For back pain, waiting, pain relievers, and physical therapy should come before surgery. Spinal fusion has mixed results but could help in selected cases. One case is narrowing of the space around the spine from misalignment of the spinal vertebrae.
Headaches are not the most common symptom of a chronic sinus condition. Frequent headaches that seem associated with a sinus condition may actually be due to migraines.
NSAIDs are linked to a higher risk for atrial fibrillation. It’s important for people with a history of high blood pressure or heart failure to use caution when taking these drugs.
When people who use risky sleeping pills are provided the right information, they are more likely to work with their doctors to taper off the medications and adopt safer methods to combat insomnia.
There is no good evidence that bicycling worsens existing prostate conditions, but prolonged biking may cause numbness in the genital area and possibly erectile dysfunction.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can double or triple a person’s odds of surviving cardiac arrest. Doing CPR can keep blood circulating until emergency help arrives. The basic action is simple: push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
People with obesity and uncontrolled diabetes who underwent weight loss surgery lost much more weight, had better blood sugar control, and used fewer diabetes medications than people treated with medications alone.
A coronary artery calcium scan can reveal specks of calcium in the walls of the heart’s arteries, an early sign of cardiovascular disease. For people with a modest risk of heart disease, the test may help with decisions about treatment.
New guidelines for treating atrial fibrillation include a recommendation to consider newer oral anticoagulant drugs. Compared with warfarin, they are just as effective for preventing a stroke but are less likely to cause dangerous bleeds in the brain.