This article is part ofHealth Divide: Skin Conditions and Darker Skin, a destination in our Health Divide series. Alisha M. Bridges is an award-winning writer, public speaker, media consultant, and health activist. She advocates on behalf of patients to bridge the gap between the medical community and patients living with chronic disease. Alisha volunteers with theNational Psoriasis Foundation, where she speaks openly about her own experience with psoriasis at conferences....

This article is part ofHealth Divide: Type 2 Diabetes in People of Color, a destination in our Health Divide series. Sarah Bryant is a type 2 diabetes advocate living in South Carolina. After losing her husband to heart complications from type 2 diabetes, she vowed to live a whole and healthy life. Sarah loves to travel, exercise, and cook: all things that helped her manage her diabetes better. I first saw the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes when my husband had a stroke, leaving me as his primary caregiver....

This article is part ofHealth Divide: Type 2 Diabetes in People of Color, a destination in our Health Divide series. I am sweet tea’s number one fan, french fries too. Or at least I was until my health made my lifestyle and food preferences a matter of life and death. My wife and I were a few months into a health streak—exercising, eating better, and prioritizing our well-being—when I woke up one morning to my wife looking at me and saying, “We’re going to the hospital....

Sue McGaughey is a behavioral consultant, writer, and blogger living withtinnitus. She has a TikTok page (@SuesCoffeeTalk), where she shares tips and strategies to manage life with tinnitus, based on her own experience. My journey with tinnitus began the way this condition affects many others. One day, everything was fine—and then it suddenly changed. The next morning, the ringing remained. When I contacted my doctor, she diagnosed my problem as tinnitus based on mysymptoms....

Amanda Lopez is an ambassador for the National Eczema Association. She works actively in both patient and research advocacy. I’ve hadeczemamy whole life. As a newborn, my mother noticed my face was unusually red but didn’t think much of it. I was officially diagnosed with eczema when I was 4 years old. I’m 42 now, and I’ve dealt with the full spectrum of eczema flare-ups, from mild hotspots that can betreated at homewith over-the-counter medications tosevere episodesthat leave me covered in head-to-toe painful, itchy rashes that require a visit to the emergency room....

This article is part ofHealth Divide: Menopause and Black Women, a destination in our Health Divide series. Kamili Wilson is the founder ofMenopause Made Modern, an organization that addresses the information and resource gaps for women of color going through menopause. Menopause is a challenging stage of life to navigate for any woman, but as a woman of color, finding resources that represent your experiences can be even more difficult....

This article is part ofHealth Divide: Menopause and Black Women, a destination in our Health Divide series. Lorrie King is a cofounder ofCaire Beauty, a skin care brand designed for women experiencing menopause, and an advisory board member ofLet’s Talk Menopause. When my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, menopause was the last thing on my mind—until my period stopped, and it never came back. Little did I know then that my journey with menopause would lead me to cofound a beauty company with the goal of helping women manage the less-obvious symptoms of aging, especially when it comes to their skin....

A stomach bug usually lasts for a few days. However, diarrhea can go on for as long as one to two weeks. Peak times for the stomach flu being spread from person to person are the winter months, when more people are indoors. Theinflammatory bowel diseases(IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis, are chronic, lifelong conditions. IBD also can cause symptoms that are similar to gastroenteritis, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting....

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)is a disease of exclusion, meaning that a diagnosis of IBS is often given after no other cause for the symptoms can be found. This also means that IBS is frequently misdiagnosed, and treated, as other conditions. Some people may see several different doctors and undergo many tests before finally arriving at a diagnosis of IBS. There is some research that indicates there are genes associated with IBS, making IBS potentially inheritable....

People withsickle cell diseaseare immunocompromised, which means they have an increased risk of infection. For this reason, immunizations are an important part of complete sickle cell care.This article looks at the importance of immunizations for people with sickle cell disease.Pamela Moore / Getty ImagesWhy People With Sickle Cell Disease Are at Risk for InfectionsSickle cell disease starts damaging the organs in the first year of life. One of the first organs affected is the spleen....

Key TakewaysNew guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that fully vaccinated people do not have to continue wearing masks.People with weakened immune systems who are fully vaccinated may still be susceptible to COVID-19.Experts say immunocompromised people who have been fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks. Key Takeways New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that fully vaccinated people do not have to continue wearing masks....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSynthesisStructureIgE Receptors and Their FunctionAssociated Health ConditionsIgE Allergy TestAnti-IgE Medications Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Synthesis Structure IgE Receptors and Their Function Associated Health Conditions IgE Allergy Test Anti-IgE Medications Increased blood levels of IgE are associated withallergies(includingatopic dermatitis), parasitic and certain viral infections, some types of immunodeficiency, inflammation,asthma, and some cancers, includingHodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Blood tests for IgE can be used to diagnose allergies....

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesICD vs. PacemakerUsesFunctionWhat It Feels LikePreparationProcedureRisksPost-ProcedureLong-Term OutlookLiving With an ICDSeeking Medical Care Table of ContentsView All View All Table of Contents Types ICD vs. Pacemaker Uses Function What It Feels Like Preparation Procedure Risks Post-Procedure Long-Term Outlook Living With an ICD Seeking Medical Care An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), is a small device that delivers an electric shock when the heart rate is irregular or too fast....