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Central serous retinopathy, also called central serous chorioretinopathy, does not always require treatment. It often will go away on its own after a couple of months. Sometimes, an eye doctor may decide to treat central serous retinopathy if it is severe or recurring. This article reviews some of the most common treatment approaches for central serous retinopathy, including monitoring, medications, and laser treatment. Home Remedies and Lifestyle Most cases of central serous retinopathy do not require treatment as the fluid build-up under the retina (the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye) often goes away on its own after a couple of months....

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood to be a condition in which individuals have a strong desire for order and repetition, or an intense focus on details. As a result, many people believe that autistic behaviors and preferences are a sign of OCD. But autistic behaviors such as rocking or flicking fingers—or a desire for a structured routine—are actually quite distinct from the very specific qualities of OCD. What Is OCD?...

If fibrosarcoma is caught early, surgery is usually curative, but in more advanced, stages a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy may be needed. The more advanced fibrosarcoma becomes, the more resistant it is to standard cancer treatments. As such, early detection and treatment are critical to improving your outlook. This article will look at the various treatment options for fibrosarcoma. Prescriptions No prescription medications are indicated for the treatment of fibrosarcoma, besides chemotherapy....

Medicare may be the most affordable insurance option for American seniors, but that does not mean it’s cheap. It still may be hard for some people to make ends meet. A senior who has worked 40 quarters (10 years) in Medicare-taxed employment may get their hospital insurance (Part A) premiums for free but they will pay at least $170 per month for medical insurance (Part B) premiums in 2022. That is the case if they are in the lowest income bracket, earning less than $91,000 per year as an individual or less than $182,000 as a couple....

Palliative sedation, sometimes referred to as terminal sedation, is the progressive use of sedatives to achieve the desired level of comfort in terminally ill patients experiencing unrelieved suffering. Death usually follows shortly after a patient becomes sedated, making some people wonder if palliative sedation isn’t just another form of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. So, Is Palliative Sedation a Form of Euthanasia? Palliative sedation is not euthanasia, nor is it physician-assisted suicide....

Current dietary guidelines from the U.S. government and the American Heart Association (AHA) stress the importance of including lots of polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) in the diet, in place of saturated fats and trans fats. A particular recommendation in these guidelines is to rely on vegetable oil as an important source of PUFA. In particular, the AHA recommends soybean oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil as good sources of dietary PUFA....

A team of international researchers has concluded that most routine laboratory blood tests are not sufficiently accurate to diagnose COVID-19. Key takeaways A team of researchers has concluded that most blood tests are not sufficiently accurate to diagnose COVID-19.A better diagnostic method is an RT-PCR test, which requires laboratory analysis of throat swabs. Led by Mariska M.G. Leeflang, PhD, associate professor of clinical epidemiology at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the researchers evaluated the accuracy of 67 routine laboratory tests at diagnosing COVID-19....

Motor tics are sudden, jerky movements of the body—typically affecting the shoulders or head—that are not in a person’s control. Motor tics can be part of an underlying health condition but can also occur without a known cause. Sometimes, they are a side effect of medication. This article discusses motor tics—their symptoms, potential causes, and treatment. Symptoms of Motor Tics Motor tics are unpredictable jerking movements, typically of the shoulders, neck, or face....

In recent years, convincing evidence has come to light demonstrating that atrial fibrillation in many cases is a disorder of poor lifestyle choices, in particular, being overweight. (Emphasis on the phrase “in many cases.” Not in all cases. Clearly, lots of people with atrial fibrillation have exemplary lifestyles. In these people, there is some other cause for the arrhythmia, including things like thyroid disease, hypertension, or mitral regurgitation.) In clinical studies, overweight patients with atrial fibrillation were able to greatly reduce their symptoms, and in many cases eliminate atrial fibrillation altogether, with an aggressive lifestyle modification program that emphasized weight loss....

