Polycythemia vera is a disorder in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which can lead to an increased risk of blood clots. Having too many red blood cells is the most prominent clinical sign of polycythemia vera. A mutation in a gene for JAK2, a protein involved in signaling within the cell, has been found in many people with this condition....
Zofran (ondansetron) can be used in emergency situations to treat severe vomiting and diarrhea in children with acute gastroenteritis (stomach flu). It’s also a drug commonly used to prevent severe nausea and vomiting in people undergoing cancer chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Zofran doesn’t treat stomach flu but can help prevent dehydration, which can become very serious very quickly in babies and younger children. This article describes how Zofran is used in kids as well as the possible side effects, risks, and contraindications....
A vitreous hemorrhage occurs when blood enters the vitreous of the eye, which is the thick, clear fluid that fills the eye and helps maintain its shape. A vitreous hemorrhage may affect your vision if it prevents light from reaching the retina, a light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye responsible for eyesight. This article will share the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of vitreous hemorrhage. Vitreous Hemorrhage Symptoms Vitreous hemorrhage can appear in many different ways....
Traditional steps during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) include rescue breathing. Sometimes the first rescue breath given during CPR doesn’t make the chest rise. The process includes opening the patient’s airway and blowing air into the lungs. It sounds simple, but opening the airway can be tricky sometimes. What happens, then, if the chest doesn’t rise during a rescue breath? What to Do When the Chest Doesn’t Rise Try again, but only once....
There are many things associated with growing older—just look at wrinkles and sunspots. Sometimes cancer is mistakenly lumped with ailments of the elderly, but cancer is not a disease of the old and can strike any person at any age. Although you may be less likely to get certain types of cancer as a youth, getting diagnosed with colon cancer in your 40s, 30s, and even 20s is not an unheard-of phenomenon....
There are a variety of medications available for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children, which is usually caused by an allergy to pollens, dust mites, and/or pets. For some children, this happens during the spring, but for others, it occurs year-round. Oral antihistamines are one treatment option, and, if nasal symptoms are still problematic, a nasal spray can be added. Types of Nasal Sprays Nasal sprays have different active ingredients and sometimes come in over-the-counter (OTC) as well as prescription formulations....
There are many factors that can contribute to sciatica. The condition causes pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, and loss of reflexes in the lower back, buttocks, legs, and feet. Sometimes sciatica is caused by degenerative conditions, like arthritis—and lifestyle factors are at play, as well. Radiculopathy is a condition in which a nerve root in the spinal column is compressed. Sciatica is a type of lumbar (lower spine) radiculopathy in which the sciatic nerve is compressed....
An underactive thyroid can slow your metabolism, and cause weight gain. If you are trying to lose weight, with the extra impediment of a sub-par metabolism, what should you do? Will efforts to boost a slow metabolism help you lose weight and gain energy? Do you need to speed up your metabolism in order to lose weight or break through a weight loss plateau? These are important questions for anyone trying to lose weight, but particularly for people with thyroid disease....
Health professionals want to assure the public that it is safe to donate blood after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, it’s strongly encouraged, especially during the summer months when blood donation tends to be low. Key Takeaways It is safe to give blood after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.If you are healthy and not experiencing any side effects, you can donate blood in between COVID vaccine doses. The American Red Cross reports that a donor’s immune response to the vaccine will not be disrupted by giving blood and does not reduce the antibody protection against the COVID-19 virus....
Not everyone who undergoes chemotherapy (“chemo”) will experience hair loss, but the stress of wondering if you’re among the 65% who will can be overwhelming. To this end, some people take preemptive steps to avoid chemotherapy-induced hair loss (also known as chemotherapy-induced alopecia). This includes non-invasive treatments like scalp cooling and scalp compression and hair growth medications like minoxidil. This article explores the different methods of hair loss prevention in people undergoing chemotherapy, including the potential benefits, limitations, and risks....
