Medicare covers a wide range of services, but some of those services are limited. Dental care is one of them, even though taking good care of your teeth and gums is important not just for your mouth, but for your overall health. Medicare is a federal program for adults 65 and older and for people who have certain disabilities regardless of their age. More than 63 million people are on Medicare....
Gym owner and certified fitness trainer Lana Lamkin was the last person anyone thought would get sick. But in just eight weeks, the 50-year-old went from being extremely active to needing a double lung transplant. To her doctors’ surprise, the culprit wasn’t COVID-19, although she did experience respiratory symptoms and a cytokine storm. Lamkin was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder called dermatomyositis. According to her care team, her outcome could have been much worse if it weren’t for her pre-illness fitness level....
When it comes to treating diabetic kidney disease and reducing the risk of kidney failure (requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation), it’s not every day that we hear about medications that justify terms like, “Holy Grail,” “game-changer,” “major breakthrough,” and so on. Well, we might really be at one of those rare moments in medicine where a drug has shown results promising enough to justify those labels. The cause of enthusiasm: a medication for control of diabetes called Jardiance (empagliflozin)....
Your finger joints are the most commonly used joints. Their function is essential for grasping and manipulating objects and performing intricate tasks. Keep reading to learn more about your finger joints, including their structure, associated conditions, and treatment for those conditions. Anatomy The hand contains 14 phalanges—the bones that make up the fingers. The term phalanx is singular, referring to one finger bone. Each finger contains three phalanges (proximal, middle, and distal), and the thumb has two phalanges....
Flying on commercial airlines is usually very safe for people with cancer who are stable, reasonably healed from any surgeries, and do not have a very low white blood cell count or platelet level due to chemotherapy. That said, it’s important for anyone with cancer to talk to an oncologist before scheduling any air travel to discuss potential concerns about oxygen levels or pressure changes during flight, or the need for preventive measures against blood clots....
A fungus is a type of organism that lives in soil, air, and plants. A fungus can also live in or on the human body—for example, on the skin. Fungal infections are caused by fungi (the plural word for fungus). Some fungal infections are contagious. Many fungal infections are not serious, but some can be harmful. This article will take a look at the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of some of the most common types of fungal infections....
After undergoing the stress and physical challenges of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, it can be disheartening to hear that you have been diagnosed with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The complication, in which transplanted cells from a donor triggers an autoimmune-like assault on healthy tissues and organs, is more common than one might think. There is really no way to know who will develop GvHD, and, unless the donor is an identical twin, anyone who receives an allogeneic (donor-to-recipient) transplant is ultimately at risk....
Diagnosing celiac disease is a fairly lengthy process. In most cases, you’ll first have blood tests done and then ultimately have a procedure known as an endoscopy, in which healthcare providers look directly at your small intestine. In the best-case scenario, you’ll have your answer within a few days or a week, but this can take much longer in some areas, especially where gastroenterologists are in short supply. Here’s what you can expect as your healthcare provider works to determine if you have celiac disease, plus what you can do to help....
Diabetes is a growing problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34.2 million Americans have diabetes and 88 million have pre-diabetes. The number continues to rise and with it the medical complications that come with it. The American Diabetes Association estimates that people who have diabetes spend 2.3 times more on health care, $237 billion in direct costs, and $90 billion in decreased productivity in 2017 alone....
No matter how bad you are feeling, deciding whether or not you should call in sick may be challenging. You may be needed at work, yet you might be unfocussed, unproductive, or disruptive to your coworkers. You may be contagious, but out of paid sick time. Looking at your situation with your symptoms in mind may help you decide the right course of action for you and those around you....
Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, is a common fungal infection of the feet. It typically causes scaly, peeling skin between the toes and on the soles of the feet. These areas can burn, itch, or sting, creating a rather uncomfortable skin condition. The fungi that cause athlete’s foot thrive in warm, damp places like pools, showers, and locker rooms. You have several options to treat this condition. This article covers different home remedies, including hydrogen peroxide, to treat athlete’s foot....
Intravenous (IV) sedation is a type of anesthesia given through a tube placed in a vein. It helps you relax, prevents you from feeling pain, and is mainly used for minor medical procedures that don’t require deeper general anesthesia. IV sedation is also known as monitored anesthesia care (MAC), conscious sedation, or twilight sleep. This article will discuss the types of IV anesthesia, when they are used, and what you should know if you are getting ready to have a procedure that requires you to receive anesthesia....
Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) is a condition characterized by chronic constipation with associated abdominal pain. It’s a subtype of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). About one-third of people with IBS have the IBS-C type. IBS-C is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. These are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that produce symptoms but have no identifiable cause despite standard diagnostic tests. These disorders can cause significant distress. Diet changes, fiber supplements, medication, and behavior changes may reduce the symptoms of IBS with constipation....
Vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, which means there isn’t research on the long-term health effects of electronic cigarettes (commonly called e-cigarettes, e-cigs, or vaping) compared to smoking. Overall, e-cigarettes appear to be less harmful than smoking—a low bar considering how dangerous combustible cigarettes have proven to be—but they are far from safe. E-cigarettes pose some of the same health concerns as smoking, including addiction and damage to your heart and lungs....
Juvenile osteoporosis is a rare form of osteoporosis that typically begins just before the onset of puberty. The average age at onset is seven years old, with a range between one to 13 years old. Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disease where bone density is lost or there is insufficient bone formation. The result is weakened bones and susceptibility to fracture. Osteoporosis can be a serious problem when it affects young people because this is a time when they are building most of their bone mass....
Lewy body dementia (LBD) progresses in stages, similar to Alzheimer’s disease. It’s what happens during these stages that makes the two conditions different. This article explains the progression of Lewy body dementia as it proceeds through three stages. Stages of Lewy Body Dementia Lewy body dementia usually takes five to eight years to progress from diagnosis to death. Some cases may progress faster, while others may progress much more slowly. Regardless of the speed of progression, the timeline of Lewy body dementia is usually distinguished by early, middle, and late stages....
It’s not uncommon to have missing teeth. In fact, a survey in 2015 found only 48% of American adults ages 20–64 have a full permanent (or secondary) set. Nearly 1 in 5 seniors over 65 are missing all of their teeth (called edentulism). Genetic conditions, gum disease, injury, cavities, and tooth decay are among the many causes of tooth loss. Tooth loss can affect chewing patterns, cause bone loss, and impact self-esteem, and it can lead to other health conditions if left untreated....
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a type of liver disease that is not caused by alcohol. It typically does not cause symptoms in the early stages, but it can cause health problems due to fat accumulation, inflammation, and scarring in the liver. NAFLD is commonly associated with obesity and diabetes, and it can progress if these conditions are not well controlled or if they are not treated. Progression leads to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is a type of liver failure that causes fatigue and potentially life-threatening metabolic problems....
When headache pain is on the back of your head, it’s often due to a primary headache disorder called a tension-type headache. This type of headache is very common and not a cause for alarm. While it’s less common, secondary headaches (those that are caused by another health condition) are sometimes behind headache pain in the back of the head. Sometimes, this type of pain may be related to a serious issue....
Jaime Zuckerman, PsyD, is a Philadelphia-based licensed clinical psychologist in private practice who treats mood disorders, anxiety, adjustment to medical illness, and relationship difficulties. When COVID-19 first emerged, some experts presumed that it would pose the same threat as the seasonal flu. The narrative was direct: lockdowns would be short-lived, recovery periods swift, and death and disability restricted to older adults and people with compromised immune systems. As droplets spread the virus, data was spread to researchers....
