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Gartner named blockchain one of top 10 strategic technology trends for 2020. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas featured it as one of the most exciting topics of the show. If you have recently attended a tech event or leafed through a tech magazine, you probably have already noticed the buzz surrounding blockchain. Blockchain technologies were initially introduced to facilitate money transactions. The benefit of blockchain is that transaction records are registered securely, avoiding the need for a trusted third party....

The first thing Lauren Nichols sees when she wakes up in the morning is the blur of her desk fan, TV, and bedroom door as they blend together. As her bedroom furniture seemingly spins around her, she says all she can do is focus on taking slow, measured breaths until her nausea and vertigo subside enough for her to place her feet on solid ground and start her day. This usually takes about three hours....

After a stroke, the primary approach to healing and recovery involves an active rehabilitation plan to improve physical ability and cognitive function. There are a number of different types of post-stroke rehabilitation, and if you are recovering from a stroke, you will likely need to participate in one or more of these. Physical Therapy Physical therapy includes a variety of muscle maneuvers and exercises. Post-stroke physical therapy activities are designed to train the brain and the muscles to work together using an approach that builds muscle strength and maintains healthy muscle tone....

A tooth infection is a pocket of pus (abscess) caused by the proliferation of bacteria. Usually, an abscess appears in the pulp—the soft, living tissue inside a tooth. A periapical abscess develops from an infection in the pulp that forms an abscess at the root of a tooth, while a periodontal abscess develops between the tooth and the surrounding gum tissue. Symptoms of a tooth infection may include a severe toothache, sensitivity to heat and cold, swollen glands, swelling in the gums, foul-smelling breath, and pain while chewing....

Bleeding during pregnancy is relatively common, particularly during the first trimester. As many as one in three people will experience bleeding during their first three months. Minor bleeding generally isn’t serious, particularly if it’s not accompanied by pain. However, major bleeding and painful bleeding may be signs of a serious problem. Therefore, any bleeding during pregnancy should be evaluated by your healthcare professional. This article will discuss risk factors for bleeding during pregnancy and possible causes of it during each trimester....

The foot is a complex region that consists of 33 joints and 26 bones. Each of these structures must work together to make everyday tasks like walking and climbing the stairs possible. When a painful toe bump develops in this region, the intricacy of the area can make it difficult to determine the cause of your issue. Honing in on the location of the bump and the symptoms associated with it can help you determine how to best address the problem....

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are common drugs that treat high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and some causes of chest pain. They help reduce the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. These medications are also called calcium channel antagonists. CCBs relax the muscles in the walls of the blood vessels, bringing down high blood pressure. They also reduce the speed of fast heartbeats and the amount of blood the heart pumps....

If you’ve been diagnosed with abnormal cervical cell growth known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), there are a few options for treatment based on your risk factors for potentially developing cervical cancer and your likelihood of following through with a prescribed management plan. Your doctor will make an informed decision whether it’s best to monitor you over time or perform one of several procedures that destroys or removes the abnormal cells or lesions....

Charles Bonnet syndrome, otherwise known as CBS, is a condition that affects cognitively healthy—most often elderly—people with partial or total vision loss. Those living with CBS often experience very vivid, visual hallucinations that can range from simple to complex and can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, days, or even years. Although CBS affects people with vision impairment, it does not affect those born with vision issues—only those who have sudden vision loss or age-related vision issues....

Chediak-Higashi syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder. It arises from an abnormality in the DNA that causes abnormalities in the functioning of lysosomes, or elements within cells that are critical to many important aspects of the body’s function. The immune system is particularly affected by this disease, leaving the body less able to fight off viruses and bacteria. This leads to recurrent infections that often prove fatal during childhood....

Karyn Bishof, a firefighter and paramedic based in Boca Raton, Florida, says her experience with COVID-19 initially followed a “normal” trajectory. She received a positive diagnosis on March 26 and experienced three weeks of fever, fatigue, coughing, and shortness of breath—all common symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Key Takeaways Thousands of people are exhibiting long-term COVID-19 symptoms in multiple bodily systems.Much of the information about these chronic COVID-19 cases is patient-driven....

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who got vaccinated against COVID-19 while they were pregnant are likely to pass protection on to their newborns. Key Takeaways New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that when pregnant people were vaccinated against COVID-19, their babies younger than 6 months old were 61% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID....

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy is a non-invasive mechanical treatment that can help reduce the symptoms of angina, or chest pain. EECP uses inflatable cuffs on the lower limbs to create pressure and encourage better blood flow. Clinical studies have shown that EECP treatment can help decrease symptoms of angina in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) who, due to underlying health issues, are not good candidates for surgery. Major medical organizations suggest considering EECP treatment for those with angina who are not helped by other options....

Fever occurs when your body temperature rises to about 99 degrees Farentheit or higher because of an illness. A fever is an anti-inflammatory response and a reaction to foreign invaders in the body. A fever’s purpose is to help the body fight off bacteria and viruses. Most fevers are treatable at home, but there are some that require medical attention. This article covers the symptoms and types of fever, causes of fever, how to treat fever, and when to get help....

Gangrene is a serious condition in which a part of the body begins to decay. This process is often described as tissue death or necrosis. Gangrene can occur when an extremity of the body—hands, feet, nose, ears—becomes severely deprived of blood flow or develops an overwhelming infection. Gangrene can result in sepsis (blood infection) or complete loss of the affected extremity. It can worsen rapidly and is life-threatening if left untreated....

Gender-affirming hormone therapy helps transgender and other gender-diverse people align their bodies to better match their gender identity. Not all individuals who are gender diverse are interested in gender-affirming hormone therapy. However, many transgender people, particularly binary transgender people, will use hormones to affirm their gender. The 2015 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (the most recent one for which statistics are available) found that 95% of transgender men and women, and 49% of non-binary respondents, were interested in hormone therapy....

Cancer is as old as humanity, and breast cancer is a fantastic example of how our thinking about what causes cancer and how to treat it has changed over the centuries. Medicine has changed greatly since the ancient Egyptians. Even in the last few decades, there’s been a revolution in cancer care, with new treatment types and approaches to even the most tenacious metastatic foe. This article reviews the history of breast cancer research and developments in caring for breast cancer patients....

Angioedema can be hereditary, but most of the time it is not. There are diagnostic tests that can identify hereditary angioedema. Angioedema that is not hereditary is normally diagnosed based on the appearance of the skin combined with a history of exposure to a substance that could have caused an allergic reaction. Sometimes, blood tests can support the diagnosis, but results are not specific in terms of associated abnormalities. Self-Checks/At-Home Testing You can check yourself or your child for angioedema....

Diabetes can affect many major organs, including your heart, eyes, kidneys, and brain. When the disease isn’t well-controlled, it can lead to many serious comorbidities, which are conditions that occur alongside diabetes. For people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, finding a treatment plan that works is vital to avoid these problems. This article looks at some of the health problems that high blood sugar can cause in your body’s organs....

Cholera can quickly drain the body of fluids, so timely treatment is essential. The primary method used to treat the disease is rehydration therapy, though antibiotics might also be prescribed in some cases. Rehydration Therapy Because the greatest concern for cholera is the risk of dehydration, rehydration therapy is typically the first line of defense for people with symptoms. These therapies can often be done at home, though in severe cases, rehydration might need to take place with the assistance of a medical team....