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.
Staying active and connected can extend optimal physical and mental health in the 90s. Pursuing leisure activities and not smoking are also key.
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) helps establish a healthy heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac death. But psychosocial support needed to adjust to life with an ICD is often overlooked after the devices are implanted.
I had a spinal tap. The doctor said the tests on the fluid were all normal. But the printed report suggested a low protein level. Is this a problem?
Advice and encouragement from text messages may help people quit smoking, a review of research suggests. The study was done by the Cochrane Collaboration. This is an independent group that offers expert review of medical research on various topics. In this case, the reviewers looked at 5 earlier studies. They included about 9,000 people. All of the studies randomly divided people into 2 groups. One group received regular text and/or video messages to help them quit smoking. The other group received a different form of support. People in this group got occasional phone calls or texts. After 6 months, people who received the text or video messages were more likely to be still not smoking. In the largest study, involving 6,000 people, about 9% of those in the text group were still not smoking after 6 months. About 4% of those who did not receive texts were smoke-free.
If a rash returns after you’ve been treated for Lyme disease, chances are it’s a new infection, a new study suggests. Lyme is caused by bacteria that are transmitted by tick bites. Taking antibiotics cures most people. But for some the symptoms don’t go away or return. The new study included 17 people who had been treated for Lyme disease. Then the distinctive “bull’s eye” rash came back, in some cases up to 3 times. Skin or blood samples were taken after each rash appeared. They all showed Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, the type that causes Lyme disease. In the new study, researchers looked more closely. They did a genetic analysis of the samples. In each case, the bacteria that caused the first outbreak and later outbreaks were different strains. That means there was a new infection, not a return of the old infection. The rash also appeared at a different spot when it returned.