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Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19 is underway in the United States, but some parents are refraining from getting their kids the shot due to concerns about infertility. Key Takeways A recent poll found that many parents are worried the COVID-19 vaccine may negatively impact their child’s fertility in the future.Experts emphasize that there is no truth to this claim.Parents should speak to a trusted medical professional when making the decision to vaccinate their child against COVID-19....

Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 now make up the majority of new COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BQ.1 is now responsible for a fifth of U.S. COVID-19 cases while BQ.1.1 makes up a quarter of cases. Key Takeaways Omicron variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 have overtaken BA.5 as the dominant COVID-19 variants in the U.S.The variants now make up an estimated 44% of all new infections nationwide....

Some arthritis patients try to do without pain medications (analgesics) because they fear becoming addicted. Are these patients doing more harm than good by avoiding pain medications? When is it appropriate for pain medications to be prescribed as part of the treatment plan for arthritis patients? Are pain medications appropriate as a long-term treatment or maintenance treatment, or should they only be used short-term? Pain Is Often Poorly Managed Most patients with rheumatic conditions experience pain or discomfort as a part of their condition....

Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a progressive degenerative motor neuron disease. PLS affects the nerve cells in the body that control voluntary movement of muscles, called motor neurons. Over time, these motor neurons lose their ability to function, causing painless but progressive weakness and stiffness of the muscles. It is not known why PLS occurs, or exactly how the nerve cells are destroyed. Primary lateral sclerosis seems to begin in the fifth decade of life....

Neuralgia is nerve pain that may be caused by many different things, including nerve damage, nerve irritation, infection, or other diseases. It is caused by irritation or damage to a nerve and is a sharp and very intense pain that follows the path of the nerve. Neuralgia is also sometimes called neuropathy, neuropathic pain, or neurogenic pain. It is most common in older adults but can affect people of all ages....

Bees, spiders, and snakes all have reputations for making us sick with their bites. Is it because they’re all poisonous? Would you believe that almost none of the bees, spiders, or snakes in North America are poisonous? It’s true. Venomous, well that’s a different story. First of all, we can call all of them toxic. Toxin is the official term for a naturally occurring substance that causes your body to behave badly....

The spleen is one of the least understood organs of the human body. Unlike organs that are noticed every day, such as the skin, most people never think about the spleen unless it becomes damaged by trauma. While the spleen is not as well known as other organs, it performs multiple important functions. The spleen participates in the creation of blood cells and also helps to filter out the blood, removing old blood cells and fighting infection....

The death of a child is unnatural, unfair, and tragic. If you have never experienced this type of loss, it can be extremely difficult to know what to say. It is natural for friends of grieving parents to want to help, yet struggle to find the right words. What you say, and what you don’t say, can deeply affect someone in need. This article will discuss ways to talk to someone who has lost a child....

To an extent, protecting against COVID-19 relies on understanding how it’s spread. Safety practices like social distancing and mask-wearing can protect against the large respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes—which is the main driver of transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, if the virus is airborne, like the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently trying to determine, we need to do more to protect against finer particles that may remain in the air....

Human chromosomes come in 23 pairs, each parent supplying one chromosome in each pair. Trisomy 18 (also called Edwards syndrome) is a genetic condition in which chromosome 18 is a triplet instead of a pair. Like the more commonly known Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 affects all systems of the body and causes distinct facial features. Trisomy 18 occurs in 1 in 5,000 live births. Unfortunately, most babies with Trisomy 18 die before birth, so the actual incidence of the disorder may be higher....

When used in medical research studies, the phrase intent to treat refers to a type of study design. In this type of study, scientists analyze the results of their study based on what the patients were told to do. In other words, doctors look at patient results based on how they were supposed to be treated, rather than what actually happened. For example, if a person in a study is randomized to a medical treatment but ends up getting surgery—or no treatment at all—their outcomes are still considered as part of the medical treatment group....

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Word of the Week: Cyanosis How to say it: Cyanosis (sigh-a-no-sis) What it means: A bluish discoloration to the skin caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood. Where it comes from: From Latin, kyanōsis, “dark blue color.” Where you might see or hear it: One of the most important roles that your blood plays in your body is transporting oxygen....

The Berg Balance Scale is a measure used by a physical therapist to assess the quality of a patient’s balance. The Berg Balance Scale can help provide objective data about the severity of balance deficits with transfers (moving between places or surfaces), reaching, bending, turning, and standing, and is useful to help determine if a patient is at an increased risk of falls. This article explains the Berg Balance Scale, what it measures, and why physical therapists use it....

Needlestick injuries—as well as any percutaneous injury that can expose a person to tainted blood or body fluids—have long been a concern to both healthcare workers and the public at large. Many of the fears have been fueled by media reports which either overstate the risk of acquiring HIV through needlestick injuries or spotlight cases in which victims are reported to be “living in fear” after having received such exposure (including much-reported incident in 2013 where a Michigan woman sued Etihad Airways after puncturing herself on discarded hypodermic needle left in a seatback pocket)....

While grapefruit juice is rich in nutrients, it may cause interactions with some medications. In the early 1990s, a research team in Canada discovered a dangerous interaction between grapefruit juice and heart medication Plendil (felodipine). Since then, doctors and pharmacists have learned that more than 85 prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs are affected by grapefruit juice, including some of the most commonly prescribed medications. This list includes a number of medications used to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, pain, erectile dysfunction, and allergies....

You are sitting too much. No, seriously. The mere fact that you are reading this article indicates that you are adept at finding what you want on the Internet, and therefore, are likely to be a person who often uses a computer, and therefore, are likely to be sitting a lot. Numerous studies have now correlated the time people are sitting (watching TV, working, using a computer, driving, eating) to a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease....

Yoga ball chairs are all the rage. Countless websites looking to sell them tout the benefits of using a yoga ball (also called an exercise ball or fit ball) as an office chair. And some manufacturers have put out office chairs that hold a yoga ball. But are they really good for your core and back, as some claim? The jury is still out on that one. In this article, you’ll learn some things to keep in mind when considering a yoga ball as your desk chair....

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic form of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine, causing back pain and stiffness. In later stages of the disease, AS can cause the bones of the spine to fuse together into one long, rigid bone. This is known as “bamboo spine.” Read on to learn more about the connection between ankylosing spondylitis and bamboo spine, including risk factors and treatments. Connection Between Ankylosing Spondylitis and Bamboo Spine Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of autoimmune arthritis characterized by long-term inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints that connect the base of the spine to the pelvis....

As many communities begin to loosen COVID-19 restrictions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sounded the alarm of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of the COVID-19 virus, which originated in India and now accounts for most cases in the United Kingdom. Key Takeaways Cases of COVID-19 linked to the Delta variant are increasing in the United States.The Delta variant may spread more easily than the initial strain of the COVID virus and may also cause more severe illness (leading to hospitalization and even death)....

The United States, effective Sunday, ended the requirement for all air travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result before flying to the country. The travel industry had been lobbying to end the testing rule, saying that it discouraged many people from traveling. Key Takeaways The CDC said widespread vaccine uptake, availability of COVID-19 treatment, and high rates of population immunity made it possible for withdrawing the testing rule for air travelers....