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The two most important nutrients to help maintain bone strength and prevent further bone loss in people with osteoporosis are vitamin D and calcium. It’s possible to get some of your vitamin D from sunlight and food, but few foods contain it. Many people need to take a vitamin D supplement. Rich sources of dietary calcium include fortified beverages, dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt), nuts, seeds, beans, soy, certain vegetables (leafy greens, rhubarb, artichoke, squash), fruits, and seafood.

Depending on the type of surgery performed to remove the uterus, it can take 1 to 2 months to recover from a hysterectomy. If you’re still having cramping 4 months after surgery, you should speak to your gynecologist.

Tinnitus, commonly called ringing in the ears, is the sensation of hearing a sound in the ears when no such sound exists. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be successful in helping the person reduce their negative response to tinnitus and decrease the frequency and severity of symptoms. Other therapies include sound therapy, which employs a process called habituation to retrain how the brain responds to tinnitus noise; hearing aids; tinnitus maskers; and biofeedback.

Myasthenia gravis is a rare condition in which muscle weakness develops in certain parts of the body (especially affecting muscles controlling the head, neck, eyes, extremities and breathing) due to an attack by the body’s immune system. This immune attack interrupts signals between the affected nerves and muscles.

It is not clear why the immune system behaves this way but one clue is that most people with myasthenia gravis have an abnormality in the thymus gland (either enlargement or a tumor). The thymus is a small gland located in the upper chest behind the breastbone that plays an important role in the development of immune cells. Because abnormalities in the thymus are so common in people with myasthenia gravis and because removal of the thymus can sometimes cure the condition, it’s thought that abnormalities in thymus function may cause at least some cases of myasthenia gravis.

Gangrene is tissue destruction from poor circulation and/or infection. If it affects a bone in the foot, the treatment will be aimed at improving blood flow to the foot if necessary and antibiotics to treat a bone infection known as osteomyelitis. If the tissue destruction can’t be halted, gangrene may require surgical amputation.

Hormonal changes, diet, stress, and certain medications can trigger acne and skin blemishes, so addressing these potential causes is a good start. Several treatments for mild acne are available over-the-counter, including benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid but if those don’t work, consult your primary care provider or a dermatologist. There are many prescription medications that can help clear skin including retinoid creams, topical antibiotics, and oral medications.

Tachycardia is a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. Sinus tachycardia is the proper physiologic response to both physical and emotional stressors. With sinus tachycardia, the heart’s natural pacemaker in the upper part of the right atrium sends out electrical impulses faster than 100 beats per minute. Everyone with a normal heart will experience periods of sinus tachycardia. Some common examples include:
•    During exercise
•    Dehydration, or any cause of low blood pressure
•    Infection, especially with fever
•    Anxiety
•    An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
•    Side effect of medication

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight. Among the hormonal changes of PCOS, insulin’s action to help the body’s cells take up blood sugar can be impaired. This insulin resistance triggers the pancreas to make more insulin, which promotes weight gain. Taking in fewer calories, staying physically active and dedicating more time for exercise are the primary ways to achieve weight loss. But it is challenging and certain medications that help decrease insulin resistance can be useful.

Women with uterine fibroids who don’t experience significant symptoms may choose to do nothing and simply wait to see if they become more of a problem over time. In fact, fibroids often shrink after menopause. Medications targeting hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, can help relieve heavy menstrual bleeding as well as pelvic pain and pressure. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) that release progestin, as well as birth control pills, can help ease symptoms, while also preventing pregnancy. And there are several non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures that can help shrink uterine fibroids.

Serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, is a neurotransmitter that helps relay messages from one area of the brain to another, regulating such functions as appetite, sleep, memory, learning, body temperature, digestion, and sexual function.  Commonly referred to as the body’s “feel good” chemical, serotonin can also affect mood, and many researchers believe an imbalance in serotonin can trigger depression and anxiety.  In fact, the goal of many medications used to treat these conditions is to raise the level of serotonin in the brain.