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With summer quickly approaching, many Americans are already making plans for upcoming travels. Planning a trip can be arduous, but it’s even more taxing during a pandemic when you have to take more factors into consideration. Key Takeaways To minimize risk, immunocompromised individuals and anyone who is traveling with them should be fully vaccinated before going on a trip.The destination, mode of transportation, and activities should all be considered beforehand.Plan ahead in case anyone in the travel party gets COVID-19 during the trip....

Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery involves using a precisely targeted laser to reshape the cornea, the front part of the eye. In doing so, refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness—issues with the way light rays bend in the eye—can be corrected and vision often permanently improved. While generally considered safe and effective, there are risks and recovery considerations to weigh. In addition, not everyone who might want LASIK is a suitable candidate....

Leg lengthening surgery is a surgical procedure used to lengthen a leg that is significantly shorter than the other leg as a result of a birth defect, a medical condition affecting proper bone growth, or a poorly healed fracture. The technique slowly separates a leg bone over several weeks or months, allowing the body to generate new bone cells to fill in the space until both legs are even in length....

What Is Lialda? Lialda (mesalamine) is a prescription tablet used to treat ulcerative colitis, a condition that causes symptoms like diarrhea, belly pain, and blood in the stool. The generic form is called mesalamine or sometimes mesalazine. Lialda is a type of drug known as an amino-salicylate based on its chemical structure. Sometimes, it also is called by its chemical name: 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Lialda is very similar in structure to the drug aspirin....

Lyme arthritis is a chronic condition that occurs when the bacteria that cause Lyme disease lead to inflammation of joint tissues. If the infection is not treated, permanent joint damage can occur. As many as 300,000 people will become infected with Lyme disease each year, with about 25% of those cases developing Lyme arthritis. Symptoms Lyme arthritis is considered one of the most common chronic conditions associated with Lyme disease. Typical symptoms of Lyme disease occur hours to weeks following the infection, with Lyme arthritis typically presenting itself any time within the first four weeks to several months after the initial infection....

What Is Lyrica? Lyrica (pregabalin) is an oral prescription medication used to treat neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and a type of seizure known as partial seizures. It belongs to a class of medications known as anticonvulsants. Lyrica is believed to work by calming overactive or damaged nerves in the body that are causing pain or seizures. It is available as a capsule, extended-release tablet, and oral solution. Lyrica is a Schedule V controlled substance, which means it is possible for people to develop a dependence on it....

A plexus is a bundle of intersecting nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatic vessels in the human body. These bundles typically originate from the same anatomical area and serve specific areas of the body. Bundles of nerves that form a plexus communicate information to your brain about pain, temperature, and pressure. These nerve plexuses also send messages from the brain to the muscles, allowing for movement to occur. A plexus serves as an area where spinal nerves come together, are sorted, and then travel to their respective areas of the body....

Choosing between a single mastectomy and double (bilateral) mastectomy for breast cancer can be challenging, and the right decision is different for each woman. Medical concerns to weigh include your risk of developing a second breast cancer, as well as the surgical risk of the procedure. Personal concerns may include anxiety about lifelong monitoring for another cancer on one side or reduced sensation on the other. There are also financial, emotional, social, and practical issues to consider....

In normal stool (feces), there is a mixture of water and unabsorbed nutrients, including fibers, proteins, fats, and salts. There are also other wastes, such as mucus, bacteria, and dead cells, that are excreted as part of the feces. When there is too much fat in the stool it is called steatorrhea, or fatty stool. Too much fat in the stool might be caused by the consumption of too many fatty or greasy foods, or it may be a sign of maldigestion or malabsorption....

The suprascapular artery is a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, which emerges from the first part of the subclavian artery. It runs across the front of your neck and behind the clavicle (collarbone) to supply blood to the muscles, skin, and bones in your chest and shoulder. The suprascapular artery is sometimes referred to as the transverse scapular artery. Anatomy Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart so it can be circulated throughout your body....

