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What Is Capex? Capex is a brand name for the active drug fluocinolone acetonide, supplied as a shampoo formulation. Fluocinolone acetonide belongs to the class of topical corticosteroids. It has anti-inflammatory, antipruritic (a drug used to relieve itching), and vasoconstriction (constricts blood vessels) properties. Corticosteroids are thought to activate specific proteins called lipocortin that control the biosynthesis of inflammation mediators such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins by inhibiting the release of their common precursors....

Do you smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco? When you have fibromyalgia, tobacco use may have even greater health risks than you thought. Multiple studies have shown that tobacco use is associated with worse fibromyalgia symptoms. Smoking may also be a risk factor for developing this condition. At the same time, people with fibromyalgia often claim that smoking helps them cope with fibromyalgia pain. What do the studies tell us, and how can you use this information to improve your health?...

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a painful condition that occurs when two of the thumb’s tendons—located on the thumb side of your wrist—become overused or irritated. These tendons are covered by a slick coating called synovium that allows them to smoothly slide back and forth through the sheaths that enclose them. Occasionally, overuse of the hand or wrist causes swelling and inflammation in these tendons or in the sheaths themselves. This can lead to a number of symptoms, including:...

Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a rare blood disorder, usually diagnosed in infancy, in which the bone marrow does not make enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. It is a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause severe anemia as well as physical abnormalities. There are estimated to be 25 to 35 new cases of DBA per year in North America. The disorder is named for Dr. Louis Diamond and Dr....

Ear surgery can serve cosmetic or functional purposes. Some people choose to change the shape of their ears while others require surgery to prevent chronic ear infections or improve their hearing. Here’s what you should know before having an operation on your ears. What Is Ear Surgery? There are various types of ear surgery, ranging from plastic surgery that pins the ears closer to the head to complex surgical procedures that tackle the tiny structures within the ear canal....

Heartburn can be caused in several different ways. By understanding the most common causes of heartburn, you can make changes to your lifestyle and diet that are also part of the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Some of the mechanisms that can contribute to heartburn include direct irritation of the esophagus, weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), motility disorders of the digestive tract that result in delayed gastric emptying, and hiatal hernia....

Medical experts widely accept that one of the most misleading disease nomenclatures out there is for hepatitis B and hepatitis C-related liver disease. The titles are somewhat insufficient to describe these diseases, since the term “hepatitis” implies inflammation of the liver. This gives the impression that the only organ affected in hepatitis B or C is the liver, which is misleading—both of these diseases see an involvement of organs other than the liver, and are therefore bona fide systemic (and not local) disease states....

Hip pain often occurs with running. While some level of soreness is normal after exercising, pain can also mean that you have injured yourself. Hip pain can be caused by injury to your muscles, bone, tendons, or other structures in your hip. This article discusses the most common causes of hip pain after running, factors that contribute to these injuries, what the typical symptoms are, and how these injuries are treated....

Protease inhibitors (PI) are a class of HIV antiviral drugs (AVRs) that break down the structural proteins necessary for the assembly and morphogenesis of virus particles. Protease is an enzyme needed to break down larger viral particles into smaller ones used to form a full-fledged HIV particle. This step in the formation of viral particles is vital to replication. By blocking this step, the virus cannot replicate. If protease inhibitors are used in combination with other antiviral drugs HIV particles can be reduced to undetectable levels, which:...

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed eye surgeries in the United States, but it can be expensive if it is not covered by insurance. Without private insurance or Medicare, you can expect an out-of-pocket expense anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 per eye. With insurance or Medicare, traditional monofocal cataract surgery is covered, but you may incur expenses in copayments, medication costs, and meeting your annual deductible. Specific costs will vary depending on the type of lens, any additional underlying eye issues, and the surgical technique....

Because so many of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) provisions apply to the individual market, the employer-sponsored insurance market is sometimes left out of the discussion. But employer-sponsored health insurance is by far the most common form of coverage in the United States. Only about 6% of Americans had coverage purchased in the individual market in 2019, as opposed to about 50% who had coverage from an employer. The individual health insurance market is vastly different today than it was before the ACA (aka, Obamacare) was implemented....

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting about 10% of people. It is characterized by difficulty getting to sleep or difficulty getting back to sleep after waking—in the absence of another sleep disorder. If it occurs at least three nights per week and lasts at least three months, it is called chronic insomnia. There are many potential causes of insomnia, including genetic risk factors as well as common triggers such as lifestyle, diet, exercise, habits, sleep environment characteristics, medications, and coexisting psychiatric and medical disorders....

Diabetes is a complex condition that prevents the body from maintaining healthy levels of glucose in the blood. Under most laws, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are considered a disability. This ensures that there are rights and protections under the law to prevent those with diabetes from being discriminated against. This can apply in the workplace, at school, in public places, and in interactions with law enforcement. Diabetes as a Disability In the United States, diabetes is considered a disability under federal law....

There’s a short answer to question about whether sexual contact with a virgin is always “safe”: It’s not. The longer answers explain revolves around how the definition of “virgin” may mean many things to different people. These answers also make clear that sexual activity is expressed in many ways too. That’s why you may still run the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). This article provides detail on how STIs might happen, even if you and/or a partner feel that virginity protects you....

Lipomas are mostly harmless growths that occur under the skin or, in rare cases, on or around organs. They’re made up of adipose (fat) tissue and surrounded by a thin capsule that’s usually not attached to any nearby muscle. They’re rarely painful. There’s still a lot we don’t know about why lipomas form, but there are certain things that increase the chances of one developing, including having a family history of lipomas, being obese, or having certain medical conditions....

Medicare Part D is the newest addition to the Medicare family. Signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) brought prescription drug coverage to Medicare enrollees in January 2006. When Medicare Parts A and B were introduced in 1966, qualifying Americans gained access to affordable hospital and medical insurance. That coverage was expanded in 1997 with the addition of optional Medicare Part C (Medicare+Choice) plans, now known as Medicare Advantage plans....

When someone is diagnosed with lung cancer, their condition falls into one of two types—small cell lung cancer (SCLC), or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC can be further divided into subtypes, some of which are pretty rare. The most common types of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and large cell lung carcinoma (LCLC). The exact type of NSCLC is important to know, as that helps your cancer care team to develop a treatment plan....

If you have posterior tibial tendonitis (or posterior tibial tendon [PTT] dysfunction, as it is commonly called) you may benefit from physical therapy to help decrease pain and improve your overall mobility. Occasionally, your pain or limited mobility may continue even after your best efforts in PT, and you may require a surgical procedure to correct your problem. If you do require surgery for PTT dysfunction, you may benefit from physical therapy after surgery to help you recover fully....

Prickly ash, commonly referred to as northern prickly ash, is an herbal supplement often used to treat toothache, joint pain, arthritis, circulation problems, and more. Some have even suggested that it has anti-cancer properties. Prickly ash comes from the plant family of the Rutaceae genus. The perennial plant grows as either a shrub or a tree that can grow up to 26 feet in height. The plant has dark brown branches with prickles that are up to a half of an inch long—thus the name prickly ash....

Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by hairs that grow into and under the skin. Common terms for this condition include razor bumps, shaving bumps, or ingrown hairs. Pseudofolliculitis barbae is most often caused by hair removal, particularly shaving, because shaving cuts the hair into a sharp tip that can more easily penetrate the skin as it grows. The condition typically develops in the beard area of men, but it can occur in anyone and in any area where thick or coarse hair grows....