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If you’ve never had a surgical drain, it’s no wonder why you may fear it; it’s an unknown. So it may help to know this: The device can speed healing, prevent complications, and reduce your post-surgery pain. Even better, perhaps: It’s a low-maintenance device, and caring for it should be simple and straightforward. This article explains how there are many types of surgical drains and how most of them do not cause pain, though they can be uncomfortable....

Surgery to remove the ovaries, an oophorectomy, is the last resort for treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). It permanently stops female hormones from circulating and induces menopause. Unlike menopause which occurs gradually and naturally, induced menopause is abrupt, and symptoms are often sudden and intense. Induced menopause also increases the risk of many diseases and conditions. It’s even associated with a shortened lifespan. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is almost always necessary to help prevent these side effects in women whose ovaries are removed....

Diagnosing yeast infections is best done by a healthcare provider. The standard test involves a physical examination—the condition can cause a clumpy white discharge. However, that discharge alone is not enough to diagnose a vaginal yeast infection. The doctor must also determine whether there is yeast present in the vaginal secretions. Yeast infections will affect up to three-quarters of people with vaginas at some point during their lives. These common infections tend to be frustrating to deal with....

Low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure headache is a type of positional headache that arises due to insufficient spinal fluid pressure on the brain. The primary characteristic of low CSF pressure headache is pain that starts or worsens when you move your head or are upright and goes away when you lie down. This article provides a brief overview of low CSF pressure headache, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment....

Medium chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD or MCAD deficiency) is a rare inherited metabolic condition that affects the body’s ability to convert a certain type of fat into energy. Today, testing for MCADD is part of standard newborn screenings in many places. When diagnosed promptly, the condition can be managed. However, delays in diagnosis can be fatal. Symptoms The body uses several types of fat for energy. The body’s ability to draw on fat stores for energy is especially useful during periods of not eating (fasting) or when the body is under stress, such as when illness occurs....

New reports suggest that many people are not still caught up on routine vaccine schedules that were disrupted by missed appointments throughout the pandemic. Key Takeaways Research shows many children and adults may be behind on routine immunizations because of the pandemic. Stay-at-home orders and healthcare staffing shortages have likely contributed to a decline in vaccinations.Routine vaccination rates continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, so researchers worry people aren’t catching up on their shots....

A pacemaker is a device that is surgically implanted under the skin of the chest to mimic the electrical pulses that regulate heartbeats. It is used for long-term correction of a too-slow heartbeat (arrhythmia) or temporarily, such as after open-heart surgery. Pacemaker implantation surgery is minimally invasive and performed either as an inpatient or outpatient procedure based on your health and the cause of the rhythm disorder. What Is Pacemaker Surgery?...

Pelvic floor physical therapy (PT) can be used to treat or help treat a number of sexual health problems. It is also commonly used to treat problems such as urinary or fecal incontinence, particularly when that incontinence occurs after childbirth or prostate surgery. Conditions for which pelvic floor PT can be helpful include: Pain with sex Pelvic pain Vaginismus Vulvodynia Interstitial cystitis Urinary or fecal incontinence Constipation Erectile dysfunction Menopause symptoms Dysmenorrhea (painful periods) Pelvic organ prolapse All of these conditions have one thing in common—they are affected by the function of the pelvic floor....

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease that causes inflammation. Visible signs of the disease include raised plaques and scales on the skin. Stress is one of the triggers for flare-ups of psoriasis. In this condition, an overactive immune system speeds up skin growth. Typically, skin cells grow and shed within a one-month period, but if you’re affected with psoriasis, skin cells grow but don’t shed. They pile up on the skin’s surface, resulting in plaque formation and scaly skin....

If you have a ragweed allergy you may not know the “how” or “why” behind your sniffles and sneezes, but you most certainly know the “when.” Ragweed allergy can bring on impossible-to-ignore symptoms. This article will explore where ragweed is commonly found, why it can lead to allergies, and how it’s treated. What Is Ragweed Allergy? Ragweed is a weed with flowers that release pollen. If you are allergic to it, your immune system overreacts to this pollen as if it were a threat....

