What should you know about dating after a cancer diagnosis? When is the right time to share your diagnosis, and how should you do it? Let’s face it: dating is complicated these days. It’s full of unnerving decisions, from figuring out how long to wait before calling, to choosing the right time to meet the parents. But when you throw a cancer diagnosis and treatment into the dating dynamics, it can be even more stressful....
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel met on Wednesday to discuss the future of COVID-19 vaccinations, including the potential need for a variant-specific vaccine. This week, an FDA panel discussed future pandemic safety measures and the potential for a new vaccine seriesExperts stressed that the current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death, but that a new series could be important in targeting specific variants or reducing virus transmission....
Allergic shiners are dark circles under the eyes that are related to nasal and sinus congestion. While they often occur with seasonal allergies, allergic shiners can affect anyone who experiences this type of congestion for any reason. This article goes over why you might have dark circles under your eyes during allergy season or when you’re otherwise stuffed up, as well as what you can do to treat allergic shiners....
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis marked by chronic inflammation. It primarily affects the spine but can cause symptoms in the ribs, shoulders, feet, knees, hips, bowels, and eyes over time. In rare cases, it can also affect the heart or lungs. AS can be a progressive condition that requires ongoing treatment by a specialist, such as a rheumatologist. This article discusses the rheumatologist’s role in treating ankylosing spondylitis—why seeing a specialist is important, how to prepare and what to expect during your first appointment, and how to find a healthcare provider....
Arousal during sleep is caused by a change in the pattern of brain wave activity, as measured by an EEG. Arousal typically represents a shift from deep sleep to light sleep or from sleep to wakefulness. What Is Arousal? As it sounds, arousal is when a person becomes ‘aroused’ or more alert to some extent during the sleep cycle. It is a change in brain wave activity. It does not necessarily mean waking up, but could just mean a shift out of extremely deep sleep to lighter sleep, from which it is easier to be woken up from....
Bacterial culture is simply a fancy way of saying “growing bacteria in a controlled setting.” When doctors are trying to determine if a patient has a bacterial infection — whether it’s in a wound, in their throat, or an STD,— they take a sample from the area they think is infected and put it in a special medium where the bacteria can grow. That medium is chosen based on what site the sample is taken from and which types of bacteria are most likely to be present....
Casts, whether for a broken arm, leg, or other part of the body, are used to support and protect injured bones and give them a chance to heal. Casts are typically made of plaster or fiberglass, each of which have pros and cons. While casts can be uncomfortable and hard to deal with, they are an effective and efficient way to treat a broken bone (fracture). This article explains the differences between plaster and fiberglass casts, as well as what a soft cast is and when one is used....
In 1986, a meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in what was then the Soviet Union showered radioactive particles all over Ukraine and neighboring countries. It resulted in the largest uncontrolled release of radiation (iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137) in history. More than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer linked to radiation exposure in people who were under age 18 at the time were reported between 1991 and 2005. They came to be known as the Children of Chernobyl, and both researchers and the public have remained interested in their challenges....
Have you ever noticed how some positions make your back feel better, while others make it feel worse? For certain common back problems such as herniated disc, facet arthritis, sacroiliac joint pain, and others, pain can be associated with specific positions. Your physical therapist or personal trainer can use this information to help you manage symptoms at home, at work, and while exercising. Directional Preferences These directional preferences are part of a movement-based approach to categorizing low back pain that allows your therapist to watch how you stand, sit, walk and move, and to listen to what you have to say about your pain....
If you know someone who can’t seem to stand the texture of peanut butter, it may not be a simple aversion. They may be experiencing arachibutyrophobia, a fear of the substance sticking to the roof of their mouth, which is often associated with a fear of choking. Some people with a fear of peanut butter may still consume it in small quantities, while others may avoid it entirely. This article will dive into what happens when someone is afraid of eating peanut butter, what may be causing the fear, and what potential treatment options may be available if someone wants to work on overcoming this phobia....
