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Pain during sex happens to people of all genders. It can affect sexual pleasure and have lasting psychological effects. When sex is painful, it can cause a fear of penetration, impotence, and relationship strain. This article explores some common reasons for penis pain during sex. It also offers some guidance about when to seek medical care. Sexually Transmitted Infections Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause pain during sex. Infections such as herpes and gonorrhea can cause burning and itching if left untreated....

Allegra (fexofenadine) is an over-the-counter antihistamine used to treat allergies in children and adults. It’s non-drowsy, and its effects are long-lasting. Allegra is approved for children who have allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives). The side effects of Allegra are usually mild and can include nausea, coughing, and vomiting, and rarely, more severe reactions like difficulty breathing and throat swelling. Allegra Products for Children There are two Allegra products formulated specifically for children under 12:...

Getting vaccinated against the flu may reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the future, according to new research. Key Takeaways The flu vaccine may lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.Getting vaccinated regularly could lower the risk even more.The pneumococcal vaccine may provide additional protection against Alzheimer’s. The research, which was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on July 27, is the result of an as-yet-unpublished study that investigated the health records of 9,066 people over the age of 60....

Preserving a damaged tooth is the end goal of a root canal. But exactly how much time can the procedure buy your tooth? The first-ever U.S. study of data from community dentistry practices found that teeth last about 11 years after a root canal, with 26% lasting more than 20 years. Key Takeaways After a root canal, a tooth lasts a little over 11 years, according to a large study.Root canals that are immediately followed by filling and a crown last longer, about 20 years....

When you have fibromyalgia (FMS), exercise is a double-edged sword—it can make you feel better, but it can also make you feel worse. How’s that possible? It’s all about intensity and duration. Both of them have to be tailored to your individual level of exercise tolerance. A form of exercise for fibromyalgia that’s had a lot of attention is warm-water exercise. Numerous studies have shown that it offers a lot of benefits....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the number of teens hospitalized with COVID-19 rose in April after showing a sharp decline in March. Key Takeaways The rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations for teens has been on the rise since this spring.New variants of the COVID virus are putting unvaccinated people at an even greater risk of getting sick.With the Pfizer vaccine approved for use in teens, vaccination is more important than ever....

Does a particular ingredient make Skittles “unfit for human consumption?” That’s what plaintiff Jenile Thames is claiming in a class action lawsuit filed against Mars Corporation earlier this month. Key Takeaways A new lawsuit accuses Mars, the parent company of Skittles, of including a toxic ingredient.The ingredient of concern is titanium dioxide, an agent that helps make food and other items (like toothpaste and paper) appear brighter.The FDA allows the use of titanium dioxide in certain quantities, and experts claim that there is more to learn before we can deem this product toxic....

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can be difficult to digest food without bloating, gas, or diarrhea. Avocados are one food that people will often recommend if you are prone to IBS-like symptoms. But, if you truly have IBS, you may be advised by your healthcare provider to eat a so-called low-FODMAP diet to maintain control of your symptoms. FODMAPs are types of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the gut and can ferment, triggering IBS symptoms....

After recovery from cataract surgery, the vast majority of patients experience better vision. This improvement, however, may take some time, as the eye needs about eight weeks to fully heal after the procedure. To optimize your cataract surgery recovery process and help prevent complications, like eye infection or inflammation, it’s essential to carefully follow post-operative instructions—including attending all of your follow-up appointments. Surgery Follow-Up You will likely see your eye surgeon the day after surgery so you can be evaluated for complications....

Chronic tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils—the two pieces of tissue at the back of your throat—that lasts longer than two weeks. Chronic tonsillitis can cause swelling and inflammation of the tonsils, as well as accompanying symptoms like sore throat, bad breath, and enlarged lymph nodes. This article explains the difference between chronic and recurrent tonsillitis. It also talks about chronic tonsillitis symptoms, treatment options, and when to see your healthcare provider....

Distension is defined as something that is enlarged or stretched beyond its normal state, typically from within. Abdominal distension is a sense of increased abdominal pressure that involves an actual measurable change in the circumference of a person’s abdomen. Distension can be measured through the use of a tape measure. Distension over the course of a day can be measured more reliably by a device known as ambulatory abdominal inductance plethysmography (AIP)....

Respite care is, very simply, substitute care. A respite caregiver is a person who takes over when the primary caregiver takes a break. Sometimes the break is just a few minutes or hours and sometimes it’s as long as a week or more. Why Caregivers Need Respite Care There are many situations for which, as a caregiver, you may need respite care, including: You need to get to the doctor for your own checkup....

Tubal ligation (also commonly referred to as “having your tubes tied”) is surgery that closes off a woman’s fallopian tubes. The fallopian tubes help carry a released egg from the ovaries to the uterus, and they are usually the place where an egg is fertilized by a sperm. Once the tubes are closed, or “tied,” sperm will not be able to reach an egg, so pregnancy cannot take place. Tubal ligation may also be referred to as:...

Hepatitis A spreads by ingesting the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and passing it along to others by contact with infected stool. This mode of transmission, known as the fecal-oral route, is also how hepatitis E spreads. Fortunately, although hepatitis A infection can range from a mild illness lasting just a few weeks to a more severe illness lasting several months, the virus is an acute, self-limited disease. That means people almost always improve on their own and don’t usually require treatment, and the disease does not progress to a chronic form....

A pipeline off the coast of Orange County ruptured last week, spewing more than 140,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, threatening wildlife and blackening beaches up and down the coast. Key Takeaways An oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach in California has contaminated miles of beach, ocean and wetlands with toxic petroleum.Oil spills can harm wildlife and ecosystems, polluting drinking water and food systems for both animals and humans....

You may have heard that some sunscreens won’t adequately protect you from damaging effects of the sun and that you need to understand more than the number on the label. These comments are true, and it is important to educate yourself on the ingredients you need in a sunscreen. Here’s what you need to know before you shop for sunscreen. Sun Protection and UV Rays Sunscreens are important skin-care products used to prevent photoaging and skin cancer....

Jaw clicking can be a symptom of several conditions that affect your jaw joints, or temporomandibular joints (TMJ). These conditions, called temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), can be caused by issues with the joint or muscles around it. Sometimes jaw clicking resolves on its own, without treatment. In the most severe cases, surgery might be required. This article discusses jaw clicking—what this symptom feels like, other symptoms that often occur with it, and diagnosis and treatment of conditions that can cause this symptom....

Mohs surgery offers a highly effective solution to skin cancer with a high cure rate. Still, there are long-term considerations before you have your procedure, including lifestyle adjustments to prevent a return of skin cancer, and possible future procedures. Benefits of Surgery There are many treatments for skin cancer, from excising moles to freezing portions off. These methods can end with a return of the skin cancer, though, and Mohs surgery offers a solution that can be more permanent....

Before reading about the causes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or NHL, it is important to know that there are many different types of NHL. They are all malignancies of white blood cells (lymphocytes), but in many cases, the subtypes of NHL differ in their symptoms, prognoses, and the type of lymphocytes involved. Important causes of NHL are also likely to differ depending on the specific NHL subtype in question. That said, scientists who study lymphoma still find it useful to talk about various potential causes of NHL....

SARS is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. “SARS” stands for “severe acute respiratory syndrome,” and it is caused by a coronavirus, the same family of viruses that causes COVID-19. SARS produces symptoms such as high fever, headaches, muscle aches, and feelings of exhaustion. After a few days, respiratory symptoms, including cough and shortness of breath emerge. There was a global outbreak of SARS in 2003. However, there have been no cases of SARS reported since 2004....