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Here are strategies to help prevent urinary tract infections in women:

• Drink plenty of fluids.

• Always wipe front to back.

• Urinate as soon as possible after sex.

• Try a different method of contraception if you use a spermicide.

• Consider vaginal estrogen in postmenopausal women.

• Consider taking a probiotic. This may help decrease the number of UTI-causing bacteria that live in the vagina.

• Consider drinking cranberry juice. However, studies on the effectiveness of this strategy are not conclusive.

No particular foods need to be avoided when a person is being treated for a urinary tract infection (UTI). However, some antibiotic prescriptions come with instructions about not eating certain foods and the timing of the antibiotics in relation to meals.

Itchy eyes are most commonly caused by allergies, irritants or dry eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis is treated with topical or oral antihistamines. Common eye irritants such as dust, smoke, and makeup need to be identified and avoided. Artificial tears will help dry eyes.

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