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Respite care offers a respite, or a break, to overworked caregivers. During respite care, an external nurse or aide temporarily helps tend to the person who needs care. While respite care is meant to offer a reprieve for primary caregivers, this temporary assistance can also be refreshing for a person who needs care. They can meet new people or try new activities. Caregiving can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Many caregivers report feeling burnout....

Neck pain can be one of the effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the highest risk group (male sex, positive rheumatoid factor, longstanding and erosive joint disease), up to 80% of individuals will have involvement of the cervical spine joints (vertebra in the neck). With RA, an overactive immune system attacks the joints and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. The smaller joints of the hands and feet are typically the first to be affected....

Stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma involves a few sequential phases, beginning with the collection of stem cells, pretransplant medication and radiation, intravenous infusion of the stem cells, and maintenance therapy. Stem cell transplant improves survival and quality of life in multiple myeloma patients. You can experience side effects during and after the procedure, however, and the cancer can recur years after the procedure. These issues can be effectively monitored and treated....

A reflex is an automatic or involuntary body movement. The nervous system tells your body to kick a leg, curl the toes, or move in some other way because something has touched you or alerted your senses. Some reflexes, like pulling your hand away from a hot pan, are normal. Other automatic movements are not normal and may be a sign of a medical condition. This article explains the differences between normal and abnormal reflexes and explains how doctors check for specific types of reflexes that can point to health issues....

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is contracted when the body touches a sore on a sexual partner with syphilis during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Other bodily fluids can also carry infection. Syphilis progresses in four stages, each with its own signs and symptoms. Syphilis can be a serious disease, but it’s very easy to cure when it’s found and treated early. This article provides an overview of syphilis symptoms in cisgender women, how it’s diagnosed, and how to prevent getting syphilis....

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can experience excessive sweating or may sweat too little. In fact, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) is one of the early signs of Parkinson’s disease that you should not ignore. For some people who have Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, sweating and thermoregulation (maintaining body temperature) issues are minor, but for others they affect daily life in significant ways. Additionally, many different skin conditions are more common in Parkinson’s disease, and they can affect your quality of life....

Hormonal contraceptives are commonly used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). While their birth control effect is helpful if you do not wish to become pregnant, these medications can also help correct out-of-balance hormone levels that contribute to PCOS symptoms such as acne and unwanted hair growth. However, finding the one that works best for you can be challenging. There may also be reasons why you are able to take one medication but not another—or none at all....

Several vitamins for erectile dysfunction (ED) may help treat symptoms or make them less severe. These include vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin D, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin C, and L-arginine. While some research shows that these vitamins might help erectile dysfunction, they typically do not cure or treat the problem as effectively as prescription medications do. In addition, they may not work for a person who does not have a specific deficiency or low level of the vitamin....

What Is Akynzeo? Akynzeo (netupitant and palonosetron) is a prescription medication made up of two primary ingredients, netupitant and palonosetron hydrochloride. It is given along with the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone to prevent acute and delayed nausea and vomiting caused by emetogenic chemotherapy—chemotherapy that is associated with a higher incidence of nausea—in adults ages 18 and older. Both netupitant and palonosetron work by blocking natural chemicals in your body that can cause nausea and vomiting....

If you have been diagnosed with a tumor, your healthcare provider will first determine whether it’s a benign vs. malignant tumor. Benign tumors are noncancerous. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Benign tumors can appear in the form of lipomas, fibroids, or adenomas. Malignant tumors are cancerous tumors such as breast, lung, or colorectal cancer. There’s a wide range of treatment options, depending on your specific tumor. Once your healthcare provider knows if your tumor is benign or malignant, they will develop a treatment plan for you....

Carcinoid lung tumors, also known as lung carcinoids, account for about 1% to 2% of lung cancers. These tumors, their risk factors, and their symptoms are different from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which are the more common types of lung cancer. For example, younger people and non-smokers are more likely to develop carcinoid lung tumors. If you’ve been diagnosed with carcinoid lung tumors, it’s important that you understand the unique aspects of this type of cancer, keeping in mind that your experience will be different than that of most other lung cancer patients....

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nasopharyngeal swabs were the gold standard of testing for virus infection. But as the crisis has worn on, saliva tests have gained popularity. Key Takeaways Although nasopharyngeal swabs were the gold standard for testing at the start of the pandemic, saliva tests are growing in popularity and preference.Research shows saliva tests are just as reliable at detecting the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2.Saliva tests aren’t invasive, and patients can collect their own samples, sometimes in the comfort of their own homes....

Degenerative disc disease describes a condition in which a worn disc causes pain. It often occurs due to the normal aging process in which the discs between the vertebrae in your spine wear down and become thinner. The degenerative aspect of the disease describes the fact that the changes in the spinal discs are due to degeneration over time. Most discs become more fragile with age. More than 90% of people have some signs of the problem by the age of 60....

Dizziness is usually one of the first physical signs of going too long without food. Although it is less common, you may feel lightheaded or dizzy after eating. Low blood sugar, low blood pressure, and diabetes medications can cause dizziness after a meal. In addition, certain medical conditions and food sensitivities can leave you feeling unwell after a meal. Fortunately, you can try several different techniques to minimize after-meal dizziness....

A number of triggers can precipitate eczema (also called atopic dermatitis). While some people are more prone to developing this skin condition and tend to experience it repeatedly, eczema can affect anyone. The most common cause of eczema is direct skin contact with an irritant (something that causes inflammation of the skin), but other factors such as stress, skin abrasion, and sweating can cause it too. If you are prone to eczema, there are lifestyle factors—such as repeated exposure to irritants—that can make your skin inflamed, causing recurrent or prolonged episodes of eczema....

Although most people consider celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity to be conditions that involve mainly their digestive systems, research indicates these conditions actually may have wide-ranging effects on your body, including your joints, your hormones, and even your brain. Given that, could they contribute to, or even cause, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia? Fortunately, the evidence from medical studies so far says gluten ingestion does not raise your risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity....

Endometriosis pain occurs in various places in the body, including the pelvis, abdomen, bowels, back, hips, legs, bladder, ribs, and more. It can occur during or after sex, during bowel movements, during urination, during ovulation, constantly, cyclically, or unpredictably. Endometriosis is a full-body disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Pain is the most defining symptom of this disease. In this article, learn more about where endometriosis pain occurs and how to manage endometriosis pain....

If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you’ve likely been told which activities to avoid to prevent additional fractures, falls, or permanent disability. Certain types of exercise can indeed increase your risk of injury. However, there are many low-impact, weight-bearing, and strengthening exercises that you can safely do to fortify bones and muscles in your hips and spine and improve your overall function. This article discusses hip and spine exercises that can be safe to perform when you have osteoporosis....

Fluoride is an important mineral that helps prevent tooth decay and fortify bones. In the United States, public water is often fluoridated, as are some bottled water and dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash. You can also purchase fluoride supplements. It is possible to have too much fluoride, however, which is why it’s important to understand how to manage your fluoride intake. This article describes the health benefits of fluoride as well as the side effects of ingesting too much....

Hemorrhagic conversion (HC) is bleeding in the brain that can occur soon after an ischemic stroke—that is, one that happens because of a blocked artery to the brain. HC, also known as hemorrhagic transformation, is a life-threatening condition that must be treated immediately. It rapidly injures the brain with each passing minute. Hemorrhagic conversion can occur naturally or be a consequence of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)—the go-to emergency stroke treatment....