As COVID-19 sweeps the United States, many people feel anxious about routine aspects of everyday life, such as grocery shopping. If you wonder whether you might pick up COVID-19 from food or food packaging, you’re not alone. And what about food delivery packaging? Are meal kits or restaurant meals delivered by courier safe? Experts Say Food Is Safe This anxiety surrounding food may be heightened by the fact that research is somewhat lacking about how COVID-19 travels from person to person....
Frozen shoulder can be a painful condition, also called adhesive capsulitis. Patients who have a frozen shoulder have difficulty with even simple movements of the joint. Typical symptoms of a frozen shoulder include pain when moving the arm, even with simple activities such as washing hair, buckling a seatbelt, or fastening a bra. The condition is caused by scarring of the shoulder capsule, the lining of the shoulder joint. Treatment of a frozen shoulder is almost always successful with non-surgical treatments....
If you’re struggling to get your child to wear glasses, you’re not alone. Many parents have searched for hints and tricks to make their child more open to the idea of wearing glasses every day. Most kids consider wearing glasses a hindrance, or they feel abnormal and different from their peers. Your child may feel embarrassed to have others see that they indeed have a vision problem. Hearing your child has a vision problem can be difficult for both of you, but getting your child to wear glasses may be even more of a challenge....
Migraines and other types of headaches can affect sex drive and sexual function (especially during attacks), usually—but not always—decreasing it. Sexual activity may trigger a headache of any type, including a migraine. However, it has been reported that sex can relieve some migraines, and, less commonly, cluster headaches. The relationship is complicated and is not the same for everyone. Furthermore, sexual activity may not always affect your headaches in the same way....
An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction. Some examples of common allergens are dust mites, cat dander, and pollen. Sometimes people can have severe allergic reactions to these substances that can lead to breathing problems (including serious asthma exacerbations) and even death. More often, they cause bothersome symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes. Detecting The Allergen That’s Making You Sick There are two ways to detect an allergen that is making you sick: through skin-prick testing, considered by many experts and allergists to be the gold standard, and through immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood testing....
It can be challenging for people to manage diabetes if they live in a food desert where access to fresh produce is limited. A low or inconsistent supply of fresh, nutritious foods might perpetuate food insecurity in a community, making it even harder for people with diabetes. Key Takeaways Living in a food desert and not having reliable access to fresh food can make it challenging to manage diabetes.Some people who live in food deserts also face food insecurity, which is a risk factor for diabetes....
Our Conversation Coach Can Help As people age and begin to have more difficulty living at home alone, one topic is often dreaded and avoided more than the others—nursing homes and assisted livings. Or, if they are discussed, it may be in passing, like: “Promise me you won’t ever put me in one of those!” While it might not be a very comfortable idea to talk about, it’s important to consider what steps to take when living at home becomes a challenge....
Spinal disc replacement surgery, also known as lumbar disc replacement, can be a treatment option for some types of lower back pain associated with disc disease. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004, this surgery is supported by years of real-world application, primarily in Europe, where the procedure has been performed for more than 30 years. About Degenerative Disc Disease Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is caused by wearing away of the cartilaginous cushion that rests between the bones of the spine....
Last Monday evening, I finished my volunteer shift at a hospital in Naples, Florida. By Wednesday, I was taking shelter with strangers in a hotel basement. I was fortunate to get through Hurricane Ian safely with my husband, mom, brother, and two dogs. The loss of power (literally and figuratively) allowed me to reflect on lessons I learned about managing a disaster. And so did my senior shelter mates. In that hotel basement, my family waited out the storm alongside several older adults, who sat huddled around a table of power stations trying to contact insurance agents, pharmacies, and family....
Healthcare systems and patients in the U.S. have been struggling with rising costs. At the same time, there is a shortage of primary care physicians—those who stand on the front line in patient care—and the shortage has been projected to continue. The increased necessity to manage operational costs combined with the immediate need for trained healthcare providers has broadened opportunities for physician extenders in today’s healthcare system. Most healthcare systems in the U....
