There are a myriad of misconceptions when it comes to the flu vaccine. One of the most widely spread misconception is that you are given the live flu virus when you get the flu shot. However, this is not the case. Every year, people in the US usually question whether or not to get the flu shot and its effectiveness. Overall, the flu shot is beneficial to all but this is especially the case for children and the elderly. We have all heard of the flu, but some might not actually know what it is. The flu is a respiratory…
Author: Maria
Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are you have heard about the Ketogenic diet. One reason for this is the fact that the majority of people on the “Keto” diet can’t seem to help letting everyone around them know that they are following the trendy diet craze. The main idea behind the Keto diet is to limit carbohydrates and instead eat a diet heavy in fat. Those on the Keto diet are advised to limit their carbohydrates so much that they only represent two to four percent of their overall caloric intake. The remaining 96 to 98…
If you are familiar with the world of nutrition at all, chances are that you have likely heard of the ketogenic diet (also known as the keto diet). The main component of the keto diet is the fact that foods are consumed so that the liver produces ketones, water-soluble molecules. The keto diet is a diet that promotes an intake of foods low in carbs and high in fat. Eating foods that contain high levels of carbohydrates causes your body to produce both glucose and insulin. Of all of the different molecules that your body produces, glucose is by far…
Fibromyalgia is a pain disorder that is associated with the following main