Dr. Byron D. Elliott M.D.

Why do ankles swell in pregnancy?During pregnancy, you experience many changes to sustain the growing fetus inside your body. One of the changes is the increase in the blood volume, which occurs because your body has to carry blood for yourself and for another growing baby. For this reason, your...

Labor pain differs from one person to another. The most suitable pain relief methods for a woman may also differ depending on her needs. Pain relief options are often decided based on the way in which labor progresses, and sometimes on personal preferences. Many people decide on the type of pain...

Seizures, blood clots, and other life-threatening complications can arise from dehydration, which develops when the body lacks enough fluids. According to studies, energy and mood can be greatly affected even by mild dehydration. So detecting dehydration early is crucial although the signs will not...

Two years ago, at the age of 44, Susan Leonard was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer – a disease that affects over 260,000 American women on an annual basis. In order to keep her cancer from recurring, she had to undergo countless treatments, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, a double...

What is a sitz bath?A sitz bath is a shallow bath using warm water to help ease pain or itching in the perineum, the area between the anus and the scrotum or vulva. The word sitz is derived from the German word sitzen, meaning to sit. A sitz bath is usually recommended for people who have an anal...

Menopause is part of being a woman; there’s no getting out of it. Unfortunately, along with all the inconvenient and frustrating symptoms of menopause, there may also be a risk of developing certain chronic inflammatory disorders – most notably, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Women of any age know...