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The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up new opportunities in telemedicine, including for people who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although not every health problem experienced by people with RA can be fully addressed via telemedicine, many can safely and effectively be dealt with using this medium. What Is Telemedicine? Telemedicine is simply the practice of receiving medical care at a physical distance from your healthcare provider through the help of technology. A practitioner or other healthcare professional uses various telecommunications to deliver care to patients not physically present in a medical office or hospital....

When you don’t have a thyroid gland, you may have symptoms like those of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when you have an underactive thyroid. This means your thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone. If you don’t have a thyroid, your treatment may be similar to the treatment for hypothyroidism. Still, your thyroid hormone levels and medication doses may be unique. This article discusses some things to keep in mind if you don’t have a thyroid gland....

Diabetes affects people of all cultures, races, and ethnicities; however, it continues to impact Hispanics, Blacks, Asian Americans, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives at higher rates. The good news is that diabetes is a disease that can prevented, treated, and managed. One of the most important aspects of diabetes management is education. In fact, the cornerstone of exceptional diabetes care is diabetes self-management education (DSME) that focuses on individualization and takes into consideration a persons’ lifestyle, culture, and daily needs....

Cystic lung disease (CLD) is a group of lung disorders in which your lungs develop multiple cysts (thin-walled sacs filled with air or fluid). CLD can make it difficult or painful to breathe. Treatment varies according to what’s causing it and how severe it is. Here’s a look at cystic lung disease, including symptoms, causes, and treatment. Types of Cystic Lung Disease Cystic lung disease can mimic other lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, like emphysema....

Collagen is a protein that is found in many parts of the body, including the cartilage between bones. Since collagen is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, it has been hypothesized that the body can use the amino acids in collagen supplements to protect and rebuild joint cartilage that has been damaged by osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research on the effectiveness of collagen in these conditions is mixed but shows promise....

Doose syndrome is a rare seizure disorder that begins during early childhood. This condition is also called myoclonic astatic epilepsy and myoclonic atonic epilepsy. Doose syndrome is considered a type of generalized epilepsy. The seizures of Doose syndrome may be difficult to manage with medication. As children reach adolescence or adulthood, they may improve, and treatment might not be required anymore. Epilepsy is a tendency to have recurrent seizures. Doose syndrome is an epilepsy syndrome....

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy—also called talk therapy. Psychotherapy is a main component of treatment for people with mental health conditions and emotional challenges. Therapy is provided by a mental health professional and is based on a trusting relationship between the therapist and the client. Group therapy involves one or more therapists counseling a group of people at the same time. This article discusses group therapy, including how it works, what it helps with, and who it is for....

While ear infections are more common in children, people of any age can get them. Because ear infections often clear up on their own, healthcare professionals are hesitant to jump to prescribing antibiotics as a first course of treatment unless the infection is severe, the child is very young, or there are other mitigating circumstances. This has many people turning to home remedies for ear infections. Many home remedy recommendations—often passed from one person to another through word of mouth—are not backed by scientific evidence and may even be harmful....

A brain tumor can be diagnosed using imaging tests that view the structure of the brain, along with a biopsy, which can carefully assess a sample of a suspected brain tumor under a microscope. Generally, before these tests are ordered, a physical examination is done to determine whether there are neurological changes that suggest the presence of a brain tumor. In the end, diagnosis of a brain tumor can involve an MRI, CT scan, blood tests, lumbar puncture, and biopsy....

Daley Quinn is a beauty, health, and lifestyle journalist with extensive experience reviewing health and wellness products and services. It’s been about four months since I decided to call it quits on my hormonal birth control after taking it daily for five years. From low libido and anxiety to lack of interest in things I once loved, there were many reasons I wanted to experience life sans the pill. Of course, after being on hormonal birth control for five years straight, I didn’t expect my body to just magically (and quickly) adjust from being on synthetic hormones to having to regulate my natural hormones overnight....

