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If your nose sometimes runs when you eat, you may have a form of nonallergic rhinitis called gustatory rhinitis. This condition is suspected when you sniffle almost immediately after consuming certain foods, often spicy ones. You may sometimes experience sneezing and watery eyes, but not itching or other symptoms that could indicate allergies. There are several possible causes of this reaction, and it tends to be more common in older adults....

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has sent shockwaves through the country. Many are afraid and confused about what their futures will hold. Despite the huge response to such a landmark decision, one particular group of potentially-affected people hasn’t been discussed much. That group is transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals with uteruses. “Trans men and nonbinary folks who were assigned female at birth are worried about their healthcare and access to abortion,” Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, Chief Medical Officer at The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit for teen and young adult emotional health, told Verywell....

A sore throat can be a sign of a variety of illnesses, including strep throat. Strep throat is considered a mild illness, but it can be quite uncomfortable. Common symptoms include: Sore throat Pain when swallowing Fever Red/swollen tonsils, possibly with white patches Swollen lymph nodes in the neck Tiny red dots on the roof of the mouth Other symptoms can include headache, nausea, stomachache, and vomiting. When a rash occurs with strep throat, it’s called scarlet fever....

Choosing eyeglasses is a challenge for some people. Trying to figure out which styles match your appearance as well as your lifestyle can be stressful. The following steps will guide you in finding eyeglasses that fit your unique personality as well as your face. Go for an Eye Exam Before you start looking at eyeglasses, you will need to determine your refractive error. An eye doctor will test your acuity and find your eyeglass prescription....

As COVID-19 outbreaks escalate throughout the nation, one in four Americans associate shame with COVID-19, the National Johns Hopkins University Pandemic Pulse project discovered. The project aims to gauge attitudes around COVID-19 in the U.S. Key Takeaways A project from Johns Hopkins found one in four Americans associate shame with COVID-19.The shame stops people from seeking diagnoses and treatment and may contribute to the spread of the virus.Experts say being open and honest about COVID-19 can help reduce these feelings....

In general, there are two reasons your healthcare provider might want to place you on medication for a cardiac arrhythmia. First, the arrhythmia might be causing you to have symptoms, such as palpitations or lightheadedness, and treatment may be important to relieve those symptoms. Or, second, the arrhythmia may be causing harm or threatening to do so. Many arrhythmias are doing neither of these two things and do not require treatment specifically aimed at the arrhythmia itself....

Mosquito bites—they’re itchy, bumpy, and in very rare cases can become infected. What can you do to relieve uncomfortable symptoms and recognize infected bites so that you can better treat them? Mosquito Bite Symptoms Nearly everyone is allergic to mosquito bites to some degree. In most cases, this might mean an itchy bump, which might turn red. And while a small segment of the population has no reaction, a small percentage can experience severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)....

Intraocular lenses (IOL) are prosthetic lenses that are used to replace natural lenses in intraocular lens surgery, such as surgery to remove cataracts. During cataract surgery, the natural lens is removed and a clear lens is inserted in its place. In the past, cataract patients were offered a monofocal implantable lens designed to improve either distance vision or near vision, but not both. Most patients chose to have their implants focused for distance....

After your surgery, one of those most important things you can do is prevent an infection. An infection can slow your healing process, make you feel pretty lousy, and can, in some cases, create some serious complications. An infection can begin in your incision, in your blood or in the area surrounding your incision. It is also possible to have an infection that seems unrelated to your surgery, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) after gallbladder surgery....

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a naturally occurring bacterium that lives in soil, water, and plants. It is harmless in the environment but can cause opportunistic infections when it enters the human body, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Pseudomonas may invade organ systems, including the blood, lungs, soft tissue (skin, muscles, and tendons), and other parts of the body. The symptoms depend on the site of infection. This bacterium does most of its damage in vulnerable populations, such as people who have just had surgery and those who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system), such as people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), AIDS, or diabetes....

Lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels is not just good for lowering your risk of heart disease, it may also help decrease your elevated PSA levels. PSA, short for prostate-specific antigen, is a marker commonly used to gauge prostate health in men and can be used to determine the possible presence of prostate cancer or other medical conditions involving the prostate. The higher your PSA levels are, the higher your risk is of having prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate....

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was originally designed as a treatment for celiac disease but was then expanded to treat a variety of other disorders. Although not necessarily intended as a treatment for IBS, its focus on gut bacteria lends itself to the question as to whether the diet might be an option for people who have IBS. This overview of the diet can help you to make an informed decision as to whether it presents a viable option for you....

Research on how skipping breakfast affects nutrition has mostly been focused on kids, but there are likely nutritional implications for adults who skip breakfast, too. Key Takeaways A study conducted by Ohio State University found that 15.2% of adults skip breakfast.People who do not eat breakfast are missing out on key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin C, that are commonly found in fortified breakfast foods like yogurt, milk, and cereal....

With COVID-19 infection rates rising across the country, it’s normal to be experiencing pandemic fatigue and high levels of stress. New research exploring the mental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic finds that stress levels for individuals in the U.S. during the first 30 days of the pandemic in 2020 were equivalent to the total number of stress they reported for the previous year. Key Takeaways The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a persistent stressor for many....

An antibody, also known as an immunoglobin, is a Y-shaped protein secreted by certain types of white blood cells which have the ability to identify pathogens (infective agents) such as viruses and bacteria. The two tips of the “Y” are able to latch onto either the pathogen or infected cell at a unique target called the antigen (also known as the antibody generator). In doing so, the antibody effectively marks the pathogen for neutralization, either by killing it or preventing it from entering a healthy cell, or by signalling other complementary proteins to surround and devour the invader in a process called phagocytosis (from the Ancient Greek word for “to devour” [phagein] and “cell” [kytos])....

Ashy skin is a type of dry skin that is whitish or grey, so it looks like ashes. It has many causes and can range from mild to severe. Excessively dry skin is called xerosis. Most people will experience ashy skin at some point in their lives. In general, this is due to factors such as the environment, weather, and dry or cool air indoors. Consistently going from heat to highly air-conditioned indoor spaces will also reduce the natural water or moisture from the skin....

Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a type of antibiotic that is used to treat several different types of infections. It is in a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. This type of antibiotic is used to treat infections with both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Antibiotics like cipro should only be used when clearly needed because of the risk of side effects and the potential for creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Side effects of ciprofloxacin are highly variable and differ from person to person....

A diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of brain injury that causes tears in the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers, called axons. This injury occurs due to a blunt injury that causes the brain to rotate and shift rapidly inside the skull. Up to 50% of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) requiring hospital admission are diffuse axonal injuries (DAI). This article will review the types of diffuse axonal injury as well as its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options....

COVID-19 vaccine makers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are expanding their clinical trials for children aged 5 to 11 at the urging of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a new report. Key Takeaways Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are expanding their clinical trials for children aged 5 to 11 at the urging of the FDA.The goal of the expansion is to monitor for possible rare side effects like cases of myocarditis and pericarditis....

People who describe themselves as gender fluid usually mean that their gender identity or expression is moving, rather than constant. For example, they may move between a non-binary and male gender identity and expression. They may never describe their identity as anything but fluid, but present themselves differently depending on the day. Or some gender fluid people may present themselves in a consistent manner but identify as man, woman, or agender at different times....