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HIV-associated eye disorders are common among people living with HIV, with between 70 and 80% experiencing some form of eye problem during the course of their disease. While many of these disorders are associated with later-stage infection—when a person’s CD4 count drops below 250 cells/mL (and even more so below 100 cells/mL)—they can, in fact, occur at stage of infection. Among the eye-related disorders associated with HIV: Below 500 cells: herpes zoster (shingles); Kaposi sarcoma (KS), lymphoma, tuberculosis (TB) Below 200 cells: herpes simplex virus (HSV), pneumocystosis, toxoplasmosis Below 100 cells: aspergillosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), cryptococcosis, HIV encephalopathy, microsporidiosis, molluscum contagiosum (MC), mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML), varicella-zoster virus (VZV) While HIV-associated eye disorders are more often caused by these and other opportunistic infections (OIs), they may also be a direct result of the HIV infection itself, manifesting with changes—sometimes minor, sometimes profound—to the nerve and vascular structure of the eye itself....

Amanda W., 34, has spent the majority of her life at the mercy of debilitating migraines. She was asked to leave high school after missing racking up too many migraine-related absences. She’s been let go from multiple jobs. And after trying over 20 different medications without meaningful results, she was ready to give up. Key Takeaways June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.More than four migraines per month warrants more than just a “rescue treatment” to stop a migraine when it’s happening, according to specialists....

Do you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia? If so, you may be interested to know that music might be able to connect you with your family member in a way that words cannot. Many research studies, as well as anecdotal evidence, have cited situations where music has been able to evoke a response or a memory in people with Alzheimer’s. For example, your mother may have difficulty finding the right words to use but be able to sing an entire song with no problem....

Caffeine is a chemical substance usually found in coffee, kola nuts, cocoa and can be used as a stimulant for the central nervous system. It can also be added to medicines, soft drinks, and more. Studies have shown that 85% of the U.S. population consumes at least one caffeinated beverage per day, while the highest intake was found in older adults from ages 50-64. While coffee is the most popular form of caffeine, tea and caffeinated sodas are also quite common....

Lupus is generally not deadly. Thanks to advancements in medicine, 80% to 90% of those with this disease—also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—can expect to live an average life span with proper treatment and follow-up care. Learn why the life expectancy of those with lupus is what it is today, how lupus affects the body and when it can be deadly, and how symptoms can be managed so you can have the best quality of life....

Juvenile Huntington’s disease (JHD) is a neurological condition that causes cognitive (thinking and learning) problems, psychiatric difficulties, and uncontrollable movements of the body. The word “juvenile” refers to childhood or adolescence; Huntington’s disease (HD) is classified as juvenile if it develops before the person is 20 years old. Other names for JHD include juvenile-onset HD, childhood-onset HD, pediatric HD, and Huntington’s disease. While JHD is a difficult diagnosis to receive, it can be helpful to learn what to expect and how to cope with its effects....

Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, focused its early efforts in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on looking for ways to treat people who were sick. Merck Discontinues Vaccine Candidates Jan. 25, 2021: Merck announced that it will stop developing its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, V591 and V590. The company stated in a press release that “the immune responses were inferior to those seen following natural infection and those reported for other SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines....

Depending on your individual circumstances, neck surgery can either be the first-line or the final step of your medical transformation. In less-invasive cosmetic surgeries, most patients are back to their usual lifestyle within weeks of the procedure. Aside from the need for additional sunscreen and the potential for minor revisions, neck lifts are much less demanding than other surgeries of the neck. After neck surgery on the spine, you may have more long-term considerations to deal with....

The newly-detected Omicron variant is the predominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. The the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has marked it as a Variant of Concern (VOC), along with the Delta Variant. Key Takeaways There is still much to be understood about the Omicron variant.Anecdotal reports indicate that the Omicron variant may cause milder symptoms or less severe disease, but experts say nothing is certain yet....

Research has shown that if you have a rotator cuff tear, treatment with physical therapy may be just as effective as surgery. Rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain and functional loss in your arms and upper extremities. If you have shoulder pain, you may benefit from the skilled services of a physical therapist to help you regain normal shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength, and function. Your PT will likely conduct an initial evaluation and perform special tests for your shoulder to determine the cause of your pain and to get you started on the correct treatment....

What can you do to reduce strain on the toilet from constipation? If you suffer from constipation, it may be reassuring to know that the use of relaxation techniques and positioning may be helpful in reducing straining while on the toilet and may help to ease your struggle to have a bowel movement. Straining can also lead to developing hemorrhoids and even rectal prolapse. While you can take some steps to reduce straining, it is also good to seek help from your healthcare provider to give you some solutions to prevent chronic constipation....

Diagnosing arthritis can sometimes be trickier than it seems. While arthritis is characterized by inflamed, swollen, and painful joints, the pain itself can often be a red herring. This is because nerves can sometimes become “pinched” between swollen joints and send pain signals through the entire nerve string. This can happen either intermittently, such as when a person walks, or be persistent as the nerve becomes permanently trapped between the two joint surfaces....

The medicinal use of marijuana is legal in a growing number of U.S. states, and other states might eventually join this list. Some patients, however, might be unable to smoke medical marijuana because of their illness, disease, symptoms, treatments and/or other factors. This article explores the alternatives to smoking marijuana that might prove healthier or more viable for patients who’ve received a prescription for medical marijuana. Marijuana Use for Medicinal Purposes Requiring a doctor’s “recommendation” or referral and secured from legal vendors, medical marijuana can help relieve numerous symptoms, such as pain, glaucoma, migraine headaches, nausea, and weight loss....

Azulfidine (sulfasalazine) is a prescription, oral, anti-inflammatory medication used to treat inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ulcerative colitis. Drug Class Sulfasalazine belongs to a class of drugs referred to as sulfa drugs. It contains salicylate and the sulfa antibiotic. Sulfasalazine treats the disease process, not just the symptoms of RA, and thus it is classified as a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). Indications for Use of Sulfasalazine Sulfasalazine is prescribed for treating RA, juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and ulcerative colitis....

Zyrtec, or cetirizine hydrochloride (HCl), is a “second-generation” antihistamine, available over-the-counter, which is used to treat the symptoms of allergies such as sneezing, rhinitis (runny nose), coughing, itchy eyes, itchy nose, and mild hives. The chief advantage of second-generation antihistamines is that they tend to produce substantially less drowsiness than older antihistamine drugs (such as Benadryl). They also last longer, so you only need to take them once a day....

A bunion is a bony prominence at the inside of the big toe, which is the result of a structural malalignment of the big toe joint. In addition to a lump, the bunion causes the big toe to point inward and overlap with the toe next to it. Bunions may be considered unsightly by some people, and they can become painful over time. Physical symptoms of bunions can include: Restricted, painful motion of the big toeRedness over the boney prominenceSwellingCalluses (hardened skin) Impaired balanceAltered gait (manner of walking) When you have a bunion, it can be hard to find shoes that fit right....

Figuring out what to eat when you have intestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can sometimes be a real challenge. It can make it even more challenging when nutritional science is contradictory. One of the more confusing subjects of nutritional advice has to do with one of the mainstays of our Western diet—wheat! We’ll look at some of the current research on wheat and IBS, to help you to make an informed decision as to whether or not you should be eating wheat at all....

Corticosteroid nasal sprays such as Nasacort AQ (triamcinolone) and Flonase (fluticasone) are very popular over-the-counter (OTC) medications used to treat itchy and runny noses due to allergies. Though those symptoms can also occur when you have a cold, research shows that these nasal sprays just aren’t effective for cold symptoms. The reason? What causes a runny nose when you have a cold is different from what causes this symptom when you have allergies....

Breast asymmetry on a mammogram report means that part of the breast looks different from other parts of the same breast or the other breast. This is often due to benign (not harmful) changes. However, a significant variation or sudden change in aspects, such as density, could indicate a problem. Discuss the results with your healthcare provider. Learn more about breast asymmetry, its causes, how it relates to cancer, testing, and more....

Knee osteotomy is a surgical procedure in which structures of the knee are shifted to relieve pressure. You may need this operation to correct the weight-bearing forces of an unbalanced knee joint, which can occur with issues such as bow legs. Osteoarthritis commonly causes deformities of the knee such as genu varum (bowlegged) or genu valgum (knock-kneed). Some studies suggest that these deformities increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis. What Causes a Bowlegged or Knock-Kneed Deformity in Arthritis?...