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Pink eye (conjunctivitis) is when the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the eyeball) becomes inflamed or infected. Your eyes will likely be red, itchy, watery, and crusty if you have pink eye. Pink eye is primarily caused by viruses, bacteria, allergens, or other irritants. The infection usually lasts one to three weeks, depending on the cause. This article explains pink eye types, diagnosis, and treatment. Types of Pink Eye Pink eye occurs when something irritates the eye....

If you’re experiencing itchy, red, watery eyes, or a dripping nose for longer than a week, you may have allergies. The best way to fight seasonal allergies is to identify and avoid your triggers. If that’s not possible, there are still ways to get relief. Read more about how to manage and prevent allergies. What Are Allergies? Allergies are the symptoms that arise when the immune system responds to what it detects to be a foreign substance in the body....

Losing weight can help you gain better control of your asthma and reduce the severity of attacks, as well as lower your risk of a host of other health concerns. The obvious catch here, though, is that asthma challenges your breathing, making physical activity for weight loss all the more challenging—especially if your asthma is exercise-induced. You may face other difficulties with weight loss as well. Obstacles aside, achieving a healthy weight is a possible undertaking, as well as a worthwhile one—not only for your overall health, but for the management of your asthma symptoms....

With age-related cataracts, the normally clear lens of the eye, the part that focuses light rays on the retina, gradually becomes cloudy over time. This must then be removed and replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL). While the procedure typically is done with standard, or traditional, cataract surgery, for some cases, what’s known as laser-assisted cataract surgery can offer greater precision and may be deemed important. While both of these treatments aim to free you of cataracts, the way they accomplish this involves some pivotal differences....

Leukemias and lymphomas are often grouped together because they are both blood-related cancers. However, there are differences between the two based on where cancer begins and the features that make them separate conditions. This article explains leukemia and lymphoma symptoms and similarities, as well as their differences. It offers information on how often these cancers occur, who is most at risk, and how improved treatments have changed the outlook for people with some types of blood cancer....

Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause. While most people see them as an uncomfortable annoyance, research is starting to show that hot flashes may have health effects. Key Takeaways Hot flashes during menopause might be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the reason why is not clear.Hot flashes also appear to be a possible marker of small blood vessel disease in the brain....

Odefsey is a single-pill, fixed-dose combination drug used in the treatment of HIV. Available in tablet form, it can be used in adults and some children. It is comprised of three different antiretroviral agents: Emtricitabine, commonly called FTC, a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)Rilpivirine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), another NRTI Odefsey is used on its own and does not require any additional drugs to achieve and sustain viral suppression....

It is not uncommon for people to assume that oral sex is safer than vaginal or anal sex, but the truth is that condomless sex of any kind is inherently risky. In particular, the risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is high if you don’t take the right precautions. Learn more about common sexually transmitted diseases and the risks you may face if you have oral sex without condoms or other forms of barrier protection....

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition where you struggle to recover long after you experience or witness a deeply terrifying event. About half of American adults experience at least one traumatic event in their lives. While many people have a difficult time coping in the wake of trauma, only a small portion go on to develop PTSD. Here, learn more know about PTSD, including symptoms to look out for, what causes it, how to receive a diagnosis, treatment options, and more....

Rheumatoid sarcopenia is a type of muscle wasting (skeletal muscle loss) that affects some people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Originally, researchers used the term sarcopenia to describe muscle wasting that happens during normal aging. More recently, though, some have started using the word to describe muscle wasting that’s triggered or worsened by certain medical conditions, such as RA. For several reasons, people with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely than others to experience muscle wasting earlier in life....

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes intermittent interruptions in breathing during sleep. There is some evidence that sleep apnea is linked to mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious medical complications, such as heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and sudden death. Sleep apnea is a common medical condition. Current estimates suggest that about 22 million adults in the U.S. have sleep apnea....

A stroke, also known as a “brain attack,” is caused by a brain bleed or blockage of blood flow to the brain. A heart attack stems from a blockage of the coronary arteries in the heart. Both conditions occur suddenly, and result from a lack of oxygen-rich blood flow for essential brain and heart function, leading to cell damage and death. This article reviews the symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment for heart attacks and strokes....

The HIV/AIDS pandemic arguably has been the greatest global health crisis in modern history. While others have been widespread and deadly (among them, tuberculosis pandemics, COVID-19 pandemic, and malaria epidemics), the number of deaths caused by AIDS has been unprecedented. Over the span of a few short years, AIDS-related deaths increased from a few hundred gay men in the U.S. to hundreds of thousands of people across the planet. The fact that experts had never seen a disease like this and couldn’t quickly identify a way to stop it created a sense of panic among the public and policymakers alike....

Thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) is a protein that’s produced by the liver. Its purpose is to bind to the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), produced by the thyroid gland and carry them through your bloodstream so they can regulate your metabolism and perform other important functions. The serum TBG level test is a blood test—sometimes referred to as the thyroxine-binding globulin test—that measures the amount of the TBG protein in your blood....

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a condition characterized by repeated sounds or physical movements that are often described as vocal tics and motor tics. You or your child may have symptoms that lead you to wonder about TS or a tic disorder. Rest assured that you are not alone and that this is a more common concern than you probably realize. You might have questions about what is causing the actions, what to expect, and whether they will get better or worse....

When you have type 2 diabetes, practicing healthy lifestyle habits is essential to balancing your blood sugar (glucose) levels and preventing dramatic spikes and falls. Eating well also helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, which comes with a reduced risk of experiencing complications from diabetes, including heart disease. This article discusses what to eat and avoid while managing type 2 diabetes. Vegetables Vegetables are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that support overall health and blood sugar management....

Causing stuffy nose, sore throat, sneezing, and sometimes cough, the symptoms of a head cold, also known as common cold, are familiar to most. Typically resolving within 10 days, there’s no denying that this illness can significantly impact daily life. Head colds are the most common viral infection—on average, adults have two to three colds a year, with children likely to experience even more. They generally aren’t dangerous, and complications are rare....

A health insurance exchange, otherwise known as a health insurance marketplace, is a comparison-shopping area for health insurance. Private health insurance companies list their health plans with the exchange, and people comparison shop on the exchange from among the available health plan listings. This article will help you understand what the exchange is, who uses it, the financial assistance that’s available through the exchange, and what you need to know about buying your own health insurance....

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a breathing device prescribed to treat sleep apnea. The purpose of a CPAP is to improve breathing at night. But how do you know if the treatment is working well enough? The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is a helpful way to measure how severe your sleep apnea is. It can also help you see how well your body is responding to treatment. This article explains how to use the AHI to optimize your CPAP machine....

Although telehealth was regarded as a temporary measure to relieve the burden on hospitals and clinics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is being embraced as a mainstream facet of health care by many medical specialists, including urologists. Urology is a field well suited for telehealth, with practitioners utilizing it for the complete spectrum of adult and pediatric consultations, preoperative and postoperative evaluations, and routine care for skilled nursing home residents....