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While nutritional supplements look like any other pill, they are classified as food and not medicine by the FDA, which means they’re not subject to the same scrutiny as even over-the-counter drugs. When the FDA does find something amiss with a supplement, it can take several actions, including writing a warning letter to the product manufacturer. But a study published July 26 in the JAMA shows that a warning letter is often not enough to get a dangerous ingredient off shelves....

Prebiotics are substances found in certain foods that selectively feed good gut bacteria so they thrive and keep us healthy. Incorporating a variety of prebiotics into your diet helps prevent bad bacteria from taking over and encourages good bacteria to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, called short-chain fatty acids, which nourish the cells lining the colon. Most prebiotics are types of fiber, and a few are phytochemicals, or bioactive compounds found in plants....

According to the guidelines developed by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program’s expert panel, such visits may need to take place every two to six weeks for people who are newly diagnosed and still learning to use their medications, and every one to six months to monitor those with stable control of their asthma. Can that intensity of treatment be maintained when most of it is taking place over telemedicine?...

And science suggests these pangs for companionship aren’t just uncomfortable. Chronic loneliness can have significant effects on our physical and mental health. “What’s so powerful about loneliness is it affects everything — every aspect of health and well-being,” says Angelina Sutin, PhD, a professor of psychology at Florida State University in Tallahassee, who researches how personality and life events affect mental and physical outcomes. “This underscores the importance of social connection and being able to be part of a group....

“Even though these conditions are benign in the sense that they don’t lead to death, they cause a lot of disability and can negatively impact your quality of life,” says Roderick Spears, MD, a neurologist and headache specialist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. IBS is a common chronic disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, along with diarrhea, constipation, or both. For some people, other symptoms are connected as well....

The gut microbiome includes bacteria, microorganisms, fungi, and viruses that are present in the gastrointestinal tract. “It plays a role in absorption of key nutrients and minerals,” says Jaquel Patterson, ND, MBA, a naturopathic doctor and medical director of Fairfield Family Health in Connecticut. “The gut microbiome also plays a key role in good health — and in disease progression.” How the Gut Microbiome Affects the Body Although it might seem that gut health would mainly impact digestion, scientists are discovering that the gut microbiome can actually affect your overall health....

Previous scientific literature, including an August 2016 review in Diabetes & Metabolism, had established that aerobic exercise and resistance, or strength, training expand the storage capacity for blood sugar in the muscle and improve insulin sensitivity, effectively reducing the negative health effects of type 2 diabetes. The findings in the new study, published in the February 2018 edition of the American Journal of Physiology, go a step further, suggesting that resistance exercise mitigates indicators of type 2 diabetes by increasing the effects of a protein that regulates blood sugar absorption in the body....

Endocarditis, also called infective endocarditis, is a bacterial or fungal infection of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves. Endocarditis can be life threatening, but most people recover with prompt treatment. Infective endocarditis is generally treated with antibiotics, but some people with endocarditis may also need heart surgery. You’ll likely have a team of doctors monitoring you’re progress, including: A cardiologist (heart doctor)A heart surgeonA doctor who specializes in infectious diseases...

Reducing symptoms and long-term complications, such as pain and joint swellingGetting joint inflammation under tight control or stopping it altogether (putting the disease in remission)Minimizing joint and organ damageImproving physical function and quality of life Drugs, physical therapy, and surgery are proven therapies for rheumatoid arthritis. Treat-to-Target for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treat-to-target is a new treatment paradigm for rheumatoid arthritis that involves doctors and patients having an open and ongoing discussion about the target for treatment....

Unfortunately, any cancer has the potential to spread to any other part of the body. That’s why cancer is such a frightening disease. In general, oral cavity cancer tends to spread primarily to the lymph nodes of the neck first before it spreads or metastasizes to other areas. The lung is a likely second level of metastasis. Spread to lymph nodes is called locoregional metastasis and spread to the lung (or other organs) called distant metastasis....

They’re also very common, especially among children. In fact, at least 8 in 10 children will have one or more ear infections by their third birthday. (1) Complications, though rare, do occur. When they do, they can be serious. (2) “Complications can happen at any age, but they’re much more common in children under the age of 1,” says Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, with ENT and Allergy Associates in New York City....

“It is characterized by tiny blisters or vesicles, usually between the digits, and it can be extremely itchy,” says Peter Lio, MD, a dermatologist who is a clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, as well as a board member and scientific advisory committee member for the National Eczema Association (NEA). “Certain triggers can also make it flare, such as contact with irritating chemicals like soaps or detergents or hand sanitizers, sweating, seasonal changes, and sometimes even just stress....

Intense Big Toe Pain From Gout: a Classic Symptom of an Attack While the big toe is the most common place for a gout attack to happen, gout can also affect surrounding joints in the foot, ankle, and knee. People with gout typically experience flare-ups, or attacks, of symptoms followed by periods with no symptoms. The attacks typically last 3 to 10 days. Some people go months or even years without a gout attack after having one....

How long a person stays in the RRMS stage of multiple sclerosis varies widely, but eventually, most will transition to a stage called secondary-progressive MS (SPMS), in which relapses occur less frequently or not at all, but symptoms become progressively worse, and disability gradually increases over time. It’s possible the newer disease-modifying drug therapies (DMTs) for RRMS will delay or even prevent the onset of SPMS in those who take them....

Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products. When you consume food or drink containing lactose, an enzyme in the small intestine called lactase helps you digest the sugar. But when you’re lactose intolerant, you have a decreased ability to digest these sugars, and this could create excess gas and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The most common type of lactose intolerance is primary lactose intolerance. In primary lactose intolerance, you’re born with a normal amount of lactase....

Though scabies is pretty unpleasant to think about, the good news is that it’s very treatable. Scabies treatment involves topical remedies and, depending on the severity of the infestation, oral medication. All these medications are currently available only by prescription, so it’s vital to see your healthcare provider in order to solve the problem. Once treatment is started and the mites are eliminated, the itching and scabies rash symptoms should resolve within a few weeks....

The word “tai” means “supreme,” “chi” means “boundary,” and “chuan” means “fist” or “movement,” according to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which runs a wheelchair and adaptive tai chi program. Put those definitions together, and tai chi chuan translates to a method of movement that cultivates inner peace, power, and awareness, and fosters overall wellness. Though there are several different forms of tai chi, its movements include a series of postures that you flow through during a tai chi class with the guidance of an instructor....

Last month I wrote about a “normal” fall that occurred when I slipped on the ice. It was one of those rare falls that was not related to MS, but my previous experience of falling fairly often because of the disease helped keep me from injuring myself. Two Falls in a Row Leave Me Aching and Bruised In the ensuing weeks I had two more falls in rather quick succession (on subsequent days)....

If you’ve been feeding your body junk and you’re seeing the effects of an unhealthy diet, the Whole30 program might be the right fit for you. Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig, certified sports nutritionists and authors of the New York Times bestseller The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, created this monthlong clean-eating plan in 2009. This program, which proponents describe as a nutritional reset, doesn’t promise weight loss, but it does promote self-awareness with regards to how your body responds to food....

A quick search on TikTok and Instagram of hashtags like #ibs and #ibstok yields endless videos with combined views in the billions. Chelsea McCallum, an accredited practicing dietitian and frequent TikToker based in Brisbane, Australia, has seen firsthand the growing interest in IBS-related content over the past two years. McCallum, who not only specializes in IBS but was diagnosed with IBS herself in 2017 (her social handle is ibs_dietitian on Instagram and TikTok), posts quick videos offering educational and often humorous takes on topics like what IBS symptoms feel like and how to manage the condition....