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Epilepsy is a disorder that’s characterized by uncontrolled and disorganized communication between nerve cells in the brain. In around half of the people who are diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown. For the other half, the cause may be attributed to one or more specific factors such as genetics, brain injury or damage, structural changes in the brain, certain conditions and illnesses, and developmental disorders. Common Causes Epilepsy is a complex disorder with a variety of causes....

Fulguration, also called ablation, is one type of endometriosis surgery involving a technique to burn away the lesions (implants) present outside the uterus. These lesions react like the uterus lining during your period or menstrual bleeding. They grow and bleed, causing inflammation, pain, and heavy menstrual bleeding. This article reviews what fulguration and excision are, who performs these surgeries, and the differences between the two. You will also learn about the cost, effectiveness, and more....

Gaucher disease (pronounced “GO shay” disease) is a genetic condition with a wide range of clinical symptoms affecting several organ systems of the body. In the most common form of Gaucher, people have highly treatable symptoms. In other types of Gaucher disease, symptoms are severe and very difficult to treat. Your healthcare provider will help you learn what to expect in your particular situation. Causes Gaucher disease is a genetic disease caused by a problem with a gene called GBA....

What Is Glatopa? Glatopa (glatiramer acetate) is an injectable drug used to reduce the number of relapses or setbacks with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a biologic (complex molecule) with a mixture of proteins. Glatiramer is part of a drug class known as immunomodulators. It slows down the worsening of MS by reducing the actions of immune cells that cause nerve damage. It also increases the time between relapses. What Is Glatopa Used For?...

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications Truvada and Descovy are taken daily to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in HIV-negative people who are considered at high risk for infection. When taken as prescribed, PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and from injection-drug use by more than 70%. This article will explore exactly who PrEP is intended for, each PrEP medication, and factors that may support or reduce their effectiveness....

Hemophilia B is a type of blood-clotting disorder (hemophilia) that is caused by a deficiency in the blood-clotting protein factor IX (or factor 9). There are three types of hemophilia. The two most common types, hemophilia A and hemophilia B, are similar in that they usually involve excessive bleeding or bruising after a minor injury, dental procedure, or surgery; bleeding from the gums or nose; or spontaneous bleeding in the joints, especially in the ankle, knee, and elbow....

Merkel cell carcinoma requires early diagnosis and treatment because it grows so rapidly. Treatment usually starts with surgery to remove the primary tumor, the first tumor in the body. Depending on the stage and grade of your cancer, your medical team may also recommend treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy. The prognosis for Merkel cell carcinoma depends on several factors, including the size of the tumor, if the cancer cells have spread to other areas of the body, where on the body the tumor is, whether it has recurred, and your overall health and age....

In most of the United States, you will need to visit a doctor, nurse, or health clinic to obtain a prescription for birth control. Read more about how to get birth control and the types of birth control available, their benefits and risks, as well as their side effects, from this overview. An Overview of Birth Control Hormonal birth control prevents pregnancy in several ways. One such method is by reducing, or stopping, ovulation....

If you are new to wearing contact lenses, it can be a challenge to put them in your eyes. Knowing the right steps can help. Even if you have been wearing them for years, it’s good to review the right way to put in contacts and to know the precautions you should take. Some 45 million Americans wear contact lenses, many without any problems. But if you don’t use and care for your contact lenses properly, you run the risk of developing serious complications, such as scratching your cornea or developing eye infections that can jeopardize your sight and your overall eye health....

Latent and active forms of tuberculosis (TB) require treatment with antibiotics, such as isoniazid and rifampin. While the dosage and duration of your prescriptions will vary depending on your case and overall health, you should expect to take your medication(s) for several months. Tuberculosis is sometimes resistant to antibiotics, so it is possible that you may need second or third-line treatments. Prescriptions Prescription antibiotics are the only means of treating tuberculosis, and they are used for several months....

High blood pressure is more common in older adults compared to younger demographic groups, but it should not be treated as a normal part of aging. Arteries become stiff and less compliant as we age. This results in elevated systolic blood pressures, although diastolic blood pressure generally stabilizes in people between the ages of 50 and 60. The “pulse pressure” is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The risk of cardiovascular disease increases as the pulse pressure increases....

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves ongoing inflammation of all or part of your digestive tract. Three conditions are categorized as IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and indeterminate colitis (IC)—with the most prevalent symptoms of blood and mucus in the stool, abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, and diarrhea. Many other symptoms may be present as well, and the pain may affect different areas of the digestive system, depending on the disease....

In 13 states, less than half of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis. And in many states, demand for vaccines is plummeting—leading to nationwide vaccine site closures. Key Takeaways A quarter of states have vaccinated less than half of their adult population.In these same states, vaccination rates have dropped off, worrying experts about what this means for herd immunity....

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) is an herbal opioid-like drug that comes from the coffee plant family native to Southeast Asia. People consume kratom by oral ingestion in the form of a tablet, capsule, or extract. It has several uses including helping workers sustain energy throughout the day and providing opioid-like pain-relieving and sedating effects. People can become dependent on and addicted to kratom. This article will explain the effects of kratom use, including whether it can be used for opioid withdrawal management and the difference between kratom dependency and kratom addiction....

Laser therapy is a tool that physicians and surgeons can use to treat a variety of conditions. “Laser” stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” It uses intense beams of light to remove tissue. Laser therapy can have many uses in medical and cosmetic procedures. This article will review laser therapy, its uses, how to prepare for a laser procedure, risks associated with laser therapy, and how to recover....

Back pain treatment may involve medication or, in some cases, surgery. But natural remedies for back pain, such as exercise, spinal manipulation, and massage, are among the top recommendations for both acute and chronic cases. While some are supported by research and included in clinical practice guidelines, other natural remedies for back pain have more anecdotal than scientific evidence to back them. If you’re interested in using a natural remedy for back pain relief, you might consider one of the following popular options....

Nature vs. nurture is an age-old debate about whether genetics (nature) plays a bigger role in determining a person’s characteristics than lived experience and environmental factors (nurture). The term “nature vs. nature” was coined by English naturalist Charles Darwin’s younger half cousin, anthropologist Francis Galton, around 1875. In psychology, the extreme nature position (nativism) proposes that intelligence and personality traits are inherited and determined only by genetics. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the extreme nurture position (empiricism) asserts that the mind is a blank slate at birth; external factors like education and upbringing determine who someone becomes in adulthood and how their mind works....

When you have neuropathy, pain is usually best managed with a multimodal treatment approach that incorporates different types of treatment instead of relying on just one. Treatments can include traditional painkillers, nontraditional pain medications, and other related pain treatments. Traditional painkillers used alone, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are often ineffective at treating neuropathic pain. The right combination of pain management strategies will help you function better and have a better quality of life....

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer that starts in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps fight infection. Lymphocytes are found in the bloodstream but also in the lymph system and throughout the body. NHL most often affects adults and is more common than the other major category of lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma. This article will provide an overview of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis associated with NHL....

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 (coronavirus virus disease 20019) a pandemic. The threat of a disease spreading across the globe should be taken seriously. There are real, actionable things you can do to help soften the impact a pandemic can have on you and those around you. What Is a Pandemic? A pandemic occurs when a contagious disease is present over a large region of the earth (typically two or more continents)....