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If you’ve been suffering from certain types of chronic pain, you might be surprised to learn that an anti-seizure medication could help relieve your pain. Anticonvulsants, or anti-seizure medications, work as adjuvant analgesics. That means they can treat some types of chronic pain even though they are not designed for that purpose. While the main use of anti-seizure medication is preventing seizures, anticonvulsants do appear to be effective at treating certain kinds of chronic pain....

Gastroenteritis, often called the stomach flu, is an illness caused most often by a virus. It may also be caused by bacteria or parasites, though this is less common. It causes symptoms that include diarrhea and vomiting. A stomach bug usually lasts for a few days. However, diarrhea can go on for as long as one to two weeks. Peak times for the stomach flu being spread from person to person are the winter months, when more people are indoors....

How long steroids for asthma stay in your system depends on the type of drug you are taking. For example, it can differ whether you’re taking an inhaled medication such as Advair (fluticasone and salmeterol) or an oral corticosteroid (e.g., prednisone). A steroid medication’s half-life determines how long it circulates in your body. This article will go over how the half-life of steroid medication works. It also covers what factors might affect how long steroids for asthma stay in your system....

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart is unable to meet the demands of the body. This is because the heart muscle has become less able to contract over time or has a mechanical problem that limits its ability to fill with blood. When that happens, organs in your body don’t get enough oxygen to function properly. People with this condition can sometimes experience CHF exacerbations, which are characterized by worsening symptoms....

The creation and travel of sound is the starting point for the mechanism of hearing. Sound travels to the ear and then to the brain stem and the cerebral cortex (in the brain) to interpret sound. Before we can hear anything, a sound must be generated. Whether the sound is someone’s voice, a siren, or thunderclap, vibrations are created. These vibrations can travel through air, metal, water, wood, etc. This concept functions the same way human vocal cords vibrate to create the sounds that we use to generate speech....

If you have osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones), then you may have heard some negative stories about the osteoporosis medication Fosamax. Maybe, for instance, you heard that it doesn’t build quality bone, that there is a risk of jaw demineralization, and that it’s more harmful to take it than not. It’s a controversial topic, so read on to learn more about what scientists know so far about the drug and its side effects....

Shin splints are one of the most feared sports injuries because of their debilitating pain and slow healing. Despite there being little to no scientific research specifically showing shin splint improvement with kinesiology tape, many athletes swear by using it for this purpose and a number of others. It’s believed by some that the therapeutic tape, which is applied to the skin to support the area without restricting movement, may help facilitate muscular contraction of the anterior tibialis muscle—the one afflicted when you have shin splints....

Researchers at Michigan Medicine have created a management tool that could improve outcomes for patients with high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and COVID-19. The research, which was published ahead of print on August 11 in the journal Diabetes, shows a two-way relationship between blood sugar levels and COVID-19. Key Takeaways Researchers at Michigan Medicine are using a targeted algorithm to help manage blood sugar levels in COVID-19 patients.High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is linked to severe illness in those with COVID-19....

Your baby’s skull is made up of bony plates that are connected by flexible joints called sutures. A metopic ridge is a ridge of bone that forms on an infant’s forehead along the suture line between the two frontal bones. Usually, these joints remain open and flexible until an infant’s second birthday. This allows the baby’s head to fit through the birth canal during delivery, and it also allows the brain to grow normally....

Microscopic colitis is an umbrella term that covers two similar but separate conditions: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Although they have “colitis” in their name, these conditions are not related to ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease (collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD). “Colitis” refers to inflammation in the large intestine, which is a sign of microscopic colitis. The group most often diagnosed with collagenous colitis are people in their 50s....

For months, public health officials have urged people to get any COVID-19 vaccine available to them. While any vaccine is better than none, new research has found that there is a slight difference in how effective the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are. Key Takeaways New data show the Moderna vaccine is slightly more effective than the Pfizer vaccine.Both the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective.Doctors recommend getting vaccinated and boosted, when eligible....

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has launched an influenza vaccine initiative to try to address racial inequities in health care and improve access to flu shots in at-risk communities. Key Takeaways The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center hopes to combat racial inequities in health care by taking steps to make flu shots more accessible to underserved communities.The medical center has taken several steps, including purchasing more flu shot doses and doing community outreach, to ensure that at-risk people have access to the vaccine....

Meghan Fitzgerald, DrPH, RN, is an adjunct associate professor with the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and a private equity investor. She has decades of experience working in the healthcare field, ranging from frontline patient care to advising prominent healthcare firms. Here, she explains why the American healthcare system won’t bounce back without making deliberate improvements for women. Despite the ongoing challenges with COVID-19, in less than two years’ time, the United States has nearly returned to full employment with an unemployment rate of 3....

The organs of digestion include the gastrointestinal tract, which is where all the action takes place and some accessory organs. It’s one very long tube that starts at the mouth and ends with the anus. The accessory organs secrete various substances into the gastrointestinal tract that make the whole process easier. Here’s a brief look at the organs of digestion. Organs of the Gastrointestinal Tract Oral cavity. This is your mouth, and while it’s not technically an organ, it’s important because digestion begins in your mouth when you bite and chew your food, thus mixing it with saliva....

Acne is characterized by the presence of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads on the skin. It usually affects the face, neck, chest, back, and/or upper arms of sufferers. Acne varies in development from very mild to extremely severe. Over-The-Counter Acne Treatments for Mild Acne Mild acne can be treated at home with over-the-counter acne treatment products. If possible, it’s best to begin treatment during this stage. Mild acne means you’ll see blackheads, whiteheads, or milia....

The parotid glands are one of the three major types of salivary glands in the body, and they’re probably most recognized by those who remember the “chipmunk cheeks of the mumps from back before the vaccine was available. The glands sit low on each side of your face and secrete saliva. The parotid gland performs important functions and is involved in certain diseases, as well. Dry mouth can significantly impact your quality of life....

Pfizer, a United States pharmaceutical company, announced in October that it has received permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin enrolling children as young as 12 in its coronavirus vaccine trials. Key Takeaways Pfizer has gained FDA approval to begin testing its coronavirus vaccine in children 12 and older.Experts say that including kids in clinical trials is crucial to the overall development of a vaccine that will protect both children and adults from COVID-19....

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurologic condition that causes unpleasant feelings in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them. RLS tends to be worse at night and moving can relieve the unwelcomed sensations. Over the years there have been several treatments used by healthcare providers to relieve RLS. One treatment—magnesium—was thought to be an effective treatment. However, research now shows that there is no evidence to support magnesium supplementation as a treatment for RLS....

One major drawback of Depo-Provera is the continuous or irregular bleeding (spotting) that can sometimes occur during the first year. While this typically occurs during the first few months, it can persist for up to a year or longer for some people. Learn more about this side effect and what you can do if it persists. Depo-Provera is an injectable form of birth control which uses a synthetic form of progesterone to prevent pregnancy for up to 14 weeks....

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) brings to mind a condition that affects the digestive tract, but Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can also affect many other parts of the body. IBD is also associated with complications outside the intestines, which are sometimes called extra-intestinal manifestations. Some of the more common extra-intestinal manifestations are skin conditions, some forms of arthritis, and eye conditions. An eye disease is not the first complication you may think of when it comes to IBD....