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What Is Krintafel? Krintafel (tafenoquine) is a pill taken by mouth to treat and prevent the relapse of Plasmodium vivax malaria, which is an infection caused by parasites that mosquitoes carry. Plasmodium vivax is the name of the parasite that almost always causes malaria. After acute malaria infections, this parasite can lie dormant (inactive and not causing symptoms) in your liver, then cause later relapses of malaria. This means you can experience more malaria episodes without being bitten again by a mosquito....

What Is Lamictal? Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an oral prescription anti-epilepsy drug (AED) and mood stabilizer used as a maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder and seizure disorders. It is also sometimes used off-label for several other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Lamictal stabilizes nerve activity in the brain by inhibiting voltage-sensitive sodium channels and modifying neurotransmitter activity. Lamictal is available as a tablet, a chewable tablet, and an orally disintegrating tablet. What Is Lamictal Used For?...

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, the first two questions you may have is how long you are likely to live and whether you will be able to tolerate treatment. In some cases, the cancer may be advanced and the treatment so impactful that it may compromise the quality of your life in a way that you find acceptable—so much so that you consider moving forward without lung cancer treatment....

Massage may help protect against high blood pressure (hypertension) which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Some studies suggest that getting a massage may help calm the part of the nervous system responsible for involuntary responses to dangerous or stressful situations (sympathetic nervous system). Although there has not been a lot of research on massage and blood pressure, some evidence shows that adding massage to your stress management routine could help you keep your blood pressure in check....

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers. When detected in an early stage, lung cancer is highly treatable. However, if lung cancer is not identified or misdiagnosed, it may progress to a more advanced stage and become more difficult to treat. Coping with lung cancer can be difficult, and when you know you’ve been misdiagnosed and didn’t get treatment as quickly as you could have, it can be even more devastating....

Oliguria is when urine output is lower than expected. It is typically a result of dehydration, a blockage, or medications. Most of the time, oliguria can be treated at home, but in some cases, it can be a symptom of a serious medical condition that requires further testing and treatment. Oliguria is different from anuria, which is when urine output stops completely. Symptoms The primary symptom of oliguria is producing less urine than normal....

What Is Qulipta? Qulipta (atogepant) is a medication option that’s used to prevent episodic migraines in adults. It’s in the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist drug class. Qulipta blocks the CGRP receptor (binding site) to prevent the attachment of the CGRP protein. The CGRP protein is thought to play a role in migraines by causing inflammation (swelling) of the meninges (protective layers that cover the brain). Migraines are less likely to occur if the CGRP protein can’t bind to its binding site....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack its own tissues, especially the lining of joints, leading to joint damage and pain. When RA attacks the cervical spine located at the top of the spinal cord, forming the neck, it can cause neck and upper back pain. Pain in the middle or low back is not typically part of RA, but having RA may make your more prone to developing low back pain as a separate condition....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not the same arthritis that may affect your grandparents. RA is different than wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) because it is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks the joints, causing severe joint pain, swelling, and damage. RA often shows up in people between the ages of 30 and 50, but it can affect anyone of any age, including children. About 1.3 million Americans live with this very debilitating condition....

Fecal incontinence, when you unintentionally find yourself passing stool, can be an extremely upsetting experience. When it happens on an ongoing basis it can take quite a toll on a person’s quality of life, social life, and sex life. People who experience incontinence on a regular basis frequently struggle with emotions of deep shame, understandable anxiety about future accidents, and low self-esteem. Fecal incontinence is a surprisingly common condition, affecting approximately 5 to 15% of people (those who actually report the problem!...

Thyrotoxicosis is the term used to describe what happens when there are excess thyroid hormones in the body. People with thyrotoxicosis can also have a low level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the bloodstream. Thyrotoxicosis is different than hyperthyroidism, which is associated with increased thyroid hormone and secretion from the thyroid gland. Thyrotoxicosis refers to actual physical and laboratory findings showing excess circulating thyroid hormones, regardless of the source. Here is what you need to know about thyrotoxicosis, including types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment....

If you have HER2-positive breast cancer, your options for treatment will depend on several factors, such as the stage of cancer (early or metastatic) and the hormone receptor status of the tumor. HER2-positive tumors can also be estrogen-receptor-positive (triple-positive breast cancer). However, a tumor’s receptor status can change (from positive to negative or vice versa). Therefore, the treatment plan your oncologist recommends might change as well. It’s believed that around 20-25% of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancers are positive for a genetic mutation that causes HER2 gene amplification....

Vascular disease is a process that affects the blood vessels of the body. This condition increases the risk of many different health problems that occur as a result of blood flow blockage or insufficient blood flow. Vascular disease can affect any blood vessel of the body. Generally, it develops gradually over time, and it doesn’t usually cause noticeable symptoms until it has advanced. Factors that contribute to the development of vascular disease include smoking, hypertension (chronically high blood pressure), sedentary lifestyle, high blood cholesterol and fat levels, and a hereditary predisposition....

“Wet lung” is a casual term for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This condition occurs when the lungs are filled with fluid instead of air. The fluid in wet lung could be pus from infection, fluid backed up in the lungs from heart disease, or blood from either lung or heart disease. Wet lung can affect anyone regardless of age. It is a medical emergency and it can be life-threatening if left untreated....

A biosimilar is a drug similar to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biologic drug in structure and function. Biologic drugs and biosimilars are complex molecules produced in a living system (microbes or cells from humans, plants, or animals). They are both made using advanced biotechnology. Biosimilars have been created to help expand access to costly and/or life-saving medications and provide more treatment options. For FDA approval, a biosimilar must be proved as safe and effective as the reference biologic drug, and the two may be used interchangeably with “no clinically meaningful differences....

Breast cancer impacts a person long after treatment and recovery, and being a breast cancer survivor looks different for everyone. Regardless of how a person defines survivorship, there are long-term risks and concerns to consider as a survivor. This article will discuss breast cancer survival, present survival rates by cancer stage, offer tips on living well, and provide information about the risk of recurrence and ongoing follow-up needs. Different Takes on Breast Cancer Survivorship Being a breast cancer survivor means different things to different people....

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that impairs the brain’s ability to control the normal balance between sleep and wakefulness. Despite a full night of rest, people with this condition still tend to feel extremely sleepy throughout the day or fall asleep at unexpected and inconvenient times, like in the middle of a conversation or even while driving. To say the least, narcolepsy can have a great impact on daily activities....

What Is Xarelto? Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a prescription oral anticoagulant used to treat and prevent certain types of blood clots in adults at risk. Depending on your condition, you will take it once or twice per day, either short-term or long-term. Xarelto is available in tablet form. Rivaroxaban is also referred to as a “blood thinner,” although it does not actually thin your blood. Xarelto works by inhibiting free factor Xa and prothrombinase activity, which play a role in blood clotting, to help prevent and treat certain blood clots....

Taking medications orally usually means thinking about factors that could affect how well it will work—for example, taking it without food versus having it with a meal, or always taking it at a certain time of day. Key Takeaways According to a new study, your body position may affect how well the medications you take by mouth are absorbed. The closer a pill lands to the lowest part of the stomach, the faster it can dissolve and empty into the top of the small intestine....

Home remedies for diarrhea can help you naturally stop a mild case fast. Bland, starchy, low-fiber foods like those included in the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) are binding, which helps make stools bulky and relieve diarrhea. Taking probiotics, drinking lots of fluids, and avoiding certain foods and drinks are other natural ways to manage diarrhea and help you feel better faster. Keep in mind that diarrhea caused by a virus or bacteria usually goes away on its own in two to three days....