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Once your neck surgery is complete, it’s time to tackle the road to recovery. Depending on how invasive your procedure was, the initial recovery phase can be mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging. With proper support and preparation, you can push through this difficult time to start reaping the rewards of your procedure. Here’s how the weeks and months after neck surgery are likely to play out. Surgery Follow-Up After discharge, your surgeon will probably want to see you back in the office within a few days to evaluate your body’s early recovery process and check for signs of infection....

A number of symptoms can be associated with oral cancer, and they vary depending on the location of the tumor, as well as how far it has spread. Additionally, various complications may occur as a direct result of oral cancer (for example, difficulty chewing) or as a result of treatment (for example, radiation-induced mouth sores). Frequent Symptoms While oral cancers can be discovered incidentally, such as during a dental appointment, some may cause symptoms that prompt medical attention....

Osteoarthritis can affect joints in any part of the body, including the ankle and foot. Early diagnosis and treatment help people with foot osteoarthritis manage their symptoms. This article discusses osteoarthritis foot and ankle pain, what it feels like, and how it is diagnosed. It also discusses treatment options for helping ease foot pain. Symptoms of Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis What osteoarthritis foot and ankle pain feels like differs depending on what specific areas it affects....

Palindromic rheumatism (PR) is a rare type of inflammatory arthritis that causes symptoms to flare up sporadically and resolve without causing any lasting damage to joints. Symptoms that arise during palindromic rheumatism episodes—including joint pain and inflammation—are similar to those of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but they differ in that they occur without warning and can last hours or a few days. About half of people with palindromic rheumatism will go on to develop RA....

Peppermint is actually a cultivated plant which was derived from water mint and spearmint (perhaps by accident) in the mid-1700s. It was first grown in England and its medicinal properties were recognized not long after. Peppermint is cultivated today in Europe and Northern Africa. While a lot of people drink peppermint tea or take supplements to help digestion, peppermint is not approved by the FDA to treat any condition. How Peppermint Is Used In IBS Historically, peppermint was taken as a tea to treat general digestive problems....

Prader-Willi syndrome is caused by a genetic disorder of chromosome 15. It is a rare disorder present at birth that results in a number of physical, mental, and behavioral problems. A key feature of Prader-Willi syndrome is a constant sense of hunger that usually begins at about 2 years of age. People with Prader-Willi syndrome want to eat constantly because they never feel full (hyperphagia) and usually have trouble controlling their weight....

Psyllium is derived from psyllium seed husks from various plants that belong to the genus Plantago. This seed is commonly manufactured as a supplement that is available in many forms, such as powders, cereals, pills or capsules. You’ve probably seen psyllium supplements lining the shelves of your local pharmacy, grocery store, or health foods store where they are widely available. The soluble fiber component of psyllium has been widely studied in treating constipation....

The right atrium is one of the heart’s upper chambers that plays a role in blood circulation. It collects deoxygenated blood and directs it on a pathway to get oxygen from the lungs. Problems with the right atrium can occur from birth or due to problems with the heart valves or muscles. They can be associated with arrhythmias, blood clots, and heart failure. This article will discuss the right atrium’s structure and function, and the various problems and complications that can occur related to the right atrium....

Steroids, such as prednisone and other oral steroids are often used to manage chronic back pain when more conservative treatments—like rest, exercise, and over the counter (OTC) treatments—don’t work. Corticosteroids can also be injected into the inflamed area to alleviate the pain and swelling. With chronic back pain, your usual activities and exercises can fuel chronic inflammation by constantly irritating the affected area. When the back pain runs down one leg, the condition is often referred to as sciatica, and it occurs due to irritation and inflammation of the spinal nerve root....

Parkinsonism, a condition that impacts movement, has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease. A stroke involving the substantia nigra or basal ganglia is called vascular Parkinsonism. Similar to other strokes, the damage is caused primarily by a lack of blood supply to these brain regions. The strokes associated with Parkinsonism are termed small vessel strokes as they aren’t normally catastrophic. It typically takes several small strokes to produce the symptoms of vascular Parkinsonism....

