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You’ve heard of FOMO (fear of missing out), but what about “FOGO”—the fear of going out? Key Takeaways Many are expressing anxieties about leaving the house once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, leading some clinicians to characterize the worries as “cave syndrome.“Those with a history of anxiety and/or OCD might be especially vulnerable.To help, check in and support people in your community as they start to return to normalcy at their own pace....

Key Takeaways Experts say this feature can highlight a user’s level of risk for developing metabolic health issues like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but they caution against fixating on this percentage, exclusively. “This number alone only tells you increased risk,” Keri Gans, RD, CDN, author of “The Small Change Diet,” tells Verywell. “It doesn’t tell you actual blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, bone density, or any other labs and assessment needed for a health evaluation by a medical professional....

Amniotic fluid is a clear to slightly yellow liquid that cushions a fetus within the amniotic sac. The unborn baby floats in amniotic fluid for the duration of a pregnancy. The amniotic fluid constantly circulates as the fetus swallows or “inhales” the amniotic fluid before releasing it by urinating. At around 34 weeks gestation, roughly 800 milliliters (mL) of amniotic fluid surround the baby. At a full-term pregnancy at 40 weeks gestation, roughly 600 mL of amniotic fluid remain....

The definition of asymptomatic is without symptoms. There are a number of conditions, both mild and serious, that do not display any symptoms that you would notice. However, these conditions may have signs your healthcare provider can detect on examination and screening tests so you can get appropriate care. What Are Symptoms? In medicine, symptoms of a disease or a condition are the changes that you notice in your body. These are the things that happen to your body that causes you to seek medical care....

In the quest to find effective preventive migraine treatments, healthcare providers sometimes prescribe medications “off-label.” In these cases, a drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one disorder, but has been found to have positive effects on an unrelated one. Gabapentin is one such drug. It’s an anti-seizure drug sometimes used to prevent migraines, though there is conflicting scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness in this regard....

Constipation is a common problem after surgery. There are a variety of reasons that patients develop constipation after even the simplest of procedures. Knowing the reasons that constipation develops is key to preventing and treating this uncomfortable condition. Anesthesia General anesthesia is used to paralyze the body and make sure the patient is unaware of the procedure. The medications also work on the intestines, and they can be slower to wake than the rest of the body....

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but their effectiveness is limited. So, what else can we do? How can we fight Alzheimer’s disease? Along with physical exercise and mental activity, research has increasingly been looking at our diet and asking which foods are correlated with a decreased risk of dementia. Answer? Nuts, along with several others. This article discusses current research on how nuts affect the brain and whether they can help reverse Alzheimer’s-related dementia....

Dermatitis neglecta is a rare skin condition that is caused by poor hygiene. As a result of a lack of cleaning, scales form on the skin that are dark, waxy, and resemble cornflakes. The diagnosis of dermatitis neglecta is almost always made through a medical history and skin examination alone. Less commonly, a skin biopsy may be performed, mostly to rule out mimicking diagnoses. Once diagnosed, treatment of this condition entails daily, light scrubbing with soap and water or isopropyl alcohol wipes....

Your diaphragm is a muscle that sits at the bottom of your lungs to help you breathe deeply. During normal inhalation, your diaphragm tightens and moves downward. During normal exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward in the chest cavity. Diaphragmatic breathing—also known as “belly breathing”—is a technique that improves the amount of oxygen that enters your blood from your lungs with each breath. Diaphragmatic breathing reduces your body’s stress response, making you feel more relaxed....

The side effects of chemotherapy treatment can be overwhelming. Some of the side effects of chemotherapy can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. The good news is that all of these side effects are temporary and very treatable. Nausea and Vomiting Nausea and vomiting are side effects that are a common concern for chemotherapy patients. There are new drugs that can now eliminate or diminish these side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if nausea and vomiting are not being helped by the medication, or if you can’t keep even liquids down....

For many of you, undergoing MRIs of your brain and/or spinal cord is an accepted part of your MS diagnosis. But even MRIs can be challenging to understand, as there are different types, and some are given with contrast while others are not. With that, here is a summary of why and how “contrast” (gadolinium) is used in MRIs to diagnosis or monitor multiple sclerosis. Overview of Gadolinium and Why It’s Called “Contrast” Gadolinium, also called “contrast,” is a large, chemical compound that is injected into a person’s vein during an MRI scan by a technician....

The holidays are going to look very different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but decorating for the season can help boost your mood. Partaking in traditions or rituals like hanging lights, putting up a tree, or doing some holiday baking are all ways to improve mental health and reduce stress, experts say. Key Takeaways Putting up holiday decorations can help lift our spirits and help us cope with the pandemic, experts say....

When smallpox was still a naturally occurring medical disease, treatment was often supportive. Patients were made as comfortable as possible and the disease was left to take its course. There were no useful antiviral medication options. Post-exposure vaccination was the only viable treatment option that doctors could try, and it relied upon the patient recognizing that he or she was exposed (or that healthcare officials tracked down those who had any contact with newly diagnosed patients)....

Metal on metal hip replacements have the advantage of durability, but they may also have adverse effects, such as the potential for inducing an inflammatory reaction. Hip replacement surgery is a treatment option that’s considered when advanced hip arthritis leads to severe joint degeneration. Your healthcare provider may discuss this surgery with you if your hip arthritis is interfering with your normal activities and has not improved with non-surgical treatments....

There are many causes of foot pain, but if you are experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain that feels better when you stop walking and massage your foot, you may have what’s known as Morton’s neuroma. While it has a scary sounding name, this condition is benign and fortunately highly treatable. In basic terms, a neuroma is an enlargement or thickening of a nerve in the foot in the area between the toes, usually the third interspace between the third and fourth toes, followed by the second interspace between the second and third toes....

Moderate drinking seems to benefit the heart and cardiovascular system, but heavy drinking damages your heart and is a major cause of death in many countries. Studies show moderate drinking may raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL), sometimes called “good” cholesterol and may decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL), sometimes called “bad” cholesterol, but doesn’t seem to decrease triglycerides. “Moderate consumption” consists of one to two alcoholic drinks per day for healthy men and one alcoholic drink per day for healthy women....

Primatene Mist, as well as other generic epinephrine inhalers, that are powered by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are no longer currently available for the treatment of asthma in the United States. Primatene Mist was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the temporary relief of occasional symptoms of mild asthma. Many companies have switched propellants from CFCs to hydrofluoroalkane (HFA). HFA inhalers can be used in the same manner as CFC inhalers....

About 60% of people with cystic fibrosis have a chronic respiratory infection caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This bacteria settles into the thick mucus trapped in the airways. Once Pseudomonas aeruginosa invades the respiratory tract, it is hard to get rid of. Respiratory failure caused by the infection is the ultimate cause of death in the majority of people with CF. The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa lives all around us....

If you’ve been treated for deep venous thrombosis, you can expect at least three months of continued anticoagulants, or blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin, after you leave the hospital. Deep venous thrombosis (or deep vein thrombosis) is a dangerous condition in which your body forms a clot, typically in the leg, that can potentially break off and travel to the lungs, where it will clog circulation. This deadly event is known as pulmonary embolism....

Your healthcare provider may have mentioned that the condition you’ve been diagnosed with—such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune diseases—has a relapsing and remitting pattern. What does that mean, and what should you know as you seek out a support system to help you cope with your condition? Definition A relapsing-remitting disorder means the symptoms are at times worse (relapse) and other times are improved or gone (remitting). During a chronic pain relapse, the pain would be present partially or completely....