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Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, debilitating, painful type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine. Researchers are still working to understand what causes AS. However, it is thought that a variety of factors increase one’s risk of the disease, including certain genetic and environmental factors. Men and young to middle-aged adults may also be more likely to get the disease. Environmental Causes Researchers speculate that there may be environmental contributors that increase one’s risk of AS....

A bronchopleural fistula (BPF), also known as a bronchopleural air leak, is an abnormal passageway that develops between the large airways in the lungs (the bronchi) and the space between the membranes that line the lungs (the pleural cavity). BPF is a serious complication often caused by lung cancer surgery. It can also develop after chemotherapy, radiation, or an infection. While life-threatening, the survival rate is between 73% and 90%....

Yes, it’s possible for anyone who contracted COVID-19 to experience a wide range of ongoing health problems as a result of their infection, even those who did not experience any symptoms or had a mild illness. However, experts say this phenomenon, known as long COVID, tends to occur more often among individuals who had a severe illness. Key Takeaways A large long COVID study found that asymptomatic COVID-19 cases aren’t generally associated with long COVID....

Given that immune system malfunctioning is at the root of autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease, it’s natural to wonder if it can also cause other issues in people with these conditions. Candidiasis—which can take several forms, including thrush and genital yeast infections—is one that has been discussed, given the important role your immune system plays in controlling growth of the fungus that’s responsible for this problem....

Certain environmental triggers can cause the flare-up of symptoms in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While some of these triggers are difficult to avoid, others are easily prevented with a few simple precautions. A COPD trigger is anything that causes you to have a flare-up of symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, or fatigue. While we often think of triggers as particles we breathe in, they may also include changes in temperature and environment....

If you have diabetes, you may also find yourself contending with cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye). While anyone can develop cataracts, particularly as they age, high blood sugar from diabetes can damage the lens and cause cataracts to occur sooner. What’s more, if you have diabetes, you may also be prone to more complications if you undergo cataract removal. This article will discuss the relationship between diabetes and cataracts, including what to know about managing these two conditions together....

As if you needed another reason to eat your greens, new research shows that eating one daily cup of nitrate-rich vegetables can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Key Takeaways A new study shows that eating what is equivalent to 60 milligrams of vegetable nitrate per day can reduce the risk of heart disease.60 milligrams of vegetable nitrate is about 1 cup of raw greens. Foods that contain vegetable nitrates like spinach, bok choy, and beetroot, should be included in a healthy lifestyle....

The more common treatments of obstructive sleep apnea—continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel therapy—may be difficult to tolerate. As the condition can have serious, and even fatal, consequences, you may be motivated to seek out alternative options. Surgery may seem like a desirable option and the use of a device called a hypoglossal nerve stimulator might sound appealing. How does the surgery for the hypoglossal nerve stimulator, called Inspire in the United States, treat obstructive sleep apnea?...

There are several types of injury that affect extremities (arms and legs): broken bones (fractures), dislocations, sprains and strains. All extremity injuries need to be treated as broken bones until an X-ray can be obtained. Signs and Symptoms of a Fracture Persistent pain and swelling following an injury warrants a trip to the doctor. When the body doesn’t look the way you expect it to, it’s known as a deformity....

Glucosamine is a dietary supplement sometimes used to ease the pain of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Once quite popular, its use is now dwindling, mostly because of mixed results surrounding this supplement’s true benefit. If you take glucosamine or are considering a trial of the supplement (under the care of your healthcare provider, of course) here are five tidbits to keep in mind: Glucosamine Is Naturally Found in Cartilage Glucosamine is a natural substance (called an amino sugar) that is found in healthy articular cartilage and synovial fluid, both of which cushion your joints....

Research on green tea and thyroid disease suggests it is safe to drink in moderation. However, green tea extracts may be problematic for people with thyroid disease and should be avoided. In addition, compounds in green tea may interact with thyroid medication. Green tea is touted as a weight-loss booster. People with hypothyroidism often struggle to keep their weight down. While green tea may help, people with thyroid disease should take a few precautions before adding green tea to their diet....

A new study shows that a heart failure medication used off-label to treat postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS) might help some people with long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms. Key Takeaways A heart medication called ivabradine can also effectively treat postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS), which causes racing heart rate, severe fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, and lightheadedness.Researchers have theorized that some COVID-19 patients who experience lasting symptoms might have POTS, which is known to occur after infections....

Acne can affect more than just your skin—it can impact your entire life in very real ways. Your family and friends may not fully understand just how acne influences your self-esteem. Even mild breakouts can make you feel less than confident. Acne is often thought to be a trivial problem, especially when compared to other diseases. But some studies have shown that people with acne experienced social, psychological, and emotional ramifications at the same level as those with chronic health problems, like epilepsy, diabetes, and arthritis....

You might be used to turning to Eventbrite for tickets to an upcoming concert, or these days a slew of virtual events. But scheduling your vaccine appointment isn’t exactly what you envision the ticketing service for, right? Key Takeaways COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed at drive-through locations throughout the United States. Participants utilizing the drive-through option must meet vaccine eligibility requirements in order to receive the vaccine at these locations. Experts say drive-through vaccinations could help nix some of the issues surrounding the COVID-19 vaccination rollout....

Diagnosing smallpox is a matter of recognizing the particular type of lesions it brings about and performing a blood test to detect the presence of the variola virus that causes the disease. However, smallpox has not appeared naturally anywhere in the world since 1977. In fact, most healthcare providers practicing today have never seen an actual case of smallpox so if the disease should show up it’s unlikely it would be diagnosed correctly at first....

Knee ligament injuries can be devastating injuries for a young athlete. Often causing prolonged absences from sports teams, significant rehabilitation, and interruption to a normal lifestyle, a torn knee ligament is an injury feared by almost any young athlete. However, most athletes, and their parents, coaches, and fans are worried about getting back to activity, not what might happen a decade or later. Unfortunately, the fact is, that the worst may be yet to come....

Liver spots are small, dark spots on the skin that develop from excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, usually from the sun. They are not skin cancer. They are cosmetic in nature and are generally not cause for concern. This article discusses what liver spots look like, what causes them, and possible treatment options to diminish their appearance. Liver Spot Symptoms Liver spots are painless and harmless. Liver spots can affect all skin types but are more common among adults with light skin....

In the United States, about 37 million people have diabetes. Another 37 million people have kidney disease. Key Takeaways Season Health is an online platform that pairs a person with a registered dietitian. Each person gets personalized nutrition plans and concierge support to help them get food.It’s $75 per month to join the program.Since nutrition plays an important role in chronic disease management, a platform like Season Health may help people reach their health goals....

The Rome III criteria system was developed to classify the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs) based on their clinical symptoms. Since by definition, evidence of FGDs does not show up through standard diagnostic testing, the Rome criteria are designed to help healthcare providers to make diagnoses of FGDs with confidence. The Rome criteria also allow for standardized diagnostic criteria to be used in the process of research trials. The Rome criteria are developed through a collaboration of researchers, healthcare providers and other health professionals from around the world....

It’s another big news week. Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from attorneys bringing a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also, known as Obamacare. The case is called California v. Texas and is spearheaded by 18 Republican attorneys general, two Republican governors, and two individual citizens. Key Takeaways The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) today, but no decision is expected before the spring....