Skin elasticity refers to your skin’s ability to stretch and bounce back into place. Our skin’s elasticity is what gives us plump, healthy-looking skin. As skin loses its elasticity, it starts to sag and wrinkle. Our skin elasticity is highest when we’re young and slowly decreases as we age. While it’s inevitable that your skin will become less elastic as you get older, there are ways you can slow the process....
Skin fissures are areas of dried, cracked skin that thicken over time. They appear as tiny cuts or cracks in the skin. The surrounding skin is usually thickened and calloused. They most often occur on dry areas of the skin like the heels, fingertips, and between the toes. Skin fissures are the result of very dry skin, also known as xerosis. Fissures begin as small cracks and can deepen, becoming more painful....
While experts typically say an egg a day can be part of a heart-healthy diet, a new study found that eating eggs and consuming dietary cholesterol is associated with higher mortality risk. Key Takeaways Data is conflicting when it comes to whether people should avoid eggs to reduce their risk of death.A recent study linked eggs to increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality.Still, experts say eliminating eggs from your diet entirely may not be necessary....
Sulfa allergy is an adverse drug reaction to sulfonamides, a class of drugs that includes antibiotics and non-antibiotics. Allergies to sulfa drugs are common. Whether caused by a true allergy or drug intolerance, sulfa reactions affect up to 6% of people. The rate is similar to responses to other types of antibiotics, including penicillin. This article explains sulfa allergy symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. It also covers how to decipher between sulfa allergy and sulfite allergy....
Testicular pain is a common symptom to have at some point in your life. However, chronic pain in your testicles, called orchialgia, may be cause for concern. Orchialgia can be caused by trauma, infection, and other more serious problems like testicular torsion that require immediate emergency care. Some causes of testicle pain are unknown. Orchialgia can affect one or both testicles, and the pain can range from mild and dull to severe and debilitating....
People with type 2 diabetes may be interested in learning if vitamin supplements may be helpful for treatment. Type 2 diabetes is treated with lifestyle and dietary changes and, in some cases, medications. Nutrients are best derived from food sources, but in a true deficiency, supplements may be helpful. It’s challenging to understand the best way to use supplements and which ones will be helpful for type 2 diabetes. Supplement use should be individualized and vetted by a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, pharmacist, or healthcare provider....
What Is Vumerity? Vumerity (diroximel fumarate) is a prescription oral medication used to treat relapsing types of multiple sclerosis. This type of MS is characterized by periods when the condition gets worse (episodes). It’s not fully understood how Vumerity works. Once broken down in the body, the drug activates and reduces chemicals that increase inflammation, such as cytokines and other immune cells. Vumerity is available as a delayed-release capsule to be taken by mouth (oral)....
Micropenis is an extremely rare condition that occurs in only 1.5 per 10,000 male children in the United States. The term is used when the penis is abnormally small compared to other normal-sized genital structures, including the scrotum, testicles, and perineum. Micropenis is the result of abnormal fetal development. Experts believe it is triggered by a genetic aberration or hormonal abnormalities. This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of a micropenis....
When you’re a caregiver to someone with cancer, you can find yourself in a lot of conversations. You’re discussing your loved one’s care with doctors, nurses, and administrative staff. You’re calling insurance companies or home aide agencies to navigate reimbursement or paperwork issues. You’re sharing updates or calls for support with friends and relatives. And, of course, you’re helping your loved one process complex information, emotions, or decisions. Not all of these conversations go smoothly....
Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes (including type 2 diabetes) that causes vision problems. By controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, you can reduce your risk of vision loss due to diabetes. This article will provide eight tips to help keep your eyes healthy when you have type 2 diabetes and prevent diabetic retinopathy. Get Your Eyes Checked Regularly High blood sugar can damage blood vessels, including the ones in your eyes....
