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U.S. health officials voted August 13, 2021 to recommend an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for some immunocompromised people. Key Takeaways A CDC advisory panel voted to recommend additional shots for immunocompromised individuals.The recommendation applies to people with moderate to severe immunosuppression.Studies show third doses are safe and effective for the mRNA vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is not authorized for use as a third dose among immunocompromised people, though it is authorized as a booster....

Codependency is an emotional and behavioral condition that makes it hard for a person to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. Being codependent is sometimes called “relationship addiction.” People who are codependent have one-sided, emotionally destructive, and dysfunctional relationships. This article will go over what codependency means. You will also learn the signs of codependency, how it can be treated, and how you can help a loved one who is codependent....

Everyone experiences cold hands at some point, usually after exposure to cold temperatures. However, cold hands can also signify that an underlying health condition is affecting blood flow. Raynaud’s phenomenon is a common cause of cold hands, but this symptom can also occur with vascular diseases (conditions affecting blood vessels) or as a side effect of certain medications. This article discusses symptoms, potential causes, treatment, and diagnosis of cold hands....

What Is Depen? Depen (penicillamine) is an orally administered prescription medication used to treat cystinuria, Wilson’s disease (WD), and in combination with other drugs to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Depen is a heavy metal antagonist further categorized as a chelating agent, a chemical that binds to certain metals. For context, the term “heavy metal antagonist” refers to a group of medications that treat metal deficiencies in the blood, such as mercury and lead toxicity....

External compression headache, often referred to simply as compression headache, arises due to pressure placed on the temples and scalp. Helmets, hats, personal protective equipment (PPE), and goggles that are too tight are common causes of this headache. Generally, the pain resolves after what’s causing it is removed from your head. Pain medications will also help, if needed. This article covers the basics of external compression headache, including its causes and how it’s managed....

When you have gas pain from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can be hard to think about eating. IBS flare-ups can be intense. But knowing what to eat—and what to avoid—may ease some of your anxiety along with your symptoms, so you can reduce that gas pain and be more in control of your life. What Are the Best Foods for IBS? Researchers have identified two types of food that may be helpful for alleviating IBS gas and pain....

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that can be passed from one person to the next through body fluids like semen, blood, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. HIV is most often transmitted during sex but can also be passed through shared needles. HIV can also be transmitted from the carrying parent to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or while breastfeeding. This article is part of Health Divide: HIV, a destination in our Health Divide series....

A fever is a body temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher and is usually a sign of an infection. Knowing how to bring a fever down can help you safely and quickly reduce symptoms like headache, chills, and sweats. If you or someone you are caring for is running a high temperature, you can safely break the fever by: Taking over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofenDrinking plenty of fluidsTaking a lukewarm bathPlacing cool packs under the armsGetting lots of rest Other methods may sound like a good idea, but end up not reducing a temperature or even causing concerning side effects....

As anyone living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) knows, an IBS attack can be both physically and emotionally draining. Beyond the pain and discomfort, people with IBS often find themselves panicking to find a bathroom or worrying that they may be caught out in public unprepared. Luckily, there are things that you can do to help alleviate the symptoms of an attack (and even help avoid them in the future)....

Over the past couple of weeks, it seems like climate disasters are happening everywhere we look. In the U.S. alone, a heat dome blazed in the Northwest, fires cropped up in California, New York City flooded, and even an ocean fire broke out in the Gulf of Mexico. Key Takeaways Climate anxiety and climate change-related disasters are increasing in tandem.Climate anxiety is likely caused by an interplay of many factors, including news exposure, lived experience, and institutional inertia....

Side effects from certain drugs like antipsychotics can cause tardive dyskinesia (TD). People experiencing TD symptoms often wonder if the condition is permanent. Two FDA-approved medications are now recommended as first-line therapies for TD. This article discusses when TD can be reversed and how to manage and live with the condition. Common Symptoms and Severity TD symptoms range from mild to severe. The onset of symptoms tends to be gradual and can go unnoticed....

There is no doubt that asthma can be stressful or that having a child with asthma adds stress on top of an already difficult job. It turns out that meditation may help you get control of your asthma in addition to helping out with the stress of day-to-day life. Stress is, of course, unavoidable. However, the point of stress reduction and stress management programs is not to eliminate it. Meditation is a technique that, if practiced for as few as 10 minutes each day, can help you control stress....

Metastatic adenocarcinoma occurs when cancer that affects glandular tissues spreads (metastasizes) to other parts of the body. Glandular tissues are those that secrete a substance such as milk or mucus. Most breast and colon cancers, and some lung cancers, are adenocarcinomas. Some of the time, these cancers are metastatic (stage 4) at the time of diagnosis. At other times, they represent a progression or recurrence of a previous early-stage tumor....

Osteoporosis and celiac disease commonly appear together. In fact, it’s not unusual for someone in their 40s or even 30s to find they have low bone density immediately after they’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease. It’s important to understand why this occurs (malnutrition related to intestinal damage from celiac disease seems to be the culprit). It’s also important to know what you should do if you are diagnosed with both conditions....

Chemotherapy is a form of treatment for cancer. It is a group of medications used to kill cancer cells. Following chemotherapy, people with a uterus may experience changes in their libido (sex drive) and fertility. The exact impact on fertility, which refers to a person’s ability to conceive through intercourse and carry the pregnancy to term, depends on your stage in life, menstrual history, hormone levels, the type of cancer and treatment, and the treatment doses....

Pfizer’s new oral drug, Paxlovid, is the first COVID-19 pill to receive authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Experts say this is a game-changer because people would be able to take the drug at home, possibly eliminating the need to visit a hospital to receive treatment. Key Takeaways Pfizer’s oral drug to treat COVID-19 is the first of its kind to receive FDA authorization.The treatment, called Paxlovid, is a protease inhibitor, a class of drug used to treat HIV and hepatitis C....

Perioral dermatitis (PD) is a scaly, itchy rash that often appears around the lips. It may extend up to the border of the mouth or there might be some clear skin in between. It may also spread to other areas of the face and body, and it can affect both children and adults. Also called periorificial dermatitis, this condition causes symptoms such as: Red bumpsFlaky skinClear fluid dischargeInflammation This article explains the causes of perioral dermatitis and what the rash looks like....

What Is Sutent? Sutent contains sunitinib, which belongs to a class of drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors or antineoplastics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sunitinib in January 2006 to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma. It later was approved to manage various other kinds of pancreatic and intestinal cancers. Sunitinib blocks the action of the abnormal protein called receptor tyrosine kinases that signals the multiplication of cancer cells. It slows down the activity of these proteins to decrease the growth and spread of cancer....

Ever since the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was first discovered in 1983, scientists have worked ceaselessly to find ways to prevent the further spread of the disease. Some of the interventions, like condoms, are effective but far from foolproof. Others, like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), are over 90% effective but have been poorly embraced by many high-risk groups, including African Americans. It was only in 2019 that scientists finally revealed the one intervention that can effectively reduce the risk of HIV to zero: an undetectable viral load....

A wedge resection is a surgical procedure that is done to remove a wedge-shaped section of lung tissue, usually for treating lung cancer, but sometimes for other indications. A wedge resection is less invasive than some of the other surgical options used to remove lung cancer, and it may be appropriate if your cancer is relatively contained. Your healthcare provider may recommend wedge resection surgery to treat your lung cancer, especially if you have been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)....