Posts

The increasing number of cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the U.S. is raising concern—especially among the LGBTQ+ community. In August, mpox was declared a national public health emergency. Key Takeaways Mpox is currently spreading through sexual contact and primarily among men who have sex with men, prompting questions over whether it should be referred to as an STI.Experts say that stating facts on how the virus is spreading is important, but nuance is key to prevent stigma....

Lateral malleolus fractures are breaks in the bone on the outside of the ankle joint. The lateral malleolus is part of the fibula, one of two bones of the lower leg, which carries about about 10% of your weight. These breaks are the most common type of ankle fracture. They can happen when you take an awkward or uneven step that causes you to twist or roll your ankle. Most lateral malleolus fractures are stable ankle fractures, where the ankle joint remains aligned and able to move normally....

Listeria infections (listeriosis) can occur from eating food that is contaminated with the listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The infection can cause a stomach upset and flu-like symptoms. The foods most likely to become contaminated with this type of bacteria are processed meats such as hot dogs and deli meats (prepackaged and at the deli counter), soft cheeses and smoked seafood. Listeria infections are usually diagnosed based on the symptoms, but laboratory tests can confirm it....

I like to think of myself as a person who keeps an eye on their health—especially when it comes to my breasts—since one in eight women get diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. So when my husband found a lump in my chest one day, I knew it was a cause for concern. This article is part of Breast Cancer and Black Women, a destination in our Health Divide series....

Nutrition education should mainly focus on food labels, calories, and portion sizes. Or at least that’s what I thought.When I landed in the nutrition education program in college, it felt like the perfect fit. I got to study something I love: food. For my thesis project, I created a “nutrition education intervention” for 5th grade students. It was a six-session survey course on the MyPlate guidelines, salt and sugar levels in processed foods, how to read a nutrition label, and more....

Perinatal depression is often described as depression that occurs during pregnancy or the first year after childbirth. Contributing factors include hormonal shifts, increased stress, physical and environmental changes, as well as other factors. Pregnancy is often described as a beautiful time of life. However, that’s just not true for everyone. Sometimes, the inability to meet the unrealistic expectations of a totally joyous pregnancy can even contribute to symptoms of depression....

Psoriasis on the buttocks causes a painful and itchy rash or scaly patches. A form of genital psoriasis, it occurs when the autoimmune disease affects the skin on the buttocks or in the skin folds around the anus. Butt psoriasis causes itching, cracking, scaly, and bleeding skin on your buttocks, buttcrack, and anus. Psoriasis can also affect other genital tissue, including the penis, vulva, and pubic area. Genital psoriasis can be very uncomfortable and even embarrassing....

Spinal stenosis is characterized by spinal cord or nerve root compression due to narrowing of the openings in the vertebrae of the spine. Spinal stenosis surgery involves removing structures of the spine, including discs, portions of vertebral bone, or bone spurs, in order to create more space and relieve pressure from the spinal cord and nerve roots. This helps to reduce pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling associated with spinal stenosis....

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition in which a person experiences intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and engages in specific actions (compulsions) to relieve anxiety caused by the obsessions. The compulsions are often unrelated to the nature of the obsession, and the adverse consequences are almost always imagined and irrational. Unlike most manifestations of OCD, real event OCD centers around an actual event that occurred in the past, instead of imagined expectations of future events....

A rectal ulcer is a break or injury in the mucous membrane that lines the rectum. While these ulcers are most often linked to a rare condition called solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS), there are other causes, too. The rectum is the final 4- to 5-inch section of your large intestine, or colon. The primary function of the rectum is to hold feces and help control defecation and bowel continence. The rectum is made up of five layers consisting of both mucosal tissue and muscle....

Short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) are a class of prescription drugs used to quickly relieve shortness of breath and wheezing in people with asthma. SABAs work by relaxing the smooth muscles of the the airways leading to the lungs that become narrow (constrict) during an asthma attack—allowing air to flow more freely and alleviating spasms. They’re used as needed to treat acute symptoms and, as such, are known as rescue medications. Most often SABAs are taken via an inhaler, although some are available in pill or syrup form or by injection....

Shortness of breath after eating may be related to existing respiratory problems, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, as well as digestive conditions, like hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It can also be a symptom of a severe food allergy (anaphylaxis) and indicate that food was accidentally inhaled into the respiratory system. Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, can feel like a tightness in your chest or the sense that you are suffocating....

Hormonal birth control increases the risk of blood clots in some people with a uterus. The estrogen in combination hormonal birth control methods adds to the risk of a blood clot in the leg, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis. Combination hormonal birth control pills that contain certain types of progestin also increase the risk of blood clots more than birth control pills that contain other types of progestin....

If you are scheduled for vascular surgery, it’s important to understand that there are many types of vascular disease. The time it takes for you to recover will depend on many different factors including: The condition you are diagnosed withThe type of procedure you are having doneWhere your procedure will be performed (in an inpatient or outpatient setting) Recovery from vascular surgery is largely based on how the procedure is formed....

Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium, but many cheeses are also high in cholesterol and saturated fat. In fact, Americans consume more fat from cheese than any other food, according to the National Cancer Institute. Eating too much cholesterol or saturated fat increases your risk of high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. But while cheese can be a part of a healthy, well-balanced diet, which cheeses you choose and how much you eat matters....

Abdominal pains are a common complaint with many causes. Irritable bowel syndrome and functional disorders are common causes of abdominal pain, especially in the types of stomach pain that affect women. However, abdominal pain can have several other causes. Some abdominal pains causes are short-lived and highly treatable, like gas pains. Other causes are more severe, including conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease. Problems with your liver and other organs can cause abdominal pain, as do some types of cancer....

Athlete’s foot, medically known as tinea pedis, is a fungal infection of the skin around the toes and on the feet. The infections can also occur in other areas of the body. When that happens it is known by other names, like ringworm (tinea capitis) or jock itch (tinea cruris). Athlete’s foot causes bumps, skin fissures, and red, itchy scales. It is spread by direct skin contact or contact with items where the fungi thrive: pools, showers, and shoes....

Breast cancer is diagnosed through multiple screening tests. Certain factors may increase your risk of developing the disease. Early detection and treatment are key to disease management. Read more about screening for breast cancer, the risk factors of the disease, as well as the treatment process. What Is Screening and Why Is It Important? Screening for breast cancer involves purposefully looking for signs of disease to diagnose it as early as possible....

A bullectomy is a surgical procedure to remove bullae—air-filled spaces in the lungs that can compress healthy lung tissue and cause symptoms such as dyspnea (shortness of breath), repeated infections, and pneumothorax (lung collapse). Bullae (sometimes called bulla) can result from lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as lifestyle habits that affect the lungs. Bullectomy is done with general anesthesia and requires a short hospital stay....

Celiac disease symptoms frequently include abdominal pain, which can be severe, and occasionally include nausea. There’s also some evidence that medical marijuana can combat both pain and nausea in other conditions. So, can consuming marijuana—either by smoking it or in edible form—help with symptoms of celiac disease that are not controlled by the gluten-free diet? Although there’s some anecdotal evidence that marijuana might help with celiac disease symptoms—a few people with celiac say consuming cannabis curbs abdominal pain, helps them gain weight, and even may alleviate diarrhea—there’s no real medical evidence for any of these possible effects....