Posts

Colloidal silver is a solution of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid base. It’s marketed as a remedy for a range of health problems. People can take it by mouth (orally). However, some colloidal silver products are sprayed, applied to the skin, or injected into a vein. Silver, slightly different from colloidal silver at the molecular level, has been used in medicine for centuries. In the past, it was claimed to be a cure-all for everything from tuberculosis and arthritis to herpes and cancer....

Warfarin is a prescription anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medication used to treat and prevent blood clots. Though it can be beneficial for some people, it does carry some risks. Drugs like warfarin are sometimes called “blood thinners.” These drugs don’t really “thin” your blood, but they do make it less likely to clot. Coumadin and Jantoven are common brand names of the drug warfarin. This article explains how warfarin works. It also covers its uses, dosage, side effects, and alternatives....

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited condition that causes high levels of LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol). This increases the risk of heart disease. FH almost always requires medication to bring LDL levels to an optimum level. However, diet can be an important part of managing this condition, too. Pairing healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a heart-healthy diet can help reduce the cardiovascular risks that come with FH. This article will discuss diet strategies that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, including filling up on fiber-rich foods, favoring lean protein sources, and more....

An autoimmune disease occurs when your body loses the ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal cells and begins to attack healthy cells by mistake. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and there is no one doctor who can treat all kinds of autoimmune disease. Which doctor you need depends on which body systems are affected by your particular autoimmune disease. You will typically get a referral to a specialist from your primary care physician....

The Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) is a complex surgery that is usually done to treat non-metastatic pancreatic cancer. Several procedures are performed in one operation. These involve the pancreas, duodenum, common bile duct, gallbladder, adjacent lymph nodes, and (in some instances) part of the stomach known as the pylorus. The Whipple procedure is considered the only curative treatment for cancer in the pancreatic head or uncinate process. For pancreatic cancer in the body or tail of the pancreas, a distal pancreatectomy may be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer....

Wrist pain has a lot of possible causes, including a sprain, tendonitis, arthritis, and fractures. Some may heal with rest, while others may need treatment and/or be chronic issues that have the potential to cause long-term pain in the wrist. Wrist pain may feel sharp, dull, achy, or like pins and needles. Pain may get worse when you bend your wrist forward, flex it backward, put pressure on it, or rotate it to turn a doorknob....

If you’ve ever experienced a yellow jacket sting, you know how painful it can be. Yellow jackets, which are predatory relatives to bees, have a reputation for being aggressive. Their sting packs a punch. While most people can treat themselves by icing the sting and taking an antihistamine, others may require medical intervention, as allergic reactions—which, in some cases, can be serious—can occur. Here’s what you should know about preventing yellow jacket stings—and what to do if you get stung....

Advil (ibuprofen) is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can be used to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Available over the counter (OTC) as tablets or capsules, Advil is very effective at treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). However, the drug will not stop the progression of these diseases. It’s also not an appropriate treatment for everyone. People with heart disease, for example, should not take Advil....

Angioedema is swelling under the surface of the skin. It occurs when fluid leaks out of blood vessels into nearby subcutaneous tissue and mucus membranes, such as those that line the inside of the nose or genitals. There are several types of angioedema, each with different causes. The most common is an allergic reaction to something in the environment. Certain medications, infections, and diseases also can cause angioedema. Some people have a condition called hereditary angioedema (HAE), which has a genetic component....

Armpit pain has many causes. They can range from mostly a nuisance to serious conditions. You may have just pain. Or you could have other symptoms like a rash or swollen lymph nodes. This article will look at what makes up the armpit (axilla), the many possible causes of armpit pain, how it’s diagnosed, and your options for treatment and prevention. Causes of Armpit Pain Armpit pain can be caused directly by problems with its many parts....

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term, chronic inflammatory bowel disease. People with UC can have periods of severe symptoms followed by periods of remission. Since UC is a chronic condition, flares and symptoms are expected to come back, and proper treatment can make the disease easier to live with. One treatment option for UC is taking biologics. Biologics are different from other drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)....

Blood clots have a wide variety of causes and risk factors. Among them are chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and atrial fibrillation; medications, including birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy; lifestyle factors, such as smoking and being overweight; and, in rare cases, inherited clotting disorders. Common Causes It is important to know your risk factors and talk with your healthcare provider about what, if anything, you can do to lower your risk of a dangerous clot....

Dermatopathology is a subspecialty of dermatology that focuses on identifying skin diseases by examining samples under a microscope. Dermatopathologists work with dermatologists and pathologists to help diagnose skin diseases. This article reviews what type of skin diseases dermatopathologists investigate, as well as techniques and training. Concentrations The main focus of a dermatopathologist is to aid in diagnosing skin diseases. Unlike dermatologists, who work directly with patients to examine and treat skin diseases, dermatopathologists are tasked with examining samples or biopsies of a person’s skin underneath a microscope to help determine what is happening on a cellular level....

DiGeorge syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused when a small part of chromosome 22 is missing. The symptoms of DiGeorge syndrome can vary both in severity and types. Some signs may be apparent at birth, such as cleft palate or a congenital heart defect, whereas others may only be noticed in later childhood. Unlike other disorders associated with chromosome 22 (like Emanuel syndrome and trisomy 22), children born with DiGeorge syndrome may not have distinctive facial features at birth....

Speech is a part of how our brains are programmed to socially connect and survive. But some people may talk excessively. Excessive talking is the practice of overtalking or compulsively talking. Someone may talk excessively due to a mental health disorder, such as bipolar disorder, or due to personality or behavioral characteristics. Read on to learn more about the psychology of excessive talking, categories, disorders that cause it, and how to handle an excessive talker....

In a new study, researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that an HIV infection increases the odds of COVID-19 mortality by 30%. Previous studies also found that an HIV infection is associated with more adverse COVID-19 outcomes and increased risk of mortality. Key Takeaways An HIV infection increases the likelihood of severe illness and mortality from COVID-19, a study finds.People living with HIV may have a relatively suppressed immune system in addition to other medical conditions, which increases their risk of severe COVID-19 disease....

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC or AdCC) is diagnosed after a series of tests and a biopsy. This rare form of cancer most often develops in the salivary glands, but it may also form elsewhere in the body. Certain tests like imaging tests can help your doctor determine whether the cancer has spread. Imaging tests can also give details about the tumor size, type, and cancer stage. This article describes how adenoid cystic carcinoma is diagnosed....

What Is Juluca? Juluca (dolutegravir and rilpivirine) is a medicine used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Juluca is one product that contains two drugs: dolutegravir and rilpivirine. It falls into the broad category of antiretroviral drugs. Dolutegravir is an HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI). Rilpivirine is an HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). Both of these drugs target stages of the virus’ life cycle, preventing it from making copies of itself....

On September 9, 2022, New York governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency over polio. The declaration came in response to evidence that the virus is spreading in communities. Key Takeaways New York governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency over poliovirus to raise awareness about the virus and boost vaccination rates.As of early September, poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples from the New York metro area and four New York counties, including Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Nassau County....

If you’ve heard the term “proximal phalanx” you might be wondering exactly where that is. There are so many bones in the foot! Let’s take a look at the anatomy of the proximal phalanx, where this fits with the anatomy of the rest of the foot, the specific function and purpose of these bones, and what medical conditions may affect them. Overview The proximal phalanx is the phalanx (toe bone) closest to the leg....