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Pneumonia is a lung infection most commonly caused by bacterial or viral infections and less by fungal infections or aspiration, inhaling a substance into the lungs. Pneumonia leads to airway inflammation and the alveoli (air sacs) may fill with fluid. The severity of your symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening, underscoring the importance of prevention, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment. This article will discuss ways to prevent pneumonia so you can avoid this potentially life-threatening condition....

What Is Hysingla ER? Hysingla ER (hydrocodone) is a prescription opioid medication used to treat severe chronic pain. It comes as an extended-release (ER) oral tablet. Hysingla ER is called a semisynthetic opioid agonist. It controls pain by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), altering the body’s perception of and response to pain. This medication is a controlled substance, meaning there is a high risk of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse while taking it....

Asthma and bronchitis are common respiratory conditions characterized by inflammation of the airways (bronchi), but the connection doesn’t stop there. If you have asthma, you are at an increased risk of bronchitis. When the two conditions occur together, symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath can be compounded. Bronchitis can also prompt an asthma flare and make managing the condition especially challenging. And given the similarities of symptoms, it’s possible to think you have chronic bronchitis when you actually have undiagnosed asthma....

Keeping your home livable and tidy can be challenging when you have a chronic low back problem. Along with common sense strategies such as clean as you go whenever possible and organizing your tools ahead of time, getting a handle on good body mechanics can help you manage this regular responsibility—without bringing on back pain symptoms. To that end, let’s take six common household chores and understand how to perform them in a way that your back will like....

What Is Kisqali Femara Co-Pack? The Kisqali Femara Co-Pack is a prescription that contains two medications, ribociclib (Kisqali) and letrozole (Femara), used as a first-line treatment for adults who have advanced or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor-2 receptors (HER2)-negative breast cancer. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from the primary site to other areas of the body. This type of cancer contains estrogen or progesterone receptors, which help cancer cells grow....

Limb salvage is a surgical procedure to save a limb (usually one of the lower extremities) that is at high risk of amputation. The need for limb salvage can result from several different underlying causes, including various types of trauma, diabetes, vascular disease, cancer, or neuropathy. The primary goal of limb salvage is to maintain or restore a person’s stability as well as the ability to walk. The exact method of intervention may differ considerably depending on the underlying cause of the potential loss of a limb, the severity of the causative condition, and other factors....

Lotion is a proven, effective strategy for managing dry skin. Research has shown that lotions improve skin texture and skin barrier function and reduce dryness. Here’s a look at the best ingredients in lotions for alleviating dry skin—and which lotions, ointments, and creams contain these healing elements. Ingredients That Help Dry Skin There are a range of different ingredients that hydrate and nurture the skin. The best option for you depends on your specific symptoms and whether you have a skin condition like eczema....

Jared Butler, a rookie guard with the Utah Jazz NBA team, was surprised to learn that he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) during a routine athletic physical three years ago. He was 18 years old and about to start his college basketball career when he received the diagnosis. Key Takeaways Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a potentially deadly heart condition that often has no symptoms.People with HCM can manage the condition, but an early diagnosis and working with a cardiologist is essential to improve a person’s outcomes....

There’s plenty of evidence supporting the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Some studies suggest it can boost memory function in the brain, increase your energy, keep your immune system strong and even help maintain healthy glowing skin. However, when you’re a patient staying overnight at a hospital, your sleep efforts most likely go right out the window, especially with nurses and doctors checking your vital signs throughout the night. Key Takeaways...

Emma, Sophie, and Zoe Dunn are triplets born premature in 2000. They are deaf from ototoxic drugs and blind due to the retinopathy of prematurity, but they had no cognitive impairments beyond developmental delay. When the girls were turning 5 years old, their parents discussed their life as a family living with these challenges. Here is their story according to mother Liz and stepfather George Hooker. Triplets Lose Eyesight Emma, Sophie, and Zoe Dunn were born premature, at 25 weeks....

