Are you feeling a splitting headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a fever that makes you shiver and sweat?  Chances are that influenza, also known as the “flu,” has got a hold of you.  The flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract.  Because this illness can be spread easily by coughing and sneezing, outbreaks of influenza are very common.  Individual strains of the virus are constantly changing, so vaccinations against influenza have been only partly successful....

The gallbladder is a small organ located directly under the liver.  It acts as a reservoir for bile produced by the liver.  The body uses bile to digest fats.  The gallbladder empties its store of bile into the small intestine in response to fat-containing foods.  Bile contains cholesterol, bile salts, lecithin, and other substances....

Gout occurs when there is too much uric acid in the blood, tissues, and urine.  Uric acid crystallizes as result of improper protein metabolism.  These crystals form a bump or growth that acts as an abrasive, causing both swelling and pain.  Uric acid kidney stones may be a related problem.  More than 90 percent of gout patients are males over the age of 30....

Hay fever, known as “allergic rhinitis,” affects mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, and air passages.  Dust, pollen, feathers, and animal hair are often the offending agents.  Symptoms include itchy eyes, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, sneezing, and nervousness....

Most headaches result from muscle contractions and are commonly called “tension headaches.”  Tension is created from what we perceive to be stressful such as situations at work, arguments, or worry.  What we consciously or subconsciously internalize will oftentimes be expressed in a physical way by the body, such as a headache....