Most of us are familiar with our teeth feeling somewhat “fuzzy” after eating sweets. But if your entire mouth feels cottony all the time, your sense of taste is impaired, and you’re having trouble swallowing, you may have oral thrush. Although this infection is rarely dangerous, it can be very unpleasant.

As we age, we may develop eye diseases that make it more difficult to see well, or that can sometimes have serious consequences. Glaucoma is one of those diseases. But loss of vision can be delayed or stopped if it's diagnosed and treated early enough.

Although menstruation is a normal part of a woman's life, severe period pain need not be. Women don't have to simply put up with it – menstrual pain can usually be treated effectively. If you have very painful periods or the pain gets worse over time, it can be a good idea to see a doctor.

Osteoarthritis of the knee typically starts with knee pain, at first only during or after movement. The risk is increased by things like being overweight or putting a lot of strain on your knees, for example if you kneel a lot. If osteoarthritis is advanced or can’t be relieved enough by exercise or painkillers, joint replacement may be considered.

Parkinson's disease is a disease of the nervous system. It typically occurs in old age and reduces the person's ability to move. Parkinson’s usually progresses slowly and can be treated effectively for a long time. Read about the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options and everyday life with this condition.

Infertility can be caused by various things. One possible cause is a varicose vein in the scrotum, also known as a varicocele. Varicoceles are quite common. Read about the treatment options and which men can benefit from them.

Vaginal yeast infections are particularly common in women of childbearing age. The symptoms include itching, burning and abnormal vaginal discharge. They often go away after a short course of treatment with vaginal suppositories or creams.

Most parents will know what it's like to feel worried when their child has a hot, red face and high temperature. Fevers in children are usually caused by harmless viral infections. But it's still important for parents to know how to recognize the signs of a serious illness, and when it's a good idea to take their child to a doctor.

Before children can start getting by without diapers, they need to be capable of controlling their bladder and bowel. A whole series of bodily processes have to develop first to make that possible. How can you tell if a child is ready for potty training, and how can parents help make things easier?

Hepatitis is the medical term for an inflammation of the liver. It is often caused by an infection with certain viruses. Hepatitis B is mainly spread through blood and other body fluids. The risk of becoming infected with this virus is generally very low in Germany and similar countries.

Many people have high blood pressure (hypertension), but they usually don't notice it – which means that over time it can damage blood vessels. Having blood pressure that is always too high can make you more likely to have health problems like a heart attack, stroke or kidney damage.

A brain aneurysm is a berry-shaped bulge in an artery in or near the brain. Aneurysms often go unnoticed. But some people have symptoms – or an increased risk of the aneurysm bursting at some point, leading to life-threatening bleeding in the brain. There are various treatment options.

Acute middle ear infections are one of the most common illnesses in infants. Many parents then face sleepless nights with a child that cries, has an earache and fever, and can’t sleep. The earache generally goes away on its own within two to three days, and serious complications are rare.

Although ticks can carry and spread disease, tick bites usually don't cause any health problems. You're much less likely to develop tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) than Lyme disease. And there are several things you can do to prevent tick bites.

Corns develop when an area of skin is repeatedly exposed to pressure or rubbing over a long period of time. They mainly occur on your toes and on the soles of your feet. If the rubbing and pressure stops, corns usually go away on their own after some time. You can also soak the skin in warm water and then gently remove some of it.

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries. Some have tissue inside them. They are usually non-cancerous (benign) and most of them go away on their own. They rarely cause problems, so they generally don’t need to be treated.

Most people experience tinnitus from time to time, for example after a loud concert. But some people hear the typical buzzing or ringing sounds all the time, without there being an apparent cause. Tinnitus can greatly affect everyday life. Read about what can help – and what can’t.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is quite common – even more common than asthma. One of the typical symptoms is a persistent cough. In advanced COPD, it is difficult to breathe. At that point, even taking a walk or working in the garden can leave you out of breath. COPD develops gradually over the course of many years.

Kidney stones are very common, especially between the ages of 40 and 60. These small, hard crystals form in the renal pelvis, and can move down into the ureters. Large kidney stones may be painful and often need to be removed. There are various prevention and treatment options.

Most of us know what low back pain feels like. It usually starts suddenly and then goes away again on its own after a few days or weeks. Low back pain is only rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. Regular exercise can help prevent back problems from returning.

Neck pain can make your neck muscles tense up, preventing you from moving your head normally. The pain sometimes radiates into your arms or head, too. Like back pain, though, it usually goes away again after one to two weeks. What kind of treatments are there and what actually helps?

When people talk about heart valve diseases, they usually mean conditions caused by damage to heart valves over time. These tend to occur in older age due to wear and tear. If treatment is needed, the more suitable of the two treatment options will depend on various factors.

Many children between the ages of three and six years have enlarged tonsils or adenoids. This usually isn’t anything serious. But enlarged tonsils and adenoids can sometimes disturb their sleep and cause other problems. Read about the treatment options and when surgery may be considered.

Acute tonsillitis causes symptoms such as a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever and tiredness. Tonsillitis that keeps coming back within short spaces of time can be very distressing and in rare cases may lead to complications.

If you get enough sleep but still feel run down during the day, you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Many people who have sleep apnea snore and stop breathing for short periods of time at night without noticing it. This can both cause problems in everyday life and increase the risk of other medical conditions.

Head lice are tiny parasites that live in our hair and feed on blood from our scalp. Their bites can itch. They usually lay their eggs close to the scalp, at the roots of the hair. Different products and techniques can be used to safely and effectively get rid of them.

Many people are familiar with heartburn – a burning pain between your stomach and throat. In gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), these symptoms are frequent and severe. Other symptoms may occur too, such as difficulties swallowing or a bad taste in your mouth. Read about how to manage GERD.

There are different kinds of non-melanoma skin cancer. They are much more common than malignant melanoma. Non-melanoma skin cancer grows very slowly, only rarely spreads to other parts of the body, and can usually be removed completely. Read about the signs, outlook, screening, and treatment options.

Melanoma often looks like a dark mole. It may grow fast and spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). The treatment options mainly depend on how advanced the cancer is.

Stomach pain, bloating and "gas" are all typical digestion problems that some people have after eating or drinking dairy products. This may happen because they only tolerate small amounts of lactose (a type of sugar found in these products). The medical term for this problem is lactose intolerance.