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The cost of LASIK corrective eye surgery depends on a variety of factors. Insurance may or may not cover it, but some practitioners offer financing. There also may be ways to reduce the cost of the procedure. Here’s what to keep in mind when seeking LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). What Is LASIK Surgery? LASIK first came into being in 1989 when an ophthalmologist, Gholam A. Peyman, was granted a patent on his procedure for the correction of vision....

Dental implants have been growing in popularity as a means of replacing missing teeth. With this method, oral surgeons or periodontists (a dentist who specializes in procedures for gum disease and dental implants) permanently affix natural-looking false teeth customized and color-matched to fit into your smile. This multi-stage procedure has a very high success rate, with 90%-95% of implants lasting without an issue for 15 years or longer. In other cases, however, dental implant failure can cause the implant to feel loose and contribute to chewing difficulties and pain, among other symptoms....

As shock absorbers, our feet cushion up to one million pounds of pressure during a single hour of strenuous exercise. They also support 1.2 times our body weight during walking and two to three times that during running activities. It is not hard to see why our feet are highly susceptible to injury. If you wake up and suddenly feel pain in your feet, what is going on? You probably want answers as well as information on how you can get better, such as whether a physical therapist can help treat your foot pain....

Beyond moral support and hands-on assistance, the one thing that people with breast cancer often need is help with the cost of breast cancer treatment. Even if a loved one is well-insured, the out-of-pocket expenses after deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance can quickly amount to thousands of dollars. For those without insurance, covering the costs can be next to impossible without help from others. Charitable fundraising is one such way to help....

Genital rashes have many different causes, ranging from jock itch and vaginal yeast infections to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Depending on the underlying cause, a genital rash can manifest with a single ulcer or sore or widespread inflamed, scaly skin or itchy, red bumps. This article describes some of the more common causes of genital rashes and their associated symptoms, as well as how they are diagnosed and treated....

What Is Haloperidol? Haloperidol is a prescription medication option for psychosis (e.g., hallucinations and delusions) and Tourette syndrome (TS) used in children and adults. It’s also an option in children with behavioral or hyperactivity problems when non-antipsychotics or psychotherapy aren’t effective. Haloperidol is considered a conventional (typical) or first-generation antipsychotic (FGA). It’s thought to work by blocking certain dopamine receptors (binding sites) in specific parts of the brain. This inhibits the activity of dopamine, a naturally-occurring chemical in the brain....

Oxygen therapy is the main treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s because when you breathe carbon monoxide, it binds with and blocks hemoglobin, a protein in your blood that carries oxygen throughout your body. This starves your body of oxygen. It doesn’t take much carbon monoxide in the air you breathe to get carbon monoxide poisoning. However, it takes a lot of oxygen to get rid of it. This article discusses the emergency treatment needed for carbon monoxide poisoning....

As of June 2022, more than 66% of the United States population had been fully vaccinated with one of the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Key Takeaways The Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will likely protect against many known variants of COVID-19.The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines offer immunity against COVID-19 for at least six months.To increase protection, COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now recommended for everyone 5 years and older in the U....

Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder that causes the decreased production of one or more of the nine hormones produced by the pituitary gland. The signs and symptoms of hypopituitarism can vary by the hormones affected and may include everything from chronic fatigue and growth impairment to sexual dysfunction and the inability to produce breast milk. The cause of hypopituitarism may be something you are born with or something that has directly damaged the pituitary gland (such as brain trauma, infection, or a tumor)....

Nightshades are a group of vegetables that belong to the Solanaceae family. More than 3,000 species of plants belong to this group. Common varieties are eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Some people have an intolerance or allergy to nightshade vegetables. There is limited data to indicate how many people are affected, but having a reaction to nightshades is believed to be uncommon. Learn more about nightshade vegetables, symptoms of intolerance and allergy, alternatives to nightshades, and tips for eating out....

Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-AxSpA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that falls under a category of diseases called spondyloarthritis (SpA). Spondyloarthritis conditions have a common and very specific symptom affecting that affects all people with spondyloarthritis conditions—inflammation of the spine. Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) affects the axial joints. Non-radiographic means that while there are symptoms, standard X-rays do not show visible damage. Axial relates to the spine, chest, and hip bones. Spondyloarthritis means it affects the joints and the entheses, tissues between bone and ligament or tendons....

What Is Northera? Northera (droxidopa) is a prescription medication used to treat symptoms of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in adults. It helps relieve lightheadedness, dizziness when standing, or the general feeling that you might black out. Northera belongs to a drug class known as sympathetic agonists. Medications in this drug class activate your “fight or flight” response. These medications commonly increase your heart rate, blood pressure, or how fast you breathe. Other compounds produced in your body that are sympathetic agonists are epinephrine and norepinephrine....

A parathyroid hormone blood test measures the amount of parathyroid hormone in your blood. This is important for assessing multiple medical conditions, including problems with calcium in the body. You also might hear it referred to as a parathyroid hormone test, parathyroid hormone level, or PTH test. What Is PTH? Parathyroid hormone (abbreviated PTH) is a signaling molecule secreted from the parathyroid glands. These are usually four small glands found near the thyroid gland inside the neck....

Peptic ulcers are open wounds found either in the stomach (gastric ulcers) or the upper part of the small intestine, otherwise known as the duodenum (duodenal ulcers). Pain is the most common peptic ulcer symptom, though many people do not experience any symptoms at all. Peptic ulcers can get worse, may bleed, and can cause a perforation (hole) or obstruction (blockage) in the digestive system—all serious emergencies. This is why you should consult a healthcare provider if you notice any related symptoms....

Alecia, a young mother, noticed something strange in her baby: her daughter’s head and neck were turned to the side every time she was placed in her car seat or bassinet. She said, “Her neck seemed to turn unnaturally every time I put her in her car seat and baby swing.” So Alecia asked her doctor what was the matter during her baby’s monthly check-up. The diagnosis: torticollis. And she was referred to a physical therapist (PT) for management....

Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have a lot in common. Both conditions involve problems with keeping blood sugar at healthy levels. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin or has difficulty using it. The result is a buildup of sugar in the blood that can damage your heart, kidneys, and eyes. Prediabetes occurs when glucose (blood sugar) levels are above a healthy range but not high enough to be considered diabetes....

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a type of arthritis affecting people with the skin condition psoriasis. Flare-ups­—also called flares or relapses—are periods where symptoms of PsA get worse. Not everyone with PsA has psoriasis, but psoriasis and PsA­—also called psoriatic disease—are chronic inflammatory diseases resulting from a problem with the immune system. PsA can cause the joints to become swollen, stiff, and painful. Some people with PsA may also have nail and skin changes and chronic fatigue....

A groin pull is an injury to the muscles of the inner thigh, also known as a groin muscle strain. The groin muscles, called the adductor muscle group, are made up of six muscles that run from the inner pelvis to the inner part of the femur (thigh bone). These muscles pull the legs together and move your hip in other ways. The adductor muscles are especially important to athletes like sprinters, swimmers, soccer players, and football players....

Raynaud’s syndrome is a condition in which a person’s fingers, and sometimes toes, turn blue and/or white upon exposure to cold, and then bright red upon rewarming. These symptoms— caused by the constriction of small blood vessels in the hands or feet—can last for seconds to hours, but most often last around 15 minutes. There are two types: Primary Raynaud’s syndrome (Raynaud’s disease), which is usually mild, and secondary Raynaud’s syndrome (Raynaud’s phenomenon), which can be more severe....

Researchers from Europe and Australia conducted a systematic review of literature on the anorexia nervosa treatments suggested by international clinical guidelines and found that no single option out-performed the others. Key Takeaways Among the standard treatments for anorexia nervosa treatment, it does not appear that a single therapy is effective for every patient.Individualized treatment for people living with anorexia nervosa seems to be the most beneficial.The complications from anorexia nervosa can be severe and even fatal; however, most can be addressed and monitored with proper medical care....