Emerging as the first branch of the internal carotid artery to the side of the cavernous sinus, the ophthalmic artery and its branches supply structures in the orbit of the eye (the cavity that holds the eyeball) and in parts of the nose, face, and meninges (the membranes that surround the brain). This artery passes into the inside of the eye, or orbit, via the optic canal and is especially important for vision....
Osteonecrosis is a condition that develops as a consequence of temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to bone. The lack of blood supply to bone causes that part of the bone to die. The bone may collapse as it dies, and if the affected bone is near a joint, the joint surface can collapse. Osteonecrosis can affect any bone but most commonly affects the ends of the femur, upper arm bone, knees, shoulders, and ankles....
Expect to read and sign a form before you, or someone you’re a medical proxy for, gets a COVID-19 vaccine. Key Takeaways COVID vaccination sites distribute consent forms and fact sheets along with the vaccines.If you have the healthcare proxy for someone with dementia, you may need to give consent for them to get the vaccine. Hold onto a copy of the form you sign. It contains information about the vaccine and may include the date you need to come back for a second dose....
Has your healthcare provider ever prescribed “Obecalp” or “Cebocap” to calm your headache, reduce your stomach upset, or relieve your pain? Obecalp and Cebocap are actually placebos—meant to be used as fake treatment—and do not contain an active substance. Obecalp is simply the word placebo spelled backward. Cebocap is a name of a pill made from lactose, which is sugar. Placebo comes from the Latin word meaning “to please.” Healthcare Providers Do Prescribe Placebos University of Chicago researchers issued the results of a study showing that 45 percent of the internists surveyed (all Chicago area family doctors) had prescribed placebos for their patients....
Previous research shows that many COVID-19 patients developed type 2 diabetes after contracting the virus. But a new study shows that this health complication may be only temporary for some. Key Takeaways A new study found that 13% of patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 developed diabetes.About 40% of those patients no longer had the chronic health condition during a follow-up.Experts are still exploring link the link between COVID-19 and newly-onset diabetes....
Postmenopause is the stage that a person enters when they are past menopause. When you are postmenopausal, you can no longer get pregnant. At this stage, you may also stop having menopausal symptoms. However, some people keep having symptoms beyond menopause, but those symptoms are often milder. Here’s what you need to know about being postmenopausal, including strategies that can help you cope with the transition. Postmenopausal Symptoms Postmenopause begins after menopause, the period of time in which a person has not had their period for 12 months....
Still somewhat of a mystery, sarcoidosis is a disease of unknown cause — even though the immune response and a person’s susceptibility genes are believed to be important. Sarcoidosis, sometimes simply called sarcoid, leads to a pattern of inflammation that’s recognizable under the microscope and can affect different organs of the body. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ, but it’s more likely to affect the following sites: Lungs Skin Lymph nodes — especially lymph nodes in the chest Sarcoidosis is also known for its potential to effects the eyes and liver....
A death doula is someone who makes him or herself available to assist a dying individual and, typically, also the family before, during and after a death occurs — often referred to as the pan-death “spectrum,” “process” or “journey” — in order to provide physical, emotional, psychological and even spiritual support. Sometimes associated with the home-death or home-funeral movements, a death doula generally offers/assists in a wide range of services that can vary greatly, depending upon the circumstances, but generally seeks to provide a holistic, hands-on, non-medical approach to the fundamentally natural process of dying for all parties involved....
Imagine that you’re a person with dementia receiving help with your basic care needs. Due to word-finding difficulty, memory problems or other symptoms of dementia, you might not be able to clearly converse about your life, your preferences, or your family. Perhaps there’s a special person you’re missing at the moment but you can’t figure out how to explain that to your caregiver to ask them to call him or just talk about him....
It is important to get a flu shot if you have asthma because getting the flu can be especially dangerous for people who have asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, anyone over the age of six months who has asthma should get a flu shot every year. And if you are over age 50, you can be at an even higher high risk of complications from a flu infection....