The penis is a complex organ comprised of a network of specialized nerves, muscles, vessels, and tissues that work in coordination to facilitate urination, erection, and ejaculation. There are a number of disorders and diseases that can undermine the function and/or structure of the penis, some of which are congenital (inherited), neurological (related to nerves), neoplastic (characterized by tumors), or infectious in origin. Specialists in diseases of the urinary tract and male reproductive organs, called urologists, are typically called upon to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the penis....

The radial nerve is one of the major nerves of the upper extremity. Forming in the area of the shoulder joint at the confluence of several branches of the brachial plexus, the radial nerve courses down the arm, past the elbow joint, into the forearm, across the wrist, and all the way to the tips of your fingers. The radial nerve provides important information to your brain about the sensations experienced in the upper extremity and also delivers information to the muscles of the upper extremity about when to contract....

Ketamine, the anesthetic and pain-relieving drug sometimes used for hallucinogenic effects, could revolutionize mental health care. Yet, how and why the drug relieves depression symptoms is still clouded in mystery. Key Takeaways A recent study sheds light on why ketamine may trigger antidepressant effects.While recreational use of ketamine is illegal, it is already being used as part of psychiatric treatment.Future research is needed to more precisely understand how the drug works in the brain....

As schools in the U.S. make plans to re-open in COVID-19-safe ways, they may have to contend with another, unexpected, respiratory illness—the common cold. Key Takeaways Hong Kong saw a burst of common cold infections when schools re-opened this fall, even with COVID-19 safety precautions in place.The illness appears to be driven by rhinovirus infection—a respiratory virus that transmits readily on surfaces.It’s possible that communities in the U.S. will see similarly high cases of the cold as schools begin to re-open....

If your scalp is healthy, you probably don’t pay much attention to it. However, if the skin beneath your hair starts causing you problems, like a smelly scalp, it can suddenly demand a lot of your time and attention. Many people notice a sour or damp smell coming from their scalp. There’s no one “smelly scalp syndrome” that is to blame for any unpleasant odor you experience on your head. Rather, smelly hair and scalp can be caused by an array of issues....

Many of the lingering complications some people experience after a COVID-19 infection—like fatigue and shortness of breath—seem like remnants of their initial illness. But new reports show these symptoms may be connected to a condition still poorly understood: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Key Takeaways Reports show that long COVID may be linked with an autonomic disorder called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).Experts speculate that COVID-19 antibodies may be targeting the autonomic nervous system, which can cause POTS after an infection....

A colonoscopy is a procedure that’s used to look inside the colon (large intestine). A flexible tube with a light and a camera on the end is inserted into the anus and up through the rectum and the large intestine. This test is done to screen for colon cancer and as a way to make a diagnosis of various other digestive conditions. It is a necessary and safe procedure. In rare cases, a bacterial infection is possible after having a colonoscopy....

Tendons are strong, flexible tissue bands connecting muscles to bones. When you tighten your muscles, tendons shorten and pull on your bones to move your joints. They are prone to injuries like inflammation (swelling) from overuse, strains from overstretching, and tears. This article discusses the anatomy of tendons, including where they are in the body and common injuries that affect these structures. Anatomy Tendons are structures located at each end of a muscle....

The desire to remove unwanted hair usually starts during adolescence and never stops. Whether it’s hair on the face, armpits, legs, bikini line, or other parts of the body, many women and men are intent upon getting rid of it. There are lots of different ways to remove unwanted hair, but very few methods get rid of hair permanently. There are hair removal methods that range from easy and inexpensive (shaving) to high-tech and pricey (laser hair removal)....

After surgery, you may notice some changes in your stool. It is normal for your bathroom habits to change, especially in the first few days following surgery. Most changes are not serious. If you have had surgery, you may have made major changes to your diet. Surgery can also affect your stress level and your medication routines. These changes can lead to a different bathroom pattern. Usually, these changes resolve as you recover....