Having healthy skin on the outside of our bodies reflects what’s inside our bodies. The nutrition that we consume—be it through diet or supplements—can help or hurt the largest organ of the body. Our skin needs many key vitamins and minerals to perform its functions. Caring for your skin also means making sure that it stays hydrated. If your skin tends to be dry, there are products that may help improve your skin’s natural moisture and elasticity....

Scientists and medical device manufacturers are exploring wearable devices to control the complexities of diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved several types of revolutionary wearable tech for people with diabetes—and newer technology may be on the horizon. Types of Wearable Tech for Diabetes There are several innovative wearable technology models that have been recently approved (since 2018) by the FDA. Wearable tech for people with diabetes includes devices such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems and insulin pumps, which can make it easier and much more efficient for a person with diabetes to manage their blood sugar....

If you have thyroid disease and don’t take your prescribed medications to manage it, you can have a number of serious long-term effects. Some of the effects of skipping or stopping your thyroid medication are obvious, while others are so subtle they can go undiagnosed for years. This article covers the possible risks of not taking your hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism medication. It also offers solutions for some of the common reasons why people quit their thyroid medication, and what to consider if you feel like stopping yours....

If you’ve gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, you should also have received a vaccine card created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The card includes the date of your dose, which vaccine you received, where you received your shot, and other important information. If you haven’t yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll get your card when you do get the jab. Key Takeaways Your COVID-19 vaccine card contains important information and serves as proof of vaccination and a medical record....

The most recent Zika virus outbreak in the United States (U.S.) occurred in 2016, and 5,168 people were diagnosed with Zika that year. Since 2018, Zika cases have been on the decline, and as of July 2022, there are no current outbreaks of Zika worldwide. This article will highlight important facts and statistics about the Zika virus. Zika Virus Overview Zika is a rare, mosquito-borne illness caused by the Flaviviridae virus....

What Is Zyflo? Zyflo (zileuton) is a prescription drug used in adults and children 12 years or older to treat or prevent asthma. Since this drug is not a rescue inhaler, it cannot be used to treat an active asthma attack. Zileuton belongs to the class of drugs known as 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors. It works by blocking the formation of a specific chemical in the body called leukotriene, which causes asthma symptoms, including airway blockage....

Acupuncture for fibromyalgia (FM) has become more common over the years, especially since more and more research has shown the benefits of this treatment. One in five people with fibromyalgia seek acupuncture treatment within two years of diagnosis. Because fibromyalgia is a difficult condition to treat and many people with it have trouble tolerating drugs and even supplements, complementary and alternative treatments like acupuncture are especially appealing and represent a potential way to relieve fibromyalgia symptoms....

If you’ve been paying attention to headlines about health insurance this fall, you’ve probably seen plenty indicating that premiums are going up, while others say that premiums are going down for 2022. So, what’s really going on? As it turns out, both sets of the headlines are true—in some areas, premiums are going down, while in other areas, they’re increasing. And nationwide, average benchmark plan premiums (on which premium subsidies are based) are decreasing for the fourth year in a row....

If you are diagnosed with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), you should see a kidney specialist who can help prepare a treatment plan for you. That plan will aim to keep your kidneys functioning and reduce the potential for kidney failure. Symptoms of ADPKD that are concerning and might require treatment include: Kidney cyst growth High blood pressure Pain Urinary tract infections (UTIs) Blood in the urine Declining kidney function Kidney failure Aneurysms (blood vessel bulge) This article will discuss the various treatment options, including medicines available to stop cyst growth and treat various problems linked to ADPKD, lifestyle measures, surgery, and other procedures....

Physical therapists work with thousands of individuals to help them with pain-free movement and function. The movement they most often work on is a voluntary movement. When you want to rise from a chair, your brain forms the impulse, and that impulse travels down a nerve to the muscles involved in rising from a chair. They contract, and your body voluntarily rises from the chair. But there are many other functions that occur in your body that seemingly happen beyond conscious thought....