That’s because biologics work by suppressing certain inflammation-causing molecules in the immune system, and a weakened immune system can increase your risk of contracting infections. What Are Biologics? Chronic inflammation of the spine can lead to stiffening of joints and fusion of bone to other bones (ankylosis) — a hallmark of ankylosing spondylitis. “Biologics help treat ankylosing spondylitis by targeting different proteins in the body called cytokines," says Natalie E....

Interval breast cancers include situations where a tumor was present when the mammography was performed but the cancer was missed, as well as tumors that arise during the interval between mammograms. These fast-growing tumors tend to be more aggressive and associated with a poorer prognosis. Interval cancers are among the most frustrating problems associated with breast cancer screening. But studying how and why these cases occur may help researchers identify subgroups of women who need mammography more frequently, at younger ages or who would benefit from a more rigorous type of screening, such as screening with ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology....

McEwen, PhD, the Alfred E. Mirsky Professor and neuroscience lab leader at Rockefeller University in New York City and one of the world’s leading experts on the subject, then spends the rest of the lecture trying to convince the crowd that what we think of as stress — an unpleasant, cortisol-fueled reaction that we generally wish would go away — represents only a very slim slice of what researchers now understand about the human stress response....

Researchers, like the scientists behind a review published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, have acknowledged dozens of different herbs and natural substances that have been used for centuries around the globe, sometimes in tea form, to support respiratory health. Yet very few scientists have investigated whether natural remedies really help people with asthma. As for research looking specifically at tea and asthma, “I haven’t been able to find a single study,” says John Mark, MD, clinical professor of pediatric pulmonary medicine at Stanford University in California....

Candida overgrowth can cause the conditions mentioned (thrush, vaginal yeast infection), but some experts, like Miller, recognize candida overgrowth (or imbalance of yeast in the body) as the source of a number of health symptoms that can be overcome with dietary changes. Risk Factors for a Candida Infection In terms of candida overgrowth in general, antibiotic use is by far one of the most common causes, says Miller. “Antibiotics are sterilizing to the microbiome,” or the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut, she says....

“These findings are alarming and should be a call to action, not only for healthcare providers but also for parents and young adults with obesity,” says Giuseppina Imperatore, MD, PhD, a team leader in epidemiology and statistics on diabetes at the CDC. Prediabetes means that a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. According to the CDC, prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes, which is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and stroke....

Chronic appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix that lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Appendicitis symptoms that arise — particularly pain in the lower right abdomen, where the appendix is located — can subside on their own only to return at a later time. Chronic appendicitis is estimated to account for just 1.5 percent of all appendicitis cases. (1) Acute Appendicitis vs. Chronic Appendicitis When people talk about appendicitis, they’re usually referring to acute appendicitis, which generally begins with abdominal pain around the belly button that then migrates to the lower right abdomen and intensifies....

“Some people with adult ADHD have a tapestry of difficulties so severe they end relationships and jobs, cause driving difficulties, and lead to legal and financial problems,” explains J. Russell Ramsay, PhD, the codirector of the Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program and an associate professor of psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. According to the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), 18 symptoms could indicate that you have ADHD....

The study, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain, on September 16, 2019, also showed that women who go through puberty and menopause later have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. RELATED: Hormones and Your Health: An Essential Guide These findings support earlier research on the protective value of longer exposure to one’s own sex hormones, says Stephanie S. Faubion, MD, the medical director of the North American Menopause Society and the director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health in Rochester, Minnesota....

Yes, that humble pink lotion that was once dabbed onto your chickenpox, mosquito bites, or burned skin after too many hours in the sun — ah, fond childhood memories. Now, it’s trending as the ultimate pre-makeup primer, acne scar treatment, and SPF product, all in one. On TikTok, fans of the hack, like @therealembree, spread a thin layer on their face (using bare hands or a brush), let it dry, then apply foundation for a matte, flawless look that lasts all day....

Researchers collected self-reported data from more than 106,000 women over the course of two decades. None of the women had been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, or diabetes when they enrolled in the study, and all had worked in California schools. Overall, they found that women who consumed one or more sugary drinks — which included soda, energy or sports drinks, and fruit juice with added sugar — were 20 percent more likely to eventually develop cardiovascular disease or have a stroke compared with women who rarely or never drank such beverages....

Today, the amount consumers have to pay out of pocket for prescribed drugs is rapidly escalating, from about $25 billion in 2000 to a projected $67 billion in 2025. (1) To make matters worse, more than 8.6 percent of American adults, or roughly 28 million people, do not have health insurance and must pay for all prescription medications themselves. (2) But there are ways that you can minimize the effect that the accelerating prescription drug crisis has on your healthcare....

Here, Mohiba Tareen, MD, a Minnesota-based dermatologist, Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and Everyday Health medical reviewer, answers common questions about how eczema affects skin of color and what patients can do to manage their symptoms and get the right diagnosis and medical treatment. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Everyday Health: How prevalent is atopic dermatitis in people of color, compared with the general population? Mohiba Tareen, MD: Atopic dermatitis is most common among African Americans....

“The oil itself doesn’t go up into the brain, but it stimulates a response that typically affects different aspects of the brain and the central nervous system, specifically in regions called the limbic system. This system has a lot to do with arousal, memory, and processing emotions,” says Michelle Davila, ND, a naturopathic doctor with the integrative medicine department of Beaumont Health in Grosse Pointe and Royal Oak, Michigan. Essential oils also create certain effects when applied to the skin....

The herb has become popular as a supplement, with ginkgo extract touted as a way to keep memory sharp, as well as a remedy for a variety of health issues, such as anxiety, dementia, and heart disease, according to the NCCIH. Study results have been mixed, however, so additional research is needed to confirm these uses. Here’s a closer look at what ginkgo biloba is and what the available evidence indicates about using this ancient herb for health....

“When my GERD is bad, I have to avoid any high-impact activities like running, jumping, or skipping rope,” says Chapman. For athletes like Chapman who engage in high-intensity workouts, exercise-induced GERD is fairly common. Studies show elite runners often experience reflux. But you don’t have to be ultra competitive to experience reflux symptoms during exercise. “There are certain activities that can trigger reflux, and exercise is one of them,” says Sumona Saha, MD, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison....

Medications like Lexapro (escitalopram) generally don’t have acute mood-lifting effects, where you’d feel a difference within hours of taking a pill. Rather, the pathways by which these drugs relieve depression result in changes to the central nervous system that take weeks to develop. I think what is more likely is that the change in your mood reflects a classic symptom of depression called diurnal mood variation, which basically means that mornings are the worst time of the day....

An unpublished study presented at Digestive Disease Week in San Diego in May added to the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ — the idea that exposure to germs as a child helps build a stronger immune system. Study researchers found that children who grew up with a dog or in large families were less likely to develop Crohn’s disease. To conduct the study, which started in 2008 and is ongoing, researchers used questionnaires to collect information from more than 4,200 parents, siblings, or children of people who have Crohn’s disease....

My parental instinct told me to jump in the car and retrieve my daughter. But another voice held me back. Fear gripped me as I thought of possibly exposing myself to the coronavirus during the thousand-mile trek, which would require stops at gas stations and fast-food restaurants and a motel stay. I live with chronic illnesses, including asthma and psoriasis, that could possibly become underlying risk factors for COVID-19 complications....

In 2018, I was running a tech start-up in San Francisco. It was a full-on pressure cooker. I ended up in the hospital for nine nights with a collapsed lung. This was the second time it happened to me, so I opted for surgery. The day after I got out of the hospital, we got a note from my wife’s uncle, who was an owner of Mountain Trek, a hiking and wellness retreat in British Columbia....