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Pressure points for headaches are located in the hand, wrist, feet, and elsewhere. These are specific spots that, according to traditional Chinese medicine, can be physically manipulated to relieve headache pain and migraine pressure naturally. Whereas acupuncture involves the insertion of small needles to stimulate specific spots on the body, acupressure uses physical touch at pressure points. Some studies have shown that this may improve blood flow and reduce muscle tension related to head pain....

A rotator cuff repair is a procedure in which torn tendons and/or muscles of the shoulder are surgically fixed. Rotator cuff tears can cause pain and weakness. Sometimes these tears can heal without surgery, but severe rotator cuff damage can be permanent without surgical intervention. Recovery after a rotator cuff repair operation requires weeks of restricted shoulder movement, followed by months of physical therapy exercises. It takes four to six months after surgery to fully heal and regain improved shoulder movement....

Itching isn’t pleasant, but most of the time it’s a temporary annoyance you can ease with a gentle scratch. However, it’s sometimes a sign of an underlying disease or allergic reaction. When that happens, it’s important to see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. This article will cover a variety of conditions that cause itching, also known as pruritus. Conditions That Cause Itchy Rashes Following are some conditions that cause itchy rashes and key features that set them apart....

If you have been prescribed a statin drug to treat high cholesterol, your healthcare provider or pharmacist may have advised you to avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice while on treatment. While that may sound oddly specific, there is a good reason why you want to steer clear of this particular fruit. Not only can grapefruit alter the level of medication in your blood, but it can also increase the risk of side effects, some of which may be serious....

Throat cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the throat. There are several types of throat cancer, and cancer can occur in different structures within the neck. In the United States, about 1 in every 60 men and 1 in every 140 women are expected to develop head and neck cancer during their life. The risks are lower for other kinds of throat cancer—lifetime laryngeal cancer risk is approximately 1 in 190 men and 1 in 830 women....

Often difficult to recognize, thrush can have a wide variety of symptoms, including a white coating on the inside of your mouth and throat. While it’s rarely dangerous—and not always painful—thrush can lead to life-threatening infections in other parts of the body if it is left untreated. Therefore, it’s crucial to seek immediate treatment if you notice signs or symptoms of thrush in yourself or your child. Common Symptoms The medical term for thrush is “oral candidiasis,” which refers to a genus of yeasts called candida....

Getting ready for top surgery, or gender-affirming chest reconstruction, is generally pretty straightforward. A surgeon will likely want you to be in as good health as possible. Knowing how to prepare for your surgery and recovery may help lessen some pre-surgery anxiety. Location Top surgery may take place in a hospital or an outpatient surgical center. This surgery can be done as either as day surgery (ambulatory surgery) or with an admission....

Urea cycle disorders are a group of related genetic disorders that can cause serious neurological symptoms in the first few days of life. In less severe cases, symptoms appear later in childhood or adulthood. The severity varies, partly depending on the exact genetic mutation involved. These rare and life-threatening conditions often cause long-term brain damage and intellectual disability. However, the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions have improved in recent years....

Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic eye disease that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in your vision. Wet AMD happens when abnormalities in the blood vessels allow fluid or blood to leak into the macula of the eye. Having AMD does not increase your risk of getting COVID-19. However, if you do get sick, having a condition like wet AMD could possibly increase your risk of complications....

Caffeine is a chemical compound. It is considered a drug, though it is freely available and not regulated. Caffeine naturally occurs in many plants, including coffee and cocoa beans, and tea leaves. It is also used in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. While the origin of caffeine’s medicinal use is not totally known, research shows that the practice of consuming coffee and tea regularly is somewhat recent, from a historical perspective....

Nodular melanoma is a fast-growing, aggressive form of skin cancer that can grow into the deeper layers of the skin quickly if not removed. It is the second most common kind of melanoma. Even so, nodular melanoma makes up just 14% of all melanomas. However, this type of melanoma is responsible for more than 40% of melanoma deaths. This is due to how fast it can grow. Learn more about nodular melanoma, causes, symptoms, treatments, and prognosis....

Electronic health records (EHR) systems are now commonplace in medical offices all over the United States, but it wasn’t always that way. The transition from paper records to electronic ones began in the 2000s with a little push from the U.S. government—specifically, a set of standards collectively known as “meaningful use.” Meaningful use standards were run through the country’s Medicaid and Medicare healthcare programs, and established under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH Act) as a means to encourage healthcare providers to adopt EHRs, use them to protect and share patient information more easily, and improve the quality of patient care....

What do we know about the connection between lupus and lymphoma? Well, we know more than we did decades ago, but the answer may still be “not enough,” according to an article published in 2017 issue of Case Reports in Rheumatology. Lupus, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a very complex autoimmune disease that can come on with any number of very different symptoms and can involve multiple organ systems within the body....

What Is Xofluza? Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) is an oral prescription drug used to prevent or treat influenza A or B (the seasonal flu). It is available as a tablet or suspension that is taken by mouth. Xofluza is in a drug class called antivirals, or more specifically, polymerase acidic endonuclease inhibitors. It works by preventing the flu virus from growing and spreading in the body. What Is Xofluza Used For? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xofluza for use in adults and adolescents 12 and older (weighing at least 88 pounds) to:...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been reluctant to seek out medical care—even if they truly need it. Preventive care and routine screenings have been skipped as people have tried to avoid going to the doctor out of fears of getting the virus. Key Takeaways According to a new study, only about 73% of infants and toddlers in the United States have received all the shots they need for the seven vaccines needed to immunize against infectious diseases....

Period facts are often obscured by myths about menstruation. A menstrual period is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining. Most girls get their first period between the ages of 10 and 15. Women continue to have their period until their late 40s or early 50s. In the past, periods were only talked about in whispers, if at all. A girl typically learned about menstruation from her mother or girlfriends. However, much of what was passed down was based on cultural beliefs....

Health literature pays plenty of lip service to racial disparities. In the last two years, for instance, countless articles have explored how COVID-19 deaths and vaccination rates differ by race—few of them explaining why. But those articles focus on outcomes. At Verywell, we’re asking a different question: What is the entire patient experience like for Black Americans, and how is it different from White Americans? Key Themes From Our Survey...

Asthma is a condition that causes airways to narrow and swell, often making it difficult to breathe and leading to coughing and wheezing. This article is part of Health Divide: Asthma in People of Color, a destination in our Health Divide series. Meet the Expert Farah Khan, M.D., is a board-certified allergist/immunologist who treats pediatric and adult patients in private practice in Northern Virginia. Asthma often starts at a young age and can be triggered by viral respiratory infections, allergies, obesity, and other factors....

People often have varying guesses about what the average penis size is. According to research review involving more than 15,500 people with penises, the average length of a flaccid (soft) penis is 4.59 inches, while the average length of an erect (hard) penis is 3.66 inches. Data aside, perceptions about “normal” penis size differ quite a bit. Many wonder whether the size of their penis is what should be expected for their age, weight, or even race....

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory condition that occurs when your immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers and protects your nerve cells and is responsible for the speedy and efficient transmission of nerve signals throughout the body. The inflammation that results can affect everything from your vision and musculoskeletal system to the way your gut functions, giving rise to many multi-organ symptoms. Studies have shown that nerve dysfunction alters the way your gut functions, causing gastrointestinal distress or bowel dysfunction....