Hydrocodone and oxycodone are both opioid pain relievers. They’re available by prescription to treat moderate to severe pain, including that from cancer or recent surgery. The medications have similar chemical structures, and they work by blocking certain receptors in the brain to change how the brain processes pain. While the medications are effective pain relievers, they also have the risk of tolerance, dependence, and addiction. This is why they are only used for a short period, unless prescribed for a chronic pain condition and closely monitored by a healthcare provider....

Therapies that block parts of the immune system are sometimes given for several kinds of medical situations, including autoimmune diseases and organ transplantation. Other treatments may impair the immune system as a side effect. As a group, these therapies suppress part or all of the immune system, which is why they are called “immunosuppressants.” Some immunosuppressants are traditional pharmaceutical drugs. Other types of immunosuppressants are biologics, which are medical therapies made from part of a living thing....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that occurs when the immune system malfunctions and starts to attack the synovium, the linings of the joints. RA causes joint pain and swelling, severe fatigue, sleep problems, and reduced mobility. All these symptoms can affect a person’s overall well-being and daily aspects of their life. RA is unpredictable—you might feel better today, but you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You might also worry about pain and the daily physical impact of the condition....

A maculopapular rash is a mix of macules (flat discolored areas of skin) and papules (small raised bumps) that usually covers a large area of skin. It may appear red or pink if your skin is light, or darker than your natural tone if your skin is dark. This type of rash is associated with childhood viruses like rubella and scarlet fever, but can also be due to an allergic reaction, an autoimmune disease, HIV, or another cause....

Of the four classifications of asthma, mild persistent asthma is the second mildest. Children and adults who experience asthma symptoms more than twice a week—but not daily—might be classified as having mild persistent asthma. Several other criteria, including results of breathing tests, are used to make this diagnosis. Your asthma can improve or worsen over time, so you may be given different classifications throughout the years if your disease changes. Following changes in your asthma severity can help guide the type and dose of medication you may need for managing your symptoms....

If you have neuropathy, you may have already been told that it is a difficult condition to treat and that neuropathy is not curable. There is indeed no treatment available that can cure or reverse neuropathy. There are, however, several medical approaches that can help stop neuropathy from getting worse. And there are effective ways to help alleviate the symptoms of neuropathy. Treatment Depends on Cause When it comes to managing neuropathy itself, the available medical interventions work by preventing the disease from becoming worse....

Morgan Romero was 17 when she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer—the most common thyroid cancer type, frequently diagnosed in women under 30. While thyroid cancer is not rare and highly treatable, Romero’s particular case quickly became complicated because of how far the cancer had spread while remaining undetected. And if it weren’t for a car accident, it would have gone undetected even longer. Key Takeaways The FDA approved pralsetinib (Gavreto), a selective RET-inhibitor drug, for RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) on September 4, 2020, and RET-altered thyroid cancers on December 1, 2020....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that causes excess inflammation in the body. With this condition, your immune system attacks its own cells, mistaking them as “foreign” to your body. RA primarily causes inflammation in the joints but can also damage your internal organs. This condition affects around 1% of the world’s population and is more common in women than men. This article discusses rheumatoid arthritis and the inflammation caused by this condition....

Saethre Chotzen syndrome (SCS) is a genetic condition that affects the fusion of certain skull bones, changing the shape of the head and face. It is usually evident immediately upon birth due to physical changes that affect an infant’s appearance and may have other associated signs and consequences. SCS is also known as acrocephalosyndactyly type 3. It is caused by a mutation or deletion affecting the TWIST1 gene and is often inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion....

Sexual performance anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that involves a fear or worry related to sexual activity. This can happen during sex, or even before sex. The term sexual performance anxiety is sometimes shortened to just performance anxiety. Sexual performance anxiety is sometimes confused with erectile dysfunction. However, while sexual performance anxiety can sometimes lead to erectile dysfunction, they are two different conditions. Erectile dysfunction is the physical inability to get or keep an erection, and sexual performance anxiety is sexual worry or fear of not being able to satisfy a partner, get or keep an erection, or other factors....