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While a pandemic may seem like an inopportune time to start prioritizing physical activity, it’s anything but. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that people with underlying health conditions, including those with diabetes are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, especially among those whose condition isn’t well managed. Thus, there’s no better time to put your health first. RELATED: What People With Diabetes Must Know About COVID-19...

Certain medications may pull water from the body, increase the amount you urinate, or cause fluid loss via side effects like vomiting or diarrhea, explains Aaron Emmel, PharmD, the founder of PharmacyTechScholar.com in St. Augustine, Florida. RELATED: 6 Unusual Signs of Dehydration You Should Know About If your medication lists dehydration as a possible side effect, you should not stop taking the drug. Talk to your doctor about any concerns and how best to deal with possible dehydration....

1. Test on the Side of Your Finger When doing diabetes blood sugar testing, resist aiming straight for all that real estate on the tip of your finger — that’s definitely painful. “When testing on your finger, use only the sides of your finger, where there’s better blood flow, and not the pad of the finger," says Hector Verastigui, RN, CDE, clinical research coordinator at the Texas Diabetes Institute in San Antonio....

The summer before high school, my girlfriends and I got one of our older siblings to buy us a pack of pink Camels. Why? We thought they were pretty; and, in the interest of full transparency, we probably thought they made us look cool (shocker). We huddled in a circle, shoulders touching behind a bush, and sparked what we didn’t know at the time would be the first of countless “bogies....

“The traditional way of thinking is that MS is primarily a white matter disease,” says Lael Stone, MD, formerly a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis (MS) at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. But “most [experts] in MS at this point would say that there is clearly involvement of both white and gray matter,” says Dr. Stone. Still, “you could put 10 MS specialists in a room, and they would have a hard time agreeing on which is more important and which comes first....

About 4,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year, most of them between the ages of 50 and 65 — and they make up about 78 percent of new amyloidosis cases. (1,2) In the past, AL amyloidosis was sometimes called “primary” amyloidosis because it’s the most common type of the disease. Like other types of amyloidosis, AL involves the accumulation of protein molecules. But unlike other types of the disease, the problem stems from a bone marrow disorder....

Organizations Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA): https://www.aafa.org/ World Allergy Organization (WAO): https://www.worldallergy.org/ American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI): https://www.aaaai.org/ American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: https://acaai.org/ Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE): https://www.foodallergy.org/ American Latex Allergy Association (ALAA): https://latexallergyresources.org/ Allergy & Asthma Network: https://www.allergyasthmanetwork.org/ Statistics and Facts Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA): Allergy Facts and Figures Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE): Facts and Statistics American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergy Facts...

As the Mayo Clinic points out, eating more plant-based meals can reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions while lowering your food bill. The best thing about fresh, homemade vegan meals like this one is that you can easily make fruits and vegetables the stars — meaning you get more of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs. Try serving this recipe over a bed of quinoa, which acts like a grain but is also a complete protein source to keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours....

One of the best ways to manage ankylosing spondylitis effectively is to learn as much as you can about the condition. Read on to learn the facts behind some of the top misconceptions about ankylosing spondylitis. Myth 1: Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare condition. Fact: Ankylosing spondylitis is more common than you might think. According to the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA), at least 3.2 million people in the U....

Egg Nutrition Facts Egg is a protein, so it is not a carbohydrate and not starchy. The following is the nutrition facts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for one whole large egg. This pertains to a large hard-boiled egg. If you cook your eggs differently (e.g., scrambled, fried), the nutrition will change depending on what type, if any, of fat you’re cooking the egg in. Carbs in an egg: 0....

Warnings that some gadgets can stop defibrillators and pacemakers from working properly are older than the iPhone. A study published back in 2007, for example, found that iPods created an electromagnetic field that caused pacemaker malfunctions. For years, the American Heart Association (AHA) has advised people with implanted cardiac devices against keeping certain music players, Bluetooth headphones, and cellphones too close to their heart. Just last year, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association detailed how Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging technology used with the iPhone 12 Pro Max might stop implanted heart devices from working correctly....

Atrial flutter is a heart disorder in which the heart beats much faster than normal. The condition is similar to atrial fibrillation (afib) — the most common type of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) — and it can cause similar symptoms and complications. Atrial flutter is much less common than afib, and people with atrial flutter can also have episodes of afib. Causes of Atrial Flutter Normally, your heartbeat begins with an electrical signal that’s sent out by the sinus node (or sinoatrial node), a group of cells located in the upper right heart chamber (right atrium)....

First, I want to reassure you that you are not the only parent whose child has bad breath (halitosis). In fact, a study published in Pediatric Dentistry in 2003 showed that 23 percent of young children had halitosis. In kids, as in adults, tongue coating, inflammation of the gums (gingivitis), and tooth decay are the most common culprits. Bad breath is thought to be caused mostly by “volatile sulfur compounds” — smelly by-products of the breakdown of proteins and sugars by bacteria in the mouth....

Start replacing these common bad habits with healthier alternatives. 1. Being Too Stoic Ignoring your symptoms and pushing through joint pain and discomfort can have serious repercussions. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, not treating your psoriatic arthritis can lead to irreversible joint damage. Making sure you get the right treatment can help reduce joint pain and stiffness and lower your risk of developing related health conditions. 2. Tuning Out Your Doctor You may not always like what your doctor has to say, but it’s wise to listen, even if it feels like your doctor is asking a lot of you....

The company said that while benzene is not an ingredient in any of its products, the chemical was discovered in the propellant that sprays the product from the can. What Is Benzene? According to the CDC, the chemical benzene is found in oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke, as well as naturally formed in forest fires and volcanoes. Long-term exposure to benzene in the air can cause cancer in humans, according to the agency....

— Missy, Ohio Actually, walking down stairs burns more calories than walking on a flat surface, and it certainly burns more calories than standing in an elevator. As long as you don’t have balance or joint problems, or any medical reasons not to, I definitely think it’s worth it to take the stairs down as well as up. Find out more about how many calories you can burn by taking the stairs, both up and down, on My Calorie Counter....

Using moisturizers for acne-prone skin may seem counterintuitive. Anyone suffering from a breakout is likely to be focused on drying out their pesky pimples, not keeping their skin moisturized. But everyone needs to hydrate, according to Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor in the dermatology department at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “This helps the skin barrier remain healthy,” she says. Acne is the most common skin condition affecting people in the United States, but the exact causes are still unclear....

According to the National Eczema Association (NEA), individuals with the chronic skin condition can have a negative reaction to chemicals in the sunscreen, the preservatives, and the base. Separately, a previous study found evidence that isopropyl alcohol — a common ingredient in traditional sunscreen — can induce contact allergy for those with eczema. Indeed, the NEA awards its Seal of Acceptance only to those products that are mineral-based and alcohol-free....

Our mission, then and now, has been to raise awareness of the inequities in health and healthcare among Black Americans, as well as the racism and bias within communities and institutions that have led to these disparities. With knowledge, we are empowered to help influence change toward improved healthcare and self-care. But getting there is no simple task. The public outrage and social unrest that followed the events of 2020 have exposed harsh, undeniable truths about the human condition in our nation and, in particular, the Black American community....

“Cactus water is hot in the functional beverage space, just like coconut water, because it’s a plant-based beverage that contains electrolytes and antioxidants,” says Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, the Chicago-based creator of the podcast Nourishing Notes. Still, not all commercial cactus waters are created equal. “They could be healthy — or [they] could be adulterated and not beneficial,” says Ann Marie Chiasson MD, MPH, the director of the fellowship in integrative medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in Tuscson, Arizona....