Inappropriate overuse of antibiotics is and has been a major factor in where infections from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to killer Clostridium difficile
Read MoreThe frequent waking up to head to the bathroom disrupts a normal sleep cycle resulting in excessive tiredness the next day affecting their quality of life.
Read MoreAt least twice a day, brush and floss your teeth and always floss before bedtime. Individuals with bridges, implants or wide spaces between teeth may want to use interdental brushes which are toothpick-like devices with tiny bristles at one end helping to clean out trapped food particles.
Read MoreThis annoying unsightly skin condition can prevent a person from participating in outdoor activities limiting time spent with family and friends.
Read Moreinflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the immune system mistakes food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign substances by attacking the cells of the intestines.
Read MoreMicroscopic Hematuria – This is when you cannot see blood in the urine but it can be seen when the urine is examined with a microscope. Most people with microscopic hematuria have no symptoms.
Read MoreOnce again, actress Angelina Jolie is making headlines but not for starring in a new movie. This time the critically-acclaimed film star is facing another new issue dealing with her health – Bell’s palsy. The actress opened up about her condition in a recent interview with Vanity Fair magazine putting this rare neurological condition front and center of educating the public about her latest medical diagnosis.
What is Bell’s palsy?
Bell’s palsy is a condition causing only one side of your face to be weak or paralyzed. The condition is often confused for a stroke, however, a stroke will also cause muscle weakness in other parts of the body and not just one side of the face. In individuals with Bell’s palsy, it is where there has been paralysis of the facial nerve, the peripheral nerve responsible for facial movement.
It is a relatively rare condition affecting around 40,000Americans each year.
What causes it?
The exact cause of Bell’s palsy is unknown. What has happened though is some sort of damage or trauma to the seventh cranial nerve or facial nerve. This nerve passes through a very small area in the skull and if the nerve is damaged it will swell, causing the nerve to push up against the skull.
Many scientists believe this is a link between Bell’s palsy and viral infections such as influenza, herpes simplex or respiratory tract infections. People with diabetes are also more suspect to the condition. Pregnancy is the most well-established risk factor as Bell’s palsy occurs three times more frequently in pregnant women than in the general population, particularly in the third trimester and the first week after delivery.
Other conditions associated with Bell’s palsy include high blood pressure, immunodeficiency, sarcoidosis, tumors, Lyme disease and trauma such as a skull fracture or facial injury.
What are the symptoms?
Sufferers with it develop one-sided facial weakness that may last a matter of hours to several months. The effects of it can result in eyebrow sagging, inability to close or blink the eye, excessive tears, drooping of the mouth, drooling, difficulty chewing and tasting food, twitching, sensitivity to loud noises, and pain or numbness behind the ear.
How is it treated?
Treatment of Bell’s palsy may vary based on the severity of symptoms. The good news is that this condition has an excellent prognosis and recovery, even if it is not treated. But, for some individuals, medications and other therapeutic options are necessary. Common treatments include prednisone, antiviral agents and eye care to prevent corneal drying, abrasion and eye ulcers.
The main goal of treating Bell’s palsy is to improve functioning of the facial nerve, reduce nerve damage and to protect the eye. The vast majority of people who experience it will begin to feel better in a few weeks and most will make a full recovery within three months if not much sooner.
The growing challenge of dementia which is fast becoming a major threat to people’s health and medical care in the 21st century.
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Read MoreThis condition is called hyperhidrosis and is excessive sweating (“hyper” means much and “hidrosis” means sweating) particularly of the palms, armpits, and soles of the feet.
Read MoreA person who has plantar fasciitis can start with home treatment remedies that may take it away. Here are some options to consider:
Read MoreStaging of prostate cancer gives the doctor the information he needs to know on how big the tumor is, whether it has spread or not and if it has spread, where has the cancer gone to.
Read MoreThe CDC analysis also found that women are more likely than men to be affected by CKD, (16% vs 13%).
Read MoreThe use of the very strong opioid painkillers such as Oxycontin, Percocet, and Vicodin, is already well-known for their risk of physical dependence, drowsiness, breathing and heart problems, constipation and bowel dysfunction, fractures and depression. Now, a new study published March 14, 2017 in The BMJ finds that users of opioids who also use benzodiazepine such as Xanax or Valium for sleep or anxiety at the same time, are placing themselves at risk of a deadly overdose.
For the study data was collected on more than 300,000 privately insured patients, aged 18 to 64, who were prescribed a narcotic painkiller between 2001 and 2013. In 2001, 9 percent of those patients also had prescriptions for benzodiazepines. By 2013, that had increased to 17 percent which is an 80 percent relative increase. The finding from the data showed that those patients who were prescribed both types of drugs had twice the risk of ending up in hospital emergency rooms as did people who used only used opioids.
Nearly 30 percent of all fatal overdoses from narcotic medications also involved a person who was using a benzodiazepine at the same time.
This finding is not surprising as over the years, prescriptions for both narcotic painkillers and benzodiazepines have risen. The researchers with the study were not able to tell from the data whether the overdoses were intentional or accidental. The symptom that caused the patients to be rushed to an emergency room was due to suppressed breathing.
The takeaway from this study is that physicians need to assess the need for prescribing both an opioid medication along with a benzodiazepine medication. There is always the possibility some patients are using two different doctors to prescribe each medication separately in attempts to hide what medications they are taking together at the same time.
Some ways to help avoid this problem is for patients to always be completely truthful in informing their doctors as to what medications they are using. Another intervention that can be done is by having insurance companies help to monitor medications patients are using. In addition, electronic health records could be designed to flash a warning when a potentially dangerous drug combination is being prescribed.
It should be noted that this study was observational and does not prove that using both medications increases the risk of overdose.
Grow an aloe vera plant in your home and take advantage of one of Nature's best skin healers. The gel found inside the plant's leaves has been used to soothe sunburn and repair damaged and dry skin for centuries.
Read MoreOnce your doctor has identified NAFLD, he is likely to perform numerous blood tests to fine tune his diagnosis and determine your condition's severity. These may include the following:
Read MoreSea lice are a marine parasite that affect fish and are not actual lice like their name implies. Found in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and along both the east and west coasts of the United States during the spring/summer months of April to August is when sea lice are in season. Swimmers are more likely to encounter stinging sea lice than other ocean pests.
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Do Kegel exercises faithfully. This involves squeezing and releasing the muscles used to hold in urine. It is particularly helpful for those with an overactive bladder and if done regularly, may bring about a 75-100% improvement.
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