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What Is Nerlynx? Nerlynx (neratinib) is a kinase—a type of protein—inhibitor used in people with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer. This orally administered prescription medication works by binding to epidermal growth factor (EGFR), which is a type of protein. Nerlynx is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for adults 18 and older and is often supplemented with loperamide or Xeloda (capecitabine). The EGFR family includes HER2....

Triglycerides are fats found in your blood. It is important to monitor these fats on a regular basis through blood tests. Triglyceride levels that are too high can lead to health problems, so you want to keep triglycerides in a normal range. What Are Triglycerides? Triglycerides are considered the most common type of fat in the body. Although they mostly come from food, your body can also make triglycerides. Your body needs some triglycerides to function normally, but high levels can cause problems....

In the past, women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were counseled against pregnancy. But current IBD management strategies have made having a baby safer for both mother and baby. Having a chronic illness while pregnant requires careful supervision by qualified physicians, but a healthy pregnancy and baby are both possible. Do Men And Women With IBD Have Decreased Fertility Rates? Fertility rates for women with IBD are the same as for women who are in good health....

Reactive hypoglycemia, also called postprandial hypoglycemia, is when your blood sugar (blood glucose) drops after eating. Sometimes referred to as a “sugar crash,” reactive hypoglycemia usually occurs within four hours of eating. Reactive hypoglycemia is one of two types of hypoglycemia unrelated to diabetes. The other is known as fasting hypoglycemia, which happens when you don’t eat for a long time or have certain medical conditions. The cause of reactive hypoglycemia is often unknown, although there are a handful of medical conditions associated with it....

Regression therapy is a type of psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) that guides people to remember past events and traumas buried in their subconscious. Age regression therapy and past-life regression therapy are two versions of this method. The practice, which was first developed by Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, is based on the premise that addressing past traumas and releasing the difficult emotions they caused is key to well-being....

The neck and shoulders are complex and interconnected areas, and medical problems that affect one often affect the other, as well. Pain and dysfunction from injuries or conditions that impact the joints, muscles, and other structures can easily spread from the neck to the shoulder(s) and from the shoulder(s) to the neck. These body parts share bones, muscles, connective tissues, and nerves, making it easy for pain to radiate throughout the area....

A sigmoidoscopy is a way for a healthcare provider to examine the last one-third of the large intestine. This includes the rectum and sigmoid colon. During the test, a flexible viewing tube with a lens and light source on the end, called a sigmoidoscope, is inserted through the anus and into the rectum. This allows the practitioner to examine the inside of the colon. The test’s purpose is to check for cancer, abnormal growths (polyps), and ulcers....

Sleep paralysis is when you’re temporarily unable to move or speak as you go from sleep to wakefulness, or vice versa. It can last seconds to minutes, during which time you may feel like you are touching, hearing, smelling, or seeing people or things that aren’t really there. You may feel anxious, scared, or even like you’re going to die (or that you’re already dead). You are aware of the experience, but unable to do anything to control it....

If you have flu-like symptoms, it could be from the flu (influenza), a similar viral illness, or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), also called a sexually transmitted disease (STD). STIs are transmitted through direct contact, usually (but not always) sexual in nature. Many exist, and each has unique symptoms. Common STIs that cause flu-like symptoms include: Gonorrhea and throat gonorrhea Hepatitis B Herpes Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS Syphilis This article will review flu-like symptoms and list the STIs that can cause them....

A stomach ulcer is a sore or break in the lining of the digestive tract. It develops when stomach acid damages this lining. Stomach ulcers usually occur due to a bacterial infection or frequent use of certain over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Many people with stomach ulcers experience symptoms like abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, heartburn, and nausea. Stomach ulcers are fairly common and can be easily treated with medications and lifestyle modifications in most cases....

Strep throat, also called acute pharyngitis, is a common respiratory illness caused by the bacteria group A Streptococcus (Group A Strep). It is most commonly seen in children ages 5 to 15. Possible symptoms include a sore throat, fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The bacteria is spread through saliva and nasal secretions from person-to-person contact. Strep throat in babies and toddlers under 3 is rare. Babies who are diagnosed with strep throat usually have mild symptoms that may include fever, irritability, and difficulty feeding....

What Is Trulance? Trulance (plecanatide) is used to treat chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in adults. It is a prescription drug only available in tablet form. Trulance is part of a class of drugs called guanylate cyclase-C agonists. Too much fluid in the gut leads to diarrhea, whereas too little fluid causes constipation. Specific substances, such as a small peptide called uroguanylin, help to control the amount of fluid your bowel makes....

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament is a devastating injury for athletes of all ages. Treatment usually involves surgery. If you undergo surgical reconstruction, you may have to choose between using your own tissue or using a donor graft. Understanding ACL Tears The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments in the knee joint. These ligaments work collectively to allow the knee to bend normally, but also to be stable throughout this motion....

Pre-approval happens when your health insurance company agrees that a medical service you’re going to have is medically necessary and covered under the terms of your policy. But pre-approval, which can also be called prior authorization, preauthorization, or precertification, doesn’t mean that your insurer is guaranteeing they’ll pay for the service—a claim still has to be submitted after the service is provided, and claims are not guaranteed to be paid....

Wilson’s disease, also known as hepatolenticular degeneration, is a genetic disorder which results in the excessive accumulation of copper in the body. It’s an uncommon disorder affecting one in every 30,000 people. For a person to be affected, he or she must inherit a specific genetic mutation from not one, but both parents. This abnormal accumulation of copper most predominately affects the liver, brain, kidney, and eyes, but may also impact the heart and endocrine system....

It’s common to have high triglyceride levels if you have type 2 diabetes. When they are above the normal range, your provider might tell you that your triglyceride levels are elevated. Up to 70% of people with diabetes also have elevated triglyceride levels. This article will go over how triglyceride levels are related to diabetes. You’ll also learn how to lower your triglyceride levels if they’re too high. Definition Triglycerides are fat molecules....

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue. This autoimmune disease, which is frequently seen alongside the skin condition psoriasis, causes inflammation, swelling, and pain in the body’s joints. Because of the lifelong nature of this disease and the challenges in addressing its symptoms, there has been a renewed interest in using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to supplement more conventional treatments....

Birth control can be used to treat a variety of gynecological conditions (e.g., irregular periods, endometriosis, menstrual cramps) while also preventing pregnancy, but some types of birth control methods may cause irritating rashes on the body and face. This article will cover what kinds of rashes are caused by birth control, risk factors, other birth control side effects, and treatment. Why Does Birth Control Cause Rashes? You may have a reaction to hormonal birth control in the form of an itchy rash, or an allergic reaction, caused by hormones in these medications, such as estrogen and progestin, or a combination of both....

Many people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are advised not to donate plasma. But having PsA on its own doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from donating your plasma. According to the American Red Cross, most people with chronic illnesses can give blood if they are feeling well, their condition is managed, and they meet all eligibility guidelines. Keep reading to learn about the safety of plasma donation if you have PsA, what could potentially disqualify you, when to delay donation, and what your options are for donating plasma....

While you may think chest pain is a sure sign of a heart problem or write it off as indigestion, there is a wide range of possible causes. It may feel like pressure, tightness, or squeezing in your chest. It can be persistent or come and go depending on your activity level or position. Sometimes chest pain also radiates to other areas like the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, upper abdomen, or back....