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Hypertension is a significant health problem for many Americans. About 70 million adults in the United States, approximately one in three Americans, have hypertension. Only slightly more than half of Americans with high blood pressure have good control. Hypertension is a chronic disease that often results in damage to the heart, brain, blood vessels, and other organs, including the kidneys. What the Numbers Mean The top number represents your systolic blood pressure, which is a measurement of the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats....

Exercise is a crucial component of any healthy lifestyle, especially for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS puts you at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, making exercise extra important to help you stay healthy. Here’s what you need to know before getting started. Talk to Your Healthcare Provider If you have health issues like uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, or another significant health issue, speak to your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise plan so that you can be cleared to start and develop a safe workout plan....

The only dangerous scorpion in North America—probably the most venomous of all North American bugs—is the bark scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda). Bark scorpions are found in all of Arizona, extending west across the Colorado River into California and east into New Mexico. These critters are ugly (of course they’re ugly; they’re scorpions) about 3 inches long and have very skinny tails. A sting from a bark scorpion is probably not deadly unless the person who gets stung is allergic, but it can make you very sick regardless....

When you learn that a close friend or a family member has been diagnosed with a serious or fatal condition, it’s natural to ask yourself about the things you can say or do to help. It’s also natural to feel your own sense of hopelessness or inadequacy. You can make a difference even as your loved one faces his or her final days. Everyone’s needs are different. It’s up to you to be sensitive to a friend or relative’s emotional requirements....

Dermatologists will sometimes recommend the prescription drug Accutane (isotretinoin) for people with hard-to-treat acne. However, when reading the prescribing leaflet, users will often become unnerved to find depression and suicidal thoughts listed among the safety warnings. It’s an understandable reaction and one that deserves full disclosure as to the benefits and risks of treatment. Isotretinoin Background Isotretinoin is an oral medication that is used to treat severe acne. It is sometimes used to treat acne that isn’t necessarily severe, but stubborn and not clearing up with other acne medications....

While access to treatment has increased for people living with HIV since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014, the cost of antiretroviral therapy remains a challenge—even a barrier—for many. According to the non-profit Fair Pricing Coalition (FPC), some insurers have tried to skirt the law by making HIV drugs either unavailable or more expensive than other chronic medications prescribed as essential by the ACA. In some cases, insurers have excluded first-line antiretrovirals from their formularies, while others required patients to pay a percentage of the drug’s cost rather than the standard flat fee....

Metformin, a common first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes that has been used in the U.S. since 1998, may help save the lives of women who have SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new December study published in the journal The Lancet Health Longevity. Key Takeaways A new study found that women who had been taking metformin before being hospitalized due to COVID-19 had a lower risk of dying from the disease....

The only curative therapy for primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is stem cell transplant, however, this therapy is recommended for high- and intermediate-risk patients only. Even in this group, age and other medical conditions can increase the risks associated with transplantation significantly making it a less than ideal therapy. Additionally, not all people with high- and intermediate-risk PMF will have a suitable stem cell transplant donor (matched sibling or matched unrelated donor). It is recommended that people with low-risk PMF receive treatment aimed at reducing symptoms associated with the disease....

American Sign Language (ASL) might not have the respect that it does today if not for the work of William C. Stokoe, Jr. (1919-2000). Sign Language Before Stokoe Before Stokoe began his work, sign language was not seen as a real language. Instead, it was seen as a collection of meaningless gestures or pantomime. This viewpoint was preventing sign language from gaining respect and from being used in the education of deaf children....

A reverse abdominoplasty, also known as a reverse tummy tuck, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess, loose skin from the upper abdomen. A traditional abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, addresses the issue of loose skin of both the upper and lower abdomen. Where Are the Incisions for a Reverse Tummy Tuck Located? The incisions for a reverse tummy tuck are located beneath the breasts at the breast fold or breast crease....

If you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), your healthcare provider may have prescribed steroids such as prednisone to decrease inflammation during a flare-up. The common side effects of steroids range from annoying to debilitating, but most of them will go away when the dosage is tapered down and discontinued. However, steroids can also contribute to the development of potentially serious and permanent effects, especially when they are taken in high dosages or for longer periods of time....

Over 20 million Americans have gallbladder disease and about one million new cases of gallbladder disease are diagnosed annually. The symptoms of gallbladder disease can mimic those of other conditions, including heart attack, making an accurate diagnosis extremely important. If you have been diagnosed with gallbladder disease or gallstones, or if you are wondering whether you may have them, here’s what you should know. What Are Gallstones? Gallbladder disease is typically characterized by the presence of gallstones, which form bile stored in the gallbladder hardens....

Stool softeners, also known as emollient laxatives, are over-the-counter (OTC) medications used to soften hard stools. While other types of laxatives stimulate the digestive tract or draw water into the intestine to encourage a bowel movement, stool softeners work by increasing moisture in stools so they are easier to pass. Stool softeners are taken by mouth and come in capsule, liquid, and tablet form. Brand names include Colace, Correctol, Diocto, Doxinate, Ex-Lax Stool Softener, Fleet Sof-Lax, Modane Soft, Phillips’ Stool Softener, and Surfak....

During the month of July, many TikTok creators are using their platforms to celebrate Disability Pride Month—over 100 million videos so far have been tagged under #DisabilityPride. The hashtag uplifts posts created by a wide range of disabled people, sharing their lives online. These celebrations honor the July 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. But nearly 31 years later, people with disabilities still face a number of barriers to equitable treatment, varying from physical hurdles to economic challenges....

Getting rest is the goal of most patients when they are in the hospital. It seems logical that when you are sick or injured that sleep is especially important—and it is. It is just very hard to obtain during a hospital stay. Why Sleep Is Difficult in a Hospital The very nature of a hospital can make sleep especially challenging. You are in a bed that isn’t your own trying to sleep with a pillow that isn’t your own....

Absence seizures, previously called petit mal seizures, cause brief periods of staring spells that last for a few seconds at a time. The seizures are more common during childhood and adolescence and often resolve by the time a person reaches adulthood. This article will describe the common symptoms of absence seizures, as well as the rare symptoms and associated medical issues. Frequent Symptoms Often, absence seizures occur without any noticeable symptoms....

The American College of Gastroenterology has published its first-ever clinical guidelines to help manage patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The new guidelines include clinical recommendations for diagnostic testing and therapeutic treatments for IBS. Key Takeaways Researchers have released new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of IBS.The goal is to shorten the time to diagnosis and help get patients the right treatment faster.The guidelines include recommendations for diagnostic testing and therapeutic treatments....

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), previously known as selective eating disorder (SED), is an eating disorder characterized by an individual severely limiting the amount and/or types of food consumed. The avoidance of food is based on sensory characteristics, and/or concern about unpleasant consequences of eating, resulting in failure to meet individual nutritional needs. It usually occurs in childhood, but can develop at any age. It is more severe than typical childhood “picky eating” and tends to affect the child’s overall appetite, food intake, growth, and development....

BEACOPP is the name of a chemotherapy regimen (drug schedule) used in the treatment of advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a common and effective chemotherapy regimen for newly diagnosed patients who have widespread disease. Though not commonly used in the U.S., it is considered the standard chemotherapy combination for stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma in some European countries. Drugs Used in the BEACOPP Regimen A combination of seven drugs is used in BEACOPP....

“I, Sally, take you, Fred, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” For many, those vows that they took 50 years ago are at the forefront of their minds when they’re determining how to care for their spouse or partner with Alzheimer’s disease. But often, it’s not an easy task....