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After all, it’s not just carbohydrate intake that influences the amount of glucose coursing through your bloodstream when you have type 2 diabetes. Emotional stress and certain medications can increase your blood sugar levels, and a boost in activity can cause it to drop, says Megan O’Neill, CDCES, a medical science liaison for diabetes care at Abbott healthcare company in Monterey, California. Sometimes people experience a spike in their blood sugar early in the morning due to the “dawn effect,” a temporary surge of hormones that occurs as the body prepares to wake, according to the Cleveland Clinic....

When a gallstone forms, it can wedge itself in the ducts that release bile — causing bile buildup and a painful condition called cholecystitis. (2) Cholecystitis, or gallbladder inflammation, occurs when bile can’t circulate out of the gallbladder as it normally does. When bile builds up, it causes the gallbladder to thicken, harden, swell, and become irritated. The abdomen becomes painful, and infection can occur if bile can’t flow properly....

Diarrhea typically clears up on its own within a few days, but severe or chronic diarrhea that lasts for weeks can be a sign of a serious health problem that needs medical attention, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pain or cramping in the abdomenAn urgent need to go to the bathroomNauseaLoss of control of bowel movements If diarrhea is caused by an infection or inflammation, people may also experience:...

The terms labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis are often used interchangeably; both describe any inflammation along the pathway from the labyrinth (the inner ear) to the vestibular nerve (which connects the inner ear to the brain) to the vestibular nuclei, explains Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, a partner at ENT and Allergy Associates in New York City. There are two kinds of labyrinthitis: viral labyrinthitis and bacterial labyrinthitis. Viral labyrinthitis — which is also called serous labyrinthitis or serous or viral neuritis — is much more common, says Dr....

Eating this way means you also have little room for processed fare. When you look at a plate, it should be bursting with color; traditional proteins like chicken may be more of a side dish compared with produce, which becomes the main event. One thing you’ll find people love about the Mediterranean diet is the allowance of low to moderate amounts of red wine. “Moderate” means 5 ounces (oz) or less each day (that’s around one glass)....

It was a horrible time for me because of the high fever and the resulting hallucinations, which included seeing a bunch of daddy longlegs spiders crawling down the drain pipe in my bathroom. I often think back to that time and wonder what impact the malaria may have had on my brain. But one lasting effect I’m well aware of is that I go out of my way to avoid daddy longlegs!...

You’ve certainly seen these around, because they’ve exploded in popularity this year. CNN reports that Nielsen data show hard seltzer sales exceeded $1 billion over the last year, ending in August 2019. That’s a 200 percent increase year over year. There’s no shortage of brands to choose from: White Claw, Bon & Viv, Truly, Nauti, Crook & Marker, Press, Arctic Summer — even some well-known alcohol brands such as Smirnoff and Natural Light have their own lines of hard seltzer....

RELATED: 8 Common Medications That May Cause Dehydration Before introducing a medication, ask your pharmacist about any food interactions, including with alcohol, and any adjustments you may have to make to your diet. Here are 10 medications that interact with food, plus what you can do to stay safe. 1. Acetaminophen + Alcohol If you’re popping Tylenol (acetaminophen) after drinking to ward off a hangover, you may be putting yourself in danger....

Be aware of stages in child development so you don’t expect too much or too little from your child.Encourage your child to express his or her feelings; respect those feelings. Let your child know that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety. Try to learn the source of these feelings. Help your child express anger positively, without resorting to violence.Promote mutual respect and trust. Keep your voice level down — even when you don’t agree....

Today, the diet has become trendy, and many people are using it to lose weight. However, eating high levels of saturated fat may pose a risk for long-term heart health — and in the short term, severely low carb diets may come with unpleasant side effects, like constipation and headaches, notes the Mayo Clinic. Given the restrictive nature of keto (it eliminates most fruit and dairy, whole grains, many vegetables, and legumes), you may also fall short in terms of certain nutrients, like fiber....

