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We took a deep dive into this unique platform that offers both counseling and psychiatry services to more than one million people. This Talkspace review goes over the pros and cons, enrollment process, program options, costs, and more to give users everything they’ll need to know before deciding whether Talkspace is right for them. The Messaging Therapy subscription cost includes unlimited messaging via text, audio, or video. The Video Plus Messaging plan includes four 30-minute live sessions that can be conducted via text, audio call, or video call....

While inferiority complex is not a term that today’s mental health professionals use, we all know that it generally means having such low self-esteem, self-doubt, and constant feelings of inadequacy that it’s difficult to function and accomplish one’s goals. How’s your self-esteem? Try giving it a mini check-up with this six-question quiz. While it won’t provide a professional diagnosis, it may suggest that your self-esteem — defined by the American Psychological Association as “a person’s physical self-image, view of his or her accomplishments and capabilities, and values and perceived success in living up to them” — could use a boost....

Every now and then that “voice of MS” is MS – or at least it is affected by MS. I have been doing quite a lot of speaking engagements these past few weeks (and it won’t let up for some time). My schedule has brought this voice issue to the forefront of my mind, and I thought I’d share it with you all. If I think of the one MS symptom that scares me the most, it would be the loss of ability to communicate verbally....

Lactose intolerance, also known as lactase deficiency, is a common problem that occurs when the body cannot digest lactose, a natural sugar found in dairy products and milk. It’s so common, in fact, that it causes 25 to 50 million Americans to avoid milk altogether. Lactose intolerance is generally not dangerous, but it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, bloating, and gas. Lactose intolerance is more prevalent in adults than in children, as the body is less reliant on milk than it is during infancy, and therefore produces less lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose....

Rather, symptoms vacillate from worse to better to worse again, often thanks to specific “triggers” that activate inflammation. “There are many potential triggers for eczema, and each individual may have specific triggers for their own symptoms,” says Peter Lio, MD, a dermatologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Overly dry skinDry, cold climate, particularly during winterSweatIrritants such as metals, cigarette smoke, fragrances, and fabrics like wool and polyesterAllergens such as mold, pollen, dust mites, and pet danderVarious foods that cause allergic reactions, such as eggs, soy, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, wheat, and milkBacterial, viral, and fungal infectionsHormonal changes, particularly during pregnancy or in the days before menstruation...

More specifically, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) — one of the eight — plays key roles in keeping the brain and nervous system functioning properly, says Sonya Angelone, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Vitamin B6 is involved in production of hemoglobin, the protein in blood that carries oxygen throughout the body.” Vitamin B6 is also needed for proper brain development (in kids) and function (for people of all ages)....

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), many people with psoriasis experience persistent fatigue that may interfere with daily function. A study published in February 2017 in the British Journal of Dermatology assessed fatigue in 84 psoriasis patients and 84 healthy people without psoriasis and found that nearly 50 percent of those with psoriasis experienced substantial fatigue. And a study published in February 2020 in the journal Advances in Dermatology and Allergology, which included 58 patients with psoriasis, 60 patients with psoriatic arthritis, and 61 people in a control group who didn’t have these conditions, found that 17 percent of people with psoriasis were found to have severe fatigue....

Research has pinpointed a potential culprit that could make some people more susceptible to the cardiovascular effects of red meat — and it’s located in the gut. A study published August 1 in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology zeroed in on a metabolite called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), and the discovery may one day debunk what researchers have believed for decades about how red meat increases the risk of heart disease....

In recent years, there’s been an increase in public awareness of the gut microbiome, the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your digestive system, and the role it plays in digestive health. By improving the health of your gut microbiome, you may be able to reduce bloating and gas and improve the regularity of bowel movements. A growing body of research suggests that the wrong balance of gut bacteria can cause harm beyond your gut, playing a role in conditions as different as arthritis, obesity, and depression....

