Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid misuse has continued unabated in the United States, with an estimated 2.5 million or more Americans suffering from opioid use disorder. Most people treated for the disorder are given medications, such as buprenorphine, that activate opioid receptors. But there is disagreement about whether it’s safe to prescribe buprenorphine for […]
Hypothyroidism is a disease of the thyroid gland that affects the amount of thyroxine produced by the gland. Management of this condition involves using hormone replacement therapy to replace this thyroxine. A synthetic form of thyroxine is available as a medication called levothyroxine, which can be taken as an oral tablet on a daily basis. […]
Cerebral palsy is divided into three major classifications to describe different movement impairments. The classifications are also significant to different areas of the brain. The broad classification includes: Spastic type This is the most common type of cerebral palsy. It occurs in 70 to 80% of all cases. This type also accompanies nearly a third […]
Atrial fibrillation (AF) usually causes the ventricles to contract faster than normal. When this happens, the ventricles don't have enough time to fill completely with blood to pump to the lungs and body. This inefficient pumping can cause signs and symptoms, such as: Palpitations (a strong feeling of a fast heartbeat or a "thumping" in […]
As a progressive condition, Alzheimer’s disease symptoms develop gradually and become more severe over time.In many people, symptoms can take as long as ten years to become severe enough to cause concern. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not clearly understood, but patients with the condition have been found to have abnormal protein deposits […]
Rosacea is typically characterized by a redness and discoloration across the face, accompanied by persistent red spots and the appearance of prominent blood vessels. Over time, the skin may thicken and enlarge and eventually cause facial deformity. Rosacea. Erythema and telangiectasia are seen over the cheeks, nasolabial area and nose. Inflammatory papules and pustules can […]
Friedreich’s ataxia is the most common form of inheritable ataxia and affects around 1 in 50,000 people in the United States. There is no gender difference in the prevalence of this neurodegenerative disorder. Friedreich’s ataxia is caused by mutation in the FXN gene. This gene, which is present on chromosome 9, codes for the protein frataxin. Frataxin […]
The progestogen-only pill (POP) is used to prevent pregnancy without causing the adverse effects of estrogen. Image Credit: areeya_ann / Shutterstock Advantages The POP is very popular for several reasons: It has a high efficacy of 94 percent, though this is lower than that of the combined oral contraceptive pill It contains less progestogen than […]
There are several risk factors associated with cerebrovascular disease. While some of these risk factors are non-modifiable such as advancing age, male gender and previous history of stroke or heart problems, others depend on lifestyle and can be altered to reduce risk for the condition. Factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol […]
Hypertriglyceridemia refers to an abnormally high level of triglycerides in the blood. Found in both animal and vegetable fats, triglycerides make up about 95% of all dietary fats. Once digested, triglycerides circulate in the bloodstream and are used as a source of energy by cells. Any triglycerides that are not taken up as an energy […]
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Beaming infrared light into the ear could combat hearing loss by reducing noise exposure, tests show Shooting infrared light into the ear may prevent one of the most common causes of hearing loss — and even restore hearing that’s been damaged. That’s the thinking behind a new U.S. trial. Previous research suggests that infrared light […]
