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B vitamins are essential for energy production, protein metabolism, red blood cell formation, and central nervous system maintenance. B vitamins are water soluble, meaning that your body uses what it can and eliminates the rest through urine. B12 is a common supplement for increasing energy. It’s available in several forms, including injections, tablets, and sublingual (under the tongue) forms. A few (but limited) studies suggest that low B12 levels may be involved in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome....

This month the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Biden administration is allocating $3 billion toward the development of potential COVID-19 antiviral medicines, in hopes of speeding up the process. Key Takeaways The Biden administration is investing $3 billion in a program that aims to develop antiviral medicines for COVID-19 and other viruses.These antivirals would have to be taken early in the course of the disease to be effective, similar to ones currently available for influenzas....

Some studies have suggested that drinking coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages inhibits iron absorption, but can an herbal tea, such as chamomile, peppermint, or ginger tea, also reduce iron absorption? Effects of Tannins and Oxalates Tannins and oxalates are some of the naturally occurring tea compounds that are said to inhibit the absorption of iron. They bind with iron, specifically non-heme iron found in plant foods such as beans, peas, leafy green vegetables, and nuts....

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an extremely common and costly upper extremity condition that accounts for over $2 billion in medical costs annually in the United States. In addition to causing pain and numbness, CTS causes individuals to miss an average of 27 days of work from the onset of the condition to its final treatment. This article will outline the key facts and statistics that you should know about carpal tunnel syndrome....

Most parents know what to do when their kids have routine symptoms, like a cough, runny nose, fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. They’re not fun to deal with, but as you get to know your child, you get a sense of how they’re feeling and what they need. But what do you do if those symptoms just don’t go away? Is your child’s chronic cough a sign that he has asthma or is he just getting one cold after another in daycare?...

Unfortunately, many adults’ small intestines never fully recover from the damage inflicted by celiac disease (children with celiac disease generally do make a full recovery). But the good news is that you’ll probably feel pretty healthy anyway as your small intestine heals. When you have celiac disease, the gluten protein found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye incites your immune system to attack the lining of your small intestine. This results in what’s called villous atrophy, where your tiny, finger-like intestinal villi literally wear away as a result of this attack, leaving you unable to properly digest food....

Many people have questions about the difference between sex and gender. The short answer is that sex is about biology, and gender is about a person’s identity. Although there has been increasing awareness about nonbinary genders recently, there is less awareness that sex also doesn’t necessarily conform to a binary. Individuals whose bodies cannot be definitively categorized as either male or female at the time of birth are described as being intersex or having differences or disorders of sexual differentiation....

A stroke can affect any part of the brain. When one of the main arteries that provides blood to the brain becomes blocked, an ischemic stroke can result, which means that the impaired region of the brain no longer functions as it should. The largest region of the brain is called the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is divided into several lobes, and these different lobes have different functions and receive their blood supply from different arteries....

If you have suffered an injury or illness that results in foot drop, then you understand how this condition can affect the way you walk. Foot drop can make walking difficult, and it can place increased stress on other parts of your body. Possible Causes Foot drop occurs whenever the muscle in the front of your shin, called the anterior tibialis, fails to function properly. This can occur with various types of injuries including, but not limited to:...

There are a host of reasons a person might develop high blood glucose, a condition known as hyperglycemia. For someone who has diabetes, it could be a problem with their treatment or management plan. In the case of an otherwise healthy person, lifestyle factors such as weight gain, too little activity, or smoking could play a role in bumping up blood sugar levels. Pregnancy can also be a risk factor. And everyone experiences increases in blood sugar levels during the early morning....

A person’s blood glucose (sugar) levels vary throughout the day. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) usually starts out as mild and can easily be treated by consuming a small amount of food or beverage high in glucose. However, blood glucose levels can become severely low if left untreated, which can be very dangerous. This article highlights important facts and statistics you should know about hypoglycemia, including how common it is, who is more at risk, causes, early detection, prevention, and mortality....

A lot of people with fibromyalgia also have the best-known sleep disorder around: insomnia. Sometimes called a symptom and other times referred to as an overlapping condition, insomnia is prevalent enough that the American College of Rheumatology included the disorder in its 2010 revised diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia. What Is Insomnia? Insomnia is defined as the inability to get enough sleep to feel rested. You may lay awake in bed, unable to get to sleep, or you may wake up frequently....

L-arginine is an amino acid that your body naturally produces to make protein. It is also thought to improve circulation and immunity. Available in oral and topical supplement forms, it is also L-arginine is also found in some plant and animal proteins, including fish, soy, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products. L-arginine also helps rid the body of ammonia (a waste product) and stimulates the release of insulin. In addition, your body uses arginine to make nitric oxide (a compound that relaxes the blood vessels)....

Marcus Gunn pupil—also known as “relative afferent pupillary defect,” or RAPD—refers to when a person’s pupil only gets slightly smaller in response to light, instead of dilating as expected. It can be caused by a number of different eye conditions, including retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, and very severe macular degeneration. Definition Marcus Gunn pupil is the name of an eye defect impacting a person’s pupil. While a normal pupil will constrict when exposed to bright light, one with Marcus Gunn pupil has a much weaker response....

If you and your healthcare provider have decided a mastectomy is necessary in the treatment of breast cancer, one of the best things you can do is make sure you’ve prepared yourself for surgery ahead of time. This may include adjusting your fitness routine, making sure not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk a few weeks prior to the surgery, to packing your hospital bag properly to help in your recovery....

The brain is naturally balanced between the left and the right hemispheres. On a computed tomography (CT) scan that looks down at the brain from the top of the head, there is a groove that runs between both sides of the brain that is midline to the body. The spinal cord emerges at the middle-base of the brain and continues down the center of the back. A midline shift occurs when something pushes this natural centerline of the brain to the right or to the left....

When a rotator cuff tendon is torn, shoulder movements may become painful and weak, and discomfort can interfere with activity and even sleeping. Rotator cuff tears are a common orthopedic problem, and often these tears are so-called partial tears of the rotator cuff. Types of Partial Rotator Cuff Tears The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that surround the shoulder joint. There are four muscles of the rotator cuff that are important in the function and movement of the shoulder joint....

The semicircular canals are organs that are part of the vestibular system in the inner ear. The vestibular system is responsible for your sense of balance and equilibrium. Both the cochlea (part of your hearing sensation) and the vestibular system are housed in the bony labyrinth, a structure with bony passages to secure the structures of the inner ear. Within the vestibular system, there are 3 semicircular canals and 2 otoliths (ear stone) organs known as the utricle and saccule....

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis affecting the joints. Osteoarthritis symptoms can range from mild to severe and can progress over time. Severe osteoarthritis is often a painful, life-limiting condition that can affect any joint in the body. In a healthy person, cartilage normally covers the ends of your bones where the joint forms. With severe osteoarthritis, the cartilage erodes and bone rubs on bone. When your bones rub together, the shape of your joint can change, resulting in joint deformity and joint instability....

Over the course of the pandemic, telehealth saw a rise in popularity. But even as states lift restrictions, online therapy may be here to stay. New research finds that a popular treatment for depression—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)–was just as effective when delivered remotely. Key Takeaways Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered remotely was found to be just as effective as in-person CBT for depression treatment.At the same time, certain CBT techniques used in an online setting, like relaxation techniques, exacerbated depression symptoms....