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High blood pressure, known medically as hypertension, is extremely common, affecting about half of American adults. People with high blood pressure or heart disease should be aware that common over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including cold medicine and decongestants, can raise blood pressure. If you have hypertension you should talk with your healthcare provider about alternatives to cold and cough medicine for people with high blood pressure. This article will cover how OTC drugs, including cough medicine, sinus medicine, and decongestants, can cause side effects for people with high blood pressure....

In the English language, speaking the letter “P” often creates a puff of air. Researchers in Moscow say languages with these breathy sounds, called aspirated consonants, could increase transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Key Takeaways Researchers say language could play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 because of aspirated consonants.Wearing a well-fitting mask helps protect yourself and others from infected respiratory droplets, regardless of language.Mask-wearing should also be done in conjunction with other safety measures like social distancing and hand-washing....

Looking for something to super-size your memory? One theory out there is that caffeine, which has been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease when consumed in midlife, can also help improve your cognitive functioning long before the typical age of onset of Alzheimer’s disease (which is usually after age 70). For the millions out there who love their daily coffee, this could be the perfect reason to keep that morning routine....

Cell turnover is the term used to describe the constant shedding of dead skin cells and subsequent replacement with younger cells. How Cell Turnover Works The skin naturally sheds dead skin cells through a process called desquamation. Every 28-40 days, on average, a new skin cell is “born” in the stratum germinativum, the deepest layer of the epidermis. The cell travels up through the epidermis until it reaches the uppermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum....

Drug adherence remains a key component to successfully treating HIV. Unlike chronic medications used to treat illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes—which may require as little as 70% adherence to achieve the desired goals—antiretroviral therapy has long required near-perfect adherence to sustain viral suppression, prevent disease progression, and avoid the development of drug resistance. With the release of the once-monthly or once-every-two-months injectable antiretroviral drug Cabenuva (cabotegravir + rilpivirine) in 2021, the very notion of adherence has been turned on its ear....

If you’re the kind of person who needs complete silence in order to get a good night’s sleep, close this tab. There’s no need to read further. However, if you find that even the slightest noise—a garbage truck outside, a dog barking, a snoring spouse—is a call to attention, then you might want to look into the benefits of white noise. Sleep Goals There’s nothing better than waking up after a great night of sleep, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day....

Hyperventilation, also known as over-breathing or excessive breathing, is when a person’s breathing speeds up and deepens. The person may or may not know they are hyperventilating. Hyperventilating can happen for many reasons, be they emotional or medical. Treatment is necessary to re-establish proper oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in the blood. In this article, you will learn more about the symptoms of hyperventilation, what causes a person to hyperventilate, symptoms associated with hyperventilating, and what treatments are available for hyperventilating....

If you or your child is struggling with the demands of school due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it may be helpful to inquire about a 504 plan. That’s an important tool for ensuring students with disabilities get the same educational benefits as other kids. What Is a 504 Plan? A 504 plan is a document drawn up by an educational institution that outlines any necessary accommodations and modifications that a student with a disability needs....

Like wrinkles and age spots, for most people dark circles under the eyes are more a cosmetic nuisance than a health concern. But for those who don’t like the look of shadowy half-moons beneath their eyes and would like to erase, or at least diminish them, it can be helpful to understand what the potential causes of dark circles are. Common Causes Dark under-eye circles, also known as periorbital dark circles, tend to develop due to a combination of factors, some of which are inevitable, some of which can be managed....

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein deep below the surface of the skin, usually in the legs or thighs. Pain and swelling are the most common, early symptoms of DVT—but it is possible for a DVT to occur with no signs or symptoms at all. In some cases, signs and symptoms only arise once DVT has progressed and the clot has moved to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE)....

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is usually thought of as a severe form of erythema multiforme, which is itself a type of hypersensitivity reaction to a medication, including over-the-counter drugs, or an infection, like herpes or walking pneumonia that is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Other experts think of Stevens-Johnson syndrome as a separate condition from erythema multiforme, which they instead divide into erythema multiforme minor and erythema multiforme major forms. To make things even more confusing, there is also a severe form of Stevens-Johnson syndrome: toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which is also known as Lyell’s Syndrome....

One of the largest and longest-running studies on heart health has demonstrated just how powerful cardiovascular disease prevention methods can be. Key Takeaways The longest-running heart health study shows improvements in heart disease risk over time.People are having their first negative heart events about 10 years later than they did in the past.Experts say there is still more work to be done. People participating in the Framingham Heart Study, which is designed to help identify major risk factors for heart disease and their effect on the heart, are living longer and having less of a risk of developing a heart attack or stroke, or dying from coronary heart disease, per a new analysis....

Traditionally, colorectal cancer was a condition that mostly impacted older people. But it’s now the third leading cause of cancer deaths in young adults. The exact reason has puzzled researchers for years, but a new study suggests a surprising potential link: antibiotic use. Key Takeaways A new study has linked antibiotic use to an increased risk of colon cancer.Young people who used antibiotics had a 50% greater risk of developing colon cancer than those who did not use antibiotics....

If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another condition that impairs your lung function, you might not efficiently absorb oxygen when you breathe. The air we breathe contains approximately 21 percent oxygen. For most people with healthy lungs, 21 percent oxygen is sufficient to support the body’s needs. But with severe lung disease, it may be necessary to breathe in a higher concentration of oxygen in order to get an adequate oxygen supply into the body....

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is far from simple, and researchers are looking beyond the gut to try and understand the condition. Dysfunction in the complex communication systems between the brain and the gut may be a contributing factor in IBS. Biology Basics Communication among all of the parts of our bodies occurs through the passing of information between nerves. This communication takes place along the following pathways: Central nervous system (CNS): The brain and the spinal cordPeripheral nervous system (PNS): Nerve pathways that extend beyond the brain and spinal cord The peripheral nervous system is further divided into two parts:...

Gait is your manner, pattern, or style of walking. An easy walking gait is normal and healthy, but injury, illness, or muscle weakness can cause pain or functional mobility loss that affects your gait. Such changes in the way you walk are what medical professionals refer to as an altered gait cycle. This is unhealthy since compensating for an abnormality can cause injuries in other areas or put you at higher risk for a fall....

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) primarily causes inflammation to the liver, but sometimes the virus can also cause health problems that affect other parts of the body. When this happens, it is known as extrahepatic disease. Extrahepatic symptoms of hepatitis C infection can result in arthritis (joint inflammation), muscle pain and weakness, and vascular (blood vessel) problems. Arthralgia and Arthritis Arthralgia is a pain in a joint, which is the point where bones meet each other....

Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) can cause elbow pain. And prevention of a UCL tear is focused on avoiding excessive elbow movements, such as the motion you would make when pitching a baseball. The UCL is on the medial (inner) side of the elbow, and it helps to provide stability to the joint. When throwing, significant stress is placed on the UCL, and it can be injured or torn....

Vasa previa occurs when unprotected umbilical cord blood vessels run very near or over the opening of the cervix. Vasa previa is Latin, and it translates loosely to “vessels in the way” of the birth canal. The main risk of vasa previa is that umbilical blood vessels can rupture when the amniotic sac breaks. Someone with a low-lying placenta is at the greatest risk of vasa previa. Vasa previa poses no health risks to the pregnant person, but it poses a grave risk to the fetus....

A vasectomy is one of the simplest forms of surgical, permanent birth control, but you still need to make plans for recovery. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks for complications and a recovery process to consider. Learn what to expect after your vasectomy. Surgery Follow-Up Immediately after your vasectomy, you should expect some discomfort. While the worst should pass in a matter of days, here’s what to expect....