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Driving in the dark is different from driving during the daylight hours. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision can all be compromised in the dark. Add to that the glare of headlights and night driving can be unnerving enough to keep you off the road. Fortunately, there are strategies to help you stay safe and feel more confident about driving at night. The following tips will help you improve your night vision and reach your destination safely....

Substance P was initially discovered in 1931, but its significance in the body took decades to unravel. By the 1950s, it was determined that substance P was a neurotransmitter. Nerve cells communicate through neurotransmitters. Substance P was found to function as the pain transmitter of the dorsal horn. The dorsal horn is composed of sensory neurons and is found on all spinal cord levels. By the 1970s, the biochemical properties of substance P were revealed....

Many tests are used to diagnose ENT disorders. Regardless of your particular ailment, there is specific information you should always have ready for your healthcare provider to help him diagnose your problem. Here are some of the questions your healthcare provider may ask: What are your symptoms and when did they start?Have you been taking any medications (over the counter, including vitamin and herbal supplements or prescription)? If so, your healthcare provider will want to know the dosage....

Uterine cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, refers to cancer that starts in the uterus. The first symptoms usually include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain, and treatment at early stages can be very successful. The uterus is a pear-shaped reproductive organ. The inside lining of the uterus is called the endometrium; this is usually where the cancer cells first develop. About 10% of uterine cancers are known as uterine sarcomas, tumors that start in the muscular layer of the uterus....

The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, similar to the hip. However, the socket of the shoulder joint is extremely shallow and thus inherently unstable. This means that the bones of the shoulder are not held in place adequately. Extra support is needed—that’s where the labrum comes in. This cartilage is important for a properly functioning shoulder, as a torn labrum can impact movement. Luckily, most treatments aren’t invasive....

FRAX is a tool that was developed by the World Health Organization in 2008 to assess fracture risk. FRAX integrates clinical risk factors and bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck to calculate a 10-year fracture probability for men and women. Simply put, it’s a fracture risk calculator. The models used to develop the FRAX calculator were derived from studying patient populations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. There are paper versions of FRAX available but a free online FRAX tool exists as well....

Residual volume (RV) is the amount of air left in the lungs after a full exhalation. This air cannot be expelled and it helps keep the alveoli (the small air sacs that make up the lungs) open at all times. Residual volume is one of several factors that doctors measure during pulmonary function testing to determine how well the lungs are functioning. What Determines Residual Volume? Residual volume is determined by two competing factors....

A routine Pap smear is one of the many uncomfortable maintenance requirements of having a cervix, but there may be an easier, more pain-free way of identifying cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV). Key Takeaways A new study suggests testing menstrual blood from sanitary pads could be a new, accurate way to detect high-risk HPV and prevent cervical cancer.While this could greatly increase accessibility of HPV testing, it won’t likely replace the Pap smear because the physical examination can detect other health problems beyond HPV....

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is a relatively uncommon type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) that arises from T-cells. T-cells are a type of immune cell that protect the body from infections. There are two types of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, primary systemic type, and primary cutaneous type. The systemic type affects lymph nodes and other organs.The cutaneous type affects mainly the skin Primary Systemic Type The systemic type of ALCL affects both children and adults....

Verywell Health: When should I get tested for HIV? This article is part of Health Divide: HIV, a destination in our Health Divide series. Dr. Elopre: Everyone should be tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should at least get tested at least once, regardless of risk. We want empowering messaging around testing....

BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) testing is usually performed if your infant has failed their otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing unless your child was born prematurely. This test can also be used if there is any reason that standard hearing tests cannot be performed. Head sensors and earphones to evaluate your infant’s auditory nerve, cochlear, and hearing pathways to the brain. Approximately 3 out of 1,000 infants are born with greater than a moderate degree of hearing loss....

Brain ischemia, also known as cerebral ischemia or cerebrovascular ischemia, occurs when there is an insufficient amount of blood flow to the brain. Oxygen and vital nutrients are carried in the blood through arteries—the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to every part of the body. The arteries that provide blood to the brain follow a certain pathway that ensures every region of the brain is adequately supplied with blood from one or more arteries....

High blood pressure is also called hypertension. It affects about one in three adults in the United States. Some people believe garlic can protect against high blood pressure. Proponents suggest increasing dietary intake of garlic or taking garlic extract as a supplement to treat or prevent high blood pressure. This article looks at garlic and its use against high blood pressure. It also discusses whether the evidence really points to its effectiveness for this purpose....

Most people do not think of prostate cancer as an illness that can result in emergencies. However, there are a few ways prostate cancer could necessitate an urgent trip to the hospital. Emergency Situations Caused by Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is usually a disease that develops and grows over a number of years rather than days or weeks. Consequently, many people don’t think of prostate cancer as an illness that can result in emergencies....

Taken properly, the birth control pill (an oral contraceptive, also referred to as the pill) is one of the most effective methods of preventing unplanned pregnancy, with a 99.7 percent success rate. Of course, exactly how effective the pill is for you depends on whether you take it every day. Missing just one pill significantly raises your chance of getting pregnant, lowering its effectiveness to 92 percent. And in fact, in the small percentage of cases in which pregnancy does occur for someone on the pill, the cause is typically user error....

Germ cell aplasia is a cause of infertility in people with testes. This condition is also known as Sertoli cell-only syndrome and del Castillo syndrome. People with germ cell aplasia produce few or no sperm cells and cannot impregnate their partners naturally through sexual intercourse. The testes contain seminiferous tubules, where sperm cells develop. These sperm cells are nourished by Sertoli cells, which line the insides of the tubules. People with germ cell aplasia have Sertoli cells but no sperm cells....

A new study suggests that having higher levels of certain omega-3 fatty acids could reduce your risk of early death by 13%—lowering your risk of dying from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other causes combined. Key Takeaways 95% of Americans have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids.Recent data shows that those who have higher levels of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids live a longer life than those who had low levels....

Ependymoma is a genetic central nervous system (CNS) tumor that begins in the brain or spinal cord. Ependymomas develop out of ependymal cells, or glial cells, which help provide structural support in the CNS. Surgery is usually the first-line treatment, and medications can be used to treat symptoms. This article discusses surgeries, medications, and other treatments for ependymoma. Prescriptions There are no known medications to treat or cure an ependymoma tumor....

You tested positive for COVID-19. You followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations by isolating yourself for five days and wearing a mask for another five days. But what now? Key Takeaways If you get COVID-19, you may test positive for several weeks after your infection clears. The persistence of a positive result depends on which test was used, since the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is more sensitive than the rapid antigen tests that can be administered at home....

Are you wondering if the birth control pill you are taking (or are thinking about taking) will affect your IBS? This is a very good question, as changes in hormone levels can certainly affect the digestive system and thus perhaps have an impact on IBS symptoms. Let’s take a look at what is known about the interaction of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) and IBS to see whether an interaction between the two might be helpful or make your IBS symptoms worse....