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Top ASKs of the Week: Shortness of Breath, Excess Salt and Jaw Clicking

By HERWriter
 
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Top ASKs of the Week Via Unsplash

This week we saw a wide variety of questions come into our community. Women asked about birth control options and how fractured bones can impact their daily life. Our moderators provided resources and answers to these health questions as well as many others. Do you have a health question you need an answer for? Post it to our community, and we promise to respond within 24 hours.

Here are some of our top ASKs in the EmpowHER community this week.

1. Why have I had shortness of breath for years that seems to get worse as I age?

Shortness of Breath
Via UnSplash

A: Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

Adults tend to have lower lung capacity, which is the volume of air you are able to take in and forcibly exhale in one second. after middle age because of changes in muscles and stiffening of chest walls. This leads to adult onset asthma. Read the full answer here.

2. What can happen if there is excess salt in the body?

Excess Salt in Body
Via KaboomPics

A: Excess sodium in your diet can cause Edema: fluid retention causing swelling in hands, feet, ankles and legs, high blood pressure, kidney stones and in some cases stomach cancer. Read the full answer here.

3. Why is my left jaw clicking when I swallow?

Jaw Clicking
Via PixaBay

A: Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders, commonly called "TMJ," are a group of conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement and tends to be more common in women than men. Generally, the symptoms are temporary and eventually goes away without treatment. Read the full answer here.

4. What exactly are RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) and CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)?

Nervous System Disorder
Via UnSplash

A: Both RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) and CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) are rare disorders of the sympathetic nervous system. Chronic conditions characterized by severe burning pain, most often affecting one of the extremities (arms, legs, hands, or feet). Read the full answer here.

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Kaitlyn Thompson
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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