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Rachel Charlton-Dailey is a journalist specializing in chronic conditions and disability. Her work is featured in publications such as Healthline, Huffpost, Metro UK, The Guardian, and Business Insider. Charlton-Dailey often uses her platform to spotlight issues that affect disabled people. Here, she shares the struggles many disabled people face when seeking COVID vaccination. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that disabled people were less likely to be vaccinated than non-disabled people....

Osteomyelitis is an infection involving bone. Most cases are caused by bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. Certain diseases, such as diabetes, sickle cell disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), rheumatoid arthritis and being on dialysis appear to increase a person’s risk for osteomyelitis. Intravenous (IV) drug use is also a risk factor. might increase a person’s risk for osteomyelitis. Affecting 2 out of every 10,000 people, both children and adults, osteomyelitis may cause pain and swelling in affected areas, fever, and drainage, in addition to other symptoms....

Hip replacement surgery is a common treatment for severe arthritis of the hip joint. In recent decades, hip replacement surgery has become much more common. Once reserved for elderly, inactive patients, many surgeons now perform hip replacements on young, active patients who are looking to maintain their busy lifestyle. As hip replacement surgery has evolved, techniques and protocols have been developed to make this procedure less invasive. The goal of any minimally invasive procedure is to try to make patients better, faster, and with less disruption to their life....

Is postnasal drip contributing to your poor asthma control? If you think it may be, learn to identify the cause and get your drip under control. Overview Postnasal drip is a condition that occurs when your nose produces too much mucus. When this excess mucus comes out of the front of your nose, a simple runny nose occurs. Postnasal drip happens when the excess mucus produced by your nose and other glands runs from your nose down the back of your throat....

The term serodiscordant couple is usually used to refer to relationships where one partner has HIV and the other does not. Technically speaking, however, it can be used for any relationship where one person’s blood tests positive for an infection and the other’s does not. It is thus also often used to refer to couples where one person is living with herpes and the other is not, or where one is living with hepatitis B and the other is not....

Sometimes people with headaches also complain of eye or vision problems—like blurry vision or eye pain. If your eye or vision complaint cannot be attributed to a migraine aura, your healthcare provider will consider other medical conditions that cause a headache and eye problems. Optic Neuritis Optic neuritis is an inflammatory condition of the optic nerve, a nerve located in the back of the eye that sends signals to the brain....

While you’re most likely to pass it to someone else when you have symptoms or soon after you start to feel better, you may be surprised at how long the stomach flu is contagious: up to two weeks after you recover. Adults can generally return to their daily activities after being symptom-free for 24 hours. It is assumed that, at this point, the greatest transmission risk has passed. But that doesn’t mean the risk is zero....

There are plenty of nutritional guidelines for well-known nutrients like salt, sugar, and fat, but organizations like the USDA and American Heart Association haven’t offered up any guidance on plant compounds: nutrients that have health benefits, but are not necessary to keep our bodies functioning. Key Takeaways Flavan-3-ols are plant compounds that help support many aspects of our health, including our hearts.For the first time, guidelines have been released detailing how many flavan-3-ols people should eat every day to reap the benefits....

A Foley catheter is an indwelling urinary catheter. Named for Frederic Foley, the surgeon who first designed the catheter, the Foley is a hollow, flexible tube that is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. For patients who are unable to empty their bladder for a wide variety of reasons that including having anesthesia during surgery or a problem with the bladder itself, the Foley allows urine to drain continuously. While urine would normally collect in the bladder, then be released during urination, the Foley allows it to be constantly drained from the bladder....

Interest in a vaccine for urinary tract infections (UTIs) extends back to the 1950s. Since then, scientists have been looking for a viable candidate to prevent the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) from colonizing the bladder and establishing an infection. In July 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Sequoia Sciences’ FimH UTI vaccine fast-track designation. If approved, the vaccine would become the first vaccine approved for the treatment of UTIs in the United States....

