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As you age, you may notice some changes to your bladder and vagina that may affect your intimate life. What might you expect as you approach menopause? How does the change in hormones at menopause affect your vagina, urinary tract, and sexual health, and what can you do to manage these unpleasant side effects? The changes in your urinary tract and vagina are not always a welcome introduction to menopause. Thankfully, there are often several solutions for each of these symptoms that can reduce the impact they have on your quality of life....

The infection caused by the Zika virus became a significant concern in 2015 when the mosquito-borne illness swept across much of South and Central America up to the southern part of the United States. It usually only causes mild, flu-like symptoms, but the infection can become devastating if it occurs during pregnancy, potentially causing microcephaly, in which the baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain. It is for this reason that diagnosis is imperative for pregnant people who may have been exposed to the Zika virus through a mosquito bite....

The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not completely understood. Sometimes it develops after a severe bout of infectious diarrhea or trauma, but in many cases, there is no specific incident. Researchers suggest causes may be some interplay between gut motility problems, pain sensitivity, inflammation, and how the brain and the gut “communicate.” Genetics, prior adverse life experiences, and some mental health conditions may predispose someone to IBS. Other factors that may cause or exacerbate IBS symptoms include stress, menstrual cycle hormones, smoking, and diet....

Full recovery from a total knee replacement may take anywhere from six months to up to a year. To maximize your chances for a successful surgical outcome, it’s important to follow all of your surgeon’s post-operative instructions. These will include when to follow-up, what activities to restrict, and how to care for your wound. Surgery Follow-Up After knee replacement surgery, you can expect to follow-up with your surgeon at the following points:...

The oxygen desaturation index (ODI) is a measure of insufficient blood oxygen during sleep. If you have a diagnostic sleep study, this can be one of the components in the report that you receive describing your results. Oxygen saturation is a measure of the oxygen in your blood. Oxygen desaturation (low oxygen saturation) means that the percentage of oxygen in your blood is lower than it should be. Low oxygen saturation is one of the indicators that you could be at risk of long-term health consequences, such as cardiac (heart) disease and dementia....

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that involves fluctuations between two extremes, manic episodes and depressive episodes. Cyclothymia is a bipolar disorder with frequent shifts in mood but less severe symptoms. Medications prescribed to treat mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and cyclothymic disorder are called mood stabilizers. Natural mood stabilizers are treatments and coping methods that are used for the same purpose but are not prescription medications. Natural options may be preferred by some people with mood disorders due to some of the downsides of prescription medications, such as side effects and high costs....

Many people do not realize that there is more than one form of a heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction. Some only involve a partial obstruction of blood flow. Heart specialists refer to this type as non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). NSTEMI is a milder form of heart attack and accounts for around two-thirds of all cases. This article explains what NSTEMI is and how it differs from a “classic” heart attack....

Olumiant (baricitinib) is an oral drug approved in 2018 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Olumiant belongs to a relatively new drug class known as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. These drugs block a group of complex signaling pathways in the body, interfering with signaling pathways and cellular processes that contribute to RA, inflammation, and several inflammatory diseases. Uses Olumiant is primarily used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that mainly affects joints, including the hands and feet....

In a new study, researchers at New York University (NYU) Langone Health System found that people with schizophrenia are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those without the illness. Key Takeaways A new study found that COVID-19 patients with a history of schizophrenia are at higher risk of dying compared to patients with two other psychiatric conditions.Schizophrenia has been linked to viruses before, but the relationship still isn’t clear....

Skull birth defects are conditions that are present at birth. These birth defects were created when a baby was still developing in the womb. This overview will discuss three of the most common skull birth defects in babies: anencephaly, craniosynostosis, and encephalocele. What Is Anencephaly? Anencephaly is a type of neural tube defect (NTD) in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull. Approximately 1 in every 4,600 babies in the United States is born with anencephaly....

