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Getting a hearty night’s sleep can impact your cardiovascular health. Key Takeaways Time spent sleeping can impact heart health.Researchers recommend different sleep durations for different age groups, with longer sleep recommendations for younger children. For the first time, the American Heart Association (AHA) is adding sleep to its list of factors used to quantify cardiovascular health. The AHA’s review, published in the journal Circulation, shows that sleep has both direct and indirect impacts on heart health....

Drug addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is when someone continues using a drug despite harmful consequences to their daily functioning, relationships, or health. Using drugs can change brain structure and functioning, particularly in areas involved in reward, stress, and self-control. These changes make it harder for people to stop using even when they really want to. Drug addiction is dangerous because it becomes all-consuming and disrupts the normal functioning of your brain and body....

Hyperkeratosis is a skin condition that causes the outer layer of skin, known as the stratum corneum, to thicken and harden. The stratum corneum is made up of a protein known as keratin. When the body produces too much keratin, skin issues can occur. This article discusses the types, causes, and treatment options for someone who develops this skin condition. Types of Hyperkeratosis “Hyperkeratosis” is an umbrella term for skin conditions that develop from excess amounts of keratin....

Hypertrichosis results in abnormal, often excessive, hair growth. Almost any part of the body can be affected and in severe cases, the whole body is covered in thick hair. There are different forms of the condition: a person can be born with hypertrichosis (congenital form) or get it later in life as a result of another medical condition (acquired form). There are also several subtypes of the condition which determine what it looks like and what treatment options are available....

Many people with asthma wonder if it’s curable. Asthma is a chronic medical condition that causes symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. It affects the airways in the lungs, causing inflammation and tightness. Because asthma is a chronic disease, there is no cure. While there’s currently no cure for asthma, symptoms can be managed and controlled. This article discusses ways to treat, prevent, and manage asthma symptoms, including medications and home remedies....

Oral thrush (oral candidiasis) and vaginal yeast infections (vaginal candidiasis) are both caused by an overgrowth of a fungus known as Candida albicans that lives naturally in our bodies. Both oral thrush and yeast infections cause creamy white lesions that can bleed if rubbed or scraped. Because thrush can affect both the mouth and the vagina, many people assume that the fungus can be passed through oral sex. However, it isn’t spread this way....

The life expectancy for a person with muscular dystrophy depends on which type they have. Some people have a full life with muscular dystrophy and live as long as people who do not have it. Other people with muscular dystrophy have a reduced life span. Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic diseases that affect the muscles. There are several types of muscular dystrophy and each affects a person’s life in a different way....

Myelofibrosis is a rare bone marrow disease that occurs when the bone marrow becomes fibrotic (filled with scar tissue). It leads to an enlarged spleen, leukopenia (low white blood cells), anemia (low numbers of healthy red blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). These effects are harmful, and they can be life-threatening. The incidence of newly diagnosed myelofibrosis cases in the United States is approximately 1 to 3 per 100,000 people per year....

We all know that ambulances respond to 911 calls, rushing down the street with sirens wailing and lights flashing. The paramedics are on the way to save lives. When they arrive at the scene, they’ll take control of the situation and find the solution to the problems. The patient will be stabilized and transported to an emergency department for definitive care. There are plenty of images of ambulances in the media....

Cortisone, taken orally as pills or capsules, is a fast-acting anti-inflammatory medication used to treat the inflammation associated with a variety of medical diagnoses, including arthritis. As a corticosteroid, cortisone reduces the body’s natural defensive response also causing a decrease in immunity. Because of the effects on immune response, you are more susceptible to infection. Uses Oral cortisone is most commonly used for the treatment of different arthritis conditions. These include the management of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis....

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have twice the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population—with the CVD risk even higher than that of people with type 2 diabetes. The causal relationship between cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis is complex and appears to be related to several factors, including traditional cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, obesity, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol) as well as the severity of the RA. Cardiovascular Risk and Rheumatoid Arthritis For many years, researchers have been studying the association and whether enough attention is paid to cardiovascular risk factors in people with inflammatory types of arthritis....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating disease that can affect walking, using your hands, and the ability to manage activities of daily life, including self-care. RA can also lead to function and mobility limitations and even cause permanent disability due to bone erosion (loss of bone) and joint deformity. If your RA is severe enough to limit your ability to prevent you from working, you may qualify for disability benefits....

You can train your brain to reduce motion sickness, according to recent research findings. Key Takeaways About a third of the world’s population is highly susceptible to motion sickness.Traditionally, people have taken medications to help manage common symptoms or avoided situations that trigger motion sickness.Researchers found that visuospatial training exercises can help reduce susceptibility to motion sickness. A September study published in Applied Ergonomics found a relationship between susceptibility to motion sickness and visuospatial ability....

People with autism don’t learn through imitation, and they are easily overwhelmed in brand new situations. In addition, they often have difficulty generalizing: a single experience won’t help most autistic people to understand how other, similar experiences will play out. Put these realities together, and it’s easy to see why so many autistic children “meltdown” when asked to manage the social expectations of a birthday party, a Halloween parade at school, or even a trip to the dentist....

Clinically known as edema, swelling is when fluid collects in bodily tissues. It often occurs in the feet, ankles, or legs, though it can affect any body part. Swelling is a common issue that varies in severity. Mild cases typically arise due to standing for a long time or minor injury. In contrast, high salt intake, venous insufficiency, congestive heart failure, and certain medications can lead to more severe swelling....

If you are caring for a loved one diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), you are probably wondering how to support them. You may not be familiar with this subtype of cancer—or even cancer in general. A good place to start is by learning all you can about this type of cancer, including what your loved one might experience during and after treatment. Understanding what it means to have triple-negative breast cancer will help you address your loved one’s needs as well as empower you to find support for yourself as a caregiver....

When you get the flu (influenza), it will often start with mild muscle aches, a slight tickle in the throat, or a worn-out feeling you just can’t shake. Common wisdom suggests that if you treat flu when symptoms first appear, you may be able to shorten the duration and severity of the illness. In recent years, a number of prescription drugs have been approved for just such a purpose. Even if you are unable to get these medications, by recognizing the early signs and symptoms of flu, you can act quicker—not only getting the bed rest you need, but to take steps to prevent the spread of infection to others....

The term “high deductible health plan” probably sounds pretty self-explanatory. But it’s actually an official term that the IRS defines—it doesn’t just mean any health plan with a high deductible. This article will describe what a high-deductible health plan is, how they’re regulated, how they work with health savings accounts, and how they differ from other types of health coverage. High deductible health plans—often referred to as HDHPs—have to follow three rules:...

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a type of hormone that is released whenever a person experiences fear, anxiety, or stress. It is the hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline prepares the body to either fight or flee from danger by increasing blood circulation and breathing. While this response is crucial to survival, over-exposure to adrenaline can be damaging to a person’s health. This article looks at how adrenaline works in the body, including the symptoms of an “adrenaline rush,” as well as the causes and consequences of adrenaline overproduction and adrenaline deficiency....

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four medications for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) since 1949, but they are rarely prescribed or used. Key Takeaways Fewer than 10% of U.S. adults receive treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and only 1.6% of them use medications.The FDA has approved various AUD medications, but there’s little awareness of the available treatments largely due to cultural stigma.Making screening tools for AUD more ubiquitous can help improve treatment rates and reduce stigma around the disorder....