Dr. Harriett R Steinert MD

What does a black stool indicate?A black or dark red-colored stool is called tarry or bloody stools. However, passing dark-colored stools is not always caused by serious problems. One of the most common causes of black stools is the consumption of iron supplements, particularly in people who have...

When a body doesn’t have sufficient fluids, it becomes dehydrated. Although dehydration mostly occurs during warm seasons when people work outdoors and don’t drink plenty of water, it can also happen in various situations and can be very dangerous or even fatal. Dehydration occurs in three...

Having hot flashes does not necessarily mean that you have reached menopause. Many other causes apart from the termination of your menstrual cycle can trigger the occurrence of hot flashes. Therefore, understanding the exact cause of your symptoms can really help you in establishing whether you are...

What is dysuria?Dysuria is the medical term for painful urination or a burning sensation, discomfort, or difficulty when passing urine. In most cases, dysuria is a symptom of another medical condition. Males and females of any age can experience dysuria. However, this symptom is more common in...

Our heart rate is automatically controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that has two divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The part of the ANS that is responsible for raising a person’s heart rate through the sympathetic plexus is the sympathetic division. The parasympathetic...

What is flatulence?Flatulence is commonly called as "passing gas", "passing wind", or "farting". Flatulence is the medical term for releasing gas through the anus. Flatulence or intestinal gas is the state of having excessive gas in the stomach or waste gas, which is produced during digestion and is...