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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults who have cerebrovascular disease might be at an increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Acute or chronic cerebrovascular disease can worsen the outcome of COVID-19. The infection may have a more severe effect on your long-term health if you already have cerebrovascular disease. COVID-19 can lead to acute cerebrovascular events before the infection resolves, especially if you have preexisting cerebrovascular disease....

While a cough is one of the most common reasons people see their primary care doctor, the cause of a cough can vary greatly—from the common cold or the flu to allergies, pulmonary disease, or even acid reflux. In each of these cases, the cough is meant to clear an irritant, obstruction, microorganism, or fluid from the airways. It can be reflexive (automatic) or induced (something you do intentionally). This article details the many conditions and lifestyle factors that can bring on a cough....

What Is Diabeta? Diabeta (glyburide) is available in the United States (U.S.) as its generic version only. Diabeta is a prescription medication that is used with diet and exercise to control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in adults aged 18 and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). With type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or resists insulin....

Diabetic eye diseases are eye problems that can affect you if you have diabetes. Some of these diseases, like diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, occur exclusively in those who have diabetes. Other eye problems like glaucoma and cataracts can occur in anyone, but your chances of developing them are higher when you have diabetes. Diabetic eye diseases are increasing due to the growing number of people with diabetes. There are 34....

Diarrhea after gallbladder removal is a common experience. In fact, chronic diarrhea—often defined as three or more watery stools per day that last for a month or longer—is something that up to a quarter or more of all people who have a cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal surgery, will experience. For most people, diarrhea following cholecystectomy will get better with time, but it can be a slow and frustrating process. This article looks at the causes of chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery....

Early-stage melanoma (0, 1, or 2) generally means your prognosis is good. Stages are how healthcare providers determine how far cancer has progressed, whether it has spread, and what that may mean for outcomes. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, but it is often curable in the early stages. From immunotherapy drugs to surgery, there are several possible treatment options that can be used, depending on the stage....

After a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, doctors focus on determining the cancer’s stage and grade. The esophageal cancer staging and grading process can help your doctor make treatment decisions and estimate your chance of recovery (prognosis). This article will cover the esophageal cancer staging process, how esophageal cancers are staged and graded, how the type of cancer impacts the staging, and some frequently asked questions about esophageal cancer staging. Purpose of Cancer Staging Esophageal cancer is a growth that starts in the esophagus, the tube that leads from your throat to your stomach through which food and liquids travel....

Fall allergies occur in the autumn months from September through December. They may be a combination of indoor and outdoor allergies. Since they occur during months when illnesses are more common, people sometimes have difficulty discerning whether they are sick or experiencing allergy symptoms. This article explains symptoms, causes, and treatment options for fall allergies. Symptoms Fall allergy symptoms occur when your body produces excessive histamine, a chemical that protects your body from foreign substances....

What Is Flumadine? Flumadine (rimantadine) is a prescription medication. The FDA approved Flumadine to prevent and treat type A influenza (flu). Since the flu virus is likely resistant to Flumadine, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t recommend Flumadine as a flu preventive or treatment option. Flumadine is an adamantane antiviral medication. It’s thought to work by blocking the flu virus from uncoating itself. This is an early step for the virus to start making more copies of itself....

Heart disease can be a condition that a person has from birth (congenital) or one that develops later in life (acquired). Heart disease during pregnancy refers to several types of problems that affect your heart, such as conditions like cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, heart failure, coronary artery disease, valve disorders, and congenital heart defects. There are also some changes to the heart and circulatory system that are normal when a person is pregnant....

A knee dislocation is an uncommon but extremely serious injury in which the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) lose contact with each other. A knee dislocation is different from a patellar dislocation in which only the kneecap is detached from its groove at the end of the femur. Symptoms The most common symptoms of knee dislocation are the visible swelling and deformity of the knee joint. The lower extremity will often look shortened and misaligned, and any movement of the joint will cause extreme pain....

If your Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) health insurance plan was canceled because you were too late paying your health insurance premiums, you need to understand what happens to your unpaid medical bills, your health insurance subsidy (if applicable), and your options for obtaining new health insurance coverage. This article will explain what you can expect and what your options are if this happens to you. What Happens With Unpaid Medical Bills There’s a grace period for overdue insurance premiums when you purchase your own coverage, but the length of the grace period depends on whether or not you’re receiving a premium tax credit (health insurance premium subsidy) to help you pay for the coverage you bought through an Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange....

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects everyone differently, with symptoms ranging from mild to disabling. At any level of disability, managing MS over a lifetime can become a financial burden. The National MS Society estimates that living with MS costs upward of $70,000 per year per person. Of course, your experience may be different. This article discusses health insurance coverage and financial assistance for people living with MS. Financial Aid for Multiple Sclerosis Your cost of care can vary greatly depending on your health insurance coverage....

Obesity is defined by a body mass index greater than 30 kilograms per square meter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4 in 10 American adults have obesity, and rates of obesity have risen substantially over the last few decades. Obesity is associated with many serious health conditions, including heart disease, which is the leading cause of death. It is also associated with type 2 diabetes, cancer, arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, and other conditions....

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause infections in the genital area, rectum, and throat. When gonorrhea affects the throat, it is also called pharyngeal gonorrhea. Learn more about the symptoms of oral gonorrhea, risk factors, treatment options, side effects, and prevention strategies in this article. Symptoms Not everyone who contracts gonorrhea will experience symptoms. Roughly 1 in every 10 men with gonorrhea won’t experience symptoms, and 5 in 10 women living with gonorrhea won’t experience symptoms....

It can be alarming to experience pain with ejaculation. In some people, the condition can be persistent or severe. Painful ejaculation, also known as male dysorgasmia, is a relatively common condition affecting up to 10% of people with penises, either in acute (sudden and short-lasting) episodes or on a chronic (ongoing or recurrent) basis. Painful ejaculation is also sometimes referred to as dysejaculation, odynorgasmia, or orgasmalgia. The causes of dysorgasmia are many, ranging from infections and prostate problems to nervous system disorders and medications....

Around a third of women with breast cancer are diagnosed before they go through menopause. This is sometimes called early-onset breast cancer, and it’s often more advanced when it is diagnosed, more aggressive, and harder to treat than breast cancer that begins at an older age. This article discusses the unique challenges younger women with breast cancer are likely to face. It covers the types of breast cancer most common before menopause, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment....

What Is Prezcobix? Prezcobix (darunavir and cobicistat) is a prescription medication used with other human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) drugs to treat HIV-1 in adults and children weighing at least 88 pounds. It does not cure HIV but slows down and prevents the virus from causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Prezcobix contains two active ingredients: darunavir and cobicistat. Darunavir works by blocking the HIV protease enzyme from cutting Gag-Pol polyproteins in infected cells into smaller functional viral proteins and enzymes....

Symptoms of swine flu, which is caused by the H1N1 virus, are like those of any seasonal flu and include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, chills, and fatigue. Although some people still talk about swine flu, it’s important to keep in mind that now swine flu is considered another regular type of human flu virus, similar to other seasonal flu viruses. In 2009, the big difference was that when the swine influenza A virus known as H1N1 first appeared, it was new and most people didn’t have any immunity to it....

Dravet syndrome is not curable, but treatments can improve symptoms and quality of life. The treatments used for Dravet syndrome are aimed at controlling seizures, as well as managing the other effects of the condition. Medical management of Dravet syndrome can involve a team of healthcare professionals working with the family to help achieve the best possible outcome. Home Remedies and Lifestyle It is important to have a consistent lifestyle routine to prevent seizures and complications of this condition....