Scientific research has proven that stroke rehabilitation helps optimize recovery for a better overall outcome. What Is Stroke Rehabilitation? Stroke rehabilitation consists of a number of different approaches, such as strengthening exercises, speech and swallow therapy, and training for balance and walking. Rehabilitation after a stroke is an individualized process tailored for each stroke survivor. The plan normally consists of programs that are designed with a team of healthcare providers. Each type of specialized therapist provides a different kind of exercise focused on improving particular skills....

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is a non-narcotic, over-the-counter medication for the relief of minor to moderate pain, aches, headache, and fever. It can be used for pain related to injuries, is commonly used after surgery, and is effective for reducing the temperature in adults and children. It is also found in many over the counter combination medications, such as Tylenol PM, which combines Tylenol with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in order to improve sleep along with reduced pain....

There are thousands of medical tests used on patients to diagnose, measure the progression of a disease or condition, or measure the effectiveness of treatment. But they all have some basic truths about what they mean, and how they are best interpreted. There are two basic kinds of medical test results: Tests that give “yes” or “no” answers (usually for diagnostic purposes)Tests that give relative results (to measure high or low values compared to a “normal” range) Here is more information about these two kinds of medical tests, and the kinds of questions you’ll want answered to better understand what they mean....

An issue that many people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) cope with is visual disturbances such as blurred vision. This is an aspect of PD that deserves more attention because it contributes to falls, reading difficulties and potentially to safety issues when driving. If you are having difficulty seeing clearly, it is harder for you to walk safely, read (and comprehend) quickly, and drive safely not to mention half a dozen other things like using a computer or going grocery shopping....

Once colon cancer treatments are no longer working, the cancer is considered terminal. At this point, it is essential to know what to expect. Though the condition will continue to progress, the timing of death is very unpredictable. Usually, with cancer, people do not experience a “sudden death.” Instead, death comes over days to weeks. However, some symptoms are synonymous with the end of life. Knowing what these are can help you prepare....

Are you feeling overwhelmed by medical bills? Are you having difficulty understanding what all of the bills are actually for and why your health insurance isn’t paying more of them? If so, it might be time to call in a medical billing advocate. This article will explain what medical billing advocates can do for you, and when you might benefit from working with one. What a Medical Billing Advocate Can Do for You A medical billing advocate can analyze your medical bills and spot errors, over-charges, duplicate charges, unreasonable charges, and even fraud....

After an FDA approval, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is entering the market under a new name: “Comirnaty.” Key Takeaways Pfizer’s FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine is now named Comirnaty.Although social media users poked fun at the rebrand, naming a vaccine is a typical procedure after an FDA approval.Comirnaty maintains the same formulation and technology it had before the name change. Twitter users took a jab at the rebrand, but registering a product name is a relatively common procedure after it’s approved by the FDA....

You don’t always have to switch to a plant-based diet to eat more sustainably. Swapping just one food item—especially if it’s a beef product—can make a significant impact on your carbon footprint, according to a new study. Key Takeaways Swapping one item for a more eco-friendly alternative in your overall diet can help reducing your carbon footprint.Beef has the highest environmental impact among other commonly consumed foods. Plant-based alternatives aren’t always sustainable....

A new preprint study found that the antiviral treatment, Paxlovid, may reduce the risk of developing long COVID after an acute infection. The study has gotten attention from researchers and doctors searching for answers to how to beat the mysterious, chronic condition. Key Takeaways Taking Paxlovid during acute COVID-19 infection may reduce the risk of developing long COVID by 25%, according to a recent preprint study.Paxlovid is currently authorized for use only in people 12 or older who test positive for COVID and are at high risk of severe illness or death....

Joint replacement surgery is a common treatment for severe osteoarthritis. Hip replacement and knee replacement are the most frequently performed of these surgeries and are most often done in people between the ages of 55 and 80. There has long been a popular conceit that older age automatically excludes people over 80 from joint replacement surgery due to everything from anesthesia complications to the fragility of older bones. But is any of this true, or are there ages when having a joint replacement is unadvised?...