We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. When you sleep soundly, your body has a chance to rejuvenate and recover from the previous day’s activities. While sleeping, your body may move around in various positions, and the most common sleep position is side sleeping. Experts agree that sleep is an important aspect of living, and most people are not getting enough sleep. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 35% of people get less than seven hours of sleep a night and that about 1 in 20 people has fallen asleep at the wheel while driving....

A diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma means that cancer has spread outside of the lymphatic system and into one or more organs. Stage 4 lymphoma is treatable. As with most cancers, lymphoma’s progression is categorized into stages 1 through 4, with 4 being the most advanced. Staging helps provide a treatment roadmap for your healthcare provider. This article will discuss the main types of lymphoma, and the symptoms associated with stage 4....

If you are experiencing dizzy spells or vertigo after a concussion, you may be a candidate for vestibular physical therapy. This type of therapy involves assessing your vertigo and figuring out how to relieve your dizzy symptoms and prevent future problems. Your physical therapist will use various tests to measure your vestibular function. One test often used in vestibular physical therapy is the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screen (VOMS). This test can pinpoint what is causing problems after a concussion....

Tonsillitis and strep throat are common conditions that cause throat pain. These terms may be interchangeable, but they are two separate conditions. Strep throat is only caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus. Tonsillitis can be caused by a strep infection, but it can also be caused by other bacteria and viruses. This article will cover the differences between tonsillitis and strep throat and discuss their symptoms, causes, and treatments....

Onychomycosis (toenail fungus) is a problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Onychomycosis can be mild, causing only cosmetic concerns. For some people, however, changes in the nail structure can cause pain and even lead to a secondary bacterial infection. Onychomycosis is notoriously difficult to treat, mostly because the fungus resides throughout the nail, including the nail bed. Moreover, the structure of the nail is not easily penetrated by topical medications....

There are more than 100 different autoimmune disorders. They occur when a person’s immune system, which normally destroys infectious organisms, attacks its own body’s cells, tissues, and organs. Autoimmune disorders vary and can impact organs and systems throughout the body—including the blood, the digestive system, the endocrine system, the joints, the nervous system, and the skin. Each autoimmune condition is characterized by a collection of signs and symptoms caused by the body’s targeted attack on specific types of tissues....

If you have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, your healthcare provider may have told you that making changes to your diet can help you manage symptoms. As with any health condition, one way of eating won’t necessarily work for everyone who has ulcerative colitis. However, if you can identify foods and beverages that are more likely to give you a flare-up of ulcerative colitis symptoms, it may be easier for you to manage your symptoms....

Researchers are working to figure out what causes eczema (atopic dermatitis). Because eczema runs in families, genetics are likely involved. Other factors, including your exposure to allergens or irritants such as pollution and cigarette smoke, likely also play a role. This article will discuss common genetic and environmental factors that may cause eczema in babies and adults. Common Causes About 1 in 10 Americans have atopic dermatitis, and millions worldwide live with the condition....

Diagnosing fibromyalgia (FM) is difficult, and it’s not uncommon for someone to ask their healthcare provider if they could have the condition only to have the suggestion waved off. What’s going on? Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain condition that involves fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disruptions, and many other possible symptoms. When you bring up a possible FM diagnosis with your healthcare provider, you may expect immediate testing to confirm or deny that you have it....

Experts have learned a lot about SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) since the pandemic began. However, there are still many unknowns about what is to come. One question that both scientists and laypeople have is whether COVID-19 will become endemic, meaning that it will stick around. Key Takeaways Experts say that COVID-19 will likely become endemic, meaning it will circulate forever.A vaccine likely won’t provide full or permanent immunity, but it will still be a good tool for gaining control of the pandemic and potentially lessening the severity of the symptoms that it causes....