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Exposure therapy is a form of behavioral therapy. It is designed to help someone overcome fear or anxiety associated with a specific activity or situation. Exposure therapy breaks the cycle of avoidance that many people find themselves in. This article will explain what exposure therapy involves, as well as the types of disorders that it treats. Definition Exposure therapy involves being exposed to the object or situation that triggers fear or anxiety....

A fear of clouds is clinically known as nephophobia. It is what is called a specific phobia. Though you may feel like you’re alone in your fear, know that others have also lived with phobias. About 12.5% of U.S. adults experience a specific phobia over their lifetime. To learn more about fear of clouds and its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, coping, and more, keep reading. Definition of Specific Phobia Fear of clouds is part of a group of phobias called specific phobias....

The loss of a child is unimaginable. Whether anticipated or unexpected, the pain that follows the death of a child is likely to feel overwhelming and endless. With time, healthy coping tools, and help from loved ones and professionals, the worst parts of grief will eventually pass. This article will provide an overview of common grief reactions, options for seeking help, and ways to cope. Common Grief Reactions After a significant loss has occurred, it’s common to experience a flood of emotions....

Diarrhea is a common problem for people living with HIV, with as many as 60% experiencing three or more loose or watery bowel movements per day. Contributing causes include: Side effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART)Direct effects of HIV infection on the gastrointestinal tractOther medicationsAnxiety Chronic diarrhea (defined as continuing for more than four weeks) can have a serious impact on your quality of life if you have HIV. It can contribute to your doubts and fears about therapy and add to feelings of depression and anxiety....

If you have had a stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), then you may benefit from physical therapy to help you regain maximal functional mobility. Physical therapy may take place in a hospital or an outpatient clinic, but another option is to have PT in your home, within your own comfortable, familiar environment. Understanding what PT is and how the service is delivered at home can help you make informed healthcare decisions after a stroke....

Bronchiectasis is among a group of lung disorders classified as obstructive lung diseases. A diagnosis of bronchiectasis is sometimes difficult to make, as bronchiectasis symptoms are often mistaken for other lung disorders, such as emphysema, pneumonia, or lung cancer. Specific tests, such as pulmonary function tests, chest X-rays, and sputum cultures can all help narrow down a diagnosis of bronchiectasis. Self-Checks Because the symptoms of bronchiectasis are so similar to numerous other lung conditions, such as bronchitis or asthma, this condition cannot be diagnosed based on self-checks....

Scientists studying the genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have learned a tremendous amount about this disease, who gets it, and why. Still, much remains to be learned. Among the questions researchers are trying to answer are: How much does lupus run in families?Why are certain ethnic groups—including people who are Black, Asian, Latinx, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders—two to threes times more likely than people who are White to develop the condition?...

It’s hard to give a simple answer to the question of whether arthritis is hereditary. Arthritis is a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases that involve joint pain and inflammation. Each type has different causes and risk factors. While many types carry a genetic component, genetics alone doesn’t lead to the disease. This article will look at the role of heredity in five common arthritis types, help you identify your personal risk factors, and explore treatments and preventive measures....

Partial knee replacement, also called a unicompartmental knee replacement, is a surgery that may be considered for treatment of severe arthritis of the knee. Traditionally, patients with advanced arthritis of the joint would undergo total knee replacement. In a total knee replacement, all of the cartilage is removed from the knee joint, and a metal and plastic implant is inserted. The partial knee replacement surgical procedure has generated significant interest because it uses a smaller incision and has a faster recovery than full knee replacement surgery....

The signs and symptoms of kidney cancer that alert people and their healthcare providers to its presence have changed dramatically in recent years. In the past, the classic triad of flank pain, blood in the urine, and a mass in the flank were most common. In addition, the spread of kidney cancer to other parts of the body (metastatic disease) gives the first warning signs of the disease (such as a cough or bone pain) in 30 percent of people....

