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Animal therapy is the use of animals to help with physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning. This is sometimes also called pet therapy, animal-assisted therapy, or pet-assisted therapy. This article will explain animal therapy, the conditions that can be treated, processes, who facilitates it, types, and more. Definition Animal therapy is any type of therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals. This may include support with physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning. It can be used alone or as part of a treatment plan with other interventions....

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs by a virus, bacterium, or fungus. Despite its name, atypical pneumonia is a common bacterial infection that is considered to be “atypical” based on its nontraditional clinical presentation and the difficulty in detection through standard detection methods. Even more, atypical pneumonias usually present as patchy infiltrates (white spots on the lungs) on X-rays as opposed to the lobar infiltrates (inflammation of the entire lobe) that are often seen in pneumonias caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and other bacteria....

While high blood sugar is the characteristic symptom of diabetes, your blood sugar can also be high even if you don’t have the condition. To avoid making high blood sugar worse, it is important to make good dietary choices and choose foods that can help you regulate your blood sugar. Fiber-Rich Foods Foods that are high in fiber can help regulate high blood sugar by slowing down digestion. This helps prevent blood sugar spikes and improve your body’s response to insulin, the hormone that removes excess sugar from the blood to keep blood sugar levels stable....

The research on using alternative treatments to treat the common cold is mixed. Still, some people swear by natural remedies for cold symptoms like runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, sneezing, watery eyes, headache, fatigue, and body aches. Some of the most popular natural cold remedies include: ZincVitamin DAstragalusGarlicVitamin CHoneyEchinaceaGinsengGingerElderberryEucalyptus This article goes over what research has found about the safety and effectiveness of each of these, as well as some things you should consider before trying them....

The signs and symptoms of autism are usually seen before age 3. They include impairments in communication, social interactions, and responsiveness, as well as possible obsessive or repetitive behaviors. It’s said that “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” That’s because the appearance of autism can vary from person to person in the types of symptoms and their severity. One person with autism may be very verbal, bright, and engaged, while another is non-verbal, intellectually challenged, and almost entirely self-absorbed....

Breast calcifications are calcium deposits that appear as white dots on a mammogram. They can vary in size, as well as pattern and arrangement, and the significance of these factors can vary considerably. Calcifications often are associated with breast cancer but there are other potential causes, such as benign (noncancerous) fibroadenomas.Calcifications are, in fact, quite common, affecting half of all women over the age of 50. The vast majority of these will be non-cancerous....

When there is a bump on your head, it can affect you in many ways. Some bumps can be on the bone, under the skin, or on the skin. The diagnosis and treatment depend on the type and severity of the bump. Learn more about what causes bumps on the head and how to treat them. Causes There are various causes for bumps on the head, which are outlined below....

Lately, thousands of people on social media have been claiming one nerve in your body, called the vagus nerve, is connected to a slew of health conditions like anxiety, depression, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders. The hashtag #vagusnerve has been viewed more than 47 million times on TikTok alone. Key Takeaways The vagus nerve is important in managing heart rate, breathing, and digestion.Damage to the vagus nerve can lead to a wide range of health conditions, including fainting and digestive issues....

Almost half of Americans have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that around 40% of the United States population is fully vaccinated. As a result, vaccine supply is now far surpassing demand. Key Takeaways Workplace vaccine mandates can be legal, but it depends on several factors.If vaccines are required, employers must ensure employees have the opportunity to be vaccinated....

If you have pain in one side of your chest wall, you may be suffering from a condition called costochondritis. This condition, often caused by irritation and inflammation of the cartilage that attaches your ribs to your breastbone, can make moving into certain positions painful. It may also cause pain when taking deep breaths. If you have costochondritis, working with a physical therapist can be a good option to help ease the pain and inflammation and allow you to return to normal activity and function....

Tea has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries, and for many different purposes—from indigestion to hair loss. People still use green tea today because it’s rich in antioxidants and purported to have many health benefits. Green tea has even been touted as an all-natural acne treatment. But how effective is green tea, really, at preventing and treating acne breakouts? And should you add it to your acne treatment routine?...

Everyone has experienced “hanger” at some point—the mood swings caused by low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can affect a person whether they have diabetes or not. For patients with diabetes, though, mood swings coupled with the anger of having a chronic disease can be tough to manage. It may be frustrating to deal with diabetes day after day for a lifetime. Your partner’s diabetes may cause you to overlook or make excuses for angry reactions, which is OK to an extent....

An endodontist is a type of specialized dentist that focuses mainly on diagnosing and treating issues that occur in the centermost part of the tooth, known as the dental pulp. Typically, if a person is experiencing a toothache or needs a root canal, they will need to see an endodontist. This article discusses what endodontists do and the training needed to become a specialist in the field of endodontics. Concentrations Endodontics is the highly specialized branch of dentistry that focuses solely on the soft tissues within the teeth known as dental pulp....

Hearing loss can be a neglected topic of discussion in the diabetes community, but it is certainly an important one. Research has found hearing loss is twice as common in people with established diabetes, and people with prediabetes have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss when compared to those who don’t. “Hearing loss is more common in individuals with diabetes,” says Dr. Shelly Borgia, Doctor of Audiology & Founder of NYC Hearing Associates, PLLC....

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought infectious disease terminology into the mainstream. One term is herd immunity—or community protection. Key Takeaways More than 60% of Americans would have to contract COVID-19 to reach a herd immunity threshold.Experts say that letting COVID spread unchecked through the population as a strategy is neither ethical nor realistic.Herd immunity through infection would lead to a high death toll and an overburdened healthcare system. Herd immunity is achieved when a population becomes largely immune to infectious disease through vaccination or through infection....

Opioid-induced constipation is a common condition that results from taking opioid medications for pain management. Constipation describes infrequent bowel movements or experiencing hard, dry stool that is difficult to pass. Opioid-induced constipation is usually diagnosed with a thorough history and physical exam. This article will describe the tools used to diagnose opioid-induced constipation and list other common causes of constipation. Self-Checks/At-Home Testing Opioid-induced constipation may start as soon as you begin taking opioid medications or it may develop slowly over time....

About the only aspect of leaving a hospital that is consistent among all patients is that we all do it sooner or later. Hospital discharge is the process by which you prepare to leave the hospital. In an ideal world, hospital discharge would take place when both you and your healthcare provider think the time is right. You would be strong enough and healthy enough to handle not only the important discharge tasks and details, but also to take care of yourself once you arrive at your destination....

Gout is a painful inflammatory condition caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Also known as gouty arthritis, this condition can occur suddenly and most often begins in the big toe. Uric acid is a compound created as your body breaks down purines, which are found in your body and the food you eat. High levels of uric acid cause gout crystals to form, which then build up in the joints....

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable condition, with symptoms that can range from mild to debilitating. Most people with MS have a relapsing-remitting form, meaning they experience periods in which their symptoms suddenly return or worsen (relapsing) and others where they disappear or improve (remitting). The nature of MS makes it difficult to predict the course of the disease for each person. Some people may remain independent, and others may need the help of a caregiver to complete tasks of daily living, such as cooking or getting around....

When all is functioning as it should, your digestive tract operates silently in the background turning the nutrients you eat into energy and removing waste from the body. You have no control over these functions but can quickly become aware when something is not working as it should. Acute, non-life threatening interruptions to this process, such as gastrointestinal bugs, diarrhea, or constipation, are common and might cause a day or two of discomfort....