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Various prescription treatments are available to treat eczema, including topical corticosteroids and injectable medications. Immunotherapy (aka allergy shots) is considered in rare cases (e.g., dust mite allergy), although severe eczema will not likely improve substantially. Good home care and regular use of moisturizers are also important as this helps heal existing rashes and prevent eczema flareups. This article discusses home remedies and treatments for eczema and tips for managing the condition....

An incentive spirometer is a handheld medical device. that helps retrain your lungs to take slow, deep breaths. Exercising your lungs with an incentive spirometer helps you maintain healthy air sacs (alveoli), which are where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. An incentive spirometer can be used after surgery. It can also help you manage a lung condition such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, or asthma. This article will go over what you should know about using an incentive spirometer, including a step-by-step guide and tips for keeping the device clean....

Intertrigo is an inflammatory rash that occurs between skin folds as a result of friction, moisture, and lack of airflow. It occurs on areas such as the armpits, the groin, under the breasts, or within fat folds, where skin touches skin. The medical term for intertrigo is intertriginous dermatitis. Because skin folds are warm and moist, they provide ideal conditions for Candida albicans (yeast), other fungi, or bacteria to take hold....

Meningitis usually improves when treated in a timely manner, but it can cause long-term effects and complications. Viral and bacterial infections are the most common causes of meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is more dangerous and more likely to cause persistent effects than other types of meningitis. However, all types of meningitis can become severe and life-threatening, potentially producing lasting consequences. Meningitis is an inflammatory condition of the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that usually causes head pain, fevers, and fatigue....

What Is Methimazole? Methimazole is a medicine that affects the function of your thyroid gland, which is the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Your thyroid produces the hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which help regulate your metabolism, mood, digestion, and muscle control. A condition called Graves’ disease occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive and produces excess thyroid hormones, also called hyperthyroidism. Methimazole is a medicine that comes as a pill taken by mouth to treat hyperthyroidism....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a recent spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations for children 17 and younger. The number of new admissions started to climb in early July, similar to other age groups. Key Takeaways According to data from the CDC, there is a large spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations for children under the age of 17.Experts say it may be caused by the continued spread of the Delta variant, relaxation of safety measures, and ineligibility of children younger than 12 years old to get vaccinated....

A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of cells in the body. It can be a small, benign (non-cancerous) growth such as a mole. Or it can also be a malignant (cancerous) or precancerous tumor. A malignant neoplasm can spread to other parts of the body. Most of the time, neoplasms are not dangerous to your health. But, they sometimes can be. Therefore, if you have a neoplasm, it is important to show it to your healthcare provider....

Noncomedogenic products are those that are unlikely to cause pore blockages (comedones) and breakouts. The term “noncomedogenic” is mainly used to describe skincare products and cosmetics. If you have acne, blackheads, or are prone to clogged pores, using noncomedogenic skincare products and cosmetics might help reduce the number of breakouts you get. What Are Noncomedogenic Ingredients? Noncomedogenic ingredients are ingredients in skincare products that have a lower risk of clogging your pores....

Orthopnea is the symptom of dyspnea (shortness of breath) that occurs when a person is lying flat. Orthopnea is considered to be an important symptom mainly because it is often a sign of worsening heart failure, but it can also be caused by other medical conditions. For this reason, anyone who experiences orthopnea should always be evaluated by a healthcare provider. An important goal in treating a person with heart failure is to eliminate orthopnea entirely....

The otic ganglion is one of the four parasympathetic ganglia of the head. A collection of sensory neurons of the mandibular nerve, it works with the glossopharyngeal nerve and mandibular nerves to provide function to multiple salivary glands. It also has a motor function in chewing. Anatomy Ganglia are groups of nerves, typically with related functions, that meet up inside a capsule of connective tissue. They serve essentially as nerve relay stations, shuttling information back and forth between different parts of the nervous system....

If you have pain in your hip or hips, you may be suffering from a condition called hip bursitis. Hip bursitis occurs when the small fluid-filled sac, called a bursa, becomes inflamed on the outside or inner part of your hip. Hip bursitis causes pain, decreased strength, and difficulty with movements like walking or running. If you have hip bursitis, you may benefit from working with a physical therapist. Your therapist can assess your condition and determine the mechanical causes of your problem....

Knee pain and swelling can be caused by a number of conditions or injuries. Among athletes, injury to the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee is one common cause of this type of pain. The PLC is a group of anatomical structures that helps to support and stabilize the outside (lateral) region in the back of your knee. The primary role of the PLC is to prevent the knee from excessive amounts of rotation or bowing (turning) outward (also known as varus)....

Caustic injury may occur when a dry or chemical product is ingested or swallowed, either intentionally or accidentally. Children between the ages of 1 to 3 years old are most susceptible to accidentally ingesting ordinary caustic products. However, children under the age of 5 represent approximately half of the reported incidences. Adults with caustic ingestion injuries are usually related to either occupational exposure or suicide attempt. Caustic injury typically occurs in your upper respiratory tract (nose, mouth, throat or pharynx, and voice box or larynx) and the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum)....

The reticulocyte count is an extremely valuable blood test for determining the health of the bone marrow and can play a key role in the initial workup of anemia. Reticulocytes are “adolescent” red blood cells that have just been released from the bone marrow into the circulation and are present in the blood for only around one day before maturing into “adult” red blood cells. The bone marrow is continually replenishing red blood cells so that roughly 1% of the red blood cells are reticulocytes at any time....

Silicone is a polymer with many uses in personal care products and surgical implants. It can be found in liquid, gel, or rubber-like solid forms. Breast implants are used in breast augmentation and can be placed under or over the muscle. They are also used in breast reconstruction after a mastectomy to recreate a breast mound. Implants are silicone sacs filled with either sterile salt water (saline) or silicone gel....

Sleep is increasingly impacted by the world of technology—and as a business, it is booming. It is an exciting time of innovation with numerous products available that are designed to enhance sleep. The list of products continues to grow. There are apps, wearable technology like fitness trackers, smart beds and external monitors that make the bedroom part of the internet of things (IoT), and devices meant to optimize the sleep environment by regulating light, noise, temperature, and humidity....

Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—generally known as the Affordable Care Act or ACA—is responsible for the most sweeping reforms of the United States’ healthcare system since the 1965 passage of Medicare and Medicaid. This article will explain how the ACA has changed health insurance in the United States. Some of the ACA’s affordability provisions have been temporarily enhanced by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act....

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection—infecting about 80% of all sexually active people in the U.S. Most new HPV infections occur in teens and young adults who have no idea they have been infected, allowing them to pass the virus to their sexual partners without realizing it. With no cure yet in sight, the best defense against HPV is vaccination. To this end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all children be vaccinated against HPV at ages 11 to 12, and even allows for vaccination up to age 45 for some people....

Living with diabetes includes monitoring your blood sugar (also called blood glucose) levels. Most people do this by pricking their fingers with a blood sugar meter (glucometer), which measures sugar in a small amount of blood. Some people use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a sensor under the skin that checks blood sugar every few minutes. People who use a CGM must also use a blood sugar meter daily to ensure their CGM is accurate....

V-Go is a prescription-only insulin delivery system for people with type 2 diabetes who require insulin in order to control their blood glucose (sugar). Like a traditional insulin pump, V-Go is a convenient alternative to needles and syringes for injecting insulin multiple times throughout the day—with one big difference: Whereas traditional pumps consist of an insulin reservoir (a device about the size of a small cellphone) that connects to the body with tubing, the V-Go is a credit-card size patch that adheres to the skin....