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With back to school in full swing, many of us are trying to find ways to set our days up for success. A tried and true method? Eating a hearty breakfast. Key Takeaways Eating a nutritious and balanced breakfast can offer many health benefits for children and adults alike. But many people are crunched for time in the morning, making it easier to skip the meal. Some tips like adding an egg or prepping the night before can help keep simplify the meal....

There are two general approaches to treating atrial fibrillation: Attempt to get rid of the atrial fibrillation altogether and restore and maintain normal heart rhythm. Allow the atrial fibrillation to persist while controlling the heart rate Given these two options, without knowing anything more, almost anyone would start out preferring the rhythm control approach. However, in actual practice, this approach often turns out to be less effective and less safe than the rate control approach....

Diagnostic medical equipment and supplies help clinicians to measure and observe various aspects of a patient’s health so that they can form a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, the clinician can then prescribe an appropriate treatment plan. Diagnostic medical equipment is found in outpatient care centers for adult and pediatrics, in emergency rooms, as well as inpatient hospital rooms and intensive care units. The following list is not exhaustive, but it provides an overview of some of the most commonly used diagnostic tools....

If you have viral hepatitis, you may be familiar with the fact that there are different ways in which the viruses can spread. So what does this mean if you have a baby? Will you be able to breastfeed? What precautions need to be taken with the different forms of hepatitis? A common concern among mothers with viral hepatitis is the risk of transmission to their babies as a result of breastfeeding....

It is not possible to carry a pregnancy after a hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of a female’s uterus. The uterus, also described as the womb, is where a baby grows during pregnancy. Hysterectomies are common procedures. In fact, one in three females in the U.S. has a hysterectomy by age 60. The decision is not taken lightly—it has many effects, including permanently eliminating the ability to carry a pregnancy....

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis have an average of one relapse every two years, but an existing medication may help make relapses even less frequent. Key Takeaways In a new study, the cancer drug rituximab worked better at preventing MS relapses than a common multiple sclerosis treatment called Tecfidera.Instead of taking daily medication, patients received rituximab infusions every six months.Rituximab is not FDA-approved for multiple sclerosis, but the trial results suggest it is an affordable alternative to commonly-prescribed MS drugs....

Castleman disease (CD) is an illness that impacts the lymph nodes and associated tissues. There are two types of CD, explains the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CD may be referred to by other names as well, including: Castleman tumorAngiofollicular ganglionic hyperplasiaAngiofollicular lymph hyperplasiaGiant benign lymphoma One type of the disease is called unicentric CD, in which the lymph nodes affected are limited to a certain area of the body, like the chest or abdomen....

If you’re frustrated by blemishes you thought you had left behind in your teenage years, you’re not alone. Many women have acne breakouts in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. This article explores the causes of adult acne, as well as what you can do to prevent it. It will also explain when it’s best to reach out to your doctor. What Causes Acne? The main factors that lead to acne for both teens and adults may include:...

Cholera is a bacterial infection that’s caused by a microbe that thrives in water. People who become seriously ill with cholera may become dehydrated very quickly due to explosive diarrhea and vomiting. Not everyone who contracts cholera becomes this sick, but those who do are at risk of dying if they aren’t treated quickly. Cholera is extremely rare in the United States and other developed countries where public sanitation is well-established and good personal hygiene is widely practiced....

While the words “infectious” and “contagious” are often used interchangeably to describe illnesses, they actually mean two very different things. Infectious Disease Put simply, an infectious disease is an infection. That is, when a microorganism comes into your body, and makes itself comfortable. For bacteria or fungi, this means dividing and growing new cells at an exponential rate. Viruses, on the other hand, have an added hurdle of entering human cells and taking over their control centers so that they can make more of themselves....

The human lifespan is the maximum number of years an individual from the human species can live based on observed examples. Though this definition of lifespan may seem simple enough, it is often confused with other common concepts in the study of the aging, life, and death of living organisms. In order to better understand the human lifespan, let’s dive a little deeper into the concept and its important distinctions from other commonly used terms....

If your loved one or patient with Alzheimer’s disease or a different type of dementia wanders and attempts to leave your home or facility, one option to increase their safety is to place alarms on the doors. You can also try different locking mechanisms such as a latch up high, but the concern with that strategy is that in case of a fire, the person may not be able to escape safely out of the house....

Menopause can be a time of major upheaval for some women, while others coast through the transition completely unfazed. Most women and even men blame the changing hormonal balance that leads to the end of the childbearing years for any symptoms. What many don’t realize, however, is that there is a complex interplay between these hormones and many other chemicals that impact the body and brain. What Are Endorphins? Neurotransmitters, a category of chemicals that exist within the nervous system and serve as messengers to relay information, can affect everything from mood, sleep, and concentration, to weight regulation, immune functioning, and other important functions throughout the body....

Like many other types of tumors, how and why ependymomas form is not fully understood. What researchers do know is that ependymomas form from glial cells that grow atypically. Glial cells support functions and act as a “glue” for the CNS. When these cells grow out of control, they can form ependymomas. This article reviews the most common causes and risk factors for developing an ependymoma. Common Causes Ependymoma is a type of glioma that grows from glial cells in the brain or spine....

Although the role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is still not entirely clear, more and more healthcare providers are diagnosing SIBO in their IBS patients, along with providing a prescription for a course of antibiotics. This article answers the most common questions that IBS patients have about SIBO. 1. What is SIBO? SIBO is an acronym for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. In a healthy digestive system, the amount of gut bacteria found within the small intestine is quite low....

Sometimes in medical care—especially first aid—we try to make the terminology more user-friendly. It’s led to terms like heart attack or stroke (and in recent years stroke has been increasingly called “brain attack”). Some of the terms make sense, but there are others that simply don’t work for anyone other than the doctors who thought them up in the first place. Insulin shock and diabetic coma are two terms that just don’t make sense....

Each year, dozens (if not hundreds or thousands) of people are forced out of their homes and into hotels and shelters by natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. When this happens to you, all of a sudden finding safe food becomes paramount. While government agencies and organizations such as the American Red Cross do seem to manage to feed everyone successfully in these disaster situations, those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity need to take extra steps beforehand to ensure we have safe, nourishing food to eat....

Any parent would remember the time when their infant would fall asleep and closely monitoring that they were in fact breathing. Today, you’re probably just glad that your child sleeps at all, yet childhood snoring is something that every parent should be aware of. The thought of your child struggling for air during sleep is any parent’s nightmare. For the most part, childhood snoring may indicate a variety of issues that a child is suffering or at risk of, including crowded dental development, daytime tiredness learning difficulties, and behavioral issues....

Demand for sign language interpreters has skyrocketed in your area. Seeing the need, you decide to become an interpreter. Where can you go for that training, and how do you become an interpreter? College Education Most people who become interpreters obtain some formal training in colleges and universities. The Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education has a listing of accredited programs that offer degrees in sign language interpreting. Despite the abundance of training programs, scholarships for interpreters appear to be relatively few....

Free or low-cost prescription drugs are always appealing, whether you have health insurance or not. There’s no sense in paying any more for a drug you need than is necessary. It’s one great strategy for saving money on the drugs you need. But as you know, stores are in business to make a profit and they are not simply providing you with free or low-cost drugs out of the goodness of their hearts!...