Dr. Christopher Alan Stearns MD

A dark stool refers to a stool that is either black or dark red in color. You may pass dark bowel movements after consuming dark-colored foods or when an injury or bleeding is present in your gastrointestinal tract. If you pass dark or bloody stools, see your doctor immediately to rule out serious...

Shingles, or herpes zoster, refers to the painful skin rashes caused by the varicella zoster virus. In this condition, a band of rashes usually appears in a small area on the face or body. This infection is very common in people who have a weak immune system due to various reasons. Older adults are...

What is muscular dystrophy?Muscular dystrophy is an inherited disorder, which is often characterized by a progressive type of muscular degeneration and weakness. There are several types of muscular dystrophy, wherein each type eventually leads to an increased disability, strength loss, and potential...

IntroductionThe human heart is a part of the cardiovascular system that is situated in the middle of the chest between the lungs. Its exact location is slightly positioned to the left and behind the sternum (breastbone). The size of the heart is approximately the size of your fist. Its function...

Many people who try to lose weight insist on a healthy, balanced diet to shed the pounds they want to lose. Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners are a common ingredient in the diet that enables the individual to substitute sugar with these products to help with an effective weight loss. Sugar...

What are BCAAs?The term BCAA is short for branched-chain amino acid. The human body is made up of different proteins, which contain amino acids. There are 20 amino acids and nine of them are considered essential amino acids, which you can get through your diet because your body cannot make...