Dr. Richard Rivers MD

Recommended Articles

• What Is Cyanosis and Why Does It Occur?

  IntroductionCyanosis is the medical term for a bluish discoloration of the skin, nails, toes, and mucous membranes. It is generally caused by low levels of oxygen in the blood. Normally, blood appears bright red when it is fully oxygenated. However, when blood does not have enough oxygen, it turns...

• When Could Orthopnea Mean Something More Serious?

  IntroductionOrthopnea is the medical term used when referring to the occurrence of dyspnea (shortness of breath) when you are lying flat. This symptom is often a sign of heart failure. However, orthopnea can also be due to other health conditions. Dyspnea (shortness of breath) is not the same with...

• What Are Histamine Blockers and How Do They Work?

  What are histamine blockers?Histamine blockers also called as antihistamines are medications that block or reduce histamine to stop the symptoms of allergy. Histamine is a chemical that is released by a type of white blood cell called mast cell in response to allergies or injuries. The cells that...

• What Could Happen if My Pneumonia Remains Untreated?

  There are several types of pneumonia that vary in their degree of seriousness. Pneumonia caused by a viral infection can make people feel very sick with fever, cough, and tiredness. However, viral pneumonia tends to go away on its own after some time. A "walking pneumonia" is a mild case of...

• A Guide to Recognizing the Early Signs of Shingles

  Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a disease that occurs due to the reappearance of the varicella-zoster virus, which is the causative agent of chickenpox. Shingles usually starts with a skin rash. These skin rashes occur either in the form of a band or a strip covering a small area on your...

• What Type of Disorder Is Arthritis?

  Arthritis is a chronic disorder that affects the musculoskeletal system. A person diagnosed with arthritis can have very uncomfortable pain in one or more than one joint in their body. Sometimes, arthritis may cause disability. Arthritis can also be caused by bacterial or viral infections,...