Factors like pregnancy and breastfeeding cause changes in menstruation that you anticipate coming. But other things that can affect your period, such as medication use, certain health conditions, and stress, may cause changes that are less expected. Knowing what can affect you period can help you know when a change may just be a natural part of life and when you need to contact your healthcare provider. This article explains how life stages, health, and other issues affect your period....

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. How to say it: Variant What it means: Something that is different from the standard or original. Where it comes from: From Latin, varians, “various or variegated.” Where you might see or hear it: In the context of health and medicine, you’ve probably recently heard “variant” applied to the COVID-19 virus. It’s also commonly used when talking about genetics, often along with the term “mutation....

While autism is increasingly common, its cause is usually unknown. In a general way, researchers believe that there is a strong genetic component to autism and that there are environmental “triggers” that may cause certain individuals to develop symptoms; for any individual, however, the precise nature of the genetic and environmental triggers is unknown. When autism is of known origin (caused by a known genetic anomaly or exposure), it is referred to as secondary autism....

Anemia is a very common symptom of celiac disease—in one study, one-third of newly diagnosed celiacs had anemia. Why do anemia and celiac disease so often appear together? Well, it’s usually because in celiac disease, you can’t always absorb nutrients from your food, and when you don’t get enough iron from your food, you can develop anemia. Let’s review some basics of anemia. Anemia Symptoms and Causes Your body uses hemoglobin—a protein found in red blood cells—to carry oxygen throughout your body....

If you are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a service dog might improve your quality of life and help keep you safe and healthy. MS produces a variety of symptoms, and the illness can make it difficult for you to get around, interfere with your balance, and impair your vision. These highly trained animals can perform a wide variety of tasks that help in all of these areas and more....

The cause of Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, depends on the type. However, experts still don’t know exactly what causes it. What they do know is that it primarily affects children. There are three forms of Burkitt lymphoma: endemic, sporadic, and immunodeficiency related. Sporadic Burkitt lymphoma is the most common type in the United States. Between 30% and 50% of cancer cases in children in Africa involve the endemic form of Burkitt lymphoma....

Butalbital-containing medications, like Fiorinal (butalbital/aspirin/caffeine) and Fioricet (butalbital/acetaminophen/caffeine), are commonly over-utilized in the treatment of headaches. Let’s explore the use of butalbital-containing medications for your headaches, and how a person can safely withdraw from them under a healthcare provider’s care. What Is Butalbital? Butalbital is a short-acting barbiturate, often used in combination with Tylenol (acetaminophen), aspirin, and/or caffeine to treat headaches. As a barbiturate, it depresses or slows down the central nervous system, causing a number of effects, depending on the dose....

A recent study found that certain molecules in cannabis protect against COVID-19. And some corners of the internet are celebrating. Some late-night hosts are, too. Key Takeaways Researchers found that certain acids within the cannabis plant can bind to COVID-19’s spike protein, protecting human cells from infection.The acids, CBGA and CBDA, are not found in common cannabinoid products, like weed or CBD gummies.Research on therapeutic agents that treat or prevent infections like COVID-19 is ongoing....

Can you outgrow celiac disease (an intolerance to gluten)? Unfortunately, no, you can’t. Once you’ve been diagnosed (and assuming the diagnosis is correct), you will have the condition for life. Years ago, doctors thought that only children had celiac disease and that children could outgrow it. However, now scientists know that celiac disease affects adults, too, that it does not go away, and that people who have it need to follow a gluten-free diet for life to fend off symptoms....

Patients with rheumatic diseases who take certain medications may experience a milder course of COVID-19 if infected, new research shows. An analysis of a registry of patient data compiled by the Global Rheumatology Alliance suggests patients on some immunosuppressive medications are hospitalized for COVID-19 less frequently than people not taking those medications. Key Takeaways People with rheumatic disease taking certain immunosuppressive medications may have a lower risk of experiencing severe COVID-19....