Two new studies show that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may build lasting immunity against the virus months after inoculation. Researchers anticipate that this immune response will continue and people will not need a booster for years after their first two doses. Key Takeaways New studies show that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could produce lasting immunity against the virus.The mRNA vaccines are so effective because they teach your body to produce cells and antibodies that respond to and fight the virus continuously....

Lowering the threshold for high blood pressure in pregnancy may help identify more women who are at risk of life-threatening complications, according to new research. Key Takeaways High blood pressure in pregnancy is a potentially deadly health condition.Researchers suggest lowering the threshold for high blood pressure in pregnancy to help identify more at-risk women.Baby aspirin may help lower a woman’s risk of hypertension in pregnancy. The March study, which was published in JAMA Open Network, explored new parameters of hypertension, or high blood pressure, a metric that is currently confusing for pregnant women....

Each year on November 20, people come together to recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance, also known as TDoR. The Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the memory of the many transgender people who are lost every year to anti-transgender violence. TDoR was originally started by transgender activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999 to honor the memory of Rita Hester. Rita Hester, an African American transgender woman, was murdered in 1998 in Boston, Massachusetts....

Platelets are the cells in the body that are activated to help the blood clot and to heal blood vessel walls if they are damaged and bleeding. When there are too many platelets in the blood, this is referred to as thrombocytosis. A normal platelet count is 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter (mcL) of blood. A diagnosis of thrombocytosis is made when platelets are higher than 450,000 per mcL....

When you have thyroid eye disease, you want to have the right health professionals on your care team for both your eyes and your overall health. Here is an overview of thyroid eye disease and the healthcare providers who can help you best manage it. Thyroid Eye Disease Basics The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that helps your body make hormones to control your metabolism. When your thyroid is overactive, it can cause Graves’ disease....

New obesity research shows weight loss over the course of adulthood may cut the risk of early death in half. Key Takeaways A new study shows better outcomes for people who are able to move from an obese body mass index (BMI) to an overweight BMI over the course of adulthood.These adults reduced their risk of early death by over 50%.“Early death” is considered death during middle age. The study, published on August 14 in JAMA Network Open, shows that people who were considered obese at age 25 had a 54% decrease in mortality risk if they lost enough weight to be considered overweight—not obese—by middle age....

Gout is a type of arthritis that is most often in one area or joint and involves swelling and pain. The big toe, other toes, fingers, ankles, and knees are the most common places to experience gout. This condition happens when a natural waste product in the body called uric acid, or urate, builds up either because too much is produced or more commonly, not enough is broken down and passed out of the body....

A condom is a thin, disposable, sheath-shaped barrier used during different types of sexual activity in order to reduce the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Some condoms are designed to be used on a penis, while others are worn inside the vagina. Condoms must be used correctly in order to be effective. Types of Condoms There are two main categories of condoms, based on whether the wearer has a penis or a vagina:...

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a special test used by pathologists to detect specific molecules on cells. When a tissue sample such as a lymph node biopsy is passed to a lab to be examined for disease, there are several details that cannot be determined easily. Several diseases or disease sub-types may look alike or appear to have similar size cells under a microscope but have different behaviors and different treatments. One way to differentiate them is to detect specific molecules on these cells that act as markers....

No matter what type of operation you have, it’s important to remember that surgery is surgery. While we tend to believe that a “minor” surgery means we have less to worry about compared to a “major” one, the rules invariably remain the same. In the end, any procedure in which an incision and anesthesia are involved carries a risk of complications. Chief among these are infections which occur in around 5% of all surgeries and up to 33% of all abdominal surgeries, according to a 2011 study from the University of South Florida Department of Colon and Rectal Surgeries....

The extended periods of diarrhea, vomiting, or both, that can occur with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may lead to dehydration. Dehydration occurs when more water is being lost from the body than is being taken in. The symptoms of dehydration can often be treated at home, but the problem can become serious if left untreated. If you have a significant amount of fluid loss from diarrhea, vomiting, or sweating, and you are experiencing other symptoms such as cramps, seek medical treatment right away....