs during menopause.

Some medical problems can affect the ovaries. These can cause various symptoms, and some ovarian disorders may need prompt treatment.

Some problems that can happen with the ovaries can include:

• Ovarian cancer is when a cancerous tumor forms in the tissues of an ovary.
• Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in or on an ovary.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a set of symptoms related to an imbalance of hormones.
• Primary ovarian insufficiency is when your ovaries stop working before age 40.
• Ovarian torsion is a twisting of the ovary.
• Endometriosis is when tissue like the lining in your uterus grows in other places in your body. It may affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and tissue lining the pelvis.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection and inflammation of the uterus, ovaries, and other female reproductive organs.
• Ovarian tumors.

Ovarian disorders can happen for different reasons depending on the condition. Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Your symptoms may be different, depending on the problem with your ovaries. Some ovarian disorders, such as ovarian cysts, may cause few or even no symptoms. Other disorders may cause more severe symptoms. Symptoms can include:

• Pelvic pain, which often happens during your period
• Nausea or diarrhea
• Vaginal bleeding that is between periods, very heavy, or longer than usual
• Vaginal discharge
• Painful menstrual cramps

To find out if you have a problem with your ovaries, your health care provider:

• Will ask about your medical history, including your symptoms
• Will ask about your family health history
• Will do a physical exam, including a pelvic exam
• May order imaging tests, or blood tests

Treatment depends on the ovarian disorder, your symptoms, overall health, and plans for pregnancy. Treatment can include medicines, such as pain relievers or hormonal birth control, lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms, or sometimes surgery. Ovarian cancer may require surgery, chemotherapy, or other targeted therapy.

Pain relievers are medicines that reduce or relieve headaches, sore muscles, arthritis, or other aches and pains. There are many different pain medicines, and each has advantages and risks. Some types of pain respond better to certain medicines than others. Each person may also have a slightly different response to a pain reliever.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are good for many types of pain. Two types of OTC pain medicines are usually recommended for mild to moderate pain.

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is used in many OTC and prescription medicines. It's often considered safer than other pain relievers. Unfortunately, it's common for people to take too much accidentally. Be careful not to take too much each day or use more than one medicine with acetaminophen. Check with your health care provider before taking medicines containing acetaminophen for more than ten days or five days for your child.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). These pain relievers are often most effective if you have pain and inflammation (swelling), such as for arthritis or menstrual cramps. If you take more than the recommended amount, NSAIDs may cause nausea, stomach pain, or ulcers.

If OTC pain relievers don't relieve your pain, your provider may prescribe something stronger. Many NSAIDs are also available at higher prescription doses.

The most powerful pain relievers are opioids, sometimes called narcotics. They include strong prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, or morphine. Opioids are sometimes used to treat moderate to severe pain. Your provider may give you a prescription to reduce pain after you have had a major injury or surgery.

Opioids are very effective, but they can sometimes have serious side effects. There is also a risk of addiction. Because of the risks, you must use them only under your provider's supervision.

Pain relievers are just one part of a pain treatment plan. Environmental factors, stress, and beliefs about pain may affect the way you feel about pain and respond to treatment.

There are many things you can do to help ease pain. Treatment depends on the cause and type of pain. It's important to check with your provider before trying any of them. A few non-drug treatments for pain include:

• Acupuncture
• Hot or cold packs
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Relaxation techniques

Nerves are like wires that carry messages back and forth between your brain and your body. Your peripheral nerves branch off from your brain and spinal cord and connect to all parts of your body, including your muscles and organs. Peripheral nerves carry messages from your brain that control your movement, breathing, heartbeat, digestion, and more. They also carry messages from your body to your brain, so you can feel things, such as pain, heat, and cold.

Peripheral nerve disorders happen when one or more peripheral nerves are damaged. Damaged nerves may not carry messages correctly, or they may not work at all. As a result, you may have pain, trouble walking, or a variety of other problems, depending on which nerves are involved.

Peripheral nerve disorders are very common. There are more than 100 different types.

Many things can damage nerves and lead to peripheral nerve disorders:

• Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral nerve disorders. Most people with diabetes will develop diabetic nerve problems.
• Physical injury (trauma) that stretches, crushes, squeezes, cuts, or puts pressure on one or more nerves. Some examples of peripheral nerve disorders from physical injury include complex regional pain syndrome and brachial plexus injuries.
• Health conditions, including:
  • Certain cancers and their treatment (chemotherapy and radiation therapy).
  • Infections, such as HIV and Lyme disease.
  • Problems with blood or blood vessels.
  • Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
  • Kidney or liver disease.
• Certain medicines.
• Contact with certain toxic substances, such as lead or mercury.
• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and smoking.
• Vitamin imbalances, especially a lack of vitamin B12.
• Your genes, including changes in your genes or conditions that you inherit from your parents, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

In certain cases, the cause of peripheral nerve disorder is not known.

The symptoms of peripheral nerve disorders depend on which nerves are affected, what is causing the damage, and how serious it is:

• Weak or aching muscles
• Problems with balance, walking, or using your arms and hands
• Cramps or twitching muscles
• Muscle shrinking

• Tingling, numbness, or pain often in the hands and feet
• Not being able to feel heat, cold, or pain, such as a cut on your foot
• Pain from even light touch

• A heartbeat that's too fast or too slow
• Trouble swallowing
• Sweating too much or too little
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
• Problems with urination or sexual function

Symptoms may range from mild to very strong. They may develop quickly over days or slowly over months and years. But they are rarely life-threatening.

To find out if you have a peripheral nerve disorder, your provider will:

• Ask about your medical history
• Ask about your family health history
• Do a physical exam
• Order tests, which may include:
  • Blood tests
  • Genetic tests
  • Nerve tests that measure:
    • Electrical activity in your nerves and muscles
    • How well your autonomic nerves are working
  • A biopsy of nerve or skin tissue
  • CT or MRI scan to see what may be pressing on your nerves

It's important to treat any conditions that are causing nerve damage. In certain cases, that will allow your nerves to heal over time.

Treatment for symptoms depends on the type of peripheral nerve disorder you have, where it is, and how severe. Treatment options include:

• Braces or splints
• Over-the-counter patches and skin creams
• Prescription medicines
• Non-drug pain management, such as electrical stimulation or relaxation therapy
• Surgery to relieve pressure on a nerve

You can help prevent peripheral nerve disorders by:

• Managing health conditions that may cause nerve damage, especially diabetes
• Preventing falls and accidents
• Avoiding toxic substances
• Being careful to avoid repeated motions and body positions that press on your nerves
• Eating a balanced diet, exercising, limiting alcohol, and not smoking

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke