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Strangely, though, even in our own supposedly scientific time, myths about syphilis still abound. These myths have survived even though scientists now know full well what causes syphilis: a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. We know how it spreads: by sexual contact. And we have a sure and simple cure: penicillin. With all these key facts about syphilis well established, the myths that still circulate about this sexually transmitted disease (STD) confuse people....

“I routinely recommend the use of nasal saline irrigation with distilled or boiled water for my patients,” says Angela Donaldson, MD, an otolaryngologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. But experts like Dr. Donaldson insist there are ways to make this practice more effective — and, most importantly, safe. What Is Sinusitis, and How Does It Happen? Sinusitis, or sinus inflammation, tends to happen when too much mucus builds up in the cavities behind your face....

The woman, called the “New York patient,” was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in 2017. She received umbilical cord blood to treat her leukemia that came from a donor who was a partial match, a departure from standard practice that uses a donor of the same racial and ethnic mix. Her cancer has been in remission for 4....

“Over time, most, if not all, type 2 diabetes medications will fail to continue to manage blood sugar, due to the progression of the condition,” says Megan Porter, RD, CDCES, certified diabetes educator in Portland, Oregon. Just as it’s common for type 2 diabetes treatment to stop being effective, it’s also natural for someone to blame themselves and have other negative thoughts when it does happen. If your type 2 diabetes treatment stops working, it’s important to remember that it may simply be a sign that your plan needs a tune-up, not that you’re doing anything wrong....

Luna does live with an array of symptoms and side effects related to her disease and treatment, however. Among the symptoms she contends with are pain, nausea, fatigue, and numbness in her hands. Thanks to palliative care, an approach that focuses not on treatment of cancer per se, but rather on treatment of symptoms and side effects through methods that range from yoga to pain medication, the California resident has been able to keep up with interests that include half-marathons and skydiving....

Age 38 Title and company Founder and CEO of Parsley Health Robin Berzin, MD, was doing her residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City when she realized that something was very wrong with the medical system. “People coming into primary care outpatient services got a 15-minute visit — max — and a revolving door of prescription drugs and referrals to specialists,” says Dr. Berzin, the founder and CEO of Parsley Health and a graduate of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons....

At my ripe old age of 61, I still have that itch to get on stage, but with all of my injuries, that is only a dream. But now I can live vicariously through Avans! His credentials and accomplishments are quite impressive, with MS or without. Avans holds numerous fitness training certifications and has a solid record of placing in the top three spots for his age group in bodybuilding competitions over the past four years....

For some men, prostate cancer causes no symptoms or long-term issues, so treatment isn’t necessary. In these cases, doctors may recommend active surveillance. That is, they’ll keep an eye on the development of the tumor using various tools and tests: Digital rectal examsProstate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testsTransrectal ultrasoundsProstate biopsies Treatments — the most common of which are surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy — may be started if symptoms develop or if the cancer appears to be growing and getting worse (or if treatment is specifically requested)....

“The reason people have swollen eyes from allergies is they’re getting contact in the eyes from airborne allergens,” says Princess Ogbogu, MD, the director of the division of allergy and immunology and an associate professor at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Basically, when the allergens hit your eyes, they sort of dissolve in your tears,” says Dr. Ogbogu. “They have contact with the lining of the eye [the conjunctiva], and they react with antibodies that are bound to cells in your eyes....

Christina Gentile, PsyD, ABPP, a board-certified clinical health psychologist specializing in digestive diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, explains that on top of the typical life stressors, people with IBDs like ulcerative colitis must deal with debilitating symptoms and navigate a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability around flares, treatments, and related illnesses. “This impacts many aspects of life,” she says. People with IBD are also at greater risk for anxiety and depression, which, in turn, can make it harder for them to manage their condition and physically cope with the disease (say, by exercising, eating a healthy diet, and meditating, for example)....

