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Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) sometimes wonder how it will affect their ability to get pregnant. It’s a complex question because there are many variables and few guarantees. Numerous factors can influence your odds of pregnancy, including the age and general health of you and your partner. When you have PCOS, how well you manage your condition also plays a huge role. This article discusses how people with PCOS can approach conceiving....

Applying warm compresses to a skin abscess like a boil can help drain the pus it contains and ease related pain. Though you may be tempted to poke at the lump to get the abscess to burst, this may make your situation worse. Attempting to cut a boil open—known as lancing—can force the infection-causing bacteria deeper into the skin. This may be considered if warm compresses fail, but should only be done by a healthcare provider who can take steps to minimize risks....

Do you think your kids have lice? Are they itching their heads or have you gotten a message from school that lice are going around? If so, it’s time to give their heads a good check. Most parents shudder at the thought that their child might have head lice. But being able to recognize lice your child’s head will let you get rid of them as soon as possible. It will also help to make sure he doesn’t pass them on to other kids....

Iodine is a mineral that helps the body in many ways, including by making thyroid hormones that are necessary for proper brain, bone, and metabolism development. If the body doesn’t have enough iodine, it can cause a deficiency and the body won’t be able to make enough of the thyroid hormone. This can lead to hypothyroidism. Iodine and Your Thyroid Proper thyroid function is important for the metabolism of almost all of the tissues in the body....

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory disorder that can not only affect your breathing but your sex life, as well. Shortness of breath, one of the hallmarks of COPD, can severely limit the activities you are able to engage in, while coughing, mucus, and fatigue can put a damper on even the most passionate of moments. In the end, everything from your ability to maintain an erection to the speed by which you achieve climax can be impeded by the restriction of air to your lungs....

Micrometastases are small collections of cancer cells that have been shed from a cancerous tumor and have spread to another part of the body through the blood or lymph nodes. Micrometastases can then form a second tumor that’s too small to be seen on imaging tests, such as a mammogram or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and can only be seen under a microscope. If you have had a sentinel node biopsy, your breast surgeon or oncologist may have mentioned micrometastases....

Mindfulness is gaining traction as a fibromyalgia treatment, but do you know what mindfulness really means? Have you wondered whether it’s a passing fad or something that really works? It’s easy to see why people interested in fibromyalgia—whether they have it, treat it, research it, or know someone with it—turn to complementary and alternative approaches: this condition is tough to treat. The best medications only help about a third of the people who try them, and the side effect risk is high....

Muscle contusions are very common sports injuries, second in frequency in athletes only to muscle strains. Most frequently seen in participants in contact sports such as football, rugby, and lacrosse, muscle contusions also occur in non-contact sports such as soccer, baseball, and basketball. The most common areas of injury are the thigh, followed by the arm. Almost all muscle contusions can be treated without surgery, but there is often debate about what the ideal treatment of a muscle contusion should be....

Sarcoidosis is a disease that causes small masses of tissue clumps, called granulomas, to form inside the body. These granulomas can lead to damaged or malfunctioning organs in the body and frequently involve the eyes. Uveitis (inflammation inside the eyes) is the most serious manifestation of ocular sarcoidosis, or sarcoidosis in the eyes. Uveitis causes eye pain, redness, and vision loss and must be treated immediately with steroids by an ophthalmologist....

Acne is a skin condition that affects the oil glands and hair follicles, which are connected to the surface of the skin. When dead skin cells, hair, and oil (called sebum) clump together within a follicle, they can create a plug. Bacteria in the plug can then cause swelling. When the plug starts to break down, a pimple forms. When it comes to acne, the occasional zit or constellation of blackheads (plugs of gunk under the skin that haven’t been affected by bacteria) is one thing....

No race or ethnicity is immune to developing high cholesterol levels but some studies are suggesting a connection between race and cholesterol. That is, some racial and ethnic groups may be more susceptible to higher cholesterol levels. In adults, total cholesterol levels should be at or below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). LDL cholesterol levels above 130 mg/dL are considered to be high and linked to increased health risks. But cholesterol levels vary by race and ethnicity as well as gender, according to the CDC....

“What type of surgery have you had on your left side?” “If you don’t have a colon anymore, how do you poop?” People who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and who have had surgery may hear this question, or similar, from healthcare professionals or others. For those who don’t specialize in gastrointestinal conditions, the differences between some of the types of surgery done for IBD may be murky. It’s important to be able to describe the differences in these surgeries to those who are unfamiliar, because not everyone understands what an ostomy is, or what a j-pouch is, and the differences are significant....

The function of the heart is to pump the blood that bathes and nourishes every organ of the body. The blood carries the oxygen and nutrients vital to the tissues, and it also carries waste products away from the tissues. If the pumping action of the heart is disrupted for any reason, the body’s organs begin to fail very quickly. So life itself is dependent on the efficient, continuous operation of the heart....

A stroke is a potentially life-threatening brain condition that occurs when an artery leading to or within the brain is blocked or ruptured. This causes a lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the brain tissue. Long-term health effects of a stroke can include behavioral changes, memory loss, trouble speaking or understanding, and hearing issues. Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. One type of stroke that can lead to long-term health effects is temporal lobe stroke....

For decades, the “redheads require more pain medication” myth was a kind of medical tale that was passed down from seasoned nurses to new nurses. After decades of this “knowledge” being passed down from seasoned healthcare providers and nurses to newer ones, a small study was done in 2004 to see if there was any truth to the idea. What the study revealed was this: Redheads in the study required more pain medication than the brunettes studied....

When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? If you have COPD, you may not remember. While getting enough quality sleep is important to all of us, it is especially important to people who have chronic respiratory illnesses like COPD because a well-rested body gives you the energy you need to complete activities of daily living and to breathe more efficiently. It also improves your mood and your overall health....

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is often described as the “gold standard” when it comes to autism therapy. But it has its detractors. Some people (particularly high functioning autistic self-advocates) feel that the technique is demeaning and, in many cases, cruel to the child. Some experts suggest that ABA is really best for children who have more severe forms of autism—and recommend developmental or play therapy instead of ABA. Developmental and play therapy is more focused on interactivity, communication, and emotional growth while ABA (not surprisingly) is focused almost exclusively on behavior....

Perforation of the small intestine or the large intestine is a serious and potentially fatal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A perforated bowel is a surgical emergency and needs immediate treatment to prevent further complications such as infection or even death. A perforated bowel is a hole in the wall of the intestine which can occur for a variety of reasons. It is not common, but because it is an emergency situation, knowing the signs and symptoms is important, particularly for people who have IBD....

Lasix, also known as furosemide, is a diuretic and is a prescription medication commonly used after surgery. It is given to increase urine output which in turn can decrease blood pressure, edema, fluid overload, and can stimulate the kidneys when they are not working properly. Lasix is used to decrease the amount of fluid in the body, particularly in the veins and arteries of the body. If the body is holding too much fluid, it can increase stress on the heart, cause fluid to build up in the lungs, and can also cause swelling, typically in the legs and feet....

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, also known as Pick’s disease, is one of the several types of frontotemporal dementia. Frontotemporal dementia affects between 50,000-60,000 people in the United States. While all ​​types of dementia are difficult, Pick’s disease has a unique set of challenges. Here are a few. No One Knows What Pick’s Disease Is Okay, that’s not true, but it can feel like it. Relatively few people are familiar with Pick’s disease as compared to Alzheimer’s disease....