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Due to overcrowding, lack of resources, and little access to medical care, incarcerated people have been at high risk for contracting COVID-19. Now, as the highly transmissible Delta variant circulates widely, they may be even more susceptible to the virus. Key Takeaways As the Delta variant circulates throughout the U.S., incarcerated people are at high risk for infection. Over 2,000 people incarcerated in state and federal prisons have died from COVID-19, and recent reports show those numbers may be undercounted....

There are standard treatments for type 2 diabetes, but each person’s needs are different. Your healthcare team will consider many factors when determining the right treatment for you. This article will review the different non-medical and medical treatments for type 2 diabetes, including exercise, diet, oral pills, and injectable medications. Diet Diet is a major part of a diabetes treatment plan. Your diet can help you get your blood sugar under control....

Athlete’s foot, also called tinea pedis, is a foot infection caused by various types of dermatophytes, which are fungi that cause skin infections. There are several types of athlete’s foot, with different symptoms, treatments, and causes. Foot rashes are a fairly common problem, but they aren’t always caused by athlete’s foot. If you develop skin changes on your foot, with or without discomfort, you should see your healthcare provider so you can get an accurate diagnosis and get started on the right treatment....

A pathology report contains a description of your pathology results. This document, written by a pathologist, details the characteristics of cells and tissues obtained during a biopsy or surgery. The pathologist can determine if the cells are benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) by examining the sample with a microscope. If you have cancer, the pathology report will provide details about the size, shape, and appearance of the cancer cells. These characteristics help your healthcare providers stage the disease, direct the appropriate treatment, and predict the likely outcome (prognosis)....

Strokes can occur at any time, including when you are asleep. It’s possible to wake up with stroke symptoms as a result of a stroke that happened while you were asleep. These are sometimes called “wake-up strokes.” Wake-up strokes are not technically different from other strokes. However, they can be more dangerous because treatment is delayed while you are sleeping. This article discusses wake-up strokes, including risk factors associated with strokes during sleep....

Telehealth, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been increasingly adopted as a facet of mainstream health care—not only by primary care physicians but a great many medical specialists as well. Telehealth is especially well suited for healthcare providers managing the care and treatment of people with acute and chronic hepatitis. There are many different types of doctors who are qualified to treat hepatitis based on whether the cause is infectious or noninfectious....

We’ve all experienced headaches. The dull aching pain can make it difficult to get anything done. But what’s a headache and what can cause it? A headache is a pain or discomfort in any region of your head. Headaches can occur on one or both sides of your head or be isolated to a specific spot. Headaches can present themselves as sharp pain, a throbbing sensation, or a dull aching feeling among other qualities....

The appendix is a small organ in the digestive system that is connected to the large intestine on the right side of the abdomen. The purpose of the appendix is not well understood. Tumors, both those that are cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign), can grow in the appendix. Cancer of the appendix is rare, but it can spread to other organs and lead to complications. Between 2009 and 2018, cancer in the appendix occurred in less than two per 100,000 people in the United States....

Bladder exstrophy (BE) is a rare birth defect in which the bladder develops outside of the body. BE is often identified during pregnancy by ultrasound and treated with surgery within a few days or months of the birth. Reconstructive surgery is used to replace the bladder back inside of the body and helps most children achieve normal bladder control. BE is a rare defect, affecting around four in every 100,000 births, and is more common in males than in females....

Cannabinoids are chemicals found in the Cannabis plant, which is the source of hemp and marijuana. While scientists have identified at least 113 different chemicals in the plant, two have become popular for treating pain plus a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, including cancer, inflammation, and mental illnesses: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that causes the “high” of marijuana Cannabidiol (CBD), which is often derived from hemp and doesn’t cause a high Can Cannabinoids Offer Any Benefits?...

Childhood schizophrenia, also called childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) or very early-onset schizophrenia, is a severe mental health disorder that is diagnosed in children under the age of 13. It is very rare, affecting less than 0.04% of children. Childhood-onset schizophrenia is characterized by distorted thinking, altered perceptions, unusual behavior, and unusual use of language and words. It can severely affect a child’s development and their ability to function on a daily basis....

Hemorrhoids (sometimes called piles) are swollen or dilated veins that form in the rectum or anus. External hemorrhoids develop under the skin of the anus, while internal hemorrhoids form deep in the lining of the rectum and anus. By age 50, more than half of men and women will have hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are not life-threatening and are usually the leading cause of rectal bleeding. Symptoms may include itching, pain, and swelling....

Everyone has experienced a bruise at some point. However, bruising that occurs easily—without injury or trauma—can be a sign of an underlying medical condition that is keeping your blood from clotting properly. It can also occur as a side effect of some medications, such as blood thinners. This article will cover the symptoms, potential causes, and treatment for easy bruising. Symptoms of Easy Bruising A bruise (contusion) is an area of skin that becomes discolored when blood vessels under the skin get damaged....

The Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca’s Lynparza (olaparib) on March 11, 2022, for the additional treatment of adult patients with BRCA-mutated HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer who have received treatment with chemotherapy/surgery. Key Takeaways The FDA approved Lynparza (olaparib), a pill from AstraZeneca for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk early breast cancer.The drug is used for people who have responded well to or have been treated with chemotherapy....

What Is GoLytely? GoLytely (polyethylene glycol 3350 and electrolytes) is an oral prescription drug used in adults before a colonoscopy. It can also be taken before a barium enema X-ray. An enema is an injection of liquid into the rectum through a small tube. GoLytely is in a drug class called osmotic laxatives. It works by causing watery diarrhea to clear stool from the intestines so that the colon becomes clear enough to be seen in a procedure....

A heart transplant is a very complex surgical procedure during which a patient’s own heart is surgically removed and replaced with a donor heart, although a less commonly used method keeps the patient’s heart in place. Heart transplantation is done as a treatment for end-stage heart failure—heart disease that is severe enough that it will lead to death without the new organ. Heart transplantation isn’t considered a cure for heart disease, but rather a treatment that can significantly prolong the life of the heart recipient....

Hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes too much iron to build up in your body. If it is not properly treated, it can cause severe organ and joint damage and even death. The hemochromatosis diet enables a person with hemochromatosis to avoid foods that are high in iron as well as those that can increase the absorption of iron. The diet consists of foods that will provide ample protein and other nutrients to maintain optimal health without overloading the body with iron....

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that develop around the anus or inside the lower rectum. If you have recurring hemorrhoids that cause discomfort, you may want to consider medical treatment. Surgeons use a surgical procedure called hemorrhoid banding to treat internal hemorrhoids (those located in the rectum). The treatment is also known as rubber band ligation. The medical procedure also helps prevent them from coming back. This article takes a closer look at the hemorrhoid banding procedure along with alternative treatments for hemorrhoids....

There are two tests commonly used to diagnose cystic fibrosis (CF): a sweat test, which measures the amount of chloride in sweat, and a genetic test, which detects chromosomal mutations associated with the disease. Because of the severity of CF and the need for proactive treatment, newborns are routinely screened. While the majority of diagnoses are made this way, some are only confirmed during childhood or much later in life. Cystic fibrosis is inherited from parents who are carriers of the defective gene, and couples can be screened to see if their child could be at risk....

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is most often caused by HSV-2 but may also be caused by HSV-1. It is contagious and can be transmitted through anal, oral, and vaginal sex. Learn more about genital herpes, how it spreads, who is most at risk, when to get tested and how to prevent spread. Where Do You Get Genital Herpes From?...