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Most of us associate grief with the loss of a loved one. However, grief may also occur as the result of having a chronic illness like multiple sclerosis (MS), in which a person loses various physical and/or mental abilities. Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with MS for many years, it’s important to understand that grief is a completely normal and natural reaction. By understanding your grief, you can help yourself to cope....

If you’re working on managing your weight, you might have been advised against snacking. However, eating balanced meals and snacks can help you lose weight. According to research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition, eating three meals and two snacks per day can help you achieve your weight goal and maintain it. Key Takeaways Snacking can be an important part of your weight management plan.Snacks should contain a balance of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and certain fats....

Bumex (bumetanide) is a strong diuretic that can cause side effects, with dehydration being the most serious one. This medication is commonly prescribed to treat edema (fluid retention) that is caused by medical problems like heart failure, kidney disease, and liver disease. It works by helping the kidneys clear excess water and sodium. Bumetanide can also be prescribed to treat high blood pressure. If you are taking bumetanide, it’s important that you take note of the medication’s side effects and contact your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms that become severe or don’t go away....

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. It’s not uncommon to see this challenging behavior in certain types of dementia such as frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. With obsessive and/or compulsive behaviors, a loved one may have the need to repeat actions or behaviors multiple times. For example, your father might check the locks 12 times instead of once, repeatedly wash his hands until they’re so dry that the skin cracks and bleeds, or constantly want to go to the bathroom....

Corticosteroids are one type of steroid medication. Sometimes the term “steroid” is used interchangeably with “corticosteroid.” About 1% of the general population is estimated to receive long-term treatment with corticosteroids. Steroids such as prednisone are used as therapy for many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including: asthma rheumatoid arthritis lupus inflammatory bowel disease They are also used to treat many allergic conditions. While steroids are generally effective in treating such ailments, they are also the most common cause of drug-induced osteoporosis....

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme that forms prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and thromboxanes—substances called prostanoids that are responsible for the inflammatory response. If you have ever experienced inflammation-related pain—for example, due to arthritis—you’ve felt cyclooxygenase at work. COX is known as a rate-limiting enzyme because it serves as the major pathway or key for the formation of these prostanoids. But COX isn’t all bad—it’s even necessary for normal cellular processes. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) affect COX to reduce inflammation....

Dementia is a term that describes when a person loses their thinking ability, memory, reasoning, and decision-making skills. There are different types of dementia, and these conditions typically develop after age 65. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 14 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of dementia by the year 2060. This article discusses types of dementia, the symptoms, who is affected by the conditions, and the screenings and tests used to diagnose them....

Poop, also known as feces, is what’s left of your food and drink after your body absorbs nutrients. If you’ve ever felt lighter and less bloated after having a bowel movement, you’re not alone. Technically speaking, if you weigh yourself after a large poop, you’ll likely notice a drop in the scale. This may cause you to wonder whether pooping after each meal would lead to long-term weight loss. Unfortunately, the human body does not work that way....

Easing a dry nose means taking steps to restore moisture in your nose and sinuses when the mucus membranes that line them don’t produce enough. Simple home remedies for dry nose, such as using a humidifier or saline nasal spray, can help. Having dry nasal and sinus passageways can lead to other problems, such as headache and frequent bloody noses. Treating a dry nose and sinuses can help prevent these and other issues, like a sinus infection....

Since eczema normally comes and goes and many children can go days or weeks with clear skin, it can be difficult to figure out what is triggering these kinds of eczema outbreaks. Eczema and Food Allergies Although the role of food allergies and eczema is controversial, there is no good reason why a lactose-free formula would help a child’s eczema. If a child did have an allergy to a baby formula, it would likely be to either the milk proteins or soy proteins and not to lactose, which is a sugar....

Eye melanoma, or ocular melanoma, is a rare form of cancer that forms inside the uvea, the area of the eye between the retina and the white part of the eye. Most melanomas affect the skin, but sometimes a melanoma can develop in the eye. If melanoma develops inside the eye, it is called primary eye cancer. If melanoma starts in another part of the body and spreads to the eye, it is referred to as secondary eye cancer....

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is a viral illness that affects millions of people every year. There are four types of flu viruses, but the two that cause illness in humans most commonly are influenza A and influenza B. Both cause the same flu symptoms including a runny nose, coughing, fever, and body aches. This article will outline flu B symptoms and the difference from other flu strains. It will also answer common questions including what causes the flu and flu symptoms duration....

Broken bones are common injuries, and many children will experience at least one fracture in their growing years. How they happen—and how we treat them—can be very different in children than adults. Because a child’s bone is growing rapidly, it has more flexibility and may not break completely. Instead, what we will see is a break more commonly referred to as a greenstick fracture. Causes and Features of a Greenstick Fracture The term “greenstick fracture” is used because it evokes a young, green branch that bends, and even splinters, but doesn’t fully break....

If you have psoriatic arthritis (PsA), your healthcare provider may prescribe Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK inhibitors) to relieve joint pain and inflammation. JAK inhibitors are a type of drug that inhibits certain enzymes associated with inflammation. By blocking these signaling enzymes, the body no longer produces inflammatory proteins that cause PsA symptoms. JAK inhibitors are used to treat many types of autoimmune disease. They help temper an overactive immune system and, by doing so, alleviate acute symptoms, protect joints and other tissues, and slow the progression of the disease....

A mastectomy is a procedure in which the entire breast is removed. It is done in an effort to remove breast tissue in order to treat or prevent a breast cancer diagnosis. While a mastectomy is only one of the possible treatment options for someone dealing with breast cancer, the surgery is typically recommended for those who can not treat breast cancer with a lumpectomy, or if the patient is at a higher risk of developing a reoccurrence of breast cancer due to family history or other health reasons....

Mild hearing loss can be easy to miss and it often occurs gradually and painlessly. It is typically classified as a hearing loss of 26 to 45 decibels on the audiogram. It may be conductive, sensorineural, or mixed. What Are the Effects of Mild Hearing Loss? When you have a mild hearing loss, it may feel as though your ears are plugged or that people are mumbling. If someone is close enough, you typically won’t have any trouble understanding them....

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a test used by healthcare providers to evaluate people with memory loss or other symptoms of cognitive decline. It can help identify those at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It is also used as a screening tool for conditions like Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, substance abuse, and head trauma. The MoCA contains 30 questions and takes around 10 to 12 minutes to complete....

Ovarian dermoid cysts (also called mature cystic teratomas) are a type of germ cell tumor (growths of cells that form from reproductive cells). These cysts are fluid-filled sacs that contain tissues meant to develop in other parts of the body. Tissues in ovarian dermoid cysts can include hair, teeth, skin, muscle, and bone. Dermoid cysts in ovaries typically are present at birth but may not grow or become symptomatic for many years....

Preeclampsia is defined by high blood pressure and elevated levels of protein in the urine, which may occur after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Another feature of the condition is liver or kidney damage. Sometimes, preeclampsia can occur after giving birth. This is called postpartum preeclampsia. Most people with preeclampsia have healthy babies. However, left untreated, it can cause serious problems to the mother and the baby. Preeclampsia occurs in 8% of pregnancies around the world, and cases in the United States have risen by about 25% since the 1980s....

Primary progressive aphasia, or PPA, is a type of frontotemporal dementia that affects speech and language—thus, the word “aphasia” which refers to difficulty with expressive and/or receptive communication. The neurological syndrome causes people to slowly lose their ability to read, write, speak, and understand language. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease (AD), other cognitive functions tend to remain intact in early PPA. PPA is not the same as AD, although AD is thought to cause PPA in 30% to 40% of cases....