Posts

EPI is the result of damage to the pancreas, which can be due to a number of issues, including cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, and chronic pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas due to causes such as alcohol abuse — according to the National Gastroenterological Association. Regardless of the underlying cause, a healthy diet and the right EPI treatment is essential to managing this chronic condition. How Is EPI Treated? EPI is usually treated with a nutrient-rich diet; vitamin and mineral supplements; and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT)....

We plotted out the beds and filled them with compost soil. I noticed I was becoming less and less paralyzed by my anxiety over my job as we worked. Day after day I started to look forward to our gardening work. It allowed me to be creative. It brought me joy. And it turns out, I’m not alone in finding therapeutic benefits to spending some time with plants. Haley Neidich, a St....

In this review, our product reviews team details the pros and cons of Widex hearing aids, the different styles available per model, average pricing, and verified customer reviews to help you find the right hearing aids. 2,500 hours research conducted13 experts consulted30 brands considered96 models considered600-plus users surveyed Our experts spent more than 2,500 hours conducting thorough research on hearing aids. Throughout this process, we did the following: Deeply researched the hearing device categoryConsulted with audiologists and hearing device expertsMystery shopped 30 brandsSurveyed more than 600 hearing aid usersRead and reviewed the current relevant studiesRead thousands of verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot...

For 47-year-old Anderson, the diagnosis came in 2001. And though he knew he had some changes to make, he wasn’t quick to make them. “I didn’t deal with it as seriously as I should have in the beginning,” he admits. “I listened, but I didn’t really implement that into my life until much later. I wasn’t the best patient to my doctor.” During the years that followed his diagnosis, Anderson struggled to get his blood sugar under control....

For the now 43-year-old food and travel writer based in Durham, North Carolina, body acceptance has been a decades-long journey. Her body insecurities contributed to a severe eating disorder that lasted through her teenage years and into her twenties — and eventually required hospitalization. When Baldassari turned 30, she lost a significant amount of weight by dieting. But she continued to struggle with body image and past traumas. “It was so hard, because people told me how great I looked, but inside I was really struggling,” she says....

There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases – defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as conditions that affect 200,000 people or fewer. Some you’ve probably heard of — such as spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, or Tourette syndrome — but the rest can be more obscure. Most are caused by a genetic mutation or defect, and the majority affect children and have no cure. Here are 10 facts everyone should know about rare diseases....

People who consumed two servings of fruit per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes within five years, according to a study published in June in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. That’s in contrast to those who consumed less than half a serving of fruit each day. “Diabetes is a huge public health burden and, importantly, type 2 diabetes is preventable,” says the lead study author, Nicola Bondonno, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow with the Institute for Nutrition Research at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup, Australia....

Symptoms of sepsis include a fever, a fast heart rate, and a fast respiratory rate. Sepsis can progress to severe sepsis, at which point you may have dizziness, confusion, and difficulty breathing. If sepsis is left untreated, the next stage is septic shock. “Shock is a state where organs don’t receive the appropriate blood flow to function due to severely low blood pressure,” says Kimberly Brown, MD, MPH, an ER doctor in Memphis, Tennessee....

Most people think of bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain as the primary markers of suboptimal gut health. While gastrointestinal symptoms can certainly indicate a gut in disrepair, they aren’t the only signs to look out for. Here are five surprising symptoms that might indicate an unhealthy gut, and what to do about it. If you have a particularly stubborn sweet tooth, the best way to discourage sugar-loving gut microbes from taking over is to progressively decrease your intake of added sugars....

“DST causes a small phase shift in our circadian rhythm,” also known as the body’s internal clock, says Timothy B. Sullivan, MD, the chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. “This affects all of us, but some people are more impacted than others, including people with ADHD,” he says. What’s more, many adults and children with ADHD regularly deal with sleep disturbances year-round, according to a study published in June 2016 in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry....

