Many people are wondering about the possible use of marijuana instead of eye drops to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, the nerve cable that connects the eye to the brain. Glaucoma can cause significant vision loss and even blindness. Most types of glaucoma coexist with high pressure inside the eye. Limited research has shown that marijuana could potentially treat glaucoma because of its ability to lower the pressure in the eye....
For millions of families, it’s a winter tradition to put up and decorate a fir tree for Christmas. While Christmas trees can bring joy, excitement, and brightness to your home, they can also bring hazards like house fires. Key Takeaways A Christmas tree that’s drying out and not being maintained properly can become a hazard in your home.Fire departments in the United States respond to an average of 160 home fires that started with Christmas trees each year....
The plastic-causing-cancer myth has taken on legs and has many different versions. Some people claim that freezing plastic water bottles or using plastic wrap in the microwave can cause cancer. As of yet, these concerns are unfounded in science and there has been no mention or links to colon cancer, specifically. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration does encourage using the only microwave approved plastic containers for cooking. Many store-bought single meal plastic containers are approved for one use only....
Fast food can be convenient, tasty, and economical. For years there were little to no heart-healthy choices to be found. But thanks to public demand, there are now more lower-cholesterol options to choose from. We aren’t recommending that you frequent fast-food restaurants on a low-cholesterol diet, but if that’s where you have to get your meals sometimes, here’s how to make a smarter choice. Read on for a list of five low-cholesterol fast-food entrees worth checking out....
Lung cancer can occur during pregnancy. When it does, it is usually diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease and is more difficult to treat, due to the risks to both the mother and baby. Lung adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer, is the most common type of lung cancer found in pregnant women (as is the case with young people and never-smokers with the disease). Though other cancers are more commonly seen during pregnancy, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia, studies suggest that the incidence of lung cancer may soon increase, as smoking rates among women in the United States are fast approaching those of men (13....
Birth control failure happens for a number of reasons, like inconsistent adherence to pill schedules and condom mishaps. Fortunately, it appears that weight is not one of those reasons. For years, researchers have speculated about how obesity might interfere with the effectiveness of hormonal birth control. While research is still ongoing, the current opinion of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is that most forms of hormonal birth control, at the standard dose, are equally effective in “normal-weight” and obese women....
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released mandatory guidelines for protecting healthcare workers against the risk of COVID-19. Key Takeaways Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its first enforceable COVID-19 workplace safety guidelines.The mandatory rule will only apply to people working in healthcare settings, requiring indoor masking and social distancing, among other measures.Advocates for workers in other industries say they are disappointed by the guidelines, which fail to protect vulnerable frontline workers....
If you and your healthcare provider have determined that a drug pump may be a good option for managing your chronic back pain, you’ll likely need to first agree to a trial before the device can be permanently implanted. The trial for an implantable pain pump — aka an infusion pump — is done to tailor the treatment to you as an individual patient. From the trial, your healthcare provider will be able to answer two important questions necessary for continuing on to permanent implantation....
Pneumomediastinum is a rare condition where air or gas becomes trapped in the chest. The mediastinum is the portion of your chest between the lungs that contains the heart, esophagus, trachea and large blood vessels. This conditions is also sometimes called pneumomediastinum emphysema. Air can escape from the lungs or trachea or even bowel to become trapped in this area of the body. This is usually the result of trauma but occasionally the cause cannot be identified (spontaneous pneumomediastinum)....
Bronchiolitis is a lung infection that’s usually caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which produces swelling and mucus production in the small breathing tubes of your child’s lungs. Infections are most common during the winter and typically affect children under two years of age. Symptoms can last from days to weeks, but most children are able to recover at home. Symptoms It takes from a few days to a week for symptoms to begin once your child develops an infection—what’s known as the incubation period....
The spleen is a busy yet underrated abdominal organ that helps to filter and store your blood and fight infections. The spleen performs many important functions—but you can live without it. Find out why you might need your spleen removed through a procedure called a splenectomy. Diagnosis Related to Splenectomy Splenectomy, or the surgical removal of the spleen, is most often performed as an emergency procedure after an abdominal injury. Some abdominal injuries can result in injury to the spleen, or even a rupture....
Staph is a shorthand way to talk about the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is a common cause of skin infections. Staph can also cause other infections throughout the body. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a concern because it does not respond to many antibiotics used for Staph. Types of Staph Skin Infections The symptoms of a staph skin infection depend on where the infection is. The staph bacteria can cause:...
On its own, hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) can cause modest weight gain. The right dose of the thyroid hormone replacement drug levothyroxine can often aid in weight loss by normalizing thyroid hormone levels. However, if the dose is too low, you can actually gain even more weight. What’s perhaps even more frustrating is that some people are still not able to lose excess weight even when their dose of levothyroxine is correct....
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand can be painful and debilitating, making everyday tasks difficult and causing fingers to become swollen and crooked. The recommended treatments for hand osteoarthritis, as laid out by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Arthritis Foundation (AF), include multiple strategies. These range from home remedies such as using ice or heat to relieve inflammation and pain and over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics to steroid injections and acupuncture....
Vitamin D deficiency is a common worldwide problem that has been linked to numerous health conditions, including hypertension, sleep disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, and migraine. However, emerging research suggests that people with migraines who take vitamin D supplements may reduce their migraine frequency—an impressive and encouraging finding. Vitamin D and the Brain Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight....
Located in the center of the nasal cavity, the vomer is a thin, unpaired bone of the face and skull (cranium). This small, trapezoidal bone serves as part of the nasal septum, which is the middle wall of the nasal respiratory cavity. It attaches to important bones of the skull, as well as the band of cartilage that help shape the nose and face. Since it is located in the nose, the vomer can be damaged due to nasal fracture or injury....
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition, which means that people who live with it go through periods of illness and wellness. The goal of treatment for people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (two of the main forms of IBD) is remission, which for many means a resolution of inflammation and of symptoms. Treatment can take many forms, including medications, surgery, alternative and complementary therapies, and lifestyle changes....
Neurological diseases are especially heart-wrenching when they impact children. This often results from a genetic disorder that can impact the child from birth. Sometimes such mutations lead to problems with muscles, which leads to weakness. It may be possible to detect such problems even before birth. Fetal movements may be decreased or absent if the child’s muscles are not developing normally. After the child is born, parents may notice a diminished ability to feed....
If you turn up your nose at bananas and love a glass of bold red wine, it might have more to do with your genes than you think. And it might not be easy to change. Key Takeaways A new study suggests that our taste preferences might be more linked to our genes than previously thought.Brain-related factors might also play a role, especially for people who prefer high-calorie foods.Understanding that our taste preferences are not completely under our control can help us make healthy choices that foster a satisfying, positive relationship with food....
One of the challenges in caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of dementia can be bath (or shower) time. Although some people with dementia don’t mind it, others are fearful and extremely resistive. Causes of Challenging Behaviors in Bathing When a person is combative or resistive with a bath or a shower, there can be many causes for her behavior. Here are a few possible ones: Embarrassment: If a person is concerned about privacy, bathing with someone else present could make him feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed....
