Posts

If you take methotrexate, a drug commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases and certain cancers, your healthcare provider will likely prescribe folic acid as well. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a natural form of vitamin B9 derived from food. Folate deficiency is a common side effect of methotrexate use. Taking folic acid with methotrexate reduces the risk of this by replacing lost folate in the blood. Folic acid can also help prevent other side effects of the drug, including nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores....

What Is Minipress? Minipress (prazosin) is a prescription medication called an alpha-1 blocker used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Minipress works by blocking the release of chemicals that stimulate the narrowing of your blood vessels, which causes your blood pressure to increase. Inhibiting this chemical allows the blood vessels to relax, contributing to lower blood pressure. Prazosin is usually not the first line of treatment for high blood pressure. Typically, it is used with other antihypertensive agents when blood pressure is uncontrolled....

What Is Natesto? Natesto (testosterone) is a nasal gel used to replace endogenous (caused by internal factors) testosterone in people designated male at birth 18 and older with insufficient levels of endogenous testosterone as a result of certain medical conditions associated with the testes. Natesto is classified as an androgen, or a sex hormone, and works by replacing testosterone to further develop and maintain male features. Natesto’s testosterone replacement helps with the development and maintenance of male features, such as body hair, sex organs, vocal cords, and body fat distribution....

People who use smartphones and wearable devices are able to track key health metrics like heart rate and time asleep. But it can be challenging to figure out how that information fits into checkups at the doctor’s office. With an update to the Apple Health app, doctors will now be able to merge the two to gain a more holistic view of a patient’s health. Key Takeaways Apple’s new Health App features will allow users to share health information with friends, family, and doctors....

Osteoarthritis (OA) Is the most common type of arthritis affecting the joints, mainly the joints of the hands, knees, hips, and back. OA is often the result of wear and tear on articular cartilage—the cushion between the bone and joints. No medication can slow down the wear and tear process. The one thing that does help slow down OA is weight loss, which can ease OA pain and lower the chances of joint damage and the need for joint surgery down the road....

What Is Sabril? Sabril (vigabatrin) is an anti-seizure medication, also known as an anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drug (AED). It’s thought to treat seizures by preventing the y-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) protein from breaking down GABA. GABA is a naturally occurring chemical in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Inhibiting GABA-T results in higher amounts of GABA. Sabril is available as a prescription tablet. It also comes in a powder that turns into a liquid solution when mixed with water....

The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system. This long structure runs down the center of your back, and it mediates messages between the brain and the peripheral nerves. The spinal cord is primarily composed of nerves, which are organized in systematic pathways, also described as tracts. The spine (backbone) encloses and protects the spinal cord. Damage to the spinal cord can occur as a result of problems such as traumatic injuries, infections, and disease....

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung is one form of non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancers account for about 85% of lung cancers. Of these, roughly 30% are squamous cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the tissues that line the air passages in the lungs. It is also known as epidermoid carcinoma. Most squamous cell carcinomas of the lungs are located centrally, usually in the larger bronchi that join the trachea to the lung....

Subungual melanoma, sometimes called nail apparatus melanoma, is a type of malignancy that arises in the tissues of the nail bed. Melanoma cancers develop in cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. Subungual melanomas can occur on any of the fingernails or toenails. These nail cancers are often misdiagnosed as a fungal infection due to their characteristic changes in color and nail texture....

Parts of the brain responsible for producing speech and controlling the mouth and throat muscles can be damaged during head trauma. This damage then affects how the muscles and their associated nerves respond to messages from the brain or from pressure and reflex triggers in the throat. When the chewing and swallowing system doesn’t work right, it can lead to numerous complications including pneumonia. Eating and swallowing difficulties may be a lack of coordination between the brain and the responsible muscles, although there may also be underlying tissue damage that contributes to the problem....

What Is Tavalisse? Tavalisse (fostamatinib) is a tablet in the class of prescription medications called tyrosine kinase inhibitors used to treat a condition called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP, also called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) in adults. It can be used when other treatments for ITP have not worked. In ITP, the immune system is abnormally breaking down platelets (thrombocytes) in the body. Platelets are the cells in the blood that help heal damaged blood vessel walls and clot together to stop bleeding....

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that interferes with a person’s perception of reality. People with schizophrenia have difficulty with emotions, thinking rationally and clearly, and in interactions and relationships with others. Until the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was published in 2013, schizophrenia was officially recognized as having five distinct subtypes. Because the symptoms of these subtypes were not felt to be reliable or consistently valid, the American Psychiatric Association determined that having distinct subtypes hindered diagnosis and removed them when they published the DSM-5....

Based on cancer type and other factors—such as the size of the tumor and how far it has spread—stage 2 non-small cell lung cancer has a five-year survival rate of between 53% and 60%. Life expectancy is influenced by several factors, not the least of which is the progression of the disease from stage 1. This intermediate stage of cancer, in which the malignancy has begun to extend from the primary tumor to surrounding tissues, is still highly treatable....

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that is typically used to treat allergy symptoms, such as eye irritation, coughing, and sneezing. It can also be used to relieve nausea and insomnia. If you’re pregnant, you may wonder if it’s safe to use Benadryl. Typically, diphenhydramine is considered safe to take during pregnancy. Learn more about Benadryl uses, dosage, side effects, and alternatives to ensure the safety of you and your baby....

Gene therapy is an exciting therapy now being studied for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The treatment is only currently available as a part of clinical trials. Researchers are currently optimistic that gene therapy treatment will be successfully shown to cure the disease. Overview of Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease is a heritable medical condition resulting from a genetic mutation. The mutation causes a change in the way a specific protein is made, hemoglobin....

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood on the walls of arteries. Healthcare providers use BP readings to help evaluate cardiovascular health. BP is measured as a systolic pressure (the top number) and a diastolic pressure (the bottom number). The normal range for systolic BP in adults is less than 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), and the normal range for diastolic BP is less than 80 mm Hg—for a normal BP reading of less than 120/80 mm Hg....

Shoulder pain is one of the most common pain complaints among all people. It affects up to 26% of adults at any given time as a result of many different conditions. Shoulder pain is not a common symptom of breast cancer. When it occurs, shoulder pain can be a symptom of metastasis. This occurs when the breast cancer cells spread from your breast to another site in your body. Shoulder pain can involve breast cancer that has spread to your bones....

Congestive heart failure (CHF), also simply called heart failure, is a chronic condition in which the heart progressively becomes weaker and less efficient at pumping blood around the body. Heart failure impacts about 6.5 million people in the United States, and it’s one of the most common reasons older adults get admitted to the hospital. This article will explore the causes of CHF, how it develops, and possible complications. What Is Pathophysiology?...

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes that develops in about 50% of people with the condition. Chronically high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can cause nerve damage. This nerve damage can lead to burning pain, paresthesia (a feeling of pins and needles), weakness, and numbness (loss of sensation). Diabetic neuropathy is a chronic, progressive condition. Fortunately, this condition can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. The most effective medications are drugs that control your diabetes, which helps to slow the progression of this complication....

Doxycycline is an antibiotic that belongs to a group of antibiotics called tetracyclines. It is used for treating acne and rosacea. It is also used to treat cellulitis and skin infections. Doxycycline is the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in pill or capsule form, and is sold under brand names including Doryx, Vibramycin, Oracea, and Adoxa. It’s also sold as generic doxycycline. This article looks at what doxycycline can (and cannot) do, how it should be used, and what side effects you might expect while taking it....