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Ketoconazole, also sold under the prescription name Nizoral works to decrease the production of testosterone, which when converted to a substance called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) destroys hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. With lower levels of testosterone to create DHT, hair follicles are healthier, and your hair is healthier and fuller. It’s available as a shampoo, cream, and a pill to treat fungal infections, but for hair loss, the shampoo is used....

Now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional host of unknowns that have come with it, that feeling of uncertainty has likely gone to a new level for many people living with MS. Here’s what we know so far about how the coronavirus impacts MS — and what you can do to stay as healthy as possible during the pandemic. Does Having MS Put You at a Higher Risk of Contracting COVID-19?...

Doctors often apply the measurement on an individual level, but where it is really useful is in population-based research, says Charlie Seltzer, MD, a weight loss specialist in Philadelphia. Dr. Seltzer does not use BMI in assessing his individual patients, because it’s not always useful information. For example, you can have a normal BMI but have low muscle and a lot of fat, which is an unhealthy state to be in....

“We’re all worried it’s going to be a very serious flu season,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious-disease specialist and a professor of preventive medicine and health policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that all regions of the country are seeing elevated levels of flu-like illness, with the highest levels of activity in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Puerto Rico....

Here’s how your body image can impact your emotional wellness, your risk of eating disorders, and your physical health. “It is important to remember that when someone says, ‘I feel fat’ — that fat isn’t a feeling,” Kelman says. “An overfocus on body and weight can be an indication of avoidance of dealing with deeper feelings.” “Our thoughts directly impact our emotional experiences, including our bodily sensations, urges, and behaviors,” says Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, the director of clinical outreach and education at the Renfrew Center in Philadelphia, a residential eating disorder treatment facility....

Health Risks of Dehydration for People Managing Type 2 Diabetes For people with type 2 diabetes, dehydration can be especially dangerous. That’s because it causes blood pressure to fall and the body to secrete stress hormones, like norepinephrine and epinephrine, which may raise blood sugar, Rizza explains. When you have high blood sugar, you will often need to go to the bathroom more, notes Mayo Clinic, contributing to further dehydration and a vicious cycle....

Between 20 and 30 percent of people infected with HCV develop symptoms of acute hepatitis C. But in many cases of acute hepatitis C, people do not develop any symptoms. About three-quarters of people with HCV will develop complications, including a chronic HCV infection that can last a lifetime. Hepatitis C is less transmissible than A and B because you mainly get it through blood contact, though it can be spread through sexual contact....

Although some people use the term “migraine” interchangeably with “headache,” a migraine is more than that. It’s actually a neurological disease. A headache is usually one part of a migraine attack, which includes other bothersome symptoms, such as visual disturbances, nausea, and dizziness. If you regularly experience headaches and other symptoms of migraine, it may be time to seek a diagnosis. Your primary care doctor can usually evaluate your symptoms and decide what treatment will work best for you, but in some cases, you may be referred to a neurologist....

This concerned Ruiz, who was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD) and was used to an extremely active lifestyle. When the pandemic hit, she was laid off and decided to focus on her physical and mental health. She started walking around a marked bike-walk path in her neighborhood. She would walk by her old middle school and high school or some of the mom-and-pop shops she frequented as a teen....

A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that individuals with psoriasis were almost twice as likely to develop another autoimmune condition compared with those without psoriasis. Autoimmune disorders linked with psoriasis include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), alopecia areata, celiac disease, scleroderma, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and thyroid disease. “Autoimmune diseases frequently cluster,” says Ana-Maria Orbai, MD, director of the psoriatic arthritis program at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore....

Everyday Health wanted to know just how much the outbreak is affecting everyday life, so we surveyed our readers. Then we spoke with healthcare professionals about the most common responses, best practices during the virus outbreak, and how people can manage their stress levels. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Coronavirus “Telemedicine is also an approach to reduce person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV2 through reducing person-to-person direct contact,” says Jill E....

In general, it’s recommended that people with RA stick to low-impact activities that put less stress on the joints, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Although you may fear that exercise will worsen your arthritis symptoms, the right modifications can make all the difference. The ACR says that flexibility, strengthening, aerobic, and body awareness (i.e. balance) exercises are best for people with RA. High-impact sports, such as running and contact sports, are usually discouraged with RA, but low-impact activities are very beneficial....

“Humidifiers can help nasal congestion in that they provide for more moisture and humidity within the nose,” says Mark A. Zacharek, MD, residency program director for the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. “The nose is supposed to provide humidity and warmth and and clean the air that passes through it. Forced heating systems in homes and workplaces often over-dry the nasal passages, aggravating allergies and sinusitis....

“Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that can be caused by multiple things,” explains Rachel Prete, DO, a pediatrician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Florida who treats pediatric patients with eczema. “It’s a dryness of the skin that causes a redness and flaking.” That eczema can be hereditary: Dr. Prete says there’s a genetic component to eczema, meaning that if your parents and siblings have the condition, you’re more likely to develop it yourself, too....

“I would eat something and 30 minutes to an hour later, I’d be doubled over in pain, literally,” says Collins, a public relations executive. Still, IBS didn’t stop Collins, then 32, from joining a singles club that organized group activities like hiking, hot-air ballooning, and movie nights. When Collins moved back to his home state of Maryland, his quest for Ms. Right continued. Over the next two and a half years, Collins had 60 blind dates....

Case in point: sinus headaches. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that of the 2,991 participants who thought they’d had at least six “sinus headaches” in the six months prior, 88 percent of them actually had migraine, according to the ICHD guidelines on diagnosing migraine. “Migraine is far more common than sinus headache,” says Kevin Weber, MD, a neurologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus....

After losing vision in his right eye, which he later learned was due to optic neuritis, Osbourne went to an eye doctor for advice. That was the beginning of a series of trips to specialists. “The eye doctor sent me to the ER, and the ER was like, ‘We need an MRI,’ and then spinal taps, and blood work, and talking with neurologists,” Osbourne says. “Come to find out, that wasn’t my first exacerbation....

RELATED: What Does Arthritis Pain Feel Like? “Our study findings convey a reassuring message that adults at high risk for knee OA may safely engage in long-term strenuous physical activity at a moderate amount to improve their general health and well-being,” says lead author Alison Chang, an associate professor of physical therapy and human movement sciences at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. “This research should be encouraging for people in the higher-risk group for knee osteoarthritis,” says David Fitz, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedics and sports medicine at UW Medicine in Seattle, who was not involved in the study....

As fairy lights, candles, and perhaps an open fire brighten the end of our calendar year, I am reminded by my local friends that the new year has already begun for some. In the Celtic tradition Samhain (pronounced sow-un), which falls at the end of the harvest and was the basis upon which Halloween was founded, marks the beginning of the new year. Many will also know of the Lunar New Year (sometimes called Chinese New Year), which moves around on the calendar, because the lunar cycle is different from the solar one....

According to a study published in 2019 by the American Gastroenterological Association, the prevalence of nonalcoholic liver diseases in patients with UC was more than double that of the general population. Considering the increased risk, it makes sense to take precautions. Laura Raffals, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, recommends that people with UC have their liver enzymes checked annually. It’s also wise to be aware of the common symptoms of liver disease so you can address the problem before it gets worse....