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A cervical roll is a small pillow that is placed inside your pillowcase to help support your neck while you sleep. The roll helps to keep your neck in a favorable position as you lie on your back or your side. If you have neck pain or arm pain coming from your neck (cervical radiculopathy), then you understand how the pain can limit your ability to turn your head, look up or down, or complete basic functional tasks like washing your hair or reading a book....

Gas, flatulence, and bloating can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Fortunately, there are some natural remedies that can help, depending on the cause. Before trying any natural remedy, it’s important to consult a qualified healthcare provider to rule out other causes. Swallowed Air Some people habitually swallow air, called aerophagia. They’re usually unaware they do this, and the cause is often anxiety-related. The gas swallowed is composed mainly of oxygen and nitrogen....

More than 15 million people in the United States and Europe have neuropathic pain, or nerve pain. When it occurs, nerve pain can be confusing. At worst, nerve pain is excruciating. At best, it is annoying. People often don’t know what brought on the pain. It also may be difficult to explain what they are experiencing (sharp pain, stabbing, aching, radiating, numb). A basic understanding of how nerves work may be helpful....

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the United States, affecting over 32 million Americans. OA is a chronic joint condition that causes cartilage breakdown, often due to wear and tear. Common joints affected include those in the neck, low back, knees, hips, shoulders, and/or fingers. The most common risk factors for developing OA include age, excess weight, being a woman, genes, injury, and chronic health conditions....

The peroneus brevis, sometimes called the fibularis brevis muscle, is the shorter and smaller of two lateral leg muscles running down the outer sides of each lower leg. This muscle is important for walking, running, and standing on your toes, among other activities. It emerges approximately one-third of the way from the top of the fibula, from the lateral or outer side. After rounding the lateral malleolus of the ankle, it terminates at the fifth metatarsal bone of the upper and outer side of the foot....

Having high LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as “bad” cholesterol, is not good for your heart health. However, more studies are now finding that it isn’t only the quantity of LDL circulating in your blood—it’s the quality, too. The type of LDL in your body may influence your risk of having heart disease down the road. Small, dense LDL is a type of LDL cholesterol that is considered to be an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease....

If eating or drinking something hot or cold that leads to tooth pain, it might mean you have sensitive teeth. If so, you’re not alone. Recent studies estimate that between 11.5% and 33.5% of all people live with dentin hypersensitivity, or sensitive teeth. While dentin hypersensitivity can affect people of any age, it’s most common in people ages 20 to 40. Teeth sensitivity also is more likely to affect women than men....

The Cancer Moonshot initiative is a coalition launched by the Obama administration in January 2016 with a goal of finding vaccine-based immunotherapy options against cancer. It was launched by Vice President Joe Biden after President Barack Obama challenged America to end cancer during his final State of the Union Address. It is named in honor of President John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1962 in which he motivated the nation to support a space race against the Soviet Union to land a man on the moon first, which helped Neil Armstrong do just that seven years later....

As COVID-19 cases around the country continue to increase, some major cities are taking matters into their own hands by requiring vaccines for certain indoor activities. Key Takeaways Several major cities are requiring proof of vaccination for indoor activities.Some of the activities that will require vaccines include indoor dining, gyms, and performances.Experts are hopeful this will encourage vaccination and help curb the transmission of the virus. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced on Thursday, August 12, that people in the city must provide proof of full vaccination to dine indoors at restaurants or to visit bars, gyms, and entertainment venues....

Since the onset of vaccine distribution, you have likely heard that the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines have 94% and 95% efficacy rates. These percentages represent the vaccines’ effectiveness. Key Takeaways The available COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, and so far, especially effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, specifically.A vaccine is still considered effective even if you get sick shortly after because the immune system takes time to develop antibodies. Sanjeev Jain, MD, PhD, board-certified allergist and immunologist at Columbia Allergy, tells Verywell that vaccine effectiveness refers to the proportionate reduction in cases among participants that have been vaccinated during a clinical trial....

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) mainly impacts the spine, but it can affect other joints, the eyes, heart, and lungs, too. Many people with AS experience trouble breathing, vision changes, fatigue, skin rashes, and loss of appetite. This article discusses ankylosing spondylitis and how it affects the body’s different systems. Spine and Skeletal System The most common symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are back pain and stiffness. As the inflammation in the spine worsens, the spine tends to curve forward....

While you usually want to get a flu shot well before flu season gets started, that isn’t always possible. With flu shot delays or shortages, your child might not always be able to get a flu shot when you want. Late Flu Shots So when is it too late to get vaccinated against the flu? The CDC recommends getting vaccinated early, but they also say, “Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later....

Calling or crying out can happen for many reasons in those with Alzheimer’s disease or another forms of dementia. The triggers may include physical pain or hunger, psychological distress, or overstimulation in their environment. A person with dementia may repeatedly call out, “Help me!” or become tearful and cry frequently. They may suddenly have a screaming episode and you don’t know how to help them. This can be very distressing to experience, both for the person with dementia and those around them....

Wrinkles tend to be thought of as something that affects only older people, but wrinkles begin to appear in some men as young as 20. But what actually makes skin wrinkle? Here are seven causes of wrinkles in men. Sun Exposure Spending time in the sun is the number one cause of wrinkles. Ultraviolet UVA and UVB rays are the most damaging to the skin, and overexposure to sunlight has the same effect as superficial thermal burns....

Prescription medications for children dropped overall during the first eight months of the pandemic, but antibiotic prescriptions, in particular, plummeted during this time, according to a new study. Key Takeaways Overall prescription medications for children dropped during the first eight months of the pandemic, but antibiotic prescriptions plummeted.Doctors say factors like fewer infections likely led to the decrease in antibiotic prescriptions.Experts say this shows that antibiotic overprescription is still a problem that needs to be addressed....

Astroviruses are a type of virus that causes gastroenteritis (diarrheal illness). Infants and young children are most likely to develop diarrhea caused by astroviruses, and older adults and those with a compromised immune system are at risk too. Although it can cause symptoms similar to other common viral infections, diarrheal illness from an astrovirus infection is generally much less severe than those caused by rotavirus and norovirus. It also rarely requires any medical treatment....

Researchers have long since suspected that beta-blockers can potentially cause negative mental health effects. While these medicines are beneficial for treating multiple cardiovascular conditions, they have also been tied to side effects like depression. Key Takeaways In a new study, beta-blockers did not predict depression in patients using them.Researchers believe other causes may put patients who take beta-blockers at risk for depression, leading to a potentially false link between negative mental health consequences and the medication....

As you may know, bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. However, antibiotics are often overused and authorities now caution against using them for things like viral infections, which aren’t affected by antibiotics. So, how can you tell the difference? You can’t. At least, you can’t without help from a healthcare provider. You may be tempted to try diagnosing your own infection at home without seeing the doc, either because you want to save money or time....

You have a right to request a copy of your dental records, just as you do any other health information collected by a provider. The first step is to call your dentist’s office and find out what information they have and what they need from you before they can release your records. Your Right to Obtain Access to Your Dental Records HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It’s a law that helps ensure the privacy of your medical information....

In the 1960s and 1970s, as many as 500 children in the United States per year were affected by Reye’s syndrome, a serious, often fatal disorder. It is still not known exactly what causes Reye’s syndrome (RS) to develop, but research has shown an association between the development of the syndrome and the use of aspirin (salicylates) to treat upper respiratory illness (e.g. flu, cold) and chicken pox. RS is not contagious....