Cardiac enzymes (the old name), or cardiac biomarkers (the new name), are blood tests that are used to detect damage to heart muscle cells. Cardiac biomarkers are proteins from heart muscle cells that have leaked out into the bloodstream after an injury to the cardiac muscle. Creatine kinase and troponin are the two proteins currently measured in biomarker tests. When blood levels of these biomarkers are elevated, it means that there has likely been damage to the heart muscle....
For patients who typically have blood pressure that is in the normal range, it can be very alarming to see high blood pressure readings during the recovery period after surgery. While this can be alarming, be aware that changes in blood pressure—often high readings but sometimes low—are not uncommon after having surgery. The reasons for these changes may have everything to do with surgery, or the instructions you were given prior to surgery, but in some cases have little or nothing to do with the procedure....
Although you might think that having celiac disease—a condition that affects your digestive or gastrointestinal system—would increase your odds of developing colon cancer or rectal cancer, the evidence, fortunately, suggests otherwise. In fact, there’s some evidence indicating that having celiac disease might even protect you from getting colon cancer and rectal cancer. That’s good news because colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or the rectum) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States in adults younger than 50 years old....
Colds are caused by viruses that spread from person to person through respiratory droplets (for example, through coughing or sneezing). While a number of viruses can cause the common cold, the flu is specifically caused by the influenza virus. Common Causes Many viruses can prompt cold symptoms—like runny nose, headache, and cough—but rhinoviruses are the most common. Other viruses that cause colds include: Adenovirus Human coronaviruses Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Human parainfluenza viruses Human metapneumovirus Risk Factors Certain things can increase your chances of getting colds, including environmental factors that make it easier for the viruses to spread and medical conditions that affect the body’s ability to protect itself....
Around age 40, many people begin to shop around for reading glasses to help with presbyopia. This condition typically starts around this time and impacts the eyes’ ability to focus when looking at something close-up. But these glasses, as well as bifocal, trifocal, or no-line progressive multifocal eyeglasses, are not your only options. Contact lenses can be a solution for those over 40 who are having trouble doing things like reading a menu or a book....
Costochondritis and Tietze syndrome are associated with chest wall pain. While chest pain is not an uncommon symptom, it is disconcerting, to say the least. When faced with chest pain, people typically think of a heart attack. But, several other conditions are also associated with chest pain. Aside from cardiac issues, costochondritis, and Tietze syndrome, chest pain may even be associated with pulmonary or gastrointestinal disease. Pain also may radiate to the chest with cervical or thoracic spine disease....
The use of lubricants can make sexual penetration all the more pleasurable while significantly reducing the risk of condom breakage. In recent years, however, there have been suggestions that certain lubricants can, in fact, increase the risk of HIV, either by weakening the structure of latex condoms or causing cellular damage to the fragile tissues that line the vagina or rectum. The question is, how real is either of these claims?...
Fiber is an important part of any healthy diet. Although fiber is mostly known for improving digestive health, studies have also shown that certain types of fiber can also help lower your cholesterol levels. This can include common brand-name fiber supplements like Metamucil and Citrucel. This article discusses the different types of fiber and fiber supplements that can help lower your cholesterol levels—and which ones can’t. Types of Fiber Supplements There are two types of fiber that are incorporated into various fiber supplements: soluble and non-soluble fiber....
Although Parkinson’s disease is much more common in people who are older than age 50, it can affect people of all ages, including even children and teenagers. Also, just because you’re older, it doesn’t mean you’ll get Parkinson’s – most people never get it. Your age is only one factor in your risks for the condition. Average Age of Parkinson’s Diagnosis Parkinson’s disease is a brain condition that causes shaking, problems with balance and coordination, and stiffness in your arms and legs....
People with sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep. This can happen many times in one night. The condition is often treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This device works by delivering a flow of pressurized air through a mask to keep airways open. CPAP machines often have heated humidifiers. The instructions typically say you should use distilled water in the humidifier. This article discusses the benefits of a CPAP humidifier....
