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A wrist ganglion cyst is a swelling that usually occurs around the hand or wrist. A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled capsule; they are not cancerous, will not spread, and while they may grow in size, they will not spread to other parts of your body. Ganglion cysts can occur on the back of the hand or on the palm side of the wrist. When they occur on the back of the hand, they are called a dorsal ganglion cyst, and when they occur on the palm side of the wrist they are called volar ganglion cysts....

When you are following a diet to lower your cholesterol and triglycerides, one of the foods you typically limit are those that are high in saturated fat, such as animal meat. If you’ve been a meat eater all your life, it’s hard to cut it out just like that. Fortunately, you don’t have to completely scratch meat off your grocery list. Meat contains proteins necessary to build muscle and carry out a variety of functions in the body....

If you are going to have radioactive iodine treatment, which is medication taken by mouth that permanently reduces your thyroid gland activity, you will have to follow a low-iodine diet. Iodine is an element found in food that the body uses to make thyroid hormones. Following a low-iodine diet for at least two weeks before getting your treatment makes your thyroid more receptive to the medication. This increases its effectiveness. You’ll need to continue to maintain this diet until your treatment is complete....

There are several birth control options that you can buy over-the-counter (OTC), but birth control pills are not one of them. The only available OTC birth control pills are for emergency contraception. How to Get Birth Control Pills In order to get a prescription for birth control pills, you will need to talk to your healthcare provider about your medical history and get your blood pressure checked. Your practitioner may also require you to have a pelvic exam and a breast exam, but this is not a universal requirement....

Are people with celiac disease always thin, or can they be overweight? Overweight people can definitely have celiac disease. The myth that all people with celiac disease are thin is one that turns out to be pretty far from the truth. Why Is Celiac Disease Associated With Being Thin? There are two main reasons why people often associate celiac disease with being very thin. First, years ago it was thought that celiac sprue—which is what celiac disease used to be called—only developed in babies and young children....

Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO) gas. The gas is odorless and colorless. It binds to hemoglobin, the iron-based protein in red blood cells that makes them red and carries oxygen. It only takes a small amount of carbon monoxide in the air to bump oxygen molecules off of the hemoglobin, and the amount usually comes accidentally from various sources of combustion. Common Accidental Causes Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion....

The ciliary body is a structure that greatly affects the ability to view the world around you. By circling the iris (colored area) and lens of the eyeball, the ciliary body muscles help focus the eye on objects that are close up. This process is called accommodation. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to read or see what’s right in front of you. The ciliary body also produces a clear fluid called aqueous humor, which flows between the lens and cornea, providing nutrients and contributing to the fullness and shape of the eye....

Cirrhosis is the extensive scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by long-term injuries and disease. The damage is due to persistent and ongoing inflammation in response to chronic liver damage, such as chronic viral hepatitis infection, excessive alcohol consumption, and other causes. Although cirrhosis is typically irreversible, the condition can be managed with treatment. Learn more about cirrhosis and how this condition is diagnosed and treated. Cirrhosis and Impact on the Liver The liver has many important functions, one notable one being the filtration of blood....

Diabetes may appear to have nothing to do with mental disorders, but new research suggests otherwise. Your risk of type 2 diabetes may be higher if you have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Key Takeaways Researchers found that people with certain mental health conditions, such as sleep or binge eating disorders, are more likely to have type 2 diabetes.Lifestyle factors like diet and physical inactivity, as well as disparities in healthcare, help explain the link....

Unlike Medicaid, Medicare does not cover everyone in your family. Each individual has to meet Medicare eligibility criteria on their own. Those criteria include not only U.S. citizenship or legal residency but also proof of medical need. That medical need may be based on being 65 years of age or older or on your having a qualifying disability. Although you cannot get your family covered by Medicare, your family life plays a role in how much you will pay for Medicare....

Ependymomas are rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors that occur in the brain and spinal cord. It is possible to develop one at any age, but they more commonly occur in children. Ependymomas are usually genetic and caused by dysfunctional glial cells, which provide support, or “glue,” for neurons throughout the CNS. Ependymomas account for only about 1.8% of total CNS tumors. This article will cover various ependymoma symptoms, complications, and when to see your physician....

Most people hope to be remembered fondly by their loved ones, and it’s natural to occasionally worry about being forgotten. But for some, the fear of being forgotten or ignored can be thought of as a phobia. Athazagoraphobia is an unusual or abnormal fear of not being remembered. It can also include the fear of forgetting someone or something. If your fear involves being forgotten by a specific person or social group, it might be considered part of a type of social phobia....

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), also known as nosocomial pneumonia, is a lower respiratory bacterial infection that occurs 48 hours or more after hospital admission and does not appear due to intubation at the time of admission. People experience a host of symptoms ranging from fever and chills to shortness of breath and chest pain and are at higher risk of developing severe complications and even death. Infections are also much more likely in older adults and those who have poor health or are immunocompromised....

No one wants a headache to ruin their much-anticipated vacation exploring the South American Andes or skiing in the Rocky Mountains. Yet, within 6 to 12 hours of reaching a high altitude, people can develop acute mountain sickness — which is classically characterized by a headache and other unpleasant symptoms. Let’s learn more about the headache and other symptoms of acute mountain sickness, and how you can prevent it and get on with your lovely travels....

Forcing “picky eaters” to eat may not improve their attitudes or behaviors toward food. According to a recent study, creating a positive, supportive, and flexible approach to eating is more helpful. Key Takeaways A new study from researchers at Duke was one of the first to identify strategies that parents can use to help their children with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).Researchers surveyed more than 19,000 “picky eaters” and found that positive, flexible, and structured feeding strategies were more helpful than being forced to eat....

Chickenpox is typically easy to diagnose by a healthcare provider through a simple examination of the rash. If there’s any uncertainty, it can be confirmed with lab testing. Self-Checks/At-Home Testing Just a few decades ago, the chickenpox was an incredibly common illness. Nearly everyone came down with it at some point during childhood. Because it was so common, most people were familiar with what chickenpox looked like and often diagnosed themselves....

Grandpa just died? Got a new cochlear implant? Just upgraded to digital from analog? Bought a hearing aid awhile ago but it did not work as well as you wanted and you’re stuck with it? Don’t throw out that old or unwanted hearing aid—it may still have some life in it yet, and be of use to someone who can’t afford a hearing aid! Your old hearing aid could make the difference in someone’s life....

Puffy eyes can feel uncomfortable and make you self-conscious. Puffy bags under the eyes aren’t uncommon, and there are ways to deal with this problem at home. In cases where the puffiness is lasting or very noticeable, a treatment option like surgery can often successfully reduce the appearance of puffy eyes. At-Home Treatments Depending on the cause, you can sometimes treat puffy eyes at home with these remedies: Allergy medicine: Allergies can cause inflammation that leads to swelling under the eyes....

Our Conversation Coach Can Help Being diagnosed with cancer is an overwhelming experience, so it’s normal to be bombarded with a multitude of emotions—sadness, fear, and anxiety—all at the same time. As you process your diagnosis and the emotions that go along with it, the thought of then deciding to share it with others can seem like simply too much. Try to be at ease though. While sharing your diagnosis can be difficult and a bit messy, most people feel better after doing it....

It may be tempting to reach for that can of Red Bull to help you cope with the fatigue related to cancer, but it is probably not the best solution. Energy drinks are loaded with sugar and caffeine—you may get a small burst of energy from these ingredients, but it will not sustain you through the day. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by people with cancer. It can also be one of the most distressing as it interferes with every aspect of daily life....