Yes. The medication bimatoprost — marketed under the brand name Latisse — is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat inadequate eyelashes (hypotrichosis). Bimatoprost is also marketed under the brand name Lumigan, which is used in prescription eyedrops to treat glaucoma. Eyelash growth was an unexpected side effect of Lumigan, which led to the creation and marketing of Latisse.

With regular applications along the lash line of the upper eyelid, Latisse gradually encourages growth of longer, thicker and darker eyelashes. Latisse isn't meant to be applied to the lower eyelid. For full results, you must use the medication daily for at least two months. Eyelash improvements remain as long as you continue to use the medication. When you stop using Latisse, your eyelashes will eventually return to their original appearance.

Potential side effects of Latisse include:

• Redness of the thin tissue over the white part of the eye (conjunctiva)
• Itchy, red eyes
• Dry eyes
• Darkened eyelids
• Darkened brown pigmentation in the colored part of the eye (iris)
• Hair growth around the eyes if the medication regularly runs or drips off the eyelids

Although darkened eyelids might fade when the medication is stopped, any changes in iris color are likely to be permanent.

The results of studies of people who used Latisse for eyelash loss due to a medical condition that causes hair loss (alopecia areata) were mixed. Studies of people who have eyelash loss due to chemotherapy were more promising. Further studies are needed.

If you're concerned about the appearance of your eyelashes, talk to your doctor. He or she can help you weigh the pros and cons of using an eyelash-growing medication.

Leg cramps — painful involuntary muscle contractions that typically affect the calf, foot or both — are common during pregnancy, often striking at night during the second and third trimesters.

While the exact cause of leg cramps during pregnancy isn't clear, you can take steps to prevent them. For example:

• Stretch your calf muscles. Although evidence is lacking, stretching before bed might help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. Stand at arm's length from a wall, place your hands on the wall in front of you and move your right foot behind your left foot. Slowly bend your left leg forward, keeping your right knee straight and your right heel on the floor. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, being careful to keep your back straight and your hips forward. Don't rotate your feet inward or outward. Switch legs and repeat.
• Stay active. Regular physical activity might help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. Before you begin an exercise program, make sure you have your health care provider's OK.
• Take a magnesium supplement. Limited research suggests that taking a magnesium supplement might help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. Make sure you have your health care provider's OK to take a supplement. You might also consider eating more magnesium-rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
• Stay hydrated. Keeping your muscles hydrated might help prevent cramps. Your urine should be relatively clear or light yellow in color if you are properly hydrated. If your urine is darker yellow, it might mean that you're not getting enough water.
• Get adequate calcium. Some research suggests reduced levels of calcium in your blood during pregnancy may contribute to leg cramps. All women, including pregnant women, should get 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day.
• Choose proper footwear. Choose shoes with comfort, support and utility in mind. It might help to wear shoes with a firm heel counter — the part of the shoe that surrounds the heel and helps lock the foot into the shoe.

If a leg cramp strikes, stretch the calf muscle on the affected side. Walking and then elevating your legs might help keep the leg cramp from returning. A hot shower, warm bath, ice massage or muscle massage also might help.

New, persistent leg pain certainly warrants a visit to your doctor for evaluation. Leg pain can have many causes, but your description of aching after prolonged standing or sitting suggests a possible buildup of fluid in the leg veins (chronic venous disease, venous insufficiency).

Chronic venous disease occurs when the valves in your leg veins don't work properly to keep blood moving efficiently from your legs to your heart. Instead, blood pools in your legs and feet, causing pain and swelling. The pain is typically described as a burning or cramping sensation, mainly in the calf.

Past inflammation of a vein (phlebitis) may damage the valves and lead to chronic venous disease. Poor function of the valves in the leg veins also contributes to varicose veins — distended veins visible just beneath the skin. Varicose veins also may lead to chronic venous disease.

Wearing knee-high compression stockings may be worth a try to ease discomfort associated with fluid buildup in the legs. Ask your doctor for a recommendation.

Lentils are grouped with beans and peas as part of the legume family because, like all legumes, they grow in pods. Lentils are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, which makes them a healthy substitute for meat. They're also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.

There are many types of lentils. However, the three most common varieties are brown, green and red. Most lentils come in dried form, although you may also find them in ready-to-eat packages. Most grocery stores carry brown lentils, which are also known as European lentils. Green and red lentils may be found at specialty food markets.

Here are some tips for choosing and preparing lentils:

• Brown lentils. The least expensive, they hold their texture if properly cooked. They can stand in for black beans as a side dish or in a vegan burger. They also work well in soups.
• Green lentils. Also called French lentils, these have a nuttier flavor and stay firm when cooked. Green lentils are the best choice for salads. Newer to markets are Beluga lentils, which are similar in texture to French lentils but are black in color.
• Red lentils. The fastest cooking, these lose their shape and turn golden when cooked. They are milder and sweeter than green lentils. Use them for purees and Indian dals.

Preparing lentils is simple. Start by sorting through the lentils to pick out any small, hard debris, and then rinse to remove dirt. Unlike other legumes, lentils cook quickly without presoaking.

Place lentils in a pot, cover with about 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered. Cook about 20 minutes for red lentils, 30 minutes for brown and 40 minutes for green. Check them frequently, and add water if needed. Don't overcook. Flavor them with garlic, cumin, thyme or other seasonings. Add cooked lentils to soups, stews and salads, or serve over rice.

Escitalopram (Lexapro) is a prescription drug commonly used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Breast tenderness isn't among the published Lexapro side effects, but some studies and unofficial reports have linked Lexapro and breast tenderness.

