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Generalized weakness is one of the most common medical complaints of seniors in the U.S. It is characterized by muscle weakness throughout the body. There are so many medical conditions can result in generalized weakness that it is one of the hardest medical complaints to diagnose. Ruling Out Other Medical Conditions Healthcare providers try to start with what a medical condition isn’t before trying to figure out what it is. We call it ruling out the problems....

Would you like to add a dollar to your bill to fight cancer or diabetes or to some other worthy cause? Key Takeaways A controversial CVS fundraising campaign for the American Diabetes Association has consumers wondering if checkout campaigns are worthwhile.The spare change and dollars donated at store and pharmacy checkouts add up to an appreciable amount of money for health-oriented and other charities: $605 million in 2020.Donating directly to an organization or charity is the best way to make sure your contribution won’t be redirected....

An itchy, dry, flaky scalp is a common complaint. A frequent cause of it is a condition called seborrheic dermatitis, also called seborrheic eczema, dandruff, or, in babies, cradle cap. It’s not contagious, it doesn’t indicate poor hygiene, and it doesn’t cause serious damage to your hair or scalp. The severity of seborrheic dermatitis varies from mild flaking and a little itchiness to an intense itch and thick, greasy scales encasing the hair....

As states begin to lift COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, protective measures like social distancing and wearing facial coverings remain in place. Public health officials say that covering your mouth and face when out in public or interacting with others—like customers or other people standing in line—can substantially decrease the risk of spreading the infection in the community. Key Takeaways Face shields block up to 96% of small particle aerosols, making them comparable to N95 respirators....

A gait belt is a specialized device used in physical therapy. If you are having mobility issues like trouble walking or rising from sitting, you may benefit from the skilled services of a physical therapist (PT). Your therapist will work with you to help you improve range of motion, strength, and functional mobility. Your PT may use various tools to help you move better and more safely during your recovery, such as a gait belt....

Stethoscopes are used by every healthcare provider and are a universal tool of the trade. Nevertheless, few practitioners put much thought into sterilizing them. Although concerns about stethoscope hygiene have been voiced for decades, there has been little heed paid to stethoscope hygiene. Recent studies show that few or no healthcare providers sterilize their stethoscopes before examining patients. A Closer Look at Dirty Stethoscopes Across 28 studies, the average rate of stethoscope contamination with bacteria was 85% and ranged from 47 to 100%....

The management of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is not easy under most circumstances, and is certainly complicated by pregnancy. You will need to find strategies that help to manage your symptoms without putting your baby at risk. IBS and Pregnancy In general, women who are pregnant tend to experience more IBS symptoms than women who are not pregnant. This is most likely because the hormones of pregnancy have an effect on the function of your digestive system....

If you ever feel like you somehow miss the mark when you attempt a low back stretch—even though you know those muscles are very tight and you make every effort to release them—you are not alone. For many of us, stretching hip, neck, calf, and other muscles is a pretty straightforward deal. But the back muscles? Not so much. These can get so tight that they become hard to reach. Finding the sweet spot for stretchiness in low back muscles can be difficult if you don’t choose the right exercise for the job....

The relationship between light and migraines is complicated. Bright lights can exacerbate migraine attacks, and aversion to light is very common during a migraine episode. Evidence suggests that different colored lights affect migraines differently. And in some cases, as with light therapy, the effect may actually be beneficial. A strategy used for alleviating seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and sleep problems, light therapy is a safe and inexpensive approach that can be combined with other lifestyle habits and medical treatments to soothe migraines as well....

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) for metastatic melanoma is one of a few treatment options approved for the disease. Melanoma that has spread beyond the skin to distant organs is called “metastatic” (or stage IV) melanoma. The treatment options for metastatic melanoma have expanded dramatically in the last five to eight years, and some people do survive this most serious stage of the disease. If your oncologist has recommended IL-2, this overview will provide you with the critical information you need to understand how it works, its effectiveness and its side effects....

