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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) presents a challenge in getting pregnant and maintaining a healthy pregnancy for people living with this reproductive health issue. In fact, some 80% of infertility cases linked to ovulation failure are caused by PCOS. Most people with PCOS can get pregnant with appropriate treatment for their inability to conceive. However, PCOS presents some specific and significant challenges before and during pregnancy. Some of them may be reduced by maintaining a healthy lifestyle....

It’s common to ice an injury. Icing may be used for sprains, strains, overuse injuries, and bruises. Applying ice has been thought to help decrease swelling and inflammation, as well as reduce pain. However, icing doesn’t speed up healing. There are some details to keep in mind to make the icing treatment safer and more effective. This article explains how to properly ice your injury. What Is The Proper Icing Technique?...

Intrauterine device (IUD) and Nexplanon are birth control options that can be used by teenagers. These devices are inserted into the uterus by a physician and can stay in place for several years. Teenagers have been using IUDs for years, and safety and effectiveness are established. The doctor can also remove an IUD or Nexplanon when you don’t want to use this form of birth control anymore. What Doctors Are Suggesting Every year in the United States, approximately 750,000 teenagers become pregnant, and most of these pregnancies are not planned....

The Lamaze technique, also known as the psychoprophylactic method, is a form of childbirth preparation that was popularized in the 1950s by a French obstetrician named Fernand Lamaze. Lamaze teaches natural childbirth coping techniques, including comfort measures, relaxation, and breathing. Patterned breathing used to be the hallmark of Lamaze. Today, the method incorporates conscious breathing and relaxation, among other principles. Here is an overview of the Lamaze technique, including how it’s done, why it’s used, and what the research says about its effectiveness....

Lovenox, also known as enoxaparin, is a prescription blood thinner. It is used to reduce the ability of the blood to clot in individuals who have issues with blood clotting, and in hospitalized patients who are at an increased risk of forming a blood clot.Surgery patients are known to be at a higher risk of forming blood clots after surgery, so that patient population is even more likely to need a medication to prevent blood clots....

Diet culture is out. Intuitive eating is in. For National Nutrition Month, we don’t want to preach the trendiest diets. Instead, we’re unpacking how diet culture has distorted our relationship with food and how to reframe our mindset. Verywell writers shared how their food choices and diet patterns have changed in a series consisting of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert. Along with these essays, they also shared some easy, feel-good recipes that can nourish both the body and the soul....

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, are a class of drugs that are commonly used to relieve pain and inflammation and reduce fever. When taken orally as a pill or tablet, NSAIDs produce systemic (whole body) effects. As such, it’s natural to wonder whether NSAIDs target your thyroid gland along with all the other tissues and organs in your body. While it is possible that NSAIDs may affect your thyroid, scientific evidence in favor of this is scant....

At the beginning of May, Pfizer/BioNTech submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking full approval for their COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna is expected to follow suit. Key Takeaways Pfizer/BioNTech is applying for full FDA approval for their COVID-19 vaccines. Emergency use authorization is only granted to drugs and vaccines that are needed in a public health emergency. Full approval would grant Pfizer/BioNTech permission to market their vaccines directly to the American public....

The management of Parkinson’s disease is not without its difficulties. The medication levodopa/carbidopa (also known as Sinemet) is still considered the gold standard treatment for the motor symptoms of this disease. But given the fact that Sinemet is short-acting, there are periods between doses where symptoms recur as the drug levels drop. And as the disease progresses, this medication becomes less effective at controlling advancing symptoms. Patients need to take more frequent doses in an effort to avoid “off periods” where the drug effect wears off....

Meniere’s disease is a cause of vertigo, which is severe dizziness that causes a feeling of being off balance. It is a disorder of the inner ear and endolymphatic system which is not entirely understood and usually affects only one ear. Meniere’s disease is also called idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops. One theory is that Meniere’s disease is caused when there is a change in volume of the fluids inside the labyrinth of the inner ear....

