The drop in estrogen after menopause increases a woman’s risk of urinary tract infections. Antibiotics can treat a UTI. To help prevent repeat infections, a woman should fully empty her bladder each time she uses the bathroom and drink plenty of water.
How much daily vitamin D is needed for bone health is controversial. Harvard experts recommend 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day (up to 2,000 IU in those at risk for vitamin D deficiency) plus 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium.
The amount of total knee replacements in the United States has more than doubled since 1991. This may reflect an expanding pool of older adults and a desire to maintain a more active lifestyle that is possible only if arthritic knees are replaced.
Aspirin during a heart attack can help save your life. Chewing one regular-strength adult 325-milligram (mg) aspirin, and swallowing it, should be sufficient.
Bariatric surgery can reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. Bariatric surgery might not make type 1 diabetes easier to control, but it could help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Although aspirin is cheap and available over the counter, fewer than half of the people with cardiovascular disease in the United States are prescribed aspirin therapy. This may be because it can have side effects.
Symptoms of dry eye include burning, redness, excessive tearing, and the sensation that you have something stuck in your eye. First try treating it with over-the-counter artificial tears. If that fails, prescription medications may be necessary.
It appears that people with rheumatoid arthritis are at a higher risk of developing a venous thromboembolism (VTE). To avoid developing a VTE, quit smoking, become more physically active, and avoid prolonged bed rest if possible.
Using a computer-based tutorial to learn how to check for skin cancers can help you catch problems early. So can involving a partner to help check for skin irregularities and changes in moles.
In the past 20 years, the National Institutes of Health and many academic centers have begun to seriously put “alternative” therapies to the test. Some are flunking out, and some are passing the test.