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Neurons are information carrier cells within the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS includes neurons throughout the rest of the body. Neurons use electrical impulses and chemical signals, called neurotransmitters, to communicate information throughout the CNS and PNS. If you’ve ever wondered how our minds and bodies collaborate, allowing us to consciously move, feel, and think, it all begins with neurons....

Healthcare costs have skyrocketed over recent years. In 2019, healthcare spending totaled about $11,582 per person. And as people get older, the need for care only increases. Key Takeaways From January to December 2020, 13% of adults age 50-80 delayed seeking medical care because they were worried about costs, according to a new poll.Only 29% of adults aged 50-80 saved money for health care before they needed it.Tax-advantaged accounts can help people save for future medical expenses....

There are lots of reasons you may reach for over-the-counter allergy medication when seasonal sniffling and sneezing hits. Maybe it’s more convenient or more cost-effective. But is it providing you with the level of relief you need? If your symptoms are not well-controlled and interrupt your day-to-day, it may be time to ask your healthcare provider about prescription allergy medication. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, you should see a healthcare provider about prescription allergy relief under the following circumstances:...

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure inside the pulmonary artery is too high. The pulmonary artery is the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart’s right ventricle to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. The pulmonary artery is normally a low-pressure blood vessel, with an average blood pressure between 8 and 20 mmHg at rest. If the resting average blood pressure in the pulmonary artery increases to more than 25 mmHg, pulmonary hypertension is said to be present....

Seborrheic dermatitis disproportionately affects people living with HIV. In fact, as many as 25 to 45 percent of people with HIV will get it, compared to only 8 percent of the general population. That number only rises in persons with advanced HIV infection, with some studies suggesting a lifetime risk of around 83 percent. Seborrheic dermatitis is associated with the deterioration of a person’s immune system. HIV functions by targeting and killing cells (called CD4 T-cells) that are central to our immune defense....

Can you have fun with sign language while learning or practicing it? Yes! You can have sign language fun with sign language puzzle books, and by playing sign language games. Sign Language Puzzle Books The American Sign Language Puzzle Book: Puzzles in this book are organized by themes such as health. Illustrations are by a well known deaf artist, Betty Miller.The American Sign Language Puzzle Book, Volume Two: This sequel has another 120 puzzles, again with illustrations by Betty Miller....

Researchers at the University of Adelaide in South Australia have identified a potential new treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer that hinges on the manipulation of sex hormone levels. Key Takeaways According to the results of a new study, androgen therapy shows promise as a treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Androgen therapy involves the use of natural androgens or androgenic drugs to inhibit breast tumor growth. Clinical trials of one such drug, Enobosarm, are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2021....

The link between migraine and a common sleep disorder called restless leg syndrome (also known as Willis-Ekbom disease) is well recognized in the medical community. However, experts are still piecing together exactly what the connection is. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) causes people to experience unpleasant leg sensations that are worse during periods of inactivity such as at nighttime when a person is trying to sleep. While the unpleasant sensations resolve with movement due to the urges people experience to move their legs, frequent nighttime awakenings and insomnia often result....

When you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may think your abdominal pain is from trapped intestinal gas. But some of it may come from other sources. Intestinal gas results from the activity of gut bacteria on food. An aspect of IBS is called visceral hypersensitivity heightens pain in your digestive tract. That means the pressure from gas can become quite painful. However, trapped gas isn’t the only thing that causes abdominal pain in IBS....

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined as an inflammatory disorder of the lungs characterized by the permanent or partially reversible restriction of airflow. Understanding COPD COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide. It is most frequently caused by smoking, which is why there are nearly 600 million people worldwide living with the disease today. The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease defines COPD as a disease “characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible....

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is a rare disorder that affects many parts of the body, but specifically the brain, eyes, ears, and skin. The most common symptom is loss of sight that comes on quickly. Although the cause of VKH syndrome is unknown, research suggests it may be due to an autoimmune reaction in which the body attacks its own healthy cells that contain the pigment melanin. Because some symptoms are similar to those of viral diseases, such as the flu, VKH may be caused by a virus, although no virus has yet been identified....

There currently are no tests that can definitively diagnose Parkinson’s Disease. A diagnosis is based on the clinical findings of your physician in combination with your report on the symptoms you are experiencing. In situations where an older person presents with the typical features of Parkinson’s and they are responsive to dopamine replacement therapy, there is unlikely to be any benefit to further investigation or imaging. Further Testing in Parkinson’s In other situations, where perhaps the diagnosis is not as clear, younger individuals are affected, or there are atypical symptoms such as tremor affecting both hands or perhaps no tremor at all, further testing may help....

If you experience leg pain, the cause may at first be unclear. Typically, people assume pain is related to injury, even when they cannot point to a specific incident, such as a fall or an accident. Several diseases and conditions can cause leg pain, including arthritis. It’s important to be diagnosed by a healthcare provider, especially when leg pain persists or worsens. Appropriate treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis. Leg Pain Explained Generally, leg pain refers to any pain that develops between your feet and your pelvis....

Whether you’re still in the throes of holiday-related tension or are dreading returning to work, your diet can help your body manage stress. Stress is caused by factors that are both external (like money and relationships) and internal (like your thoughts and feelings). Bouts of stress can be useful—for example, when it helps us avoid danger or motivates us to perform well in certain situations. However, chronic stress can lead to trouble sleeping, poor appetite, and irritability with friends and family....

Black men in the United States suffer worse health than any other racial group in America. For example, as a group, Black men have the lowest life expectancy and the highest death rate from specific causes compared to both men and women of other racial and ethnic groups. Discrepancies in health statistics for the more than 17 million Black men, when compared to others, highlight a great need to better address their causes....

Not getting enough sleep? You might be able to blame your age. Key Takeaways A new study found that the time we spend sleeping hits a lifetime low at age 40.Sleep time doesn’t necessarily equate to sleep efficiency, however, which gets worse as we age.The metrics shed light on how biological and societal factors influence our sleep patterns. A new study found that time spent sleeping declines with age, dropping to the lowest point at age 40....

In many parts of the world, breastfeeding is the only (and some might say) best source of nutrition for newborns and babies. Under normal circumstances, breastfeeding wouldn’t be a concern. But in women with HIV, it can significantly increase the risk of transmission to your baby. Rates of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and herpes simplex virus (HSV) also run high in women with HIV. Do any of these pose a risk of infection if the mother decides to breastfeed?...

Your bronchial tubes are one of the tubes where air passes through your lungs to get to the area where oxygen enters the bloodstream and waste products are released so they can be breathed out of the body. How Breathing Works When you breathe air in, it passes through your nose or mouth, through the larynx, and into the trachea or windpipe. From your trachea, air splits off into your right and left main bronchial tubes, or right and left main bronchus....

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging people to wear masks and follow other COVID-19 safety protocols when they work out after new research tied outbreaks to gyms in Chicago and Honolulu. Key Takeaways Two reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked COVID-19 outbreaks to gyms.In most cases, people who did not wear masks infected others.Experts stress the importance of wearing a mask in gyms and taking other precautions like attending outdoor fitness classes instead of indoor classes....

Summertime infections are more common than you might think and there are many infections that are common in the late spring and summer. This is surprising to most parents who expect infections, such as the cold and flu, to occur in the winter. Mosquito-Borne and Tick-Borne Illnesses Mosquito-borne infections are commonly caused by the arboviruses and can lead to West Nile encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and dengue fever. They are more common in the summer, specifically late summer and early autumn....