Pilocarpine solution reduces eye pressure. It can be used to treat glaucoma, a disease in which fluid builds up in the front part of the eye, increasing eye pressure. This is something that can lead to damage of the ophthalmic nerve. Pilocarpine drops can also help with ocular hypertension in which there is a rise in eye pressure from aqueous fluid buildup. In addition, it can help lower high eye pressure after laser eye surgery....
Pediatric neutropenia is a condition that causes low levels of a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. This type of cell helps fight bacteria and prevent infection. Neutropenia is uncommon, but it can be serious. Rates of neutropenia vary based on a child’s ethnicity and where they live in the world. Globally, the condition is most prevalent among children in North Africa and Arab nations, affecting about 15.4% of children under 6 years of age....
Prehypertension is when your blood pressure is measured at above-normal levels but is below hypertension, or high blood pressure. It is a warning sign that you are at risk of developing high blood pressure. A blood pressure reading includes systolic pressure and diastolic pressure levels. The American Heart Association (AHA) defines normal blood pressure as a reading below 120/80 mm Hg for adults. With high blood pressure, the systolic pressure is 130 or higher, or diastolic pressure is 80 or higher....
What is Sklice? Sklice is an over-the-counter (OTC) topical 0.5% lotion used to treat head lice in people 6 months or older. For head lice treatment, ivermectin is a semisynthetic antiparasitic medication (kills parasites). It works to kill the parasitic insects that cause head lice by binding to the glutamate-gated chloride ion channels in their nerve and muscle cells. What Is Sklice Used For? Sklice treats head lice in people 6 months or older....
When your body faces stress, it releases hormones that put your body on alert to protect itself. Short-term stress is normal and even beneficial, as it helps you manage an immediate situation and build resiliency. However, if stress continues or happens frequently, it can cause health problems. Read on to learn about the role hormones play in the stress response. What Are Stress Hormones? When your body senses danger, it activates the body’s sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to help maintain homeostasis (stability when adapting to change)....
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic increased many people’s anxiety and fear. While everyone found their own ways to cope, it turns out some strategies may be healthier than others. Key Takeaways A new study found that mentally reframing your situation, or cognitive reappraisal, may not be helpful in dealing with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.Using this coping strategy led some to be less compliant with safety precautions such as wearing a mask and social distancing....
Compared to adults, fewer children and teens have gotten severely sick from COVID-19, and most of them experienced mild to no symptoms. However, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified a rare medical condition associated with COVID-19 called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). And a new study shows its seems to be disproportionately affecting racial minorities. Key Takeaways A rare but severe medical condition associated with COVID-19 called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been observed in individuals up to 21 years of age, and significantly more frequently in racial minorities....
Trichotillomania, also known as hair-pulling disorder, is a mental health condition that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, and other areas of the body. Trichotillomania is classified in the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and relates disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Trichotillomania often results in complete or partial removal of hair on the body, most commonly from the scalp and face....
Type 2 diabetes, which is more commonly found in men than women, is frequently the result of increased insulin resistance associated with weight gain, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet. Research shows that men are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes due to a higher likelihood of having belly fat, which is associated with insulin resistance. Oftentimes type 2 diabetes affects men during the most productive years of their life, ages 35–54, and at lower body mass index (BMI) levels than women....
In light of the recent COVID-19 hospitalizations of President Trump and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, many Americans are wondering how their care at the hospital—if they contracted COVID-19—would compare with the treatment of high profile patients. Would they be admitted to the hospital at all? Key Takeaways Most Americans will not receive the medications President Trump received if they contract COVID-19.Experimental drugs, like Regeneron’s antibody cocktail, are only available to participants of clinical trials....
Influenza (flu) is among the several potential triggers for asthma. Infection with a flu virus can exacerbate inflammation of the airways and lungs, not only triggering the symptoms of asthma but making them worse. You are not more likely to get the flu just because you have asthma, but you are more likely to experience related complications—such as bronchitis and pneumonia—and require hospitalization as a result of infection. Even people with mild or well-controlled asthma are at a high risk of serious health problems from the flu....
A SIBO breath test can reveal if your chronic intestinal symptoms are caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Jejunal aspiration, the removal and culture of a sample of intestinal fluid, is a less commonly done, but more accurate SIBO test. Research suggests SIBO is underdiagnosed. You should be tested for it if you have ongoing bloating and bowel problems. Treatments for SIBO are available, so identifying it opens the door for symptom relief....
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the spinal and sacroiliac joints, which link the pelvis and spine. Fusion (ankylosis) of the spine’s vertebrae, which happens over time, is a hallmark sign of this disease. Although the signs of AS usually aren’t visible on conventional X-rays during the disease’s early stages, X-rays are the gold standard for monitoring bone changes and joint fusion if the disease progresses....
With more than a third of Americans now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) recently began a nationwide campaign to remind people to resume regular cancer screenings if they missed any such tests during the pandemic. Key Takeaways Because of pandemic-related delays, some people are still behind on routine cancer screenings.Delayed cancer screenings can increase the risk of cancer being found at a late—and harder to treat—stage....
Biologic medical therapies, or biologics, are an important type of treatment for Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Biologics are a wide-ranging class of drugs, and there are many different types. Most biologics for Crohn’s disease are monoclonal antibody treatments that help tune down the immune system’s overreaction to treat symptoms and help prevent flare-ups. These treatments have led to unprecedented improvements in the treatment of Crohn’s disease over the past two decades....
Loose stools can have a number of possible causes. Some are related to diet, but they can also be caused by viruses, medication, or chronic conditions. Loose stools are extra soft or watery stools. Depending on the cause, they may have a stronger smell than normal. Loose stools are not considered diarrhea unless they happen more than three times a day. With diarrhea, you may also have cramps and a feeling that you have to go to the bathroom urgently....
Nasal polyps are small benign (noncancerous) growths on the lining of the nose or sinuses. Many traditional treatments for nasal polyps exist. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, CBD is being explored as a complementary therapy. Experts have recognized the potential of CBD for nasal polyps relief, but more research is needed. This article will discuss the basics of nasal polyps, how CBD might help, and any known side effects....
Celiac disease and asthma may seem unrelated. Though their connection is tenuous, they do share an association with overactive inflammation. While neither condition has been shown to cause the other, research suggests that there’s a 1.5-fold higher risk of asthma in people with celiac disease. And having asthma increases your chances of having celiac disease as well. Better management of celiac disease rarely has a major direct impact on asthma, and vice versa....
What Is Edarbyclor? Edarbyclor (azilsartan and chlorthalidone) is a combination prescription option for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure). It can be used as initial therapy for someone who recently developed high blood pressure. This medication can also be used for people whose blood pressure hasn’t been well-controlled with just one medication. Edarbyclor contains azilsartan—an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)—that lowers blood pressure by blocking a type of hormone called angiotensin II....
Exposure Notification (EN) technology is a rapidly-progressing public health tool developed by Apple and Google to slow the spread of COVID-19. This technology leverages the ubiquity of smartphones to notify users when they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. And experts say it the best way to help traditional contact tracing keep up with the pace of modern life in a global pandemic....
