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From earlobes to nipples and everything in between, body piercing is a trend that doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. But before going under the needle, you may want to consider whether you could be allergic to the metals used in common body jewelry. Piercing Location and Symptoms Many body piercings involve the placement of metallic objects in the ears, nose, navel, and even the tongue. Since metals are frequently the causative triggers for ​contact dermatitis, it’s possible for people to experience allergic reactions to body piercing jewelry....

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday granted full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The shot will be marketed under the new name Comirnaty. Key Takeaways FDA granted its full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.Pfizer’s vaccine will be marketed under the brand name Cormirnaty.Officials hope the FDA approval will persuade vaccine-hesitant people to get vaccinated. The approval is currently designated for people age 16 and older. It allows for Pfizer to communicate with advertisers and healthcare providers directly....

A month after recovering from a mini stroke, model Hailey Bieber took to Instagram to explain what may have caused the small blood clot in her brain that led to stroke-like symptoms. Key Takeaways Model Hailey Bieber took to Instagram last week to tell fans her experience with birth control and migraines, which may have caused her to have a mini stroke.Studies show that estrogen-based birth control pills can slightly increase the risk of stroke for people who have migraine with aura....

Why do some people seem to cope with pandemic stress better than others? Genetics may play a role, according to a new study by the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. Key Takeaways Researchers found links between well-being and genetic predisposition during the pandemic.For instance, those with genetic predispositions to neuroticism, depression, and schizophrenia were more likely to report feeling tense, tired, and worried.The absence of environmental interactions due to pandemic lockdowns may have made the effects of genetics more pronounced....

Obesity has been linked to a number of chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, to name a few. Although obesity rates remained relatively stable in the 1960s and 1970s, they have skyrocketed since the 1980s, to the point that two-thirds of U.S. adults are now overweight or obese. Several experts have postulated that the obesity epidemic may result in a decline in life expectancy in the United States in the 21st century....

If you’ve ever had a serious hip injury or have undergone hip surgery, you will likely to be referred to a physical therapist to help you recover. As part of your recovery, you will perform a series of exercises aimed at strengthing the leg and restoring its full range of motion (ROM). One of the foundational exercises is the straight leg raise. The straight leg raise is one of the first exercises done after hip or knee replacement surgery....

Fibromyalgia is associated with a hereditary risk, but the exact percentage of a genetic contribution to fibromyalgia is not known. Fibromyalgia is not hereditary in the classical sense, where a mutation of a single gene is responsible for a given trait. That’s monogenic heredity, and it controls things like sickle cell disease; however, the evidence does suggest that your genes can predispose you to fibromyalgia, but in a complex way involving many genes, which is described as polygenic....

Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (JAS) is a type of arthritis affecting children, teens, and young adults. It causes pain and stiffness in the spine and large joints as well as painful inflammation in the sites where the muscles, ligaments, and tendons attach to bone. Much like adult ankylosing spondylitis which affects more men, JAS usually affects more boys than girls. It appears before age 18, with the average age of onset is 10 years or older....

Scientists are still trying to understand the long-term effects of COVID-19, which can seemingly affect numerous areas of the body. Now, a survey of more than 3,500 people with long COVID found that people experienced 200 different symptoms that affected 10 different organ groups. Key Takeaways An international survey of people who develop long-lasting symptoms after documented or suspected COVID-19 infection found that people experienced a wide range of more than 200 symptoms....

Magnets have been used in alternative medicine for conditions ranging from systemic illness to joint pain. Similarly, some have proposed using magnets to help heal bone fractures. The idea is that magnets might improve circulation and increase blood flow, and thus the delivery of nutrients, to the fractured bone. The use of static magnets is probably neither helpful nor harmful in the healing of broken bones. However, there is ongoing research into using pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) as a method of electrical stimulation in bone healing....

If you are like most Americans, there will come a time when you could benefit from physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Thankfully, Medicare offers these services for all enrollees. This article will address what is covered, how long you can receive services, and how much you can expect to pay. The Difference Between Physical and Occupational Therapy Physical therapy and occupational therapy are often interchanged in lay speak. The truth is they are not the same....

If you have suffered an injury to your knee, you may benefit from physical therapy to help improve your knee range of motion (ROM) and strength. Your physical therapist may perform special tests to determine if you have damaged specific structures or ligaments in your knee. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important structure in your knee. It helps to prevent forward slippage of your shin bone under your thigh bone....

Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline were expecting to start a Phase 3 clinical trial for a vaccine to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in December 2020. Instead, the Phase 3 trial launched in May 2021 after the pharmaceutical companies went back to the lab to rework the formula and conducted a redo of the second phase of the clinical trials. The combined effort between the two companies had Sanofi developing a vaccine using an adjuvant from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)....

I first saw the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes when my husband had a stroke, leaving me as his primary caregiver. He later passed away due to his condition, but I still struggled with my diet. True, I knew I was probably eating more fat than I should, and sugar had always been my ultimate weakness, but I had a hard time making any lasting change. I would go through periods of eating well, only to fall off the wagon and binge on bread or sweets....

Casts are often an important part of the management of broken bones. However, problems can arise when wearing a cast. These issues may go unnoticed and worsen unless you spot the signs and report them to your healthcare provider. It is not just pain you should be concerned about—but also signs of infection, excessive swelling, or an improperly fitted cast that may affect bone healing. The initial cast may need to be replaced during the treatment period, as it’s common for a common for the case to become loose as the initial swelling begins to come down....

If you’ve had COVID-19, you likely have antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in your blood. To know for sure, you would need to have a blood test to check for those antibodies. Key Takeaways A preliminary study found that a urine-based antibody test might be as effective at detecting antibodies against COVID-19 as blood tests.For many patients, urine tests would be easier, less invasive, and more convenient than giving a blood sample....

Does breathing in the fresh air of a beautiful spring day trigger itchy eyes and a runny nose? Or do you experience an itchy rash by simply sitting on a grassy hill? If so, you may be experiencing a grass allergy. This type of allergy is common and can occur from breathing in grass pollen or, in some people, by direct skin exposure to grass. Interestingly, grass allergy can also be associated with fruit pollen syndrome, resulting in food allergies to tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts....

If someone casually remarks about their “biological clock,” what exactly do they mean? Learn about the uses of the phrase biological clock in reproductive health and sleep. Discover where the body’s biological clock resides, how it regulates circadian patterns like sleep and wakefulness, and how disorders result when the timing of the clock becomes misaligned with the natural patterns of light and darkness. What Is the Biological Clock? First, it is important to recognize that the term biological clock is used in reference to two very different concepts....

As people decide whether to gather with family and friends this holiday season, COVID-19 testing is going to be increasingly important. However, a slew of factors like travel, cold and flu season, and more can make it difficult to determine when you should get tested. Key Takeaways The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) developed a free online tool to help individuals and organizations decide when to get tested for COVID-19....

Of all the insects kids come into contact with, caterpillars seem pretty harmless. After all, these fuzzy little creatures are kind of cute, and eventually they turn into butterflies or moths. It’s true that an encounter with a caterpillar isn’t as dangerous as, say, a bee sting or a tick bite can be. But caterpillars aren’t always as innocent as they look. Children may find it fun to play with a caterpillar, but it could cause an itchy and even painful rash....