If you find yourself experiencing distress that is affecting your everyday life, mental health counseling may be for you. Counseling can show you how to navigate through dark, uncertain times in your life. It can help you improve relationships with those closest to you as well. While self-care can relieve minor issues, you may need professional help with severe symptoms that last longer than two weeks. About 1 in 5 U....
Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a type of zoonotic viral disease (a virus that spreads from animals to humans). It was first identified in 1958 in monkeys being used for research. But monkeys aren’t the only carriers of mpox—other animals, including rodents, can transmit the virus. Humans can get mpox if an infected animal bites them or they come in contact with an infected animal’s fur or bodily fluids. They can also get it from close contact with an infected person....
Gout and multiple sclerosis (MS) might seem like very different conditions, but there is a connection between the two. Research has found that people with MS may be less susceptible to gout. Additionally, high levels of uric acid (found in gout) have been associated with protection against MS and other neurological diseases. Scientists are still trying to determine the connection between MS and gout, and some of the research is conflicting....
A prenatal non-stress test (NST) is a common test done before birth (prenatal). It is used to ensure the health of the fetus before labor. The test assesses fetal heart rate and movement at around 26 to 28 weeks of gestation, but can also be done later in the pregnancy as needed. A non-stress test is noninvasive and does not pose any type of risk to the pregnant person or the fetus....
If you have pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand or hands, you may have a condition called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This condition occurs when the median nerve in your wrist becomes compressed and irritated. The problem may become severe and limit your ability to use your hands normally during activities such as gripping and typing on your computer keyboard. If you have CTS, you may benefit from physical therapy....
Plantar fascia release, or plantar fasciotomy, is a type of outpatient foot surgery in which small incisions are made in the plantar fascia to relieve severe heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia ligament runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel to the front of the foot. What Is a Plantar Fascia Release? This procedure is considered when conservative therapy for plantar fasciitis has not been effective....
Prolonged grief disorder is defined by profound and debilitating feelings of loss. The condition has also been referred to as complicated, traumatic, chronic, or pathological grief. The hallmarks of prolonged grief include significant emotional distress and changes to a person’s level of functioning. While grief is a natural and normal response to painful or traumatic events or losses, prolonged grief makes it challenging for a person to accept the reality of a loss and begin to move forward....
Psoriasis can be diagnosed using a combination of methods. Generally, psoriasis causes telltale patches of thick, red, scaly skin that can be spotted during a physical exam. Sometimes this is enough to diagnose psoriasis. However, when the diagnosis is uncertain, a provider may also perform a skin biopsy to collect tissue samples that can be examined under a microscope. This article reviews the different methods used to diagnose psoriasis. Physical Examination There are many health conditions that can cause itchy, scaly skin and rashes....
A puréed diet is an eating plan where all the foods have a soft, pudding-like consistency. It is a texture-modified diet that is often recommended for people who can’t eat solid foods. If you have a health condition that prevents you from chewing or digesting normally, you might not be able to eat solid food. The goal of a puréed diet is to prevent malnutrition by making a variety of foods safe for you to eat....
A second primary cancer is a second, unrelated cancer in a person who has previously experienced another cancer at any time. A second primary cancer may occur in the same tissue or organ as the first cancer, or in another region of the body. These second cancers may be related to a genetic predisposition, common risk factors, treatments for the original cancer, or simply occur sporadically as cancer often does. The incidence of second primary cancers is highest in childhood cancer survivors, but relatively common in adults as well....
Yellowish skin is usually caused by jaundice. This condition happens when there is a high level of bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice can be a sign of a serious condition, such as liver disease. Bilirubin is a yellowish compound formed when old or damaged red blood cells break down. The accumulation of bilirubin is also known as hyperbilirubinemia and causes yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucus membranes....
The current overall five-year relative stomach cancer survival rate is 33.3%. That means that one in three people treated for stomach cancer will live for at least five years following their diagnosis. With that said, the survival rate only offers a snapshot of the odds, and many people live well in excess of this. Stomach cancer prognosis is based on many individual factors, including the type and stage of cancer you have, your age and general health, and where and how extensively the cancer may have spread....
Adults aged 18 to 60 years are recommended to sleep at least 7 hours each night, otherwise, they run the risk of becoming sleep deprived. Ignoring the importance of sleep may have an impact on your overall health. If you make it a priority, your body will reap the benefits of sleep. When you sleep, your body produces proteins called cytokines that have immune-boosting effects and serve as fuel for your white blood cells....
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects everyone differently, and there is no way to precisely predict how someone’s MS will progress. That said, experts have identified four MS types to help classify and better understand the disease, and also to guide treatment. These types are sometimes referred to as stages because a person’s MS may transition from one type to another. MS occurs when a person’s immune system attacks myelin (the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers) within their central nervous system (CNS)....
Enhanced direct enrollment is a program that the federal government debuted in 2019. It allows approved third-party websites to help consumers enroll in plans through the federally run health insurance exchange using the third-party websites instead of HealthCare.gov. This article will explain what these sites provide, where you can find them, and the pros and cons. Enhanced Direct Enrollment Sites If an entity has been approved for enhanced direct enrollment, people applying for health insurance can use that entity’s website to complete the enrollment process....
Migraines can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms. These can include head and neck pain, severe exhaustion, visual effects, trouble concentrating, and numbness of the hands or fingers. Treating a migraine episode often relieves the pain. But you may continue to experience other migraine symptoms even after the pain subsides. Luckily, there is a wide spectrum of effective treatment approaches available for migraines. These include treatments to address active migraines and help prevent future migraines....
For a person with pancreatic cancer, surgery may be the only option for a cure, and one such type of surgery is a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy). But a Whipple procedure is a very complex operation that often causes major changes to the digestive system. This can translate into some serious long-term effects, including abdominal discomfort, weight loss, digestive problems, and chronic fatigue. Benefits of Surgery There is one large benefit of the Whipple procedure—it may save your life....
What Is Abreva? Abreva (docosanol) is a topical cream used to treat facial cold sores and fever blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). It contains the active ingredient docosanol, which is an antiviral drug. Docosanol works by acting as the only non-prescription ingredient that can shorten healing time and the duration of symptoms, including pain, itching, and burning. Abreva is available for over-the-counter (OTC) use and is intended for people 12 and older....
Adjuvant therapy for melanoma refers to the use of treatments after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer recurring (or at least delay it) and hopefully improve survival. It is usually recommended for high-risk melanomas including tumors that are stage IIIB and stage IIIC but may also be used in other settings as well. From the mid-1990s to 2015, the only option was interferon, which had only slight benefits on survival....
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare red blood cell disorder that develops when there are not enough red blood cells (RBCs) because the body has destroyed them earlier than it should have. AIHA is also a type of anemia, a condition where a person lacks enough healthy RBCs to carry adequate levels of oxygen to the body’s tissues. With AHIA, the destruction occurs because the immune system is not working correctly, and mistakenly thinks red blood cells are foreign invaders and attacks them, causing them to die earlier and leaving a person without enough RBCs....
