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There are many benefits to breastfeeding for both infants and their parents. According to a 2018 report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), breastfeeding may lower a child’s risk for allergies, asthma, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The length of time that a person chooses to breastfeed will depend on their preferences and those of their child. Sometimes, however, a person is still breastfeeding an older child when they have a newborn that they would also like to nurse....

Telehealth for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be a good option for people who are more comfortable talking about sexual health in the privacy of their homes. However, it must be used judiciously and usually requires appropriate in-person testing. Very few sexually transmitted diseases can be correctly diagnosed on the basis of symptoms alone. That is why syndromatic treatment for STIs is generally reserved for low resource settings; for example, where the cost of testing is prohibitive or where it is difficult for people to return for test results....

If you’re living with congestive heart failure (CHF), it’s important to be aware there are certain medications that could exacerbate your condition. Some drugs, including many used to treat other ailments, are known to worsen heart failure, typically by raising blood pressure and heart rate, creating an irregular heartbeat, or causing edema (swelling) due to a buildup of fluid in the body. Others may interact with medications you’re taking to treat congestive heart failure....

Before talking about all of the specific treatments which you may choose for metastatic breast cancer, it helps to talk about the types of treatments, the goals of treatment, and what particular treatments are often used first to address metastatic cancer. You may be wondering how you can understand which treatments are best if you don’t have a background in medicine, but it is possible to learn enough to make the choices that are best for you as an individual....

People of color are disproportionately impacted by type 2 diabetes. African American and Hispanic people are 60% and 70% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic White people. This article is part of Health Divide: Type 2 Diabetes in People of Color, a destination in our Health Divide series. Several factors contribute to the differences in type 2 diabetes diagnoses and outcomes seen in people of color, including socioeconomics, environment, and access to care due to geography, language, or education barriers....

If you have a suspicious spot on your skin, your healthcare provider may recommend a biopsy to check for skin cancer. A biopsy is the removal of a tissue sample from the concerning site so that it can be studied under a microscope to confirm whether or not any cancer is present. There are several types of skin biopsy procedures that may be done, and different biopsy types may be recommended for different kinds of skin lesions....

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, that looks at the entire family, including the relationships between the individual members of the family. This is a treatment used to address the mental health challenges of one or more family members, address relationship challenges between two or more family members, and improve family dynamics as a whole. Family therapy is sometimes known as marriage and family therapy, couples and family therapy, and family counseling....

Ankylosing spondylitis(AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the spine joints and the sacroiliac joint. People with AS may also have inflammation in other joints like the shoulders or knees. Sometimes people have symptoms in other organ systems as well, like the eyes. Symptom Variations The symptoms of AS most commonly begin in early adulthood. These symptoms do not affect everyone the same way. In other words, some people with AS have much milder disease with minimal impact on their daily lives....

The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve that provides sensation to several regions on the side of your head, including the jaw, ear, and scalp. For much of its course through the structures of your head and face, it runs along the superficial temporal artery and vein.­­­ Anatomy Your nerves are complex structures. They branch out from their starting points, much like tree limbs. Branches run all throughout your body, connecting to different tissues such as skin, muscles, bones, joints, connective tissues, and even other nerves and clusters of nerves....

Bone disease after an organ transplantation is a much more common problem in transplant recipients than most patients realize. It is, however, something that should be understood, preferably before one opts for an organ transplantation, so that preventive measures can be taken. At its most minor, bone disease in such situations could cause bone pain, but in extreme cases could lead to fractures. Obviously, that would greatly impact a patient’s quality of life and could increase the risk of death as well....

The cervical ribs are located at the top of the rib cage. A cervical rib is an extra rib that most commonly extends from the seventh cervical vertebra of the neck above the first set of ribs. It is a congenital overgrowth of bone that develops abnormally from birth. While it is oftentimes unproblematic and goes unnoticed, it is known to play a contributing role in the development of thoracic outlet syndrome....

Three-year-old Ashley hates her new heart monitor. She cries when her parents attach it and she cries when they remove it. She is constantly wrestling with the wires and trying to tear off the stickers—the flailing edges revealing traces of the purple bruises beneath. Her mother, Christine, stops her just before she completely rips them off. “But why do I have to wear it, Mommy?” Ashley asks. Christine doesn’t know how to tell her toddler that doctors suspect she has heart inflammation in association with her COVID-19 diagnosis from seven months ago....

In order to properly manage your HIV, a number of blood tests are routinely performed during each healthcare provider visit. When shown the results of these tests, most people will look at their CD4 count and viral load and pretty much skim over the rest. And even if some of the names or figures make sense, it’s often difficult to understand what they actually mean or how they apply to you as an individual....

Skin picking is when a person repeatedly picks at their skin, causing damage to the tissue. Wounding, lesions, infection, and scarring can all occur as a result of skin picking. A person may pick their skin with their fingernails, or use tools like tweezers. They may or may not be aware of their behavior. This article identifies which drugs cause skin picking, what complications can arise from skin picking due to drug use, what treatments are available, and how to prevent skin picking....

U.S. health officials recently announced a plan to offer COVID-19 vaccine boosters to fully vaccinated adults ages 18 and older starting September 20. Key Takeaways The administration recently announced its plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots starting in September.Some experts are unsure on whether there’s enough robust evidence to support the recommendation of booster shots.In addition to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, experts say there should also be greater emphasis on wearing masks, contact tracing, and improving ventilation systems....

Those of us who have “reached a certain age” (i.e. baby boomers, seniors and the elderly) may know well the pain of spinal arthritis. Arthritis (osteoarthritis), a condition in which the cartilage around bones and joints erodes, can be very painful indeed. It also causes joints to stiffen up, making daily activities really difficult to carry out. Osteoarthritis tends to occur mostly with age, repetitive stress or following injury or trauma to your joint(s)....

A hymenectomy is a minor surgical procedure where an opening is created in the hymen. It is often done when the hymen is abnormally thick, has excess tissue, or is otherwise obstructing the flow of menstruation (imperforate hymen). When the hymen only has a small opening (a microperforate hymen), the surgery can be used to alleviate pain and discomfort. Purpose of the Procedure The hymen is a membrane near the opening of the vagina....

Hypothyroidism may develop for a number of different reasons, the most common being an autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland, called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hypothyroidism may also be the result of taking a medication like lithium, genetics, or an underlying pituitary gland problem. Understanding the “why” behind a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is critical to moving forward with a proper treatment plan. While some people may require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement, others may have a short-lived case of hypothyroidism (for example, postpartum thyroiditis), need to stop taking a medication, or require further diagnostic tests like imaging of the pituitary gland....

Liquid collagen is a supplement believed to help improve skin elasticity and muscle mass and prevent signs of aging. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in your body that holds tissues together and supports the structure of your skin, bones, and muscles. With age, the body starts producing less collagen over time, which is why liquid collagen supplements are appealing to many people. The manufacturers of collagen supplements claim their products lead to smoother skin, shinier hair, stronger nails, and healthier joints....

The term “neurodivergent” refers to the idea that differences in the human brain are natural and normal and, in many cases, can lead to meaningful and positive insights and abilities. People are described as neurodiverse when their thought patterns, behaviors, or learning styles fall outside of what is considered “normal,” or neurotypical. The concept of neurodiversity is gaining traction as both neurodiverse and neurotypical people are finding that differences are not necessarily disabilities....