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Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant and highly transmissible fungus, is responsible for recent outbreaks in a few healthcare facilities in Washington D.C. and Texas. Key Takeaways Candida auris is a highly transmissible and multidrug resistant fungus that has been detected in some Texas and D.C. healthcare settings.It most commonly induces a skin infection, but it can be more invasive to the bloodstream in about 5% to 10% of patients. The fungus is most dangerous for people who are immunocompromised, but is harmless to people who are healthy....

An overnight pulse oximetry test is a commonly used screening test that evaluates blood oxygen levels. Your healthcare provider may recommend one if you are suspected of having a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. This testing is also used to qualify for home oxygen use. This article will go over the overnight pulse oximetry test, what happens when you have one, and how the information is used. What Is Overnight Pulse Oximetry?...

Meeting recommended nutritional needs and maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of managing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Having PCOS can increase your chances of developing other health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome. It’s important for people with PCOS to manage their diet to help lower the risk of these complications. This article provides a breakdown of the nutritional basics for managing PCOS. The Importance of Balance The Dietary Guidelines for Americans note that nutritional needs should be met primarily from nutrient-dense foods and beverages that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components....

Peptic ulcer disease is a common medical condition that can sometimes produce symptoms similar to those of angina or a heart attack. In fact, it is not uncommon for someone with acute peptic ulcer symptoms to call 911 thinking that they’re in the middle of a cardiac emergency. The cause of this is not well-understood, but it is thought that multiple factors contribute to noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) in people with peptic ulcers....

Primary stabbing headache is a chronic primary headache disorder, meaning the stabbing head pains are not caused by an underlying medical condition. In other words, this type of headache exists on its own without another health explanation. Symptoms Symptoms of primary stabbing headache include: A single stab or series of stabbing pains in the head (like “ice-pick pains” or “jabs and jolts”).Short-acting, typically lasting three seconds or less.Stabs appear in an irregular manner, occurring once to a few times a day (although it can occur up to 50 or even 100 times a day)....

Sebopsoriasis is a disease that has symptoms of two different skin conditions: psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Although anyone at any age can be diagnosed with sebopsoriasis, the condition is more prevalent in children, adolescents, and people 50 years of age or older. Men also tend to have a higher tendency of getting sebopsoriasis than women. Sebopsoriasis Symptoms Common symptoms of sebopsoriasis include: Dry, flaking scalesYellow-gray tinged, greasy scales located on the scalp, eyebrows, and behind the ears, as well as in the folds of the face and over the breastboneScales that are thicker, more reddened, and have more defined borders compared to scales associated with normal seborrheic psoriasisScales that are not as silvery in color as the scales present in psoriasisA rash found in the skinfolds, such as in the fold behind the ears Causes The exact cause of sebopsoriasis is not well known....

Secondary polycythemia, similar to primary polycythemia vera, is a disorder that causes an overproduction of red blood cells. When too many red blood cells are produced, the blood becomes thick, hindering its passage through the smaller blood vessels. The difference between the two has to do with what the disorder is associated with. Secondary polycythemia is associated with an underlying disease process, but primary polycythemia is not. Secondary Polycythemia Symptoms Symptoms of secondary polycythemia, which are the same as those for primary polycythemia, may include:...

It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is hazardous to health, increasing the risk of lung cancer, for example, and contributing to heart disease. What may be less well known is that smoking can be equally harmful to bone health. Smoking can slow the rate at which a broken bone mends, for example, and interfere with recovery from orthopedic surgery, adding yet more reasons for smokers to kick the habit, for non-smokers to never start, and for parents and caregivers to discourage children and teens from lighting up as well....

A stricture, also less widely known as a constriction, is a type of abnormal narrowing in a passage in the body. The term is generally used for many types of narrowing, but a stricture is typically formed in an area of muscle that contracts over time and narrows a passageway, rather than other types of narrowing. The narrowing of a stricture can be annoying or life-threatening. It can make it difficult to urinate, eat, or even digest food depending upon the location of the stricture....

