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Anatomy and Function of the Heart Valves What are heart valves? The heart has four chambers: two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). Blood passes through a valve before leaving each chamber of the heart. The valves prevent the backward flow of blood

Skin Cancer: Prevention The sun sustains life and feels good, but it can be your skin’s worst enemy. While every sunburn can increase your risk of skin cancer, it’s not just those big days at the beach or ballgames that cause trouble. Each time you run out to get the mail, walk

Common Benign Lumps What are some common types of benign breast lumps? Noncancer (benign) breast lumps can have many causes. Two of the most common causes of benign single breast lumps are cysts and fibroadenomas. Several other conditions can also appear as lumps. These are fat

Traveling with a Chronic Condition Take care when traveling with a chronic condition Chronic conditions should not prevent you from enjoying travel. As with other medical conditions, if you have a chronic disease, you should see your healthcare provider as early as possible

Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis How is cystic fibrosis diagnosed? Newborns are screened for cystic fibrosis (CF) as part of each state's newborn screening program. If the results are positive, it does not mean your baby has cystic fibrosis. More tests are done as described below. In

Breast Cancer: Introduction What is cancer? Cancer starts when cells in the body change (mutate) and grow out of control. Your body is made up of tiny building blocks called cells. Normal cells grow when your body needs them, and die when your body doesn't need them any longer

Preventing Sports Injuries Exercise is good for the body. And with the correct safety steps, sports injuries can often be prevented. The quality of protective equipment—padding, helmets, shoes, mouth guards—has helped to improve safety in sports. But you can still be at risk of

Birth Injuries What is a birth injury? Sometimes during the birth process, the baby may suffer a physical injury that impairs function or structure of their body. This is sometimes called birth trauma or birth injury. It can occur during labor, delivery, or after delivery. Birth

Benign Skin Growths in Children What are benign skin growths? Children may have many types of skin growths. The vast majority of growths in children are benign. This means they are not cancer. Growths may be caused by genetics, injuries, sun exposure, or other reasons. What are

Amenorrhea in Adolescents and Teens What is amenorrhea? Amenorrhea is a menstrual condition characterized by absent menstrual periods for more than 3 monthly menstrual cycles. Amenorrhea may be classified as primary or secondary: Primary amenorrhea. From the beginning and may be