Minamata disease is methylmercury poisoning that leads to neurological symptoms. It occurs after daily consumption of heavily contaminated seafood. The first record of Minamata disease happened in Japan in the 1950s, when people ate fish contaminated by large quantities of mercury compounds that were discharged into Minamata Bay by a chemical factory. The Minamata Disaster There were several small fishing villages on the edge of Minamata, Japan, on the coast of the Shiranui Sea....

One common question that people with upper extremity injuries have is, “Do I need physical therapy or occupational therapy?” Occupational therapists and physical therapists seem to do similar things. They both help people recover function after injury or illness. So what is the difference between the two? If you have an upper extremity injury, should you see one or the other? Physical Therapy The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) defines physical therapy as “movement experts who optimize quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education....

Although it’s not all that common, psoriasis can affect the skin around the eyes and on the eyelid like it can affect skin elsewhere on the body. This can cause dryness, cracking, and irritation. But psoriasis eye problems aren’t limited to that. This chronic disease can also lead to problems within the eye itself—problems that, when left untreated, can cause permanent damage and vision loss. Psoriasis on Skin Around the Eyes Although they are relatively rare, psoriasis flare-ups near the eyes can be especially painful and hard to treat....

Schizoaffective disorder is a serious type of mental illness that negatively impacts a person’s thinking, emotions, perception of reality, and interactions with others. Schizoaffective disorder involves psychotic symptoms as well as a mood disorder. Psychotic symptoms are hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking. The mood disorder symptoms of schizoaffective disorder can either be of a depressive type or a bipolar type. When a person has schizoaffective disorder, it’s generally considered a chronic (long-term) illness that can have a major impact on all aspects of their life, including work, school, relationships, and more....

Have you ever experienced shooting pains in your legs that felt something like an electric shock? Or have you had a sudden numbness or pins-and-needles sensation in your legs that you can’t explain? These are not uncommon symptoms that can occur for any number of reasons, both in younger and older people. For some, they are merely a nuisance that will eventually go away. Sometimes, however, the pain can be persistent and overwhelming....

A skin plaque is an elevated, solid, superficial lesion that is typically more than 1 centimeter in diameter (a little more than half an inch) and associated with a number of skin conditions, most commonly psoriasis. The word plaque is French for “plate” which is fitting because the lesions often look like miniature (dirty) plates. This article discusses different types of skin plaques and the conditions that cause them. It also explains how to care for plaque skin and how skin plaques are treated....

Transgender surgery usually involves multiple procedures that are spread out over time. Most procedures will occur in a hospital setting. Your surgical team will give you specific instructions for what to expect on the day of the surgery and how to prepare. Before Surgery Before your transgender surgery, you will have time to prepare for the procedure. On the day of the surgery, you will go to the hospital and be put in a preoperative room....

Mavyret (glecapravir, pibrentasvir) is a fixed dose combination drug used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. The drugs used in Mavyret work by blocking two individual proteins that the virus needs to replicate. Mavyret was approved on August 3, 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in adults 18 and over. Research suggests that the drug can achieve cure rates of between 92 percent and 100 percent depending HCV subtype, a figure that is more or less in line with other direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) currently used in hepatitis C treatment....

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or “enlarged prostate,” is a condition that can cause many of the same symptoms as prostate cancer. What should you know about this important condition? What Is BPH? BPH is a noncancerous increase in the size and number of cells that make up the prostate. Who Gets BPH? BPH is almost always found in older men. Since women do not have a prostate, they cannot get BPH....

Aggression is characterized by an intent to cause another person physical or psychological harm. It differs from anger in that anger is a natural response to something unpleasant or someone you feel has done you wrong. When anger is taken out on people, animals, or objects, it may be considered aggression. This article will provide signs of aggression, discuss the potential causes, and discuss treatment options. Signs of Aggression There are different forms of aggression, and within each form, various ways a person can express aggression....