If that sounds familiar, you’re probably among the millions facing eye allergies, or allergic conjunctivitis. Unlike the nasal-centric and familiar allergic rhinitis, or “hay fever,” allergic conjunctivitis targets the transparent cell layer covering the white of the eye and lining the lids, the conjunctiva — although both allergies frequently coexist. About 50 million Americans face allergies, which are immune system overreactions to otherwise benign environmental triggers. The majority endure the worst symptoms when grasses, pollens, and mold are abundant, with the ailment often recurring each year....

Both are triggered by an increase of ketones in the body, which are acids released into the bloodstream when the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. But it’s how the body responds to this increase that sets ketosis and ketoacidosis apart from each other. RELATED: How to Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbs What Is Ketosis and How Does the Process Work? “Ketosis is a natural state that occurs when you start to metabolize fat instead of sugar,” says Michael Greenfield, MD, endocrinologist and chief medical officer at El Camino Hospital in Palo Alto, California....

When Jeffrey Brantley, MD, arrived at a meditation retreat years ago, he expected his teachers to focus on mindfulness. Then the instructors announced that the students would be doing loving-kindness meditation as part of their practice: a Buddhist meditation where you wish people well, including loved ones, strangers, people you find difficult, and yourself. Dr. Brantley had a quick reaction. He says he remembers thinking: “What’s that got to do with being mindful?...

“COPD by itself can cause a lot of fatigue,” says Amy Attaway, MD, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “It really comes down to the fact that your body has to work harder than for a person who doesn’t have the condition,” she says. “You lose a lot of energy because you’re expending a lot of your energy or calories on breathing with your respiratory muscles.” But there are several things to try and habits you can adopt that will help bring back your get-up-and-go....

“Beyond the high-risk persons, everyone is encouraged to wear a mask at present, because the three viruses are so prevalent at this time,” says William Schaffner, MD, a professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Roughly 1 in 7 Americans now live in communities with high levels of COVID-19 transmission, according to a report released December 8 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

According to a statement from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the company that makes the drugs, production and distribution have been temporarily halted because of “inconsistencies in how we transfer and weigh ingredients.” These inconsistencies were uncovered during routine quality control and assurance measures, according to a statement the company made to CNN. The products include Excedrin Extra Strength Caplets and Geltabs and Excedrin Migraine Caplets and Geltabs. GSK has voluntarily taken the measures to suspend production and distribution as a precaution....

More than half of people with hypertension — 720 million adults worldwide — didn’t get any treatment in 2019, the study also found. Many people with hypertension — 41 percent of women and 51 percent of men — were unaware they had the condition. Even with treatment, just 23 percent of women and 18 percent of men worldwide achieved well-controlled blood pressure. “These are really alarming numbers and the only way to improve them is to measure people’s blood pressure,” says Mattias Brunström, MD, PhD, of the department of public health and clinical medicine at Umeå University in Sweden....

So what’s the problem? It’s not access, as many statins are available in generic form. Instead, the most commonly cited reason for not taking a statin is the potential side effects, specifically muscle aches or pain, stiffness, or cramps. But a new study by researchers at Oxford Public Health suggests that statins are being unfairly blamed for aches and pains that they aren’t causing. In a review of 23 placebo-controlled trials, investigators concluded that the medications are not the cause of muscle pain in over 90 percent of people who experience symptoms....

I wish I’d had those handshake alternatives when I was a young pastor eager to hide my hand and nail psoriasis. My challenges with nail psoriasis date all the way back to elementary school. I remember desperately scraping my fingernails to try to rid them of pits and grooves, but that didn’t work. So I would unconsciously turn my thumbs into my palms to conceal the nails. While my chronic condition is much better now thanks to effective treatment, I still live with active psoriasis on most of my fingernails and toenails....

Among other things, they wanted to know their legal rights and to understand which details they should (or shouldn’t) disclose about their health to their employer. Jacobson recognized that this was an issue that had not been addressed before, and therefore it was an area where patients lacked information and support. That inspired her to create Cancer and Careers in 2001. “It was a groundbreaking concept,” says executive director Rebecca Nellis....