Or, you may be among a minority of people — around 5 percent, according to a study published in August 2020 in the journal EMJ Dermatology — who develop nail psoriasis without first developing other forms of the disease. However your nails come to be affected by psoriasis, you might contend with a number of unsightly symptoms. And while less-than-perfect nails may not seem like a big concern, looks aren’t the only problem: The symptoms can often make certain tasks hard to do....

“Psoriatic arthritis can affect the joints of the feet and ankles, and it can also affect the structures that support those joints,” says M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, the vice chair of rheumatology and the director of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Roughly 50 percent of people living with psoriatic arthritis experience enthesitis, which refers to inflammation of the entheses (located where ligaments or tendons connect to bones), according to the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)....

One hundred days after the first COVID shot was given in the United States, the country continues the largest mass vaccination campaign in history. Currently, more than 2 million shots are administered per day: More vaccines are going in arms every day than in all the clinical trials combined. This means we are now getting more and more real-world data from a larger and more diverse group than any clinical trial could ever hope to produce....

Affecting about 4 percent of all adults in the United States, according to the Arthritis Foundation, gout is a form of arthritis that presents as painful, swollen, stiff joints, especially in the big toe. It is caused by a buildup in the blood of uric acid, a normal waste product of the breakdown of certain foods. Too much uric acid causes the formation of painful crystals in the joints. Difficult to diagnose, gout can painfully flare for 3 to 10 days, then remain asymptomatic for months or years afterward....

According to the World Health Organization, 90 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Some research indicates that the longer someone has a high body mass index, or BMI (a common measure of being overweight or obese), the greater their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Fat tissues are active, releasing and responding to hormones that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, which can include diabetes....

As one student with ADHD told Jamie Mazza, a professional clinical counselor and psychotherapist, the condition can feel like “marbles rolling around in the head.” Given these circumstances, you may wonder how your child can be mentally, physically, and emotionally able to succeed at school. It’s true that academics can be hard for children with ADHD — and parents who want to help. Research published in September 2020 in the journal Clinical Pediatrics found that children with ADHD tended to have poorer school performance than students who didn’t have ADHD....

That’s the proposed basis of jade combing, which is used with the intention to potentially enhance circulation, hair growth, and relaxation, although these are not supported by quality scientific evidence. RELATED: What Are Jade Rollers and Should You Add One to Your Skin-Care Routine? Here’s what a few in-the-know experts say about whether jade combing delivers what it’s said to, and if it’s a good idea for you to give it a try....

“When this happens, the hairs gradually become thinner until they stop growing entirely,” says Michele Green, MD, a New York City–based cosmetic dermatologist. “Having a family member with alopecia areata increases one’s risk for developing the condition,” explains Brittany Craiglow, MD, of Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut and associate adjunct professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven. “People who have atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma, thyroid disease, vitiligo, and Down syndrome are also more likely to develop it....

Understandably, the sight of these bumps growing in the back of your mouth can be a cause of concern and alarm. “People may think it’s an infection or a growth of some kind,” says Jennifer Setlur, MD, an otolaryngologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston. Tonsil stones (also referred to as tonsilloliths or tonsilliths) are in fact deposits that can form in the crevices and pits on the surface of the tonsils (usually because of the buildup of food particles, bacteria, or other debris....

To have BED you must experience profound despair about your eating habits. You must regularly go on eating jags in which you consume thousands of calories in one sitting, often far more than the 2,000 calories most adults need for an entire day. And you probably binge in secret, and feel so much guilt and shame that it affects your relationships with friends, family, and coworkers, says Kathleen Ashton, PhD, a psychologist and an associate professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Ohio....

Fortunately, DVT is preventable and treatable if detected early. Swelling in one leg (it’s rare that swelling would occur in both legs)Pain in the affected legSkin that is red or discolored on the affected legSkin that is warm to the touch on the affected leg If you see signs or symptoms of DVT, talk to your doctor. If you have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, seek emergency medical assistance immediately....