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The American Diabetes Association’s guidelines for medical care now recognize a link between colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. Knowing how the two conditions are related can help those with diabetes or colon cancer and their healthcare providers better understand what can be done to reduce the risk of the other condition and/or manage both conditions. This article talks about the connection between diabetes and colon cancer, the shared risk factors of both conditions, and how they can be treated and prevented to improve health and quality of life....

What Is Diuril? Diuril (chlorothiazide) is a prescription drug used either alone or in combination with other medications to treat people with hypertension (high blood pressure) and to remove the buildup of excess fluid in the body’s tissues (known as edema) from the body commonly caused by kidney, liver, or heart disease. Chlorothiazide is categorized as a thiazide diuretic—a type of diuretic (a water pill) that increases urine flow. Diuril works within the kidneys by stopping the body from reabsorbing sodium and chloride and helping them flush excess sodium, chloride, and water through urination....

One of the common criticisms leveled at private health insurance companies is that they are profiting at the expense of sick people. But let’s take a closer look at the data and see where they take us. Do private health insurance companies really make unreasonable profits? How Common Is Private Health Insurance? Before addressing the question about profits, it’s important to look at how common having private health insurance really is in the United States....

Gluten-free makeup may be of interest to you if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Using gluten-free makeup can potentially reduce your risk of symptoms if you are especially sensitive to gluten and get some in your mouth. But does putting gluten on your skin also pose the same concerns? This article takes a closer look at the pros and cons of gluten-free makeup, including what some of the current research says....

Hay fever, which is also called allergic rhinitis, affects up to 30% of the population, as of 2011. It can begin at any age and affects children and adults. The symptoms, which include a stuffy, runny nose, and itchy eyes, may be triggered by a number of different factors, including plants, pollen, dust, pets, and mites. Sometimes, it takes a while to identify the cause of your symptoms. If you’re able to avoid the trigger, you might not need treatment....

Many transgender and nonbinary people already face barriers when accessing gender-affirming care. Now, a new study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these existing challenges. Key Takeaways A new study found that COVID-19 impacted transgender and nonbinary people’s access to gender-affirming care, their mental health, and their economic stability.Gender-affirming care is crucial for trans and nonbinary people, and failing to receive it can negatively impact their mental health.During the pandemic, many people haven’t been able to afford the cost of this care and surgeries have been delayed....

How long chemotherapy will take depends on many factors, such as the type of cancer, how much it has progressed, and how a person responds to the treatment. A chemotherapy regimen might take about three to six months when used as an adjuvant treatment, although this can vary. It often takes longer when used for metastatic cancer. Chemotherapy is often given in regular intervals, known as cycles. A chemotherapy cycle can last anywhere from two to six weeks....

Many people who have been infected with HIV are unaware that they have been infected until years after exposure to the virus. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of the estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, 1 in 7 do not know that they have been infected. There are a number of early signs and symptoms that may suggest you have the virus, but the only way to know if you have HIV is to get an HIV test....

Hypothyroidism in children is an endocrine disorder where a child’s thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. When this happens, the child’s growth rate slows down. They could also experience fatigue, weight gain, constipation, and cognitive delay. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck. It produces several hormones that affect a child’s growth and development. If a child’s thyroid gland is unable to produce enough hormone to sustain their growth, the condition can be treated with hormone replacement....

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone to meet the body’s needs. Levothyroxine, a synthetic version of thyroid hormone, is a hormone replacement therapy most often prescribed to treat hypothyroidism. Because hypothyroidism is a chronic disease, a multidisciplinary approach is required to provide lifelong care and treatment. Nurses play a vital role in the care of people with hypothyroidism. Read on to learn more about hypothyroidism and nursing care....

An immunologist, also called an allergist-immunologist, is a medical doctor specializing in allergies and other immune system disorders. Immunology is a subspecialty of internal medicine (care for adults) or pediatrics (care for infants through teens). Immunologists help diagnose, treat, and manage immune system conditions. Your primary healthcare provider might refer you to an immunologist if they suspect you have an allergy or other condition related to the immune system, such as asthma (a condition that inflames, swells, and narrows the airways, making breathing difficult)....

A recent investigation from The Wall Street Journal found that for the past three years, Facebook has been conducting studies on how Instagram affects its millions of young users. According to its own research, the media giant found the app to be harmful to a sizable percentage of them, most notably teenage girls. Key Takeaways Facebook’s own researchers know that Instagram has consequences for mental health, especially for teenage girls, but has not clearly addressed this in public....

Intestinal metaplasia is when the epithelial cells that line the stomach and esophagus are changed into cells resembling those in the intestines (goblet cells). These changes are not normal and increase the risk of cancer. Although the reason that intestinal metaplasia develops is unknown, there is a strong theory that it may be linked to the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). This article discusses symptoms of intestinal metaplasia, who is at increased risk of it, the diagnostic process, and how it is treated....

Jugular vein distention (JVD) is bulging of large veins that run down the side of your neck. This isn’t always painful, but is always concerning as it is a sign of a cardiovascular problem, including heart failure. Immediate medical care is necessary, as some causes can be fatal. If a vein is “sticking out” because of jugular vein distention, it means blood is backing up in the heart or the vein that carries deoxygenated blood back to it....

Commonly called the voice box, the larynx is located on top of the neck and is essential for breathing, vocalizing, as well as ensuring food doesn’t get stuck in the trachea and cause choking. Sitting just in front of the esophagus, the vocal folds are located here, making this organ absolutely vital for phonation (making speech sounds). It visibly moves up and down when people swallow. This part of the body can be subject to a number of significant medical conditions, including bacterial infection (laryngitis), laryngeal cancer, and vocal fold paralysis (VFP), which can seriously compromise function....

Several conditions can cause lower left abdominal pain. Since part of the colon, left kidney, and reproductive organs are located in the lower left abdominal space, dysfunction in these structures can result in pain. Infection, hernias, and certain immune disorders can also cause pain in that area. Lower left abdominal pain can be benign (harmless) or a sign of a serious illness. This article will review the symptoms, reasons, and treatment for lower left abdominal pain....

Lung cancer recurrence is cancer that returns after a period of complete remission. The same type of cancer cells originally found and treated come back in the same or a different location in the body after at least one year of having no detectable evidence of disease. Also referred to as relapse, lung cancer recurrence can occur even in those who had early-stage tumors and despite modern cancer therapies. Lung cancer recurrences can sometimes be brought back into remission—undetectable on tests or decreased in size—with appropriate treatment....

Many people wonder about the uses, forms, and side effects of morphine, especially since morphine sulfate is perhaps the most misunderstood and the most feared of all the medications used to treat pain. Commonly used in hospice and palliative care settings to treat people nearing the end of their lives, different concerns often arise than when morphine is used for surgery or in non-hospice settings. This article explores how and why to use liquid morphine (as well as other forms) at the end of life, and the possible side effects you may expect....

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s immune system misguidedly attacks the protective covering of nerve cells in their brain, spinal cord, or eyes. While ongoing research suggests that simply having MS does not increase your risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus leading to COVID-19, certain individual factors—like taking steroids for an MS relapse or having progressive MS, for example—may increase your chances of getting a severe case if you do develop COVID-19....

Nicotine withdrawal can occur when a person who regularly consumes products containing nicotine (such as cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes) decides to quit. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be unpleasant, but the benefits of quitting tobacco far outweigh the temporary symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. This article reviews the common nicotine withdrawal symptoms as well as timelines and strategies to successfully quit. I Quit Smoking, But Why Do I Feel Worse?...