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If you took advantage of the White House-sponsored free COVID test program before it ended in September, your at-home tests are probably approaching or have reached their expiration date. Do you have to toss them out or can you still use them? Key Takeaways Health experts do not recommend using at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests that have reached their expiration date. The testing materials in kits that are expired will have degraded over time which could affect their performance and results....

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease that affects the large intestine (colon), causing inflammation and small sores (or ulcers). UC symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, bloody stool, and the need to pass stool frequently. There is no cure for ulcerative colitis, so treatment prioritizes symptom relief and reducing flare-ups. Many people with ulcerative colitis turn to alternative treatments, such as cannabidiol (CBD), to take control of the disease and improve their quality of life....

The rates of routine vaccination among children and teens dropped significantly in 2020, but even after stay-at-home orders were lifted, vaccination rates didn’t catch up to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new CDC report released June 11. Key Takeaways Routine vaccination rates for children and teens declined significantly from pre-pandemic levels between March and September of 2020, according to the CDC.It’s important that as many kids as possible get vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles, HPV, and diphtheria in order to maintain herd immunity....

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes. No matter whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, the costs of managing your condition can quickly add up. Finding ways to afford insulin is crucial to living with diabetes. Costs can include diabetes supplies for home blood sugar monitoring, laboratory tests, office visits, emergency room evaluations, hospitalizations, and treatments like insulin. The American Diabetes Association reports that people with diabetes account for 25% of all healthcare spending in the United States....

DPT stands for Doctor of Physical Therapy. It’s an advanced degree than many practicing physical therapists (PTs) have. Down the road, though, all practicing PTs will be DPTs. This article looks at what it takes to earn a DPT, what DPTs do, where they work, and what to expect from an appointment with a DPT. Earning DPT Credentials When you see DPT after a physical therapist’s name, it means they’ve completed the necessary training to become an entry-level physical therapist....

For people who are perimenopausal (nearing menopause) or already in menopause , there can be many symptoms to deal with from hot flashes to night sweats and insomnia. In some cases, some people may experience the onset of dry eye syndrome. Dry eye affects about 61% of people in perimenopause and menopause. Menopausal people with dry eyes may experience light sensitivity, blurred vision, swollen lids, and increased tearing. These fall under the umbrella of chronic dry eye syndrome....

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is located in the gastrointestinal tract. It is a system of sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons that extends from the esophagus to the rectum. It is a part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which also includes the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The ANS is responsible for the involuntary processes in the body. The ENS is the part of the ANS that regulates the digestive functions of the gastrointestinal tract....

Grade 1 diastolic dysfunction occurs when the left lower chamber of the heart (the left ventricle) has trouble relaxing in between beats because it has stiffened over time. It interferes slightly with the heart’s most important job—getting oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. When the left ventricle is stiff (restrictive cardiomyopathy), it cannot fill up completely, the way a brand-new balloon might be difficult to fill up with air because it is so tight....

There are no tests that can confirm a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema. Healthcare providers typically diagnose the disease based on how many major and minor features of atopic dermatitis you have. Each person experiences a unique combination of symptoms, which can vary over time. Patch testing, skin scraping, and other tests may be done to rule out other possible causes of rash. Self-Checks It’s estimated that many people with atopic dermatitis are undiagnosed....

Many conditions can cause swelling (edema) in the legs. Some, like venous insufficiency or congestive heart failure are often chronic in nature, while a blood clot or injury can cause acute (sudden) swelling. This article will detail the most common causes of leg swelling, the symptoms that frequently accompany it, and the diagnosis and treatment options that are available for this concern. Causes of Leg Swelling A wide variety of diagnoses and conditions can cause fluid to build up in your legs....

A lung transplant involves replacing a diseased lung with a healthy lung from a donor. Surgeons can swap out one or both lungs during this operation. Transplantation is an option for people with failing lungs due to a variety of health conditions. If a lung transplant is successful, it can offer many patients a longer, better quality of life. However, there are also serious risks to consider, including a higher chance of developing certain types of cancer after the transplantation....

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, occurs when the eyeball is longer than normal or when the cornea is steeper than average. Nearsightedness causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on its surface. Someone with nearsightedness may squint noticeably when trying to view objects in the distance. They may also sit very close to the television or bring books very close to their eyes when reading. Myopia requires visual correction, usually in the form of eyeglasses or contact lenses....

Recovery from open heart surgery, both in the hospital and beyond, is a long, involved process. The duration depends on the specific medical issue being treated, with a minimum of six weeks to be expected. It’s important to closely follow any instructions you get and participate actively with rehabilitation. Be aware of mood and emotional symptoms that may need to be addressed. Surgery Follow-Up Since open heart surgery is an approach to several different treatments—rather than a singular surgery—recovery times can vary....

A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the pituitary gland. These growths are almost always benign, but some can be cancer. The most common pituitary tumor is the pituitary adenoma. Sometimes these tumors are found by accident and cause no symptoms, but other times they cause changes in vision or unusual symptoms from changes in hormones. About 10,000 people are diagnosed with pituitary tumors every year in the United States....

What Is Plavix? Plavix (clopidogrel) is an oral tablet prescription medication used to prevent blood clots in people with certain risk factors. It is an antiplatelet medication (blood thinner), also known as a platelet aggregation inhibitor, that reduces the risk of harmful blood clots forming in blood vessels throughout the body. Plavix works by binding to platelets, which are small blood cells that stick together to stop or prevent excessive bleeding....

Pleuroscopy is a medical procedure in which an incision is made between the ribs to insert a scope (called a pleuroscope) into the pleural cavity. This is the fluid-filled space between two membranes (pleura) that surround the lungs. Pleuroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure performed under anesthesia to either diagnose a lung disease like lung cancer or tuberculosis, or treat the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (pleural effusion)....

Psychotic disorders are mental health illnesses characterized by an impaired relationship with reality, usually with associated behavioral changes. There are several different psychotic disorders, and they each have diagnostic criteria described in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5). Psychotic disorders can be highly distressing, impacting a person’s quality of life and ability to maintain self-care. However, most of these conditions can be managed with medication and therapy....

Puffy eyes, marked by fluid retention around the eyelid and under the eye, can result from a number of different factors. The reasons could be as simple as not getting enough sleep or eating too much salt. You can get rid of puffy eyes in many ways, from improving your sleep or applying a cold compress to using topical medications or undergoing cosmetic surgery. The terms “puffy eyes” (sometimes known as “bags under the eyes”) and “swollen eyes” are used interchangeably at times, but they refer to two different conditions....

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that has kept healthcare providers and their patients on their toes for decades, especially as they continue to figure out the best ways to manage disease symptoms and slow down disease progression. Fortunately, recent advances in treatment strategies and medications have brought about positive health outcomes and improved quality of life for many with RA. Healthcare providers and researchers know now keeping RA under control is much easier when goals are set and progress is monitored closely—a concept in RA treatment called treat to target (TTT)....

Shingrix is a vaccine that protects against shingles—a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the same virus that causes chicken pox. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may wonder if it’s safe to get the shingles vaccine. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that damages the central nervous system. This damage leads to symptoms like muscle weakness, blurred vision, memory loss, and problems with balance and coordination. MS is most likely an autoimmune disorder, which means that it causes the body to attack its own healthy tissues....