Key TakeawaysA new study found that COVID-19 impacted transgender and nonbinary people’s access to gender-affirming care, their mental health, and their economic stability.Gender-affirming care is crucial for trans and nonbinary people, and failing to receive it can negatively impact their mental health.During the pandemic, many people haven’t been able to afford the cost of this care and surgeries have been delayed. Key Takeaways A new study found that COVID-19 impacted transgender and nonbinary people’s access to gender-affirming care, their mental health, and their economic stability....

Cardiac problems are usually not among the most prominent features of COVID-19. But they are common enough, and potentially serious enough, that most people admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 are now being screened for heart muscle injury, and cardiologists often become part of their care team. In many patients, heart involvement with COVID-19 is a relatively subtle condition, while in others it produces major and possibly fatal complications. While there are several potential causes of COVID-19-related heart muscle injury, the specific cause in a particular individual is often difficult to identify....

Key Takeaways WhenCOVID-19lockdowns seized the world last winter, it was almost as though nature was given a chance to breathe: Los Angeles emerged from beneath a thick layer of smog, and canals in Venice flowed clear and sediment-free. Nature’s “healing” seemed like it could be a silver lining to the pandemic, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. As restrictions lift and people (and policies) adjust to a “new normal,” many experts warn that any positive effects COVID-19 may have had on the environment might be short-lived....

Although COVID-19 is entering its endemic stage, the risks of the condition haven’t disappeared. Healthcare professionals and researchers alike are closely monitoring new variants and how our tests and treatments respond to them. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus changes, should your behavior change, too? Immunity from vaccination and past infection is much more common now than early in the pandemic, and hospitalizations are significantly lower. But people are still getting infected and many are still experiencing serious illness....

Key Takeaways COVID-19 Vaccines:Stay up to date on which vaccines are available, who can get them, and how safe they are. According to Suzanne Pham, MD, FAAP, medical director of the COVID-19 response team at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, vaccination cards also serve as helpful reminders for people to get their second dose. “The person who [is administering] the vaccine will put the expected date to remind the [recipient] of when they’re going to be expected to come back for their second shot,” Pham tells Verywell....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsImagingLabs and TestsDifferential DiagnosesFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Crohn’s Disease GuideHow Crohn’s Disease Is Treated Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Imaging Labs and Tests Differential Diagnoses Frequently Asked Questions Next in Crohn’s Disease Guide DiagnosingCrohn’s diseasecan take time and careful consideration for several reasons. This form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has symptoms similar to other conditions, which can make diagnosis problematic. In addition, distinguishing Crohn’s disease fromulcerative colitis(and vice versa) can also be challenging....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPrescriptionsDietOver-the-Counter RemediesSurgeryComplementary Alternative Medicine (CAM)Frequently Asked QuestionsNext in Crohn’s Disease GuideEverything to Know About Crohn’s Disease Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Prescriptions Diet Over-the-Counter Remedies Surgery Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) Frequently Asked Questions Next in Crohn’s Disease Guide Crohn’s diseaseis a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that primarily affects the lining of the digestive tract. While it cannot be cured, there are medications such as steroids and immune system suppressants that can slow the progression of the disease and help you achieve sustained periods of remission....

Sean Gallup / Getty Images What Is a Culture? A culture test identifies the cause of infection and allows the healthcare provider to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe medication accordingly. It can be a helpful test, but it isn’t right in every situation. Cultures require access to the infection so a sample can be taken, and the results can take longer than some other, less definitive tests. A culture consists of the following:ContainerMediumSample...

Cupping is a treatment for pain that, like acupuncture, comes to us fromtraditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Experts say it’s been used since the fourth century. Fast forward 1,700 years or so, and cupping is gaining public acceptance and the attention of some medical practitioners in the West. Awareness was dramatically heightened when U.S. swimmer extraordinaire Michael Phelps showed up at a 2016 Olympic event in Rio with round hickey-like marks all down his back....

Dancing is a form ofcardiovascular aerobic exercisethat comes with many health benefits, like building balance and strength, and improving mental and emotional wellness. Depending on your underlying health and current circumstances, you could consider incorporating dancing into your life as a social activity, through an exercise class, or as part of physical therapy for a health condition. Dancing has been shown to support several health outcomes, including helping with weight loss and improving heart function....

Key TakeawaysEnergy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, sugar, and a variety of other legal stimulants.Experts warn that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and cause irregular heart rhythms.Combining alcohol and energy drinks may cause further health problems and increase the risk of binge drinking. Key Takeaways Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, sugar, and a variety of other legal stimulants.Experts warn that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and cause irregular heart rhythms....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEffectsRisksCorrection ExercisesKeeping Gluteals Active Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Effects Risks Correction Exercises Keeping Gluteals Active Gluteal amnesia, sometimes called “dead butt syndrome,” occurs when the glutes “forget” their main function of stabilizing the pelvis and maintaining proper body alignment. The muscles aren’t actually dead, they are deconditioned and are not activating efficiently. The condition can be reversed with exercise and movement, but it takes nearly twice as long to recover from gluteal amnesia as it does to get to that place....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBasal Cell CarcinomaSquamous Cell CarcinomaMelanomaMerkel Cell Carcinoma Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Basal Cell Carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma Melanoma Merkel Cell Carcinoma Skin cancer can be deadly, but the survival rates for most cases are good when the disease is detected and treated early. The type of skin cancer matters, though. Some, especially melanoma, are more aggressive than others. undefined undefined / Getty Images...