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Although IBD has predominantly affected whites in the past, a study published in August 2016 in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Disease found an increase in the rate of IBD in minority groups in the United States over the past two decades. “Patients may be reluctant to identify as having ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, so our current numbers may really underrepresent these minority groups,” says Brent Polk, MD, a professor of pediatrics and a gastroenterologist at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles....

A new study, published online August 26, 2019, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that people who eat more plant protein tend to live longer. Researchers tracked the diets and health of nearly 71,000 Japanese men and women between 45 and 74 years old. They gave each participant a series of questions related to their health as well as the amount and what types of protein they ate....

In late December 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new digital rescue inhaler from Teva Pharmaceuticals that is devised to help ensure individuals correctly take their medication. The inhaler features sensors that connect to a smartphone app, and then records data that can be shared with doctors who can evaluate a patient’s inhaler usage. An estimated 70 to 90 percent of patients make mistakes using their inhalers and don’t get enough medication into their lungs, while other patients may overuse the devices, according to a study published in July 2016 in the journal Respiratory Medicine....

Until then, we’ve rounded up some of the most common symptoms you might be experiencing, along with doctor-recommended tips for finding relief. Symptom No. 1: Abdominal Cramps Solution: Try to pinpoint your triggers. Stomach cramps are often caused by gas or spasms in the gut. Common culprits include foods high in fiber or fat, which can impact gas production, says Byron Vaughn, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis and director of their inflammatory bowel disease program....

The request is an attempt to crackdown on the increasing number of people who take dangerously high doses of loperamide — sold under the brand name Imodium A-D as well as store brands and generics — to get “high” or manage symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Loperamide is known as the “poor man’s methadone,” and opioid addicts ingest from 50 to 300 pills to feel euphoric or deal with opioid withdrawal symptoms, such as cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea....

“There’s an old saying,” Schaffner says, “which is, ‘If you’ve seen one flu season, you’ve seen one flu season.’ None of us really know what to expect this year, except that we will have a flu season.” Flu seasons can vary in severity from one to the next. The CDC estimates that last year’s flu season was relatively moderate compared with the year before, when the United States had 45 million influenza illnesses, leading to 21 million medical visits, 810,000 hospitalizations, and 61,000 deaths....

“Esophagitis simply means inflammation of the esophagus,” says Stella Y. Chow, MD, the director of gastroenterology at the Lahey Clinic North Shore in Burlington, Massachusetts. Your esophagus is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach. When your esophagus becomes irritated or swollen, it causes esophagitis symptoms. Heartburn, a common symptom of esophagitis, affects almost 40 percent of Americans at least twice a month, but having occasional heartburn does not necessarily mean you have esophagitis....

Having a headache or feeling dizzy can be unsettling on its own, and together they’re even more anxiety producing. But identifying the source of your dizziness can help you find relief for your symptoms. Describing the sensation to your doctor or even friends or family members can be challenging because the term “dizzy” can mean different things to different people. In medical terms, what exactly does it mean when say we “feel dizzy”?...

Today, many healthcare providers opt for nonsteroidal HAE treatments. There are two kinds of hereditary angioedema (HAE) treatments: preventive and on demand. Preventive therapies Also known as prophylactic medication, this type of medication is taken regularly to help ward off an HAE attack. These drugs might also reduce the frequency and severity of your symptoms. On-demand Also known as acute treatments, this type of therapy is given to stop an attack in its tracks....

In the study, researchers examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil. At the start of the study, participants consumed an average of about 2,850 calories a day. About 28 percent of their daily calories came from highly processed foods. After about nine years of follow-up, cognitive test scores for memory and executive function declined the most for participants who ate the most highly processed foods, according to preliminary study results presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held July 31–August 4 in San Diego....

Now, there’s a new option that can prevent HIV without the need for daily pills: On December 20, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apretude (cabotegravir extended-release), a shot injected every two months to prevent HIV in at-risk adults and adolescents who weigh at least 77 pounds. The drug’s developer, ViiV Healthcare, said in a December 2021 statement that it would begin shipping the shot to U.S. distributors in early 2022....

But the injury also occurs at high rates in many other sports, especially those in which females participate. Furthermore, both men and women can experience a brain injury in circumstances outside of sports, and females may be more vulnerable in some of these areas. Concussions in Males Versus Females In recent years, research has shown rising rates of concussions in females. “Research shows the rate of female concussions is rising more than for males,” says Angela Colantonio, PhD, a senior scientist and research division head at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute....

The proportionately low number of cases, coupled with the wide variety of types of cancers that occur in children and teens, makes it that much harder to study pediatric cancers and find effective treatments. But maybe there’s another way to learn more about children’s cancers and how to treat them. Enter: man’s best friend. Cancers in Dogs Are Similar to Cancers in Children Cancers that develop in dogs are actually very similar to those found in children, and cancer is much more common among dogs....

“If you look at a range of things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, persisting pain, and inflammation — all of these things that are risk factors and symptoms of various chronic conditions — across the board, there is a huge value that comes from increasing fitness and your level of physical activity in your life,” Prigge says. For instance, aerobic exercise can help prevent heart disease, but if you do develop markers of heart problems — such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure — moderate intensity activity can help stop those problems from causing more serious ones (such as heart attack or stroke)....

Small wounds can also become infected from the bacteria on your shoe or the environment — and if they do, chronically high blood sugar can impair the function of immune cells that fight against infection. A high sugar environment also helps bacteria, fungi, and other infection-causing organisms to thrive, adds Dr. Adimoolam. Plus, a local infection can spread to other soft tissue or to bone and even your blood, which can lead to sepsis, a dangerous and potentially life-threatening level of infection, says Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, a podiatrist at Hackensack University Medical Group in Emerson, New Jersey, and a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association....

The honest answer is that I don’t know. I don’t fault her for her depression — I have cried hours and hours in front of the kids and wish I could take back those memories. However, I promised myself somewhere in that pain that I would never use my bed as an escape, especially when I had young children. The thought of a pajama day even today makes me ill....

“Chiggers are a type of immature mite that spend time feeding on small mammals, and also on humans,” says Lee Townsend, PhD, a professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Dr. Townsend says that there are many different species of mites, but only a few types that bite during their larval stage. It’s these that are referred to as chiggers. “Not all mites are chiggers, but all chiggers are mites,” he adds....

However, while there are some good reasons to remove scales, taking your fingernails to them isn’t one of them, as you risk damaging the skin they’re attached to. This “can trigger flares of more patches of psoriasis, a reaction known as the Koebner phenomenon,” says Steven Daveluy, MD, assistant professor and program director at the Wayne State University Department of Dermatology in Detroit. The Benefits of Removing Scales Scales do naturally exfoliate (shed), but it can take a while....

“Self-care means really listening to your body, taking moments to check in, intentionally tuning in to the thoughts going on in your mind, and challenging your behaviors and belief systems if things feel out of alignment in your life,” says Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles–based wellness coach and Reiki instructor, and the author of the book Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki, and Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress. You may feel up for the challenge, but recognizing the need for self-care is one thing....

Holt Allums didn’t lose her taste buds during cancer treatment, but she did lose her salivary glands. Ulcers climbed up her throat, coating the top and sides of her tongue. Anything she tried to consume she would throw up. The oozing sores in her mouth either made her choke or cough, and she had to carry around a cup to spit in. She still had her taste buds, but food didn’t taste the same....