The incubation period of a virus is the number of days between the time a person gets infected and when symptoms begin to appear. For COVID-19, this can reach up to 14 days after virus exposure. Key Takeaways Omicron’s incubation period is about two to four days, which is generally shorter than the previous variants.Incubation periods are still just an average, and infected people may develop symptoms anytime within two to 14 days after exposure....
If you suffer from urge incontinence alongside irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is natural to wonder if they are related. Here is a brief overview of urge incontinence and any possible overlap with IBS. What Is Urge Incontinence? Urge incontinence is a urinary disorder in which a person experiences sudden urinary urgency that results in involuntary passage of urine. Symptoms can occur without warning during the day and cause nighttime waking and bed-wetting....
Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is a genetic disorder that can lead to birth defects and developmental problems. It results in distinctive facial features, short stature, intellectual disability, and abnormalities of several organ systems. It is a rare condition and the estimate of the syndrome being prevelant in 1 in 50,000 births is likely an underestimate due to cases not being diagnosed. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is caused by a missing piece (deletion) of genetic material near the end of the short (p) arm of chromosome 4....
A new study has found that women have a lower threshold for developing complications due to high blood pressure when compared to men. Current guidelines consider a healthy blood pressure range to be the same for men and women. Key Takeaways Research has found that women have a lower threshold for developing complications due to high blood pressure.The data suggest a systolic reading of 110 mm Hg or higher put women at risk of heart disease....
Understanding arthritis is important because it not only affects the person with the disease but impacts every person in their close circle of family and friends. Arthritis is a chronic condition and its impact is life-long. People with arthritis often are discouraged and say, “My family doesn’t understand,” or “My friend doesn’t get what it’s like for me.” Family and friends are not deliberately trying to misunderstand, be difficult, or seem uncompassionate....
Drug interactions are possible whenever one medication is prescribed alongside another. In most cases, the interaction won’t require a person to stop one drug or the other. Often, the dosage can be increased, decreased, or staggered to avoid toxicity or ensure the drugs retain their expected potency. At other times, a drug substitution can be made with an equivalent agent. However, when it comes to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) used to treat HIV, there are prescription medications that can directly interfere with the activity and/or potency of the drug....
Researchers have found that heart attack patients who exhibit certain personality traits, including sarcasm, pessimism, resentfulness, impatience, and irritability, are at a higher risk for dying from a second heart attack. Key Takeaways Researchers have found that people with hostile personality traits who have had a heart attack are more likely to die if they have a second heart attack.Hostile behaviors include being sarcastic, cynical, resentful, impatient, or irritable.Experts recommend that the mental health needs of all heart attack patients are addressed as part of their follow-up care....
A pulmonary embolus (PE) occurs when material lodges in and obstructs (blocks) the pulmonary artery or one of its branches. Most often, the material is a blood clot, but in rare cases, there may be other causes of the blockage. Pulmonary embolism is not an uncommon problem. accounting for an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 deaths per year in the United States. It can be caused by certain medical conditions, and several lifestyle risk factors can affect your chances of having a PE....
It may be unsettling to learn that it’s possible for you to have normal hearing your entire life and, one day, wake up deaf. You can also have mild hearing impairment and lose the rest of your hearing within a few days. This, known as sudden deafness or sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), can happen in one or both ears. Luckily, many cases are temporary or treatable. Sudden deafness is rare, impacting one person per 5,000 annually, most often adults in their 40s and 50s....
Chelation therapy is a treatment primarily used for metal poisoning, but it is also an alternative treatment option for other conditions. It’s based on the process of chelation, in which chemicals are used to remove heavy metals and other substances from the body. Although chelation was originally used to treat conditions like lead poisoning, chelation therapy is now claimed to protect against heart disease and other major health problems. History The word chelation is derived from the Greek word chelos, which means claw....
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) affects approximately 2 to 10% of adult males and causes chronic pelvic pain and urinary and sexual problems. The cause of this condition is not known, and diagnosis of CP/CPPS can be challenging because many other health conditions have similar symptoms. If you have any of the symptoms, it is important to seek help because the condition does not go away on its own and treatment can provide relief....
Deodorant is something that you would never dream of skipping before leaving the house. Antiperspirants are some of the most popular personal care items. However, many people are concerned that some of their ingredients, specifically aluminum and parabens, could be linked to cancer, specifically breast cancer. Thankfully, research has not found a causal relationship, but they did have some interesting findings. Claims Linking Breast Cancer and Antiperspirants You may have heard the claim that antiperspirant use can cause breast cancer....
What is an orphan drug and what is the Orphan Drug Act? Why is research and development for these drugs important and what are the barriers? What Is an Orphan Drug? An orphan drug is a medication (pharmaceutical) that remains underdeveloped due to the lack of a company to find the drug profitable. Often the reason that the drug is not profitable is that there are relatively few people who will purchase the drug when weighed against the research and development needed to manufacture the drug....
Your vision is truly a gift. Many of us take our clear view of the world for granted. However, many people will experience temporary eye problems from time to time, including itching, blurriness, or fatigue. Most of these eye problems are short-lived and will probably go away on their own with no complications. However, sudden eye problems and those that last for more than a couple of days should be checked by an eye doctor....
Fear of lizards is formally referred to as herpetophobia, which is a fear of reptiles. Someone afraid of lizards may also be afraid of animals such as alligators, snakes, or other reptiles. This type of fear is known as a specific phobia. Approximately 9.1% of U.S. adults experience specific phobia in a typical year, and about 12.5% of U.S. adults experience a specific phobia at some point in their lives....
Gout is an excruciating form of arthritis that’s possible to manage using the right dietary tweaks. Gout attacks are caused by purines, a chemical compound found in certain foods and in the body. The metabolism of purines raises uric acid in the blood, which builds up as painful crystals in the joints. If you’ve ever suffered from a gout attack, you’d probably be willing to do just about anything to prevent it from happening again....
The COVID-19 pandemic seems to be making sleep worse for a lot of people, causing insomnia and evoking strange dreams. Increased stress may exacerbate anxiety. Fundamentally altered routines—from work to exercise—may further unravel normal sleep. Isolation may cause additional disruptions to circadian patterns and social lives. If difficulty falling asleep is a problem, discover some simple steps to take to fall asleep faster tonight. If it takes longer than 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep at the beginning of the night, and this leads to negative daytime consequences like mood problems and fatigue, this may be a sign of insomnia....
Involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT) is a term used for delivering radiation to only those areas of the body involved by lymphoma. For example, if lymphoma affects the left side of the neck, IFRT will deliver radiation to the entire left side of the neck. If lymphoma affects two areas like the neck and the armpits, radiation will be delivered to these two sites only. Uses and Advantages IFRT is used in comparison with extended field radiation therapy, which delivers radiation to larger areas of the body, including regions not immediately involved by lymphoma....
When most people think about contact lenses, they think of them as devices used to improve their vision. But contact lenses are used for more than vision correction: sometimes contact lenses are used to treat or manage eye diseases and disorders. Doctors often refer to these lenses as medical-use contacts. These specialized lenses are fit in the same way as standard contact lenses, but they are often made of different materials....
Panic disorder causes recurrent and unexpected panic attacks or episodes of intense fear. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider right away if you are experiencing panic attacks, so you can receive the right diagnosis. Panic attacks can indicate you have panic disorder or another psychiatric or medical condition. Professional Screenings Your primary care doctor may do the screening for panic disorder or refer you to a mental health professional who specializes in these types of conditions....