Hip pain is common and is most likely caused by injury, overuse, or a chronic condition like arthritis. Signs of bone cancer often overlap with the symptoms of these conditions. However, bone cancer in the hip is a rare occurrence. In fact, primary bone cancer, or cancer that begins in the bone, accounts for less than 1% of all new cancers. Bone cancer in the hip can cause pain, limping, fractures of the bone, and hypercalcemia, a condition in which there is too much calcium in the blood....

Biologic medications are often used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially when the seriousness of the condition is considered to be moderate to severe. These drugs are often effective in treating symptoms and/or inducing remission in Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. However, there is the potential for these therapies to not have an effect at all or to work for a time but then stop being as effective. This might happen for various reasons in anywhere from one-third to one-half of people who live with IBD....

Having a cough can be miserable, keeping you awake at night and interrupting your day as well. A common cause of cough is bronchitis, an inflammation of the bronchi, the tubes that carry air into your lungs. If you have chronic bronchitis, your healthcare provider may recommend nebulizer treatments. A nebulizer is a small machine that turns liquid medicine into a mist, allowing you to breathe it into your lungs. Most often, nebulizers are used to deliver bronchodilators and steroids, which can relax airway muscles and reduce inflammation caused by chronic bronchitis....

What Is Vesicare? Vesicare (solifenacin) is a prescription drug used to treat a chronic condition called overactive bladder (OAB). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for use in people aged 2 years and older. Solifenacin belongs to a class of medications called anticholinergics. It works by blocking specific receptors in your body, causing your bladder to relax. It reduces bladder spasms and the urge to frequently urinate. Vesicare is available as an oral suspension and tablets....

What Is Vraylar? Vraylar is an oral prescription medication used to treat schizophrenia and certain forms of bipolar disorder in adults. Vraylar belongs to a group of drugs called second-generation or atypical antipsychotics. It works by affecting the activity of natural brain chemicals, including dopamine and serotonin. The FDA has boxed warnings for Vrayalar. Talk with your healthcare provider about these risks before starting treatment. What Is Vraylar Used For? The FDA has approved Vraylar to treat schizophrenia and certain forms of bipolar disorder in adults....

A primary care doctor, also referred to as PCP or family doctor, often serves as the leader of your healthcare team. While some asthma specialists function as a primary care physician for their patients, I sometimes get referrals for primary care from asthma specialists. Patients are sometimes confused as to why this was occurring and I have even had patients who thought they were being abandoned (not the case) by their beloved asthma doctor....

Picky eating is one thing; a child or toddler who won’t eat anything is something else again. Many a child refuses a meal because it doesn’t pass the kid-approved taste test. But in most cases, the child caves once their growling stomach forces them back to the table or they are offered a preferred food. Selective eating and occasional dips in appetite are common and normal. But refusing to eat for long periods of time is not....

Affording quality healthcare for the average American is tough enough without the added challenge of a chronic illness. Arguably, for people living with HIV, the challenges are greater given the high cost of HIV drugs, the need for optimal treatment adherence, and the demand for continual, lifelong medical treatment and care. Consider, for example, that the average, individual lifetime cost of HIV is well over $400,000 —and this for persons who start treatment early and largely avoid the illnesses associated with later-stage (or untreated) disease....

Bedwetting (medically known as nocturnal enuresis) is typically associated with young children. But wetting the bed at night can also happen to adults. While it’s nothing to be ashamed of, enuresis may be a symptom of bladder control issues, or it may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Seeing a healthcare provider to get to the root cause of bedwetting is essential for getting effective treatment and reducing the chances of accidents overnight....

If you have ankylosing spondylitis (AS), then you understand how this condition can affect the way you move and function. The disease is chronic in nature, and once diagnosed, it can progress through different stages. The stages of ankylosing spondylitis, the rate of progression, and the prognosis of the disease are all different for each individual. Ankylosing spondylitis is not a life-threatening disease, even though it is a progressive chronic condition with no known cure....