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Dental extraction is the removal of adult teeth to take on issues like tooth decay, infection, or crowding. The dentist or oral surgeon’s goal is to take out the entirety of the tooth—including its root—from its socket in the gums. This procedure is usually performed while you’re under localized or generalized anesthesia at a dentist’s office or clinic, and it’s generally painless and well-tolerated. This article will give you a sense of how tooth extraction works, its risks, and what recovery is like afterward....

Face mites, also known as Demodex folliculorum, are microscopic tick-like organisms. They live in the hair follicles in your skin, especially on your face and around the eyelids and lashes, and feed on dead skin cells and oils. Research suggests that they are found in all adults. Though you may consider them unwanted visitors, face mites don’t usually cause any problems. They may even help your skin by removing waste and dead cells from your face....

Although smoking remains the predominant cause of lung cancer, responsible for 80% to 90% of all lung cancer cases, heredity may contribute to lung cancer in some instances. It has been estimated that 8% of lung cancers are linked to a genetic predisposition. The risk of lung cancer may increase if a parent or sibling has the disease; even so, it doesn’t mean you will definitely get the disease if someone in your family has it....

Pregnancy can be an exciting but challenging time in a person’s life. It is possible to become pregnant at age 35 or older, but this may carry some risk. This is known as a pregnancy of advanced maternal age (formerly referred to as a geriatric pregnancy). This article will discuss advanced maternal age pregnancy, risks associated with pregnancy at this age, and how to have a healthy pregnancy at 35 or older....

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, high-risk pools operated in the majority of the states, providing coverage to people who were unable to obtain health insurance due to their medical history. This article will explain how these pools worked, why they were necessary, what’s changed as a result of new federal rules, and why some states still have operational high-risk pools. Under the ACA, individual market insurers are no longer allowed to use medical underwriting, so people cannot be rejected due to their pre-existing conditions....

Heart failure is very common. It affects about 6.2 million adults over the age of 20 in the United States, according to statistics collected between 2015 and 2018. It’s estimated there are nearly 1 million new cases annually. The five-year survival rate of heart failure is 52.6%. Although this rate improved steadily between 1970 and 2000, it didn’t grow significantly between 2000 and 2010. This article highlights the key facts and statistics you should know about heart failure....

Heat rash is a skin condition that can affect anyone—from infants to older adults. It’s also referred to as miliaria, sweat rash, and prickly heat. Heat rash develops when the pores or sweat glands in your skin become blocked. When pores are obstructed, your sweat is trapped under your skin, forming bumps and irritation. The rash is most common during hot and humid weather. Most cases of heat rash heal on their own, but severe blockages may require medical care to clear the pores....

To diagnose axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a healthcare provider will usually start by asking about your symptoms and medical history. They will do a physical exam to assess your pain and mobility in the spine, pelvis, and hips. Blood tests and imaging scans are also usually part of the workup, as well. This article discusses the typical steps and tests involved in diagnosing axSpA. Types of axSpA There are two main types of axSpA:...

If you have asthma, you may be more likely to catch the common cold, and the cold or other viral infections can make your asthma flare up. Asthma and colds both involve airway inflammation. When you have both, it can make asthma symptoms harder to control. An otherwise mild respiratory infection can turn into a serious medical event. This article explains why viral infections like the cold can trigger asthma symptoms, how these episodes are diagnosed and treated, and how you can lower your risk of having both conditions at the same time....

Treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system, involves managing symptoms and preventing relapses. With NMOSD, the immune system will attack healthy nerve tissues, most commonly in the spinal cord and optic nerve. This can lead to an array of potentially severe symptoms, including vision loss, limb paralysis, and the loss of bladder or bowel control. Some treatments for NMOSD target the main antibody involved in the autoimmune assault, called anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) autoantibody....

Tamoxifen, also known by the brand name Nolvadex, is a commonly prescribed medication used to prevent breast cancer recurrence. When taken as prescribed, it can significantly reduce the chance of breast cancer recurrence. The drug may also be used to reduce the chance that certain women will ever develop breast cancer, or to slow the growth of metastatic breast cancer. Tamoxifen is a medication with both anti-estrogen and estrogen-like effects, depending on the particular type of tissue it affects....

Methoprazine (brand name Nozinan), also known as levomepromazine, is commonly used to treat mental and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, manic depression, and other psychotic disorders. It also helps with anxiety and tension, pain, and nausea and vomiting caused by certain conditions. Methoprazine can also be used as a sedative. It is not approved for use or available in the U.S., but it may be available in certain other countries. It belongs to a group of phenothiazine drugs....

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience mental health symptoms, including anxiety. The uncertain nature of the condition—in which relapses and new symptoms seemingly can strike at any time—is thought to be a major reason why. But the immune system’s attack on the brain and the resulting neuroinflammation and neurological changes also seem to play a role. Read on to learn about how MS can lead to anxiety and how to cope....

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects nearly 1 million adults in the United States. MS is considered a generally complex disease. Its symptoms are highly variable and unpredictable, there is no cure, and its cause remains unknown. To help you gain a “big picture” sense of what MS is, this article will highlight key facts and statistics about multiple sclerosis. MS Overview In MS, the immune system attacks the fatty myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers within the brain and spinal cord....

On average, the human body temperature is 98.6 degrees F. However, normal adult body temperatures range from 97 to 99. Your temperature can fluctuate and varies based on your age and the method used to measure your temperature. A fever is when your body temperature is higher than normal. Most healthcare providers consider a fever to be at 100.4 or higher. This article reviews normal human body temperature and fever based on age, how it varies with measurement methods, symptoms and at-home fever treatment, and when to call a healthcare provider....

Ovarian cancer has been nicknamed the “silent killer.” That’s because there are said to be few signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer in the early stages of the disease. Recently, however, researchers have found that people with early-stage ovarian cancer do often have symptoms, such as pelvic pain, bloating, and frequent urination. Unfortunately, these early symptoms are usually subtle and easily attributed to other causes. Because there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, most cases are only found in the advanced stages when symptoms like abdominal swelling, unintentional weight loss, and the inability to have a bowel movement raise serious concerns....

If you’re new to health insurance, you may be surprised that you still have to pay for health care. Isn’t your health plan supposed to pay your medical bills now? Well, yes and no. Your health insurance is supposed to pay part of the cost of your health care, depending on the services that you need during the year. But you’ll still end up paying deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, which are collectively called cost-sharing....

Surgery to correct a vaginal hernia, also called pelvic organ prolapse (POP), can help restore the integrity of compromised tissue and muscles meant to hold pelvic organs like the bladder and rectum in place. Known as POP surgery, the procedure is aimed at reducing symptoms like pelvic pressure and urine leaks by putting the pelvic structures back into position and surgically creating support to prevent them from dropping toward or outside the vagina....

Petechiae are very small (pinpoint) red dots on the skin that form a skin rash due to an infection, allergic reaction, or other cause. These spots are especially common in children and may be found on the arms, legs, stomach, and buttocks.They also affect mucous membranes, such as in the mouth. A petechiae rash doesn’t itch. The small spots (less than 2 millimeters each) don’t have raised bumps, as is common with hives, though you may be able to feel them depending on the underlying cause....

What Is Pulmicort? Pulmicort (budesonide) is an inhaled prescription medication used to prevent asthma symptoms. It comes in two formulations: Pulmicort Flexhaler and Pulmicort Respules. The Pulmicort Flexhaler is an inhaler used to prevent asthma symptoms in adults and children 6 and older. Pulmicort Respules, on the other hand, are taken through a nebulizer, a machine that turns liquid into a mist breathed in through a mask over the mouth and nose....