On white skin, plaques typically appear as raised red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells or scale. On skin of color, plaques may appear darker and thicker and more of a purple or grayish color or darker brown, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis flares can change the appearance of skin even after the plaques have gone away, sometimes altering pigmentation or leaving marks....

These inequities are especially important to recognize, experts say, because common symptoms of ADHD, like impulsivity, hyperactivity, disorganization, and inattention, can pose significant challenges if they’re not treated, particularly in marginalized populations. “The consequences of untreated ADHD for Black children are substantial and can lead to harsh punishment in school, school failure, substance use, justice system involvement, and the many life consequences that can follow,” says Tumaini Rucker Coker, MD, a professor and division chief of general pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, who conducts research related to health equity and disparities in primary care....

While there is still little conclusive evidence to explain precisely how or why Reiki works, there is a growing body of data suggesting it helps some people with sleep, pain, anxiety and depression, stress management, and symptom management for chronic health problems. RELATED: Reiki: What Can This Energy Therapy Do for Multiple Sclerosis One theory behind Reiki is that interactions between the energy field (also known as the “biofield”) of the practitioner and the energy field of the recipient trigger the healing effects, according to a review published in December 2014 in the journal Pain Management Nursing....

For her day job as the associate director of policy, research, and strategy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Bond-Theriault works with her team to use federal policy and research to advance Planned Parenthood’s priorities, supporting reproductive health rights and LGBTQ+ rights. Before working at Planned Parenthood, she was the senior policy counsel for reproductive health, rights, and justice, as well as the democracy project director at the National LGBTQ Task Force....

ADEM often occurs after exposure to immunizations, or infectious agents such as Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and mycoplasma. There is no known direct connection between acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and multiple myeloma. However, having myeloma may have increased her susceptibility to one of these infections. Most people with ADEM regain mobility. However, your mom may require prolonged rehabilitation therapy to improve her mobility as her vertebral compression fractures and advanced age are complicating factors....

Add “stress” to the list of emotions generated by the never-ending news cycle. In the most recent of the American Psychological Association’s annual surveys Stress in America, published November 2017, many of the close to 3,500 adult respondents said they felt “conflicted between their desire to stay informed about the news and their view of the media as a source of stress.” While 95 percent said they follow the news regularly, 56 percent said doing so causes them stress, and 72 percent said they believe the media blows things out of proportion....

Signs Versus Symptoms of Heart Disease First, some definitions. Heart disease symptoms are indications that you feel or experience, while a sign of heart disease is something your doctor can see or find. Obvious heart disease symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain. But your doctor will also look for common heart disease signs during an examination or in a patient interview. Knowing the signs of heart disease is important because you may have them before you have any of the common heart disease symptoms....

In November 2020, Dr. Cross and her business partner, both Black women, opened Serenity Women’s Health & Med Spa in Pearland, a one-stop shop where women can get both a Pap smear and a massage in a single visit. They wanted to connect relaxation with quality medical care to help make typically tense and downright frightening gynecology visits more comfortable for women. And they specifically wanted to provide accessible, affordable, quality care to Black women who, in the South, have the lowest rates of health insurance coverage among all Black women, according to a report from the National Partnership for Women and Families, and therefore the least access to high-quality medical treatment....

At the same time, the apples are usually mixed with copious amounts of sugar and wrapped in a rich, fatty crust. In a typical serving of this dessert, the crust alone packs 80 calories and 4 g of total fat, with 1.5 of those grams coming from saturated fat. All in all, a typical slice of old-fashioned apple pie has 340 calories, 17 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 3 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and 18 g sugar....

HMR Diet Phases There are two main phases of the HMR program, says Adam Schafer, RDN, the lead dietitian at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. (The medical center offers the HMR program.) Phase 1: Fast Weight Loss This phase lasts at least eight weeks (depending on how much weight you aim to lose). It focuses on eating HMR food replacements (like shakes, nutrition bars, and low-calorie prepackaged meals), plus fruits and vegetables....