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Symptoms of aortic stenosis in infants and children due to a congenital defect include: Inability to gain weightFatigue during normal activitiesDifficulty feedingTrouble breathing Calcium on the Valve In older adults, narrowing of the aortic valve with restricted opening can occur when scarring or calcium damages the valve, according to the AHA.Congenital Problems In young people, the most common cause of aortic stenosis is bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital defect in which only two valve cusps (flaps or folds) develop instead of the usual three....

Fitness experts were quick to label the phenomenon — sometimes called carbohydrate (carb) timing or carb loading — as nothing new. And if you’ve ever prepared a heaping plate of pasta before a long cardio session like a race (an approach that long preceded the dawn of the internet), you get the idea. RELATED: Can a Rice Krispies Treat Boost Your Workout? That said, the TikTok videos may have raised some interesting questions if you’re looking to optimize your fitness....

Most commonly, TBIs are mild, and this form is also known as a concussion. Most people fully recover from a mild TBI within several weeks of injury. Some people, however, may have longer lasting or more serious problems, or even severe and permanent deficits. More severe TBI can lead to a coma or prove fatal. Secondary brain injury involves changes that develop over several hours or days after the primary brain injury....

According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine is considered chronic when a person has 15 or more headache days per month, with at least eight of those days meeting criteria for migraine. Chronic migraine can be a very disabling condition. However, the earlier chronic migraine is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome is for people to live a more active and productive life. Britt and Zoe, who live in Central Florida and asked to only be identified by their first names, are not alone....

Many of turmeric’s potential health benefits can be attributed to the active compound known as curcumin. Research indicates that curcumin may lower inflammation and improve systemic markers of oxidative stress (a sign of overexposure to free radicals such as those in cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals), according to an October 2017 review published in Foods. Turmeric may sound like an ideal natural health solution, but there’s an important caveat: It’s hard to ingest enough of the spice to reap any of the health benefits that have been seen in research studies....

“We’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of people with many different lingering post-COVID-19 symptoms, and among the most common are problems with memory and thinking,” says clinic director and physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, Janna Friedly, MD. It’s estimated than anywhere from one-fourth to one-third of people with COVID-19 have long-lasting symptoms — and not just people who have been hospitalized. Approximately 1 in 3 people who had mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms reported lingering symptoms seven to nine months later, according to a study published in July 2021 in the Annals of Internal Medicine....

Your gallbladder is an organ that you can live without, but it may take some time for your body to adjust to its absence. Most people don’t experience digestive problems after gallbladder removal, according to the Mayo Clinic. But if you do, you may need to avoid certain foods. (1) Depending on your body’s ability to adapt, you may only need to modify your diet for a short period, or you may need to make lasting changes....

Yet only about half of American adults get an annual flu vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even last year, when health officials and doctors sounded the alarm about a potential “twindemic” of influenza and COVID-19, just 50 to 55 percent of adults got a flu shot, according to the CDC’s preliminary estimates. Among the reasons that people don’t get vaccinated for the flu is an unfounded fear that the shot might actually give them the flu, says Jennifer Horney, PhD, director of the epidemiology program at the University of Delaware in Newark....

When the immune system attacks COVID-19 in the lungs, they can become inflamed and fill with fluid, leading to pneumonia. About 15 percent of those with COVID-19 develop serious complications, including pneumonia, which involve hospitalization and oxygen assistance. Broadly speaking, pneumonia is responsible for about one million adult hospitalizations and 50,000 deaths per year in the United States. It is the second most common reason for adult hospitalizations — after childbirth — and it is the most common reason for child hospitalizations, according to the Cleveland Clinic....

But there are high costs associated with a poor diet, too. A December 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine found that the annual cost of cardiometabolic diseases caused by a poor diet (such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes) accounted for nearly 18 percent of total healthcare costs in the United States each year — that’s almost $301 of additional expenses per person annually. But with some careful planning and thrifty choices, you don’t need to choose between spending less money and fueling yourself with a healthy diet....

Feeling backed up can be uncomfortable and painful, and can stop you from living your best life. However, “a lot of relief can be found through some medicines, dietary adjustments, and behavioral changes that all complement each other,” says Brian E. Lacy, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and lead author of the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG’s) 2021 clinical guidelines for the management of IBS. While you may want to reach for a laxative when you feel bloated and backed up, treatment guidelines suggest using them sparingly....

That effect is amplified if you already have a cardiovascular condition. For people with heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, or afib — the most common form of heart rhythm abnormality — stress may trigger or worsen episodes. An estimated 2.1 to 6.7 million Americans have afib, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and this number is expected to rise as the population ages. In afib, electrical activity that normally regulates heart rhythm is out of whack, making the upper chambers of the heart beat erratically, says Eric J....

Although it’s sometimes seen as a condition that affects older people, the majority of adults with RA — 64 percent — are actually under the age of 65, according to the Arthritis Foundation. That means many people are likely dealing with RA while trying to work and maintain a career — and joint pain is just one of the factors that can make it challenging to perform well on the job....

For example, a study published in July 2020 in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN found that a low-carb, high-protein diet is an effective strategy to minimize blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes. And in a small study published in June 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation a low-carb diet was shown to help people with metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions including abdominal obesity and high cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar levels — improve their numbers, even when they don’t lose weight....

Prescription medication may come with potential side effects and aren’t always as effective as advertised. If you’re concerned about going that route for relief, natural remedies may be helpful. In fact, they may be all you need to manage your IBS symptoms long-term. “Some natural and over-the-counter remedies can completely put some IBS patients in remission,” says Brenda Powell, MD, medical director at Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Health Department in Port Angeles, Washington....

But there are steps you can take to minimize your risk — read on to find out how. 1. Avoid Sitting for Long Periods of Time While Traveling No matter your mode of transportation, it’s important to stand up and stretch every once in a while when you’re taking a long trip. “We know that blood pooling in the extremities during immobility can increase the risk of clots forming,” explains Andrea Obi, MD, a vascular surgeon at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor....

With virtual reality (VR) technology, you can break a sweat and burn some serious calories from the comfort of your living room, says Jimmy Bagley, PhD, an associate professor of kinesiology and research director of the Strength and Conditioning Lab at San Francisco State University, where he studies virtual reality health and exercise. Plus, the games can be a whole lot of fun. “Virtual reality games aren’t always marketed as exercise, but our research shows that when you play them, some can deliver the workout equivalent of walking on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike,” Dr....

Either way, when you or a loved one is diagnosed, it can be confusing and overwhelming to realize how much there is to learn about the disease and its treatments. Here, people living with RA share what they learned soon after diagnosis. 1. You’re Not Too Young to Have RA That’s what Shelley Fritz, 51, of Kauai, Hawaii, learned when she found out she had rheumatoid arthritis at age 42....

As a caregiver, you play a vital role in their long-term well-being and must be supportive, flexible, honest, and proactive. The challenges you face over the long haul will be complex and varied. Here’s what you can do to help your loved one better manage the disease. 1. Expect that UC may change, and be ready. The symptoms of UC can vary widely from person to person and can change over time in one individual....

“The best spondylitis diet is the same diet that is good for maintaining a healthy weight and keeping your whole body in good shape,” says Ruth Kadanoff, MD, a rheumatologist who is affiliated with the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital in Hines, Illinois. That means choosing foods that help fight inflammation, keep your bones strong, and keep your heart healthy. You can take your diet a step further to customize it based on your body’s response to foods you eat....