But for all the potential pitfalls of driving, there are a number of steps you can take to make the process easier. Try these tips the next time you get behind the wheel for a safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable trip. 1. Use good technique for entering and exiting the vehicle. Getting in and out of your car is often difficult for people with ankylosing spondylitis, especially if your car is lower to the ground, says Tara Perry, OTD, an occupational therapist at Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles....

For thousands of years, Arabic, Indian, and Asian healers prized ginger as food and medicine. This tropical plant, in the same bo­tanical family as turmeric and cardamom, was effectively used to relieve nausea and vomiting caused by illness and seasickness. Thanks to the spice trade, the tradition caught on in Europe. As one sixteenth-century physician put it: “Ginger does good for a bad stomach.” In The Family Herbal from 1814, English physician Robert Thornton noted that “two or three cupfuls for breakfast” will relieve “dyspepsia due to hard drinking....

A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinuses, or the air-filled cavities in the face, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI). Sinus infections occur when fluid builds up in the sinuses, which allows germs to grow, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the ACAAI, common symptoms of a sinus infection include: Postnasal dripDiscolored (greenish) nasal dischargeNasal stuffiness or congestionTenderness of the face (especially under the eyes or at the bridge of the nose)Headache in the front of the headPain in the teethCoughingFeverFatigueBad breath...

In fact, stressing out over travel may worsen symptoms. A study published in Current Pharmaceutical Design in 2017 found that stress and anxiety can increase the severity of inflammatory bowel disease by negatively influencing the “brain-gut axis.” A more recent study, from June 2021, in Digestive Diseases and Sciences indicated that IBD patients feel significantly more vulnerable to COVID-19, which has “increased overall illness-related anxiety.” As a patient advocate who is personally affected by Crohn’s disease, among other immune-mediated inflammatory diagnoses, I often travel to speak at conferences and events....

You’re eating too much sugar. While the candy jar is an obvious culprit, refined carbohydrates like white bread and rice, chips, and cereal are a major source of sugar, too. This type of simple sugar is digested quickly by the body, leading to a dip in blood sugar levels that leaves you feeling fatigued. Be sure to replace refined carbs with whole grain varieties for a lasting energy boost. You aren’t exercising enough....

One of the best things you can do to prevent ADHD meltdowns, says Ari Tuckman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in West Chester, Pennsylvania and author of More Attention, Less Deficit, is to know what your child’s triggers are. That way you can head them off at the pass. Tuckman suggests that you try to identify those situations that are going to cause your child to have a meltdown. The more you can identify the things that spark a reaction, the fewer fires you’ll have to put out later....

When someone has cardiac arrest, immediate medical attention — starting with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) — can be the difference between life and death. Here’s what you should know about cardiac arrest, including what to do if someone near you appears to be experiencing it. 1. Cardiac Arrest Is Highly Fatal About 90 percent of people who have cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting don’t survive it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

If you’re getting bored with the same ol’ same ol’, it’s time to step outside your comfort zone. And if you haven’t already, kiwi is a fruit that’s worth discovering. What Is Kiwi, and What Should I Know About Its History? Kiwi is a small fruit, usually smaller than your typical apple or orange. But don’t let its size fool you. Kiwis are packed with a lot of flavor and are an excellent source of nutrition....

This principle of balance is an important one to keep in mind when considering alternative medicine for yourself or a loved one. There are many benefits of using complementary and alternative medicine for a wide variety of conditions, but there are also things to be cautious of. Before trying out any new therapy, it is a good idea to consider the pros and cons. Alternative Medicine: Pros Recently, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reported that about 38 percent of U....

But what happens when those symptoms are successfully treated and go away? Is it better to stay on your medication or try to discontinue it? What happens if your symptoms come back? Does this mean medication for life? As a psychiatrist, I have long discussions with my clients to weigh the risks and benefits of long-term mental health treatment with medication. The unfortunate truth is that most of the research on the effectiveness of psychiatric medication is related to short-term treatment....