One of the most effective treatments for preventing headaches is to stop them before they start. Headaches can be triggered by a number of things, so understanding how to interrupt the cycle can be a huge benefit, and a wonderful way to improve your quality of life. Reduce Stress Stress is a common trigger for most types of headaches. Stress releases hormones into the bloodstream that can affect the way we experience pain....
Follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, is a hormone released from the pituitary gland in the brain that stimulates an egg follicle to grow each month as part of the menstrual cycle. Women with PCOS often do not ovulate on a monthly basis due to low FSH levels. If your healthcare provider suspects you may have PCOS, he or she will order blood work for FSH along with other hormone levels prior to diagnosis....
Most of us are familiar with the most common eye problems — glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, and macular degeneration. Information concerning these conditions seems to be easy to obtain. However, Fuch’s Dystrophy is a less common eye affliction and those affected by it usually leave the healthcare provider’s office with several unanswered questions. Educating yourself about the condition can be a challenge. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Fuch’s Dystrophy, the following will help you become more informed....
Posterior heel pain can come from one of several causes. When a physician is talking about posterior heel pain, he or she is referring to pain behind the heel, not pain beneath the heel. 3 Sources of Posterior Heel Pain Posterior heel pain, or pain behind the heel, is most commonly due to one of these causes: Achilles Tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is a common diagnosis of inflammation of the tendon in the back of the ankle....
The advent of angioplasty and stenting has revolutionized the therapy of coronary artery disease. Instead of taking a lot of medications for angina, and instead of having major bypass surgery, a person with significant coronary artery plaques can have the outpatient catheterization procedure in which the blockage is dilated with a balloon (angioplasty), and the artery is then kept open with a stent. Stenting has become so routine and convenient, and the before-and-after images of the diseased artery are so striking that the benefits of this procedure are intuitively obvious to healthcare provider and patient alike....
Obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are linked with each other in several ways. Breathing difficulties characteristic of COPD can make it hard to maintain a healthy weight, and excess weight can exacerbate COPD symptoms. Both can also lead to heart disease, the risk of which may be compounded if you have both conditions. But the relationship between the two conditions is complex. Being very underweight is associated with a higher risk of COPD-associated mortality, so weight also seems to have a protective effect in some cases....
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a type of sensory experience involving the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Many refer to it as a meditation-like experience that provides relaxation and a feeling of overall well-being. However, it is a very subjective and personal experience for each individual. When people have an ASMR response, they usually experience a relaxing, tingling feeling on the neck and scalp, sometimes referred to as “brain tingles....
Over 7,000 nurses at two New York City hospitals went on strike this week, citing exhaustion and burnout as motivating factors for walking out. Key Takeaways Nurses at two hospitals in New York City went on strike to protest unsafe patient assignments.Nurses across the country are growing increasingly disillusioned with their working conditions, furthering the already dire nursing shortage.Healthcare facilities must address nursing retention as part of their strategy to solve the nursing crisis....
Just when you think that your appetite is back and you can hold down solid foods after the first few sessions of chemotherapy, you may face another side effect of treatment: Taste changes. Suddenly, foods might lack flavor and taste bland. You’re not alone. Almost 50% of people undergoing cancer treatment experience taste changes. People undergoing radiation therapy to the head and neck may also experience taste changes like losing the ability to taste....
Generally speaking, the prevalence of arthritis in the United States has increased, and it will continue to climb as the baby boomer generation ages. Since arthritis is the most common cause of disability in America, analysts are trying to gain perspective on “the looming disease burden and its impact on our nation’s health care and public health systems” by estimating disease prevalence. Sounds serious when you string together words like prevalence, burden, and impact, but actually “prevalence” just refers to the number of people affected by any type of arthritis....
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2008 stating that there was some preliminary evidence that Spiriva could raise stroke risk, and possibly also the risk of heart attack or death. However, the agency retracted the warning in 2010, stating that evidence showed that Spiriva didn’t increase those risks. The available evidence from the most recent clinical trials indicates that Spiriva does not increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death....
Chickenpox (varicella zoster) is a viral infection that causes an itchy rash with small, fluid-filled blisters. Chickenpox is highly contagious to people who haven’t had the disease or been vaccinated against it. Before routine chickenpox vaccination, chickenpox was very common in the United States. According to the CDC, “in the early 1990s, an average of 4 million people got chickenpox, 10,500 to 13,000 were hospitalized, and 100 to 150 died each year....
Both thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia can cause more than just anemia. The complications associated with thalassemia are partially determined by the severity of your particular type of thalassemia and the treatment you require. Because thalassemia is a blood disorder, any organ can be affected. Common Thalassemia Complications Learning that you are at risk for serious medical complications due to your thalassemia may feel alarming. Know that maintaining regular medical care is key to screening for these complications and initiating early treatment....
There are many causes of swollen feet, but if you have diabetes, or chronic high blood sugar, swollen feet are a common symptom. Here’s a look at why diabetes can be linked to swollen feet, what it may say about your health, what you can do it about, and when it’s time to see a healthcare provider. What Are Swollen Feet? The medical term for swelling from excess fluid in your body is edema....
Elbow arthritis is relatively uncommon compared to arthritis of other joints in the body including the hands, hips, and knees. That said, some people suffer from symptoms of painful arthritis symptoms and require treatment for this condition. Problems with the elbow joint can cause significant pain and disability. However, there are effective treatments for arthritis of the elbow joint. Types of Elbow Arthritis The first step in the treatment of elbow arthritis is to determine the cause of symptoms....
The dire COVID-19 situation in India may be even worse than currently reported, public health experts suggest. Key Takeaways In India, COVID-19 cases and deaths have increased drastically. Reasons include insufficient vaccination of the population, a contagious variant, and not enough hospital beds and supplies. The U.S. will be sending vaccine raw materials, vaccines, and other supplies to India and is expected to aid other countries soon as well. Refugees and displaced populations, who may not be part of the infrastructure for vaccination in the countries where they are living, are also at risk for COVID-19....
What happens if you can’t afford medical treatment? This question is a bitter reality for many cancer patients, and the subject of a November paper in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Rising treatment costs can result in massive medical debt—even if you have insurance. Key Takeaways A new study suggests that routine financial screenings would help patients make informed economic choices with their doctor about cancer treatments.Financial screenings may be most beneficial to uninsured patients....
Gastric bypass surgery is typically performed by a bariatric surgeon in a hospital under general anesthesia. The procedure takes under two hours, and the hospital stay is two to three days. Below is an overview of what else you can expect before, during, and after gastric bypass surgery. Before the Surgery On the day of your gastric bypass surgery, you will first be taken to a pre-operative room where you will change into a hospital gown....
Cortisone injections are commonly used by orthopedic surgeons and other healthcare providers as a treatment for joint pain and inflammation. While cortisone injections can be extremely effective, healthcare providers will advise against getting too many shots due to possible harms. This article explains how cortisone shots work and their overall effectiveness in reducing joint pain and inflammation. It also outlines the maximum number of shots a person should receive per year and the risks of overuse....
A soiling accident is a distressing experience. “Going” before you can make it to a toilet produces a smelly mess and embarrassment that you do not want to go through again. It may provide some solace to know that such accidents are not as rare as you might think. In fact, it is estimated that at least 5% to 15% of the population deal with fecal incontinence, the official diagnostic label for the symptom of soiling accidents....