Potential COVID-19 vaccine side effects have been a big concern for people who are nervous to get the shot. However, new research has found that many of the side effects people report are actually just a placebo effect. Key Takeaways A new study has shown that many side effects reported by people in COVID-19 vaccine trials also happened in people who received a shot with no vaccine in it (placebo).The findings were consistent after both the first and second doses of the vaccine....
A stress fracture of the lower leg in the area of the shin is generally considered an overuse injury. Shin stress fractures can occur due to cumulative trauma to the bones, and the result is a small crack or fracture in the bones of the lower leg, often not visible on radiographs. These stress fractures are sometimes difficult to diagnose and can be misdiagnosed as shin splints. Shin stress fractures come on slowly over time from cumulative trauma to the muscles and bones, often due to overuse....
During the height of the pandemic, non-essential surgeries were postponed for a later date and telehealth worked to fill the need for in-person care. Now, new research shows that telemedicine helped increase access to surgical care, but some disparities remained. Key Takeaways Researchers found that telemedicine increased access to surgical care among racial and ethnic minorities. They propose that improvements need to be made to increase digital access and literacy. Telemedicine for surgeries can help reduce some barriers to care by removing the need for transportation and unnecessary trips to the hospital....
Untreated prostate cancer can spread to other parts of the body. If you choose not to treat prostate cancer, which is your right, your healthcare provider will still monitor your disease and may offer treatments to help ease symptoms. This article goes over the decision not to treat prostate cancer and what to expect if you choose to go this route. The Decision Not to Treat Prostate Cancer Decisions about prostate cancer treatment are based on your needs and preferences....
Probably the most talked about event of puberty for a girl is getting her period. Getting your period is another way of talking about menstruation. Within about a year after beginning her growth spurt, most girls will have their first period. Some girls can’t wait for their first period to come, while others may dread it or feel neutral about it. No matter how you feel, it’s an important event in your life and part of the normal process of becoming an adult....
The tetanus vaccine is used to prevent tetanus. It is given as a combination shot along with the diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines. The tetanus vaccine is delivered in one of four forms: DT, given to children 2 months to 6 years to prevent diphtheria and tetanus DTaP, given to children 2 months to 6 years to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis Tdap, given to children age 7 and older and to adults to prevent all three diseases Td, a booster shot used to boost immunity against tetanus and diphtheria Diseases Treated The Td, DT, DTaP, and Tdap vaccines have different indications for use and treat specific infectious bacterial diseases....
Aimovig (erenumab) is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the specific purpose of preventing chronic and episodic migraine headaches with and without aura. It has a number of distinct advantages over other medications that often are prescribed to head off migraines—so-called oral migraine prevention medications (OMPMs), which often have daunting side effects. Aimovig isn’t totally free of side effects, but research shows that compared to OMPMs, those that do occur for some people are milder (and there are fewer of them)....
Oral medications aren’t the only option when you are searching for something to relieve aches and pains associated with arthritis. Topical arthritis creams are products that are applied to the skin. There are several that can be purchased over-the-counter. Primarily, topical products are effective for soothing minor arthritis and muscle pain. Some of the products contain counterirritants, such as menthol, eucalyptus, or oil of wintergreen which work by irritating the skin at the point of application....
Brain freeze (sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia) is an excruciating head pain when eating something cold. It is also called “ice cream headache” because it correlates with extremely cold foods, like frozen treats. Medically speaking, brain freeze is classified as a cold-stimulus headache. Brain freeze affects the vascular and nervous systems. Healthcare providers believe that when something extremely cold hits the roof of your mouth, it drops the temperature dramatically, causing the blood vessels to constrict....
It’s a disturbing thought but it is possible for bugs to fly or crawl into our ears and then get stuck there. Often the insect dies after it enters the ear but it could stay alive and try to make its way back out. It’s helpful to remember that a bug in your ear is usually not dangerous to your health, though it can be quite uncomfortable. You are more likely to experience a bug in your ear when spending time outdoors or if there are bugs living in your home....
