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That’s why a regular regimen of self-checks, as well as establishing a relationship with a dermatologist, is important in spotting skin cancer symptoms and treating skin cancer early and effectively. The SCF recommends scheduling an appointment once a year with a dermatologist for a full-body skin check to screen for skin cancer. (2) If you’re in a higher risk group, such as you have a history of atypical moles, your dermatologist may suggest coming in more often....

As the name suggests, bedbugs bite at night when you’re asleep in bed, usually about an hour before dawn. (2) If you wake up with a bite, though, don’t immediately assume bedbugs are to blame. The bites look very similar to other insect bites. Here’s what to know to confidently identify bedbug bites and how to go about treating them. For most people, bedbug bites result in itchy bumps where the bite occurred, within a day of being bitten....

You may have unanswered questions about what to expect going forward, especially because the severity of ITP covers a wide range. What activities can I participate in? What drugs or other treatments will I need? And what exactly is going on inside my body? While there are no easy answers to these questions, here are the most important things to know about life with ITP. 1. There’s probably nothing you did to cause ITP....

The spiky succulent plant grows naturally in dry, tropical climates in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the southern and western parts of the United States. Many centuries ago, people realized the plant had more to offer than its good looks. The gel and juice found inside aloe vera became a popular herbal remedy, used to treat everything from skin issues to digestive problems, according to an article in SAGE Open Medicine published in September 2019....

Why Is Insulin So Important? Normally, most of the food you eat is broken down into glucose (aka blood sugar), which is the body’s main source of energy. Insulin shuttles glucose into your cells, which then either burn it for fuel or store it as fat. Without insulin, glucose can’t reach the cells; it simply floats in the bloodstream unused. Left to build up, excess glucose can quickly damage blood vessels throughout the body and wreak havoc on every organ....

According to Everyday Health’s United States of Stress survey, finances are the most common source of stress among men and women. Managing that stress can have real benefits for a person’s health. Many U.S. companies realize that personal finances and health are often closely linked. Nine out of 10 large and mid-sized companies now offer financial wellness programs, and another 10 percent are considering adding them, according to a press release published in May 2018 by the National Business Group on Health (NBGH)....

And wellness experts say that if you haven’t joined the trend yet, these colder weather months are the perfect time to do so. It’s not so much an activity you might choose to do or not do; hygge is more a way of life, one that makes ordinary moments feel special, pleasurable, and meaningful, according to Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute and the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living....

The colon then develops ulcers (open sores) that produce blood, pus, and mucus. The small intestine is rarely affected. There are several subtypes of ulcerative colitis, which are named according to the part of the colon affected: Ulcerative proctitis, which affects only the rectumProctosigmoiditis, which affects the rectum and lower segment of the colon (sigmoid colon)Left-sided colitis, which affects the rectum, sigmoid colon, and descending colon up to the sharp bend near the spleenPan-ulcerative or total colitis, which affects the entire colon...

Sudden, severe vertigoDifficulty balancing or walkingDizzinessNausea and vomiting Benadryl (diphenhydramine)Antivert (meclizine)Phenergan (promethazine hydrochloride)Ativan (lorazepam)Valium (diazepam) Vestibular Physical Therapy If you’ve been experiencing symptoms like dizziness for longer than a few weeks, your doctor may recommend that you start a balance rehabilitation program. These exercises can help your brain adjust to any lingering changes in balance. Some examples of exercises may include: Shifting your body weight from side to side or front to back while standingFocusing your eyes on an object while turning your head from side to sideFocusing your eyes on a distant target while walking toward it and taking occasional glances at the floor...

Zelnorm, known generically as tegaserod, is a novel type of medication for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For many patients, tegaserod was the only medication that was effective in treating this condition over the long term. Unfortunately, it was recently withdrawn from the market because of heart complications in a small number of patients. Tegaserod worked through the serotonin pathway, and unfortunately, no similar medications are available....

If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you need to pay attention. Top Blood Pressure Facts for People Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis Fact: People with RA are at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Fact: If you have RA, you actually have less of a chance of being diagnosed with high blood pressure even if you have all the signs. Fact: Within the new, stricter guidelines, even more people with RA are at risk for cardiovascular events, making it even more important that you and your healthcare team assess your blood pressure and manage it if it’s too high....

“Some days, I feel like no one has ever heard of psoriatic arthritis,” says Donaldson, 44, a writer and mom in Hebron, Kentucky, who documents her struggles with PsA on her blog, Smiles and Sundays. “Rheumatoid arthritis, yes. But psoriatic arthritis, not so much.” “It’s like feeling your bones shatter and crumble. It’s like having flu-related body aches that never go away. It’s exhausting,” says Cynthia Covert, 53, a writer in Riverside, California, who blogs as The Disabled Diva....

Of course, sometimes life gets in the way of taking a prescription drug perfectly: You forget to take a dose; a prescription runs out; or a perishable drug gets left in the car for a few days. And even if everything goes according to plan, you may still experience side effects from a drug that make you wonder if you should keep taking it. When it comes to ankylosing spondylitis medications, your pharmacist can be an invaluable resource to address any questions or concerns you may have....

Once you’re diagnosed with this skin condition, your dermatologist will recommend medical treatment to reduce symptoms. But even though various treatments can control symptoms of rosacea, this chronic condition is ultimately best managed by avoiding certain triggers, says Erum Ilyas, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in the Philadelphia area. Rosacea triggers vary from person to person, but may include heat, cold air, extreme exercise, sun exposure, emotions and stress, and medication — basically anything that increases blood flow to the surface of the skin....

Women of color fared even worse, waiting about 15 minutes longer than white women for initial evaluations, according to the new study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack in adults of all ages,” says lead study author Darcy Banco, MD, chief resident for safety and quality in the department of medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City....

A small, preliminary study published in November 2018 in the journal Current Biology suggested the body’s resting metabolism (how many calories you burn at rest) changes throughout the day, peaking during the afternoon and evening, and dipping during the late night. The finding surprised researchers because it showed that timing matters when measuring an individual’s resting metabolism, which is also known as resting energy expenditure (REE). “The conventional wisdom is that if you want to measure someone’s REE, you don’t really pay attention to what time of day you do it....

Anytime you start a new medication, ask your pharmacist for basic information, such as what the medication is used for and its side effects, says Ashley Ellis, PharmD, CDCES, the director of clinical operations at Compwell in Collierville, Tennessee. If weight gain is probable and you’re uncomfortable with that, ask your doctor if you can be on a lower dose or if there are other options, she says. Of course, you’ll still want to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits (or start if you’re not in a routine already)....

It’s not always easy to eat the right things. So when you fill your plate with wholesome foods, it pays to make sure you’re choosing the most nutritious ones. Romaine lettuce is good for you, for example, but swapping it for one of the even more nutritious dark, leafy greens, like spinach or kale, is even better. Some foods, after all, are true nutritional powerhouses, with more vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting antioxidants than others....

In fact, you may be struggling with your weight now more than ever. And if that’s the case, you’re not alone: Nearly 40 percent of women in the United States ages 40 and older are obese, according to the 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Fluctuating hormones tend to be behind weight gain at this age, says Sylvia Garcia, MD, a family practice physician at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, California....

Environmental factors like sun exposure and pollution can break down collagen, making it more likely you’ll see wrinkles staring back at you in the mirror, says New York City–based board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD. Age is a major factor, too. “As you get older, collagen production decreases so the skin can also appear thinner and have less structural support, which is why people begin to notice drooping or sagging of their skin,” she says....