Voice is the sound made by air passing from your lungs through your larynx, or voice box. In your larynx are your vocal cords, two bands of muscle that vibrate to make sound. For most of us, our voices play a big part in who we are, what we do, and how we communicate. Like fingerprints, each person's voice is unique.

Many things we do can injure our vocal cords. Talking too much, screaming, constantly clearing your throat, or smoking can make you hoarse. They can also lead to problems such as nodules, polyps, and sores on the vocal cords. Other causes of voice disorders include infections, upward movement of stomach acids into the throat, growths due to a virus, cancer, and diseases that paralyze the vocal cords.

Signs that your voice isn't healthy include:

• Your voice has become hoarse or raspy
• You've lost the ability to hit some high notes when singing
• Your voice suddenly sounds deeper
• Your throat often feels raw, achy, or strained
• It's become an effort to talk

Treatment for voice disorders varies depending on the cause. Most voice problems can be successfully treated when diagnosed early.

NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

The vulva is the external part of a woman's genitals. Some problems you can have with the vulvar area include:

• Vaginitis or vulvovaginitis, swelling or infection of the vulva and vagina
• Skin problems due to allergy
• Vulvar cancer
• Vulvodynia, or vulvar pain

Symptoms may include redness, itching, pain, or cracks in the skin. Treatment depends on the cause.

West Nile virus (WNV) is an infectious disease. It is most often spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people have no symptoms, while some may develop mild symptoms. But WNV can sometimes cause serious symptoms if the virus enters your brain.

WNV usually spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. However, in rare cases, it can spread from person-to-person. This can happen through an organ transplant or blood transfusion. If you are preganant you can spread WNV to your fetus during pregnancy or delivery. And after delivery, it can spread to the baby during breastfeeding.

Anyone could be bitten by an infected mosquito and get WNV. But certain people are at higher risk for more serious illness they get a WNV infection. They include people who:

• Are over age 60
• Have certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease
• Had an organ transplant

Symptoms can be mild to severe. But most people have no symptoms or mild symptoms.

Mild symptoms of WNV can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Skin rash

These symptoms usually go away on their own within a few days to several weeks. But some people will have weakness or fatigue that lasts for weeks or months.

Although rare, If West Nile virus enters your brain, it can be life-threatening. It may cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Serious symptoms of WNV can include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Neck stiffness
• Numbness
• Coma
• Muscle weakness
• Vision loss

To find out if you have WNV, your health care provider:

• Will do a physical exam
• Will take your medical history, including asking about your symptoms
• May order blood tests

There are no specific vaccines or treatments for human WNV disease. But rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medicines may relieve some symptoms. You may need to be hospitalized if you have serious symptoms.

There are no vaccines or medicines to prevent WNV. The best way to avoid WNV is to help prevent mosquito bites:

• Wear insect repellent with DEET or another U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent. Make sure to follow the instructions for using the repellent.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants if you're outside.
• Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flowerpots, buckets, or barrels.
• Stay indoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Use screens on windows to keep mosquitoes out.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Acupuncture has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. Acupuncture involves stimulating specific points on the body. This is most often done by inserting thin needles through the skin, to cause a change in the physical functions of the body.

Research has shown that acupuncture reduces nausea and vomiting after surgery and chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain. Researchers don't fully understand how acupuncture works. It might aid the activity of your body's pain-killing chemicals. It also might affect how you release chemicals that regulate blood pressure and flow.

NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. It causes a cough that often brings up mucus. It can also cause shortness of breath, wheezing, a low fever, and chest tightness. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Most cases of acute bronchitis get better within several days. But your cough can last for several weeks after the infection is gone.

The same viruses that cause colds and the flu often cause acute bronchitis. These viruses spread through the air when people cough, or through physical contact (for example, on unwashed hands). Being exposed to tobacco smoke, air pollution, dust, vapors, and fumes can also cause acute bronchitis. Less often, bacteria can also cause acute bronchitis.

To diagnose acute bronchitis, your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and listen to your breathing. You may also have other tests.

Treatments include rest, fluids, and aspirin (for adults) or acetaminophen to treat fever. A humidifier or steam can also help. You may need inhaled medicine to open your airways if you are wheezing. Antibiotics won't help if the cause is viral. You may get antibiotics if the cause is bacterial.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute