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Somatic pain is the type of pain you feel in your skin, muscles, joints, and bones. It can feel like a gnawing, aching, or cramping. Some people describe somatic pain as “sharp.” You will experience somatic pain if you cut your skin, stretch a muscle too far, exercise for a long period of time, or fall down onto the ground and hurt yourself. Why You Experience Somatic Pain Somatic pain is usually isolated to a particular part of the body and is often made worse with movement....

Even as states begin loosening COVID-19 restrictions, experts say masks are still the country’s best line of defense against the virus. A recent study shows that states with high levels of mask-wearing reported fewer COVID-19 cases last summer. Key Takeaways A new study finds that states with high rates of mask-wearing experienced fewer COVID-19 cases.States with mask mandates saw higher mask adherence.Fully vaccinated people should continue following CDC guidelines, including wearing their masks in crowded areas and when around unvaccinated people....

Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide) is an antispasmodic medication used to treat abdominal pain and cramps from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as menstrual cramps. How It Works Buscopan differs from other antispasmodic medication in that it does not cross the blood/brain barrier and only minimal traces of the medicine finds their way into the bloodstream. Rather, Buscopan acts locally on the muscles in the abdomen to prevent spasms from occurring. The benefit of this difference is that it avoids nervous system side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness....

The immune system is a collection of organs, cells, and tissues that work together to protect your body from pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) that can cause disease. It’s a very complex defense system that not only helps your body respond to infectious diseases (sometimes with help from immunizations), but it can also cause trouble in the form of allergies and autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are the result of a process in which the immune system mistakes an organ or body system for an invader, and attacks it as such....

As infections with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly across the United States and the world, questions have come up about whether the new variant will cause cases of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Key Takeaways Experts say that it’s too soon to tell if the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus will lead to more cases of post-acute COVID syndrome—also known as long-haul or long COVID.Estimates of how many people who get COVID develop persistent symptoms range from 10% to 30% and more, depending on how the syndrome is defined....

Being immunocompetent means that the immune system is working properly and that the body is capable of mounting an appropriate immune response, when necessary. A person who is immunodeficient has an immune system that not working as it should be, and would not be considered immunocompetent. The Immune System Humans have complex immune systems that protect against infectious diseases. To function properly, the body’s immune system must be able to recognize harmful pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites and send immune cells and proteins to fight the invading pathogen....

Surgery is a common treatment for a rotator cuff tear, but it is not often the case that a rotator cuff tear requires surgery. The truth is that most people will eventually develop tears of their rotator cuff. As people age, rotator cuff tears become increasingly common, even in people who never have symptoms of shoulder pain. Just as hair turns grey and skin wrinkles, as people get older, the rotator cuffs often develop wear and tear....

Xolair (omalizumab) is an injectable medication used to treat moderate to severe allergic asthma. It’s used in people 6 years and older who still have uncontrolled asthma despite treatment with standard asthma therapies, including inhaled steroids. Injections are given in the healthcare provider’s office every two to four weeks, with doses and frequency depending on a person’s weight and allergic antibody (IgE) level. What Exactly Is Xolair? Xolair is a monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that binds to IgE antibodies in the bloodstream....

You probably already know that yoga is increasingly being used to help with neck and back pain. And you may also be aware that even so, doing yoga can lead to an injury. A 2015 study published in the International Journal of Yoga says that: the risk of injury while doing yoga poses varies according to where and with whom you practice yoga. With some types of yoga — for example, Iyengar — teachers are trained to work with students who are injured or have health problems....

Do you have areas of your chest that are painful to the touch? A condition called costochondritis, which causes pain around the breastbone and rib cage, could be to blame. It is caused by inflammation in the cartilage that connects your ribs and sternum (breastbone). It’s believed to be common in people with fibromyalgia (FMS). Costochondritis is also called noncardiac chest pain or musculoskeletal chest pain. It does not involve the heart, but it is sometimes confused with heart palpitations....

Heat rash and eczema are two skin conditions that cause a rash with bumps. This article will discuss heat rash and eczema symptoms, causes, and treatment. It will also cover ways to prevent these two conditions. Symptoms Heat rash and eczema have a few overlapping symptoms that make it tough to tell the two conditions apart. They both cause small fluid-filled skin bumps that can break open and release the fluid....

The body can normally withstand large increases in temperature—mostly due to sweating which helps to cool us down—but our cooling system can fail during the summer months, when heatstroke is most common. Without proper hydration or periodically cooling ourselves down the body’s core temperature can rise to dangerously high levels. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If left untreated, organ failure can occur, putting you at serious risk of medical complications or even death....

Hemianopsia, or homonymous hemianopsia, is a condition which causes a person to see only one side of the visual field in each of their eyes. This presents in an unusual way, causing individuals who are unaware of their condition to believe they have lost vision in one entire eye. Hemianopsia is not the result of damage to the structures of the eye, rather the result of damage to the brain which causes impaired ability to visually perceive the environment....

You’re afraid sunscreen will make your already temperamental skin break out even more. Besides, who wants to wear a thick, heavy cream on their face every day? But you really do need to use sun protection, and there really is no wiggle room on this rule. And it’s not just for keeping a sunburn away. Skin cancer, premature aging, and hyperpigmentation are all caused by the sun. When you factor in use of photosensitizing acne medications, sunscreen becomes even more of a necessity....

HFA-based metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) contain a propellant to deliver the medication that will continue to spray even after the medication has run out. Therefore, when the medication is gone from the inhaler, it is possible to continue to inhale only propellant and no medicine. This can be dangerous, especially in the case of rescue inhalers that are used to treat asthma symptoms in an emergency. Dose-Counters If your inhaler has a dose counter, this eliminates all the guesswork and uncertainty about how much medicine is left in an inhaler....

You have two pectoralis majors or “pecs,” one on each side of your chest. These large muscles help you move your shoulder. These muscles help pull your arm across the front of your body. Injury to the pectoralis major can cause shoulder pain and limit your ability to use your arm fully. The pectoralis major is superficial, making it easy to see and palpate (feel). If you place one hand on the front of your shoulder and slide it in toward your breast bone, your pecs reside under the layer of fatty tissue or breast tissue of your chest....

If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) your healthcare provider may refer you to many specialists to help you move and function better. A physical therapist is a movement specialist who can assess and treat the motor control and planning changes that occur with the disease. How a Physical Therapist Can Help While every physical therapist may provide slightly different services for PD, some of the basic impairments that he or she may focus on are:...

The health insurance premium tax credit is part of the Affordable Care Act (the ACA, which is also known as Obamacare). It’s often referred to as a premium subsidy, and it’s designed to help make health insurance premiums more affordable for middle and low-income people. But the terms “low-income” and “middle class” are subjective. To clarify, premium tax credits are normally available for people with household incomes as high as 400% of the poverty level—that amounted to $103,000 for a family of four in the Continental U....

Radiculopathy is a term that refers to diseases of the spinal nerve roots. Radicular is a medical term that means “root,” referring to the spinal nerve root. A common cause of radiculopathy is compression of a spinal nerve root. Spinal nerve root compression occurs when a structure such as the intervertebral disc or a bone spur, formed as a response to long-term wear and tear, encroaches on the space where the nerve root is located....

There’s some research to support that people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might benefit from a few alcoholic drinks a week, and that that level of alcohol consumption might also reduce the risk of developing RA. At the same time, it is possible that drinking could increase inflammation and make RA symptoms worse. If that seems confusing, it’s because it is. Thus far, scientists haven’t been able to produce definitive evidence of either a negative or positive effect of alcohol on RA....