Low-fat diets, in which calories from fat sources are cut dramatically, were once considered the best way to reduce body fat and lower the risk of heart disease and even cancer. Today, more is known about how dietary fat affects the body. Recommendations now center on promoting some fats while limiting others. Background The U.S. government has been providing dietary guidance for Americans for many years. The first edition of The Dietary Goals for the United States was published in 1977....

The small intestine is part of the digestive system. It finishes breaking down food and absorbs most of the nutrients in food after it passes through the mouth, the esophagus, and the stomach. Malabsorption syndrome develops when your small intestine stops absorbing nutrients properly. It develops after an injury or disease impacts the health of the intestines. This article covers everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of malabsorption syndrome....

Living with psoriasis has become even more challenging and stressful due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. If you are feeling worried or overwhelmed during this time, you are not alone. Fortunately, as time passes, researchers will learn more about how people with autoimmune diseases like psoriasis might be affected by COVID-19. Still, a lot of that information can be confusing, leaving you with questions. Learn about your risk for COVID-19 and its complications and how to continue managing psoriasis and your overall health during the pandemic and as the world slowly gets back to normal....

The mechanical soft diet can be used if you are having trouble chewing and/or swallowing. Eating soft foods promotes healing and helps prevent choking or breathing in food particles or liquids (aspiration). “Mechanical” refers to making food softer, smaller, and easier to eat through the use of kitchen implements like blenders, food processors, and grinders. Benefits The soft mechanical diet helps you get balanced nutrition despite not being able to chew or swallow easily and/or without discomfort....

Miliary tuberculosis (TB), also known as disseminated TB, is a rare but potentially fatal complication of TB, most often affecting infants and children younger than 5 as well as people with weakened immune systems. This disease arises when the infecting bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, enter the bloodstream, spreading to the lungs and other organs. It causes tubercles, small growths the size of millet seeds, to form in the lungs and leads to a wide range of symptoms, depending on the organs it affects....

Numbness or tingling in the legs—or a pins-and-needles sensation—is common when you’ve been sitting in the same position for a long time. This can reduce blood flow or put too much pressure on the nerves, and usually goes away once you’ve moved around. Long-lasting or unexplained numbness or tingling, known as paresthesia, may be an indication of vitamin deficiency or toxicity or be a side effect of medication, alcohol, or injury....

While not a first-line treatment, phototherapy may be used for eczema when other methods, like topical steroid creams and medications, fail to improve symptoms. The treatment consists of exposure to a therapeutic light source, typically ultraviolet light. It can also be used for other skin disorders, like psoriasis, and vitiligo Does Light Therapy for Eczema Work? Ultraviolet radiation used in phototherapy has the potential to improve the symptoms of inflammatory skin conditions by decreasing the production of cytokines, proteins produced by certain cells of the body that can cause many autoimmune conditions, including inflammation....

Post-nasal drip, also called upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), is a common disorder. It can be caused by colds, allergies, acid reflux, and other conditions. It happens when the amount or quality of the mucus that’s typically produced in the airways has changed and is now causing irritation. Treatment for post-nasal drip depends on the cause of the condition. This article explains post-nasal drip and some common symptoms that occur. It looks at six possible causes of post-nasal drip and some ways your symptoms can be treated at home....

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that causes joint inflammation and pain throughout the body. It most commonly affects the fingers, toes, knees, ankles, and the entheses, the areas where tendons and ligaments meet bone. PsA often causes a condition called sacroiliitis, which is inflammation of the sacroiliac (SI) joints. Sacroiliitis commonly causes pain in the hips, low back, buttocks, and legs. This article will discuss how these two conditions relate, including symptoms, causes, and treatment....

Heart bypass surgery (also called bypass surgery, coronary artery bypass graft, or coronary artery bypass graft CABG) is performed as a surgical intervention to address blockages in the native coronary arteries. When bypass surgery is required, these arteries have become blocked or partially blocked due to disease. Usually, a blockage (or partial blockage) is caused by coronary artery disease (CAD). Heart bypass surgery involves taking healthy arteries from somewhere in the body (usually from the leg, arm, or chest area), then connecting this graft artery, thereby making a new passageway for blood (and oxygen) to flow....