Lexapro may interfere with the normal processing of prolactin — a hormone that affects breast tissue. It's possible that this could lead to breast tenderness. Breast pain or breast tenderness has been documented as a rare side effect of other antidepressants, such as citalopram (Celexa) and mirtazapine (Remeron), and certain other medications for mental disorders.

Keep in mind that a number of other things can cause breast pain. Your doctor may consider any possible underlying causes for your symptoms.

Your doctor may have you stop taking Lexapro for a period of time to see whether your breast tenderness improves. But don't change your dose or quit taking your antidepressant until you talk to your doctor. If you stop taking Lexapro too fast, you could get serious signs and symptoms such as agitation, dizziness, headaches or confusion.

If your breast tenderness seems to be related to Lexapro — or if you become pregnant or are breast-feeding while taking Lexapro — talk with your doctor for advice as soon as possible. Your doctor may recommend another antidepressant. Lexapro and several other antidepressants are available in generic form, though any side effects should be similar to those of the brand-name product.

A number of body contouring and fat removal techniques are promoted as liposuction alternatives or noninvasive body contouring. Although these techniques don't involve surgery, they generally don't produce results as dramatic as those achieved with liposuction.

Most of the newer techniques target body fat using energy, typically delivered as heat or cold, to damage and shrink fat cells. The following are examples of nonsurgical methods to reduce body fat:

• Exposure to cold (cryolipolysis)
• Sound waves (high-intensity focused ultrasound)
• Light waves (low-level laser)
• Radio waves (radiofrequency)

Liposuction alternatives are not intended for people who are obese, but rather for people who are normal weight and generally fit but still have some specific areas of fat that diet and exercise haven't eliminated. These techniques might also be an option if you can't have liposuction because you have a condition that could complicate surgery. Keep in mind that results vary by individual and technique used, multiple treatment sessions might be needed, and complications are possible.

If you're interested in nonsurgical alternatives to liposuction, talk to your doctor. In the meantime, don't abandon healthy eating and exercise. They're still the best way to eliminate excess body fat.

Livedo reticularis is thought to be due to spasms of the blood vessels or an abnormality of the circulation near the skin surface. It makes the skin, usually on the legs, look mottled and purplish, in sort of a netlike pattern with distinct borders.

Sometimes livedo reticularis is simply the result of being chilled. But it may be a symptom of a serious underlying condition, such as vascular disease. And it may occur as a side effect of certain medications.

When to see a doctor

The condition usually clears up without treatment. See your doctor in the following situations:

• The discolored, mottled skin doesn't go away with warming.
• The discolored, mottled skin is accompanied by other signs and symptoms that concern you.
• Painful nodules develop in the affected skin.
• Ulcers develop in the affected skin.
• You also have peripheral vascular diseases.
• This is a new development and you are known to have lupus erythematosus or other connective tissue diseases.

Simple liver cysts — fluid-filled cavities in the liver — usually cause no signs or symptoms and need no treatment. However, they may become large enough to cause pain or discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen.

Most liver cysts can be detected on ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) scans. When needed, treatment may include drainage or removal of the cyst.

The cause of simple liver cysts isn't known, but they may be the result of a malformation present at birth. Rarely, liver cysts may indicate a serious, underlying condition such as:

• Polycystic liver disease, an inherited disorder
• Echinococcus infection, a parasitic infection
• Liver cancer

Liver failure due to hepatitis C is one of the most common reasons for liver transplantation in the United States. But researchers can provide only rough estimates of the risk and rate of progression to liver failure in chronic hepatitis C.

Without treatment, most people who get hepatitis C remain infected for life. Infections that persist in this way are called "chronic."

Chronic hepatitis C infection causes ongoing liver inflammation that leads to scarring (fibrosis). As fibrosis progresses, scars gradually replace healthy liver tissue.

Advanced liver fibrosis leads to damage of the normal liver architecture and leads to the growth of new liver cells (regenerative nodules).This stage of liver damage is known as cirrhosis. Hepatitis C-related liver failure is usually a result of cirrhosis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that out of 100 people infected with hepatitis C, approximately 60 to 70 will develop chronic liver disease — specifically, hepatitis and fibrosis — and 5 to 20 will develop cirrhosis over a period of 20 to 30 years. An estimated 1 to 5 out of 100 people with chronic hepatitis C will die of cirrhosis or liver cancer resulting from the infection.

Natalizumab (Tysabri) is a drug treatment for people with relapsing forms of MS. It's approved as a monotherapy, which means it's not to be taken in combination with any other disease-modifying drug. Studies show that natalizumab is associated with a reduced risk of relapses, lesions and disability progression.

Natalizumab is associated with some risks and side effects, including:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Infections
• Sore throat
• Sinus congestion
• Swelling
• Liver toxicity
• Allergic reactions

Liver complications are possible during the first few months of treatment, but they normally go away.

Natalizumab rarely can be associated with a serious condition known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). PML is a central nervous system disorder caused by infection with JC virus (JCV). This virus infects 60% to 80% of the world's population without consequences but can cause PML in people who have immunocompromised conditions.

Because natalizumab increases the risk of PML, your doctor should consider whether the expected benefits of taking it are sufficient to offset this risk. The main PML risk factors include:

• Presence of anti-JCV antibodies
• Prior use of immunosuppressant medications
• Treatment with natalizumab for more than two years

Based on the risk factors, treatment recommendations have been proposed that include testing for JCV antibodies prior to starting treatment with natalizumab, every three to six months during treatment, and for at least six months after discontinuing treatment.