Frequency of urination, or difficulty in urinating, are among the frustrations that some men face with age. These are often symptoms of an enlarged prostate and something that, for the past few decades, men simply lived with. For the first time, UC San Diego Health physicians are offering prostate artery embolization (PAE), a new, minimally invasive procedure alternative to surgery, that requires no hospital stay, involves little post-operative pain and is less expensive.

The newborn is small and will not eat. On his second day of life, he is wracked by seizures. Doctors move the newborn to the neonatal intensive care unit, not yet certain why the baby struggles. They interview the mother. She admits to heavy alcohol consumption while pregnant. The newborn has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which researchers at UC San Diego Health say may be as prevalent as autism, if not more.

Your skin does a good job of keeping you together, though it doesn't always look so good doing it. Take our picture quiz of some of the various common ailments, afflictions and assaults visited upon our largest organ. Warning: Not for the visually thin-skinned.

Like the ocean, labor is a force of nature that can be unpredictable with pain that washes over you in waves. Erica Vu, CNM, WHNP, certified nurse midwife at UC San Diego Health, talks about the stages of labor, related pains and interventions both medical and non.

What you're looking at is a micrograph of superficial keratinoctyes, or skin cells. The image doesn't get any prettier when those cells are overexposed to ultraviolet radiation, triggering a cascade of inflammatory reactions.

Whether it's a toddler taking first steps or a senior walking with assistance, getting annual wellness exams is a critical part of health care. From head-to-toe, physicals to blood tests and screenings, wellness exams also provide an opportunity to talk to your doctor at length. Learn how wellness exams for kids, adults and Medicare patients are different and what to expect at each.

Pharmacists are among the most accessible health care providers within the medical community, but a recent study found approximately 21 percent of medication errors that affect patients happen behind the pharmacy counter. Learn how pharmacists are specially trained and the safeguards you can put in place to prevent mistakes.

Researchers characterize the "mutational burden" of stem cells; a potential diagnostic test for Kawasaki disease; a promising neural stem cell line for repairing spinal cord injuries; genetic mutations of appendix cancer identified; parental life span predicts daughters living to 90 without chronic disease or disability; marijuana found in breast milk; and new drug combinations for toughest breast cancers.

Despite a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer and ongoing chemotherapy, Mike competed in one of the most grueling of physical competitions: the Ironman World Championship. When Mike's cancer spread to his lungs, he began end-of-life planning, but a second opinion at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, gave him one more chance to compete in the sport he loves.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are the last and most important step before scientific discoveries can be delivered to patients in the form of new diagnostics and therapies. Each year, UC San Diego Health researchers and doctors, including those at Moores Cancer Center, conduct hundreds of such trials involving a vast array of diseases, disorders and conditions. Among studies currently recruiting participants are:

Effects of avocado intake on the nutritional status of families

Comparing axillary lymph node dissection with radiation for breast cancer patients with positive nodes treated with chemotherapy

Electrical stimulation for pain treatment after a total knee replacement

Fit for two: incorporating wearable trackers into clinical care for pregnant women with diabetes

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging in diagnosing liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis

Effect of packaging on smoking perceptions and behavior