Below are five ways pumpkin improves gut health. 1. Supports Bowel Regularity Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber, and its flesh is particularly rich in the soluble kind. Soluble fiber is unique in that it can improve both constipation and diarrhea, normalizing bowel function overall. Soluble fiber holds onto water in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, forming a viscous gel. This gelling property promotes more complete, well-formed bowel movements. To improve diarrhea, soluble fiber slows GI transit time, meaning food moves through the GI tract more slowly, absorbing water in the process....

Afib is caused by the upper and lower heart chambers not working together properly due to abnormal electrical signaling. Common symptoms include: FatigueShortness of breathChest painDizziness According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, afib can also occur without symptoms and lead to serious, potentially life-threatening complications, such as blood clots and stroke. Receiving an afib diagnosis can be alarming for you and your family. To diagnose afib, your healthcare provider will ask you questions regarding your diet, physical activity, family history, afib symptoms you’ve noticed, and if you have any risk factors for the condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, obesity, and alcohol consumption....

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery upwards of 50 percent of patients regain 5 percent of their body weight within 2 years of undergoing the procedure, while a smaller percentage of patients may gain back even more. So what can be done to increase the success rate of weight-loss surgery? Experts on the topic and individuals who have achieved long-term success with the treatment agree on this: Surgery is only the first step....

“People tend to forget that alcohol is a depressant,” says Hilary Sheinbaum, author of The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month. She has given up drinking alcohol at least one month out of the year since 2017, and she’s noticed a variety of positive effects while doing so, from improved digestion to better sleep. “After the first 10 days without alcohol, I recognized that my mood was more elevated,” she recalls....

Some types of hair loss can be more obvious than others. Nonetheless, facing hair loss for any reason can be distressing. Unwanted comments from both strangers and loved ones can make the experience of hair loss even more stressful. And so, it’s common for people to be sensitive about their hair loss, says John Browning, MD, a dermatologist with Texas Dermatology and Laser Specialists in San Antonio. If you have a friend, family member, acquaintance, or coworker who has alopecia, it’s important to be sensitive to their feelings and needs....

“’[The] painful nodules, bumps, and/or boils typically [occur] in the armpits, breast, or groin area,” explains Virginia-based Aaron Fong, MD, of U.S. Dermatology Partners, which is currently facilitating HS clinical trials in Phoenix, Arizona. “These can be painful and drain foul-smelling fluid. Unfortunately, since HS isn’t as well known and is often misdiagnosed, people may not seek appropriate treatment for years.” In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, some people live with HS for 12 years or longer before getting diagnosed, as the condition is often mistaken for something else....

The answer may be “Yes.” Regular exercise and proper posture are key recommendations for people who have ankylosing spondylitis, according to the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA). Pilates can help with that — and more. “Pilates is a movement system designed to promote strength and flexibility through spinal articulation, proper breathing, alignment, focus, concentration, and control via training the body’s core musculature,” explains Shannon Foley, owner of EnCore Pilates in Gainesville, Florida, and a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and Pilates instructor who has worked with people with ankylosing spondylitis....

Medically Reviewed by Alexa Meara, MD Could your hand or foot pain be caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? RA is a serious autoimmune disease that is much different from osteoarthritis, the type of arthritis that usually occurs as we age. Rheumatoid arthritis can strike at any age, and if you don’t get diagnosed and treated, you could develop joint damage and painful, crippling deformity. A devastating disease that can severely damage your joints, RA also affects other organs and reduces your life expectancy....

Because symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness are part of living with psoriatic arthritis, it can sometimes be hard to know how well your condition is controlled. “There’s a lot of variation in psoriatic arthritis from individual to individual,” says Ana-Maria Orbai, MD, MHS, director of the psoriatic arthritis program and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine in Baltimore. Indeed, while one person may have heavily swollen hands when they are diagnosed, another may only have a swollen knee....

“Asthma is characterized by airflow obstruction and limitation of airflow that’s associated with inflammation,” says Michael Wechsler, MD, MMSc, co-director of the Cohen Family Asthma Institute at National Jewish Health in Denver. “There’s a subset of asthma patients in whom that inflammation is caused by eosinophils.” As we’re learning more about this specific subtype of asthma, it’s important to keep the facts straight. Here’s what we know so far....