Posts

Diarrhea is one of the many potential side effects of cancer treatment. Radiation therapy to the abdominal area (mid-section of the body) can cause diarrhea, as can certain chemotherapy medications. If you struggle with diarrhea, there are several things you can do to address the problem and help your body heal. Use Medications Your Healthcare Provider Has Prescribed The most important thing you can do to control diarrhea during cancer treatment is to take medications as prescribed....

Maureen Johnson, Ph.D., is a Health Education Instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She’s also an adult with an autism spectrum diagnosis. Having recently gone through the college system, Maureen has first person knowledge of how to smooth the path to graduation. Her suggestions are a great start for teens with autism (and their guardians) as they think about applying for, managing, and thriving in college. Tips Obtain certification of your ASD from a medical professional....

The POLST is a relatively new document that states a person’s end-of-life wishes. POLST stands for Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. (In some states it’s called POST, MOLST, MOST, or some other acronym.) The paradigm is creating quite a buzz in the medical community and is showing a lot of promise in ensuring a patient’s wishes are followed. Until now, a person could implement an Advance Directive to state what their wishes would be at the end of their life....

Diagnosing H1N1 flu is typically done through a combination of lab testing and clinical diagnosis by your healthcare provider. Doing a physical exam and asking thorough questions about your symptoms and illness are also important. Determining what is making you sick is not as easy as it might seem. It’s rare that more definitive diagnosis is done through laboratory testing. Most people who are diagnosed with H1N1 are told that this is what they have because of their symptoms, a lab test that is positive for influenza A, and the knowledge that the dominant strain causing illness in the community at that time is H1N1....

Many treatment options can help reduce the facial redness or bumps caused by mild rosacea. Treatments include home remedies, lifestyle changes, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments, prescription gels or creams, and procedures like laser treatments and microneedling. Learn about mild rosacea and the available treatment options, including home remedies, lifestyle approaches, over-the-counter (OTC) therapies, prescriptions, and more. Home Remedies and Lifestyle Rosacea, including mild rosacea, can be brought on by many different triggers, such as stress, heat, alcohol, and certain foods....

A stye (hordeolum) can develop on the eyelid when an eyelash follicle or a gland becomes clogged with oil or dirt. A stye looks like a small red pimple, usually with a yellowish surface. Styes can be painful and annoying, causing the eye to redden and tear excessively. The tell-tale symptom of a stye includes redness and swelling of the eyelid at the base of the eyelash as the infection causes a pocket of pus to form within the follicle....

Do you want to live to age 90 (or even longer)? You have far more control over your longevity and life expectancy than you may think. Sure, your genetics and family history factor into how long you will live (if your parents lived long, healthy lives, that increases your odds). But your lifestyle choices may be more important than your genes. In fact, your genes probably make up less than 30 percent of what determines how long you will live....

Mature men are discovering a newfound sexual youth because of the little blue pill called Viagra — which is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), or impotence, as it’s often called. Let’s learn more about Viagra, how it’s dosed, and what to watch out for when a person has been prescribed this medication. How It Works Viagra (sildenafil) belongs to a group of medicines that delay the enzymes called phosphodiesterase from working too quickly....

Marvin Pierce Bush, the youngest son of former President George H.W. and the late former First Lady Barbara Bush, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1985. He was just 28: a young man starting his life when the illness struck. Ulcerative colitis is an incurable disease of the digestive tract, and one form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Marvin’s siblings include former President George W. Bush, John (Jeb) Bush, Neil Bush, and Dorothy Bush Koch....

A New York City pilot program that sends mental health professionals and paramedics instead of police for nonviolent emergency calls has succeeded in keeping more people out of the hospital and getting them treatment, according to new data. Key Takeaways A New York City pilot program, also known as B-HEARD, responds to mental health calls with paramedics and mental health professionals instead of police. Only 50% of people treated by B-HEARD were transported to the hospital, compared to the 82% who were transported with a traditional 911 response....

If you have recently had surgery, or if you have gone to the emergency room and have been told you will be staying in the hospital for your condition, you may have questions about the difference between observation and inpatient hospital stays. This topic is often very confusing and is a distinction that is typically made for insurance purposes, as the care is often exactly the same whether you are in the hospital for a brief observational stay or a longer (admitted) course of care....

A pilot study is the scientific equivalent of dipping your toe into the water. A pilot study may involve pretesting a hypothesis to see if the idea is feasible. It may be used to get a clearer sense of the cost, time, and potential impact of the research before embarking on a costlier, large-scale trial. Pilot studies are essentially the smaller version of a larger proposed trial conducted over shorter periods of time with a smaller number of participants....

Rectovaginal endometriosis is a subtype of endometriosis in which the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grows around the rectum, the vagina, and the structures between them. There is no cure for endometriosis. Rectovaginal endometriosis is the most severe form of endometriosis. This article will discuss rectovaginal endometriosis, including general facts about the condition, symptoms, what to do if you think you may have it, treatment options, and more. Rectovaginal Endometriosis Facts Understanding the incidence, location, and effect on bowel movements is essential for understanding rectovaginal endometriosis....

Researchers are challenging widely accepted recommendations that advise mothers to wait at least two years after giving birth to become pregnant again. While these recommendations are designed to reduce the risk of complications like preterm birth and small birth weight, a new study finds that this wait time may not be necessary for all. Key Takeaways Women are generally advised to wait at least two years after having a baby to try to conceive again....

With great risk comes great reward—at least that’s what researchers were betting on when they began a COVID-19 challenge trial this year. Key Takeaways Challenge studies intentionally infect participants under very strict regulations to observe the full lifecycle of a virus.A U.K.-based study purposely infected 36 volunteers with COVID-19.Researchers gained insight into how the virus works in younger, healthy adults. The study, sponsored by Imperial College London, intentionally infected 36 healthy people between the ages of 18 and 29 with COVID-19....

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome is a congenital condition which primarily causes short stature, intellectual disability, and other health problems. This is a rare genetic disease which is present in approximately 1 in 100,000 to 125,000 children. Mild cases of this disorder are treated with supportive care and addressing any specific deficits. Infants are monitored closely for medical complications. However, severe cases of Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome cause failure to gain weight, along with severe and frequent infections....

Shaving when you have acne can be a bit tricky. If you’re not careful shaving around pimples, it’s easy to be left with raw, red, burning skin. Short of tossing your razor and growing a beard that would make ZZ Top envious, what can you do? Although it takes just a bit more care, you can remain relatively clean-shaven and still treat your skin gently, while allowing pimples to heal....

There is overwhelming evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death from the disease. However, much remains to be understood about the mechanism of long COVID and how it responds to vaccines. Key Takeaways A new study found that getting vaccinated after contracting COVID-19 may reduce the risk of long COVID. Booster shots may minimize long COVID risk or symptoms among fully vaccinated individuals....

Metformin is often prescribed off-label for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and for regulating ovulation. It belongs to a class of drugs that improves the body’s response to insulin and regulates blood sugar. An off-label prescription means that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of a drug specifically for that condition. In this case, metformin has been approved for the treatment of diabetes but not for PCOS specifically....

Telehealth is a way to receive healthcare services remotely through various communication technologies. Type 1 diabetes—a chronic autoimmune condition that affects the ability of the pancreas to make insulin—is a condition that can receive some level of care via telehealth. When to Use Telehealth for Type 1 Diabetes Telehealth can help you manage type 1 diabetes and see your healthcare providers on a regular basis. You may be able to schedule a virtual video or phone call appointment to discuss your current treatment plan and ask questions....