Your body needs fat to function, but having more fat stored than your body needs can have health consequences. Obesity—having an excessive amount of body fat—has long been thought to be caused by eating more than your body will use for energy. Key Takeaways Researchers propose that obesity is not as simple as the “calories in, calories out” equation for weight management.The carbohydrate-insulin model suggests that people gain weight when they consume excessive amounts of processed carbohydrates, which in turn causes insulin levels to rise and results in the body storing fat....

A new study has found that it’s common for people with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) to be given a treatment that is inappropriate. Additionally, people who live in rural settings are more likely to receive a prescription for antibiotics that is too long. Key Takeaways Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, especially for women. Approximately 50% of women experience a UTI in their lifetime.According to a new study, uncomplicated UTIs are often not treated appropriately, especially for people living in rural areas....

Tyramine is formed from the amino acid tyrosine and plays a role in blood pressure regulation. It is found naturally in the body and a variety of foods. People prone to migraines or those who take monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) may need to limit their intake of foods rich in tyramine. Learn more about how naturally occurring sources of tyramine affect the body and whether you need to avoid certain foods....

Recent studies have found vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of COPD and severe COPD, although there is no existing evidence to support that it plays a role in COPD exacerbation in people with moderate levels of vitamin D deficiency. Let’s explore this relationship a little further. Why We Need Vitamin D Vitamin D is a natural substance produced by our bodies in response to exposure to sunlight....

If you’ve ever experienced senior moments — a nonmedical term for mental glitches — you’re not alone. A few years ago, I was buying groceries and had just swiped my debit card. The machine asked me for my PIN, which I had entered hundreds of times before, and I froze. I couldn’t remember it for the life of me. As the cashier peered at me as if I was a possible identify thief, I quickly canceled the transaction and switched to a credit card that required no PIN....

Joint or articular cartilage is the type of cartilage most familiar to arthritis patients. This type of cartilage is also found in the nasal septum and trachea (windpipe). In osteoarthritis, cartilage loss is a significant factor that contributes to disease progression. What is cartilage loss? What predicts rapid cartilage loss? Can anything be done to prevent it or to replace lost cartilage? Why Do You Need Cartilage? Articular cartilage serves as the cushion within the joint and as a shock absorber....

If you’ve only had your first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), you aren’t yet fully protected against COVID-19. Key Takeaways You are not fully vaccinated if you have had only one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.If you get COVID-19 after your first vaccine dose, isolate for 10 days after you first had symptoms or a positive test.Get your second dose after you have recovered from COVID-19....

With the advent of advanced molecular genetic testing, doctors are now more than ever able to identify chromosomal disorders either directly or indirectly linked to a disease. One of these is celiac disease. Unlike some conditions in which a positive result is directly associated with the symptoms of a disease, a positive result for a celiac gene test suggests the likelihood—rather than certainty—of disease. In most cases, the likelihood will be small....

It has been speculated that the drug Accutane (isotretinoin) may be connected to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The patient information for Accutane does acknowledge a link between the drug and IBD. Several lawsuits have been brought against Roche Holding AG, the makers of Accutane, some of which have resulted in judgments against the pharmaceutical company. Some of these lawsuits were later overturned, and others are still being tried....

Cyclic mastalgia is another name for breast pain before your period. It’s a rather common condition with symptoms that ebb and flow in a predictable way in accordance with your menstrual cycle. This article explains more about cyclic mastalgia and how it differs from noncyclic mastalgia, which is unrelated to your menstrual cycle. It also details things you can do to ease this kind of discomfort. Strategies for how to reduce breast pain before your period include:...

Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor affecting the nerves that run from the inner ear to the brain. Normal healthy nerves are covered by a layer of cells called Schwann cells which function the same way that rubber or plastic coating on electrical wires work; providing insulation and support for nerve impulses. When these cells begin to grow and multiply at an abnormal rate, an acoustic neuroma can occur. Prevalence Acoustic neuroma occurs only in about 2 out of 100,000 people when there are no other precipitating factors....