What Is Adlyxin? Adlyxin (lixisenatide) is an injectable medication used to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. It is part of a drug class known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Lixisenatide works by affecting two hormones in your body that control your blood sugar: glucagon and insulin. It reduces the amount of glucagon made, increases glucose-dependent insulin secretion, and slows stomach emptying. What Is Adlyxin Used For?...
Tardive dyskinesia and akathisia are movement disorders that occur as side effects of certain medications, especially medications that are used to treat psychiatric disorders. Movement disorders are medical conditions that cause recurrent involuntary (not on purpose) movements without causing changes in consciousness. They are caused by problems with chemical regulation in certain areas of the brain. Parkinson’s disease is the best-known movement disorder. If you are having new involuntary movements or a sense of restlessness, it’s important that you make an appointment to see your neurologist or psychiatrist so you can work together to plan a management strategy that’s right for you....
Blue lips can occur when blood vessels temporarily shrink after being out in the cold or swimming in chilly water, for example. But they can also be a sign of a medical problem that is causing a reduced amount of oxygen in your blood. This can happen with conditions like asthma, for example, but also medical emergencies like carbon monoxide poisoning. Cyanosis is the term of when your skin and mucous membranes (like the lining of your mouth) take on a bluish color....
A bronze health plan is a type of individual/family or small group health insurance that pays, on average, 60% of average enrollees’ healthcare expenses. The enrollees pay the other 40% of their total healthcare expenses in the form of copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. But this 60/40 split is an average across a standard population—the percentage of your costs that a plan covers will vary tremendously depending on whether you need a lot of medical care during the year, or not much at all....
Back pain is a common affliction. You’ve probably experienced back pain at one time or another in your life—whether chronic or acute. It can feel mildly uncomfortable or leave you in extreme agony. Crippling back pain can leave you doubled over, unable to get through your day-to-day activities. If you have a severe back disorder, it may cause temporary, recurring, or chronic pain. Back spasms can leave a person immobile and struggling to complete everyday tasks without groaning in pain....
Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the skin’s surface to make way for new cells. Though the body naturally sheds these cells, sometimes it needs a bit of extra help, which is where physical or chemical exfoliation comes in. Exfoliating products and treatments can help take your skin from dull, congested, and rough to bright, clear, and resurfaced. How To Exfoliate the Face You can exfoliate your face with a variety of agents, both chemical and physical, as well as by professional treatment....
Dermatographism is a common, benign skin condition in which even a small amount of pressure, like scratching, causes the skin to swell along the line where it was applied. Also known as dermatographic urticaria, or “skin writing,” the condition is not an allergy, though it can resemble an allergy-like rash and cause itching within a matter of minutes. This article describes the symptoms and causes of dermatographism. It also explains how the condition is diagnosed and treated....
New research finds that 14% of people who have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 have developed severe diabetes, according to an article published in December in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. But researchers have not yet pinpointed why that might be and whether COVID-19 is the culprit. Key Takeaways New research found that some people hospitalized due to COVID-19 then developed diabetes. Experts say there are several hypotheses as to why there has been an increased incidence of new-onset diabetes in COVID-19 patients....
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease, affecting 1 in 160,000 people. The condition leads to gradual bone marrow failure in about 90% of people affected. Bone marrow is the spongy material inside the bones that makes platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. These cells are important to good health. Fanconi anemia is a condition that affects many parts of the body, often causing physical abnormalities, like malformed thumbs or forearms, and organ defects, such as absent kidneys and heart defects....
Food intolerance, also referred to as food sensitivity, occurs when a person has difficulty digesting a certain food. It is commonly caused by a lack of digestive enzymes, a sensitivity to food chemicals, or toxins that have contaminated the food. “Food intolerance” is sometimes confused with “food allergy.” However, the two terms should not be used interchangeably. A food intolerance mainly concerns digestion and is usually not life-threatening. In contrast, a food allergy involves the immune system and has the potential to lead to a serious and even life-threatening reaction....