“It’s commonplace, more so than one might realize,” says Paraskevi Noulas, PsyD, a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health in New York City. “Cognitive dissonance is ever-present in both the smallest, simplest examples to the deepest layers of humanity that impact the way we interact with each other and view ourselves and the world.” Sounds pretty significant, right? Read on to learn about where you’ve likely encountered cognitive dissonance before....

What Exactly Is Reiki? Reiki is a Japanese energy-healing practice that started in 1922 by Dr. Mikao Usui, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Reiki involves placing the hands lightly on the body or just off of it in order to transmit “universal life energy.” The goal of the practice is to create relaxation, promote healing, and reduce pain. Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles-based wellness and reiki expert and author of the forthcoming Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki, and Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress (out in April 2020), says reiki can help with physical pain and can promote balance....

The FDA gave emergency use authorization (EUA) for remdesivir back in May, a step that allowed physicians to utilize the drug before researchers had completed rigorous testing. According to the National Institutes of Health, EUAs are issued when there is a reasonable belief that a medical product is going to be effective in treating a life-threatening illness. After three major studies demonstrated that remdesivir was both safe and effective in shortening recovery time for people hospitalized with COVID-19, the FDA issued its approval....

How Splints and Braces Help Your Joints Splints and braces work by giving a joint support when in use, and letting it rest when you’re sleeping or sitting down. They can also help in the case of contracture, the shortening of the muscles, tendons, and tissues that results in rigidity and deformity of joints. “If you aren’t mindful about doing — or are unable to do — flexibility and range-of-motion exercises, you can get this extreme tightness....

That’s because stress is known to worsen autoimmune diseases like RA. “Mental or emotional stress has been shown to trigger disease relapses. And stress increases blood levels of inflammatory mediators that directly contribute to pain, swelling, and tissue damage,” says Richard Bucala, MD, PhD, rheumatologist in chief at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. He notes that since treatment aims to reduce these mediators, stress can actually impact the effectiveness of prescribed drugs....

Fewer and Fewer Rheumatologists Work Full-Time Flash forward to 2018, and the problem has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) predicts 10 percent of the current physician workforce will be gone by 2020. (1) By 2030, demand is expected to exceed supply by 102 percent, (2) while 50 percent of current rheumatologists are expected to retire over the next 15 years. As many as 80 percent of the future retirees plan to reduce patient loads by 25 percent before leaving their practices by 2030....

“Compassion” is defined as the “awareness of suffering, coupled with a desire to relieve that suffering,” Hickman explains. So self-compassion is the act of noticing when you’re struggling, recognizing that’s actually part of being human, and being kind to yourself rather than beating yourself up, he says. Kristen Neff, PhD, an associate professor in the University of Texas in Austin’s department of educational psychology, developed the definition of self-compassion most researchers use....

FDA Okays Twice-Yearly Injectable Schizophrenia Treatment What’s New On September 1, the FDA gave its nod to Invega Hafyera (six-month paliperidone palmitate), the first-ever twice yearly injectable treatment for adults with schizophrenia. Research Details The approval of Invega Hafyera, an atypical antipsychotic drug, was based on the results of a year-long, phase 3 clinical trial, which included 702 people with schizophrenia between the ages of 18 and 70, living in 20 different countries....

Age 51 Why I Tried It To get the indoor cycling experience without joining a gym. I taught indoor cycling for years, and when I wasn’t teaching, I was taking classes. But over a decade ago, I stopped teaching and kissed my gym membership goodbye. I still exercise regularly (at-home and outdoor workouts are my preference), but I started missing the indoor cycling culture — and a good bike. I’d been using a low-quality stationary bike, and it was time for an upgrade, hence the MYX Plus bike now sitting in my walk-out basement....

Though the length and severity of a flare can vary greatly from person to person, it typically involves joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, along with overall fatigue. “These symptoms can make activities of daily living quite difficult — getting dressed, preparing food, doing chores around the house, using your hands to grasp objects, and shopping,” says Howard Smith, MD, a rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Flares may be brought on by external factors such as stress, infection, or simply not getting enough sleep, according to Dr....