Subchorionic hemorrhage is a condition that causes bleeding in the early stages of pregnancy. It is typical during the first trimester. One of the main symptoms is vaginal bleeding. Typically, the bleeding will go away on its own. This article discuss the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of subchorionic hemorrhage. Signs and Symptoms One of the main symptoms of a subchorionic hemorrhage is bleeding. Bleeding and Pregnancy If you are pregnant and experience any vaginal bleeding, call your healthcare provider....

Last month, Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill banning abortions the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected—which typically occurs around six weeks of pregnancy. Heartbeat abortion bills continue to crop up across the country in political efforts to limit abortion access. Key Takeaways Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, or at roughly six weeks gestation. Experts say heartbeat bills limit abortion access because most women are unaware that they are pregnant at five or six weeks of pregnancy....

There’s no shortage of studies that make contradictory claims on coffee’s health benefits and risks. Key Takeaways A new study from Tianjin Medical University found an association between coffee and a lower chance of stroke and dementia.This study is one of many observational studies on coffee. Experts note that observational studies can’t be used to find a cause and effect relationship.In order to determine if nutrition studies are trustworthy, consider the number of participants, the author’s motivations, the publishing journal, and how the study fits into the larger body of research....

Topical steroids are extremely effective at treating a wide range of inflammatory diseases, but these medications are not without risks. Some potential topical steroid side effects include burning, stinging, stretch marks, skin thinning, and infections. Long-term use can lead to skin and eye damage. This article explores these and other side effects of topical steroids, some of which are mild and transient and others of which are severe and irreversible....

An eye doctor is a person who specializes in the examination, treatment, and care of the eyes. The term eye doctor can refer to either an ophthalmologist or an optometrist. Ophthalmologist An ophthalmologist is an eye doctor that specializes in both medical and surgical matters of the eyes and visual system, as well as the prevention of eye disease and injury. These eye doctors may prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses and also treat eye diseases with drugs, laser procedures, and complex eye surgery....

In the early stages of infection, many people will develop little or no signs of illness. This is, perhaps, one of the reasons why 14% of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV go undiagnosed. They either don’t realize they’ve been infected or will only act when outward signs begin to appear. However, in some cases, flu-like symptoms will develop within 7 to 14 days of exposure. This condition is commonly referred to as acute retroviral syndrome (also referred to as ARS, acute seroconversion syndrome, or seroconversion illness)....

A rectopexy is often performed when there is a protrusion of the rectum through the anus known as a prolapse. In other words, the rectum, which is located at the end of your large intestine, ceases to be supported in its normal position in the body. It either falls or slides down through the anus. The procedure is also known as the rectal prolapse surgery. Although a prolapsed rectum isn’t life-threatening, it can certainly be life-altering as it causes a host of distressing symptoms....

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. It happens when the liver starts breaking down fat at a dangerously fast rate, processing the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes a diabetic person’s blood to become acidic. Causes of Ketoacidosis Cells need glucose to get the energy they require to function. But when that doesn’t happen for people with diabetes and their body doesn’t have enough insulin to use glucose, it starts to burn fat for energy, producing chemicals known as ketones....

The Basic Rules of Stopping CPR CPR is the only medical procedure that is done by default. Meaning that it takes a doctor’s order not to do CPR in most medical practices in the United States. Indeed, learning to do CPR is the single most important thing a lay rescuer can do to prepare for the worst. Since doing CPR is automatic and since it might not be successful, we do need guidelines on when to call it quits....

Stem cells are specialized cells that have the potential to develop into not one but many different types of cell. They are unlike any other cell for three specific reasons: They are unspecialized, meaning they have no specific function in the body.They have the capacity to become specialized cells such as brain cells, muscle cells, and blood cells.They can divide and renew continually over a long period of time. Currently, blood stem cells are the only type regularly used for treatment....