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During floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, man-made emergencies, threats, or even planned events, hospitals have to respond in a way that meets the needs of patients, staff, and visitors. Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) gives them a framework on which to build a response quickly and scale it to fit the magnitude of the situation. It’s important because managing a large-scale incident is not something most nurses, doctors, or administrators do on a day-to-day basis....

About 30% of people with psoriasis, an inflammatory condition of the skin, develop an autoimmune, inflammatory form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis. In psoriatic arthritis, the body produces autoantibodies, which attack its own joints. Psoriatic arthritis can result in permanent joint damage if left untreated. The thyroid is an endocrine gland in the neck that produces thyroid hormones that control many metabolic processes in the body. When the thyroid is underactive, it doesn’t make adequate levels of thyroid hormones....

Astigmatism is a common vision problem that affects about 1 in 3 people. It occurs when the cornea or the lens of the eye has an irregularly shaped curvature. This prevents light from focusing evenly on the retina. Astigmatism can cause blurry or distorted vision, headaches, and eyestrain. With astigmatism, you may see more glare around lights at night, which can cause difficulty driving. If you have been diagnosed with astigmatism, there are ways you can ease your symptoms and improve your night vision....

While people who are pregnant are not truly immunosuppressed, the delicate balance of the immune system during pregnancy can be upset by viral infections, including bronchitis. Bronchitis Symptoms Bronchitis often develops along with a viral infection. Symptoms may include: A cough that may be dry or productive of sputum. When mucus is present, it may be clear, yellow, or green.Sore throatSinus congestionA low-grade fever (usually less than 100.5 degrees F) and chillsBody aches Less commonly (and sometimes a sign of a complication), you may experience:...

Although there is certainly a benefit to breathing with two lungs, it is possible to live with just one. Surgery to remove one lung may be performed for lung cancer, trauma, or lung disease. The lungs are responsible for bringing oxygen into the body and moving carbon dioxide out. Oxygen is needed for the body’s cells to produce energy. As a result of that energy-producing process, carbon dioxide is made, which can be toxic and needs to be removed from the body....

Childhood schizophrenia, also called childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) or very early–onset schizophrenia, is a severe mental health disorder diagnosed in children under the age of 13. It is characterized by distorted thinking, altered perceptions, unusual behavior, and unusual use of language and words. While each child’s treatment plan will differ depending on age, the nature and severity of symptoms, response to treatment, and comorbid disorders (other conditions they have), the most common treatment options are medication in combination with psychotherapies....

There are many different causes of colitis, which can include both disease and infection, and each has its own symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms that occur with colitis include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool. This article will discuss frequent symptoms, rare symptoms, complications, and when to see the doctor for colitis. Frequent Symptoms Colitis has several different causes, and the signs and symptoms for each will be different....

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease that causes thick mucus to build up in your body, which leads to problems with breathing and digestion and makes you susceptible to bacterial infections. While most people with CF can get pregnant and have healthy babies, the condition can cause problems with fertility, complicate pregnancy, and lead to the birth of premature or small babies. Although it doesn’t appear to take a long-term toll, the demands of pregnancy on your body can temporarily make your CF worse....

An electroencephalogram (EEG test) records electrical activity in the brain. It is a non-invasive test that works by picking up abnormal brain waves via electrodes that are attached to the scalp. EEG tests are usually done to detect seizures and diagnose epilepsy. They can also be used to evaluate or diagnose other conditions, such as sleep disorders or brain injuries, as well as monitor brain activity during surgery or when someone is in a coma....

Looking for that perfect gift for someone who’s living with Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of dementia? Whether your family member or friend is in the early, middle, or late stages of dementia, we’ve got gift ideas to match their needs and abilities. Gifts for Mild or Early Stage Alzheimer’s or Dementia Box of cards with pre-stamped envelopes: Writing notes to family and friends can be an enjoyable activity for some people in the early stages of dementia....

Stomach acid is essential for digestion. Cells that line the stomach produce hydrochloric acid, which helps break down food into its most basic components needed to sustain life. Sometimes, mutations in acid-producing cells in your digestive system pump out too much acid. Symptoms of high stomach acid can include belly pain, bloating, and heartburn. This article will discuss the most common conditions that are associated with an overproduction of stomach acid, its signs and symptoms, and ways to mitigate the symptoms that come about as a result....

Hemophilia A can be treated with medication to prevent bleeding. The treatments can include replacements for factor VIII, a blood-clotting protein deficient in people who have this condition. Other specific treatments can be used to prevent bleeding as well. Lifestyle management for bleeding prevention and control is also an important part of living with this condition. Serious bleeding complications may require specific interventions to reduce harmful effects on your health. This article will discuss the range of treatments for hemophilia A....

Supplemental insulin, a man-made version of a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood glucose, is vital for all people who have type 1 diabetes. It also may be a necessary part of treatment for those with type 2 diabetes when first-line measures—diet, exercise, and/or medication—aren’t enough to control blood glucose. Insulin cannot be taken as a pill or tablet because digestive enzymes would break it down before it could get into the bloodstream....

Finding a healthcare provider is the first and most important step you will take after being diagnosed with HIV. Despite ever simpler drug regimens, HIV remains a dynamic disease that requires specially trained medical professionals able to deliver the high levels of care specific to an individual’s health needs. So what are the qualities of a good HIV specialist? Are there ways to ascertain this or tools one can use to narrow the search?...

On February 2020, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became the third COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA. May 5, 2022: Due to a rare risk of potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has limited the authorized use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to people 18 years and older for whom other approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to those 18 and older who elect to receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine....

Laser therapy is a treatment for toenail fungus infection (onychomycosis). Fungal infections of the nails usually require several laser treatment sessions before they get better. It may take six to 18 months of consistent treatment for laser therapy to be effective for toenail fungus. Laser treatments for toenail fungus are considered safe but can cause side effects such as pain and/or bleeding of the area around the nail. Laser therapy is approved by the U....

Mud bath therapy has been used medicinally for thousands of years. However, natural treatments like mud therapy aren’t well studied. So quality research supporting their use is lacking. Even so, modern research indicates that mud baths appear to have some beneficial effects for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Mud baths are a type of balneotherapy, which involves treating conditions with mineral-rich water or mud....

Causes and risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS) are complicated. Researchers don’t fully understand what precisely brings about MS or why some people get it and others don’t. Several main factors have emerged that appear to play a role, including health of the immune system, infectious diseases, genetics, lifestyle, and others. While each one can explain a piece of the MS puzzle, none can explain everything. The Immune System Though no one knows why, most researchers agree that MS is autoimmune, which means the symptoms are caused by the immune system attacking healthy parts of your body as if they were a virus or other infectious agent....

Nasal polyps and sinus infections are two conditions connected in several ways, including their symptoms and how each may lead to the other. Nasal polyps are painless lumps of soft, noncancerous tissue growing on the lining of the sinuses or nasal passages. They hang down like grapes or teardrops singly or in clusters. They are caused by chronic inflammation and are frequently associated with sinus infections, allergies, some immune disorders, and other health problems....

Specific phobia is an intense fear of, or anxiety about, specific types of objects or situations, such as flying or spiders. Phobias and phobia-related disorders are types of anxiety disorders. Other types of phobia-related anxiety disorders include social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and separation anxiety disorder. The main approach to treating specific phobia is a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Medications are not a common treatment option, but in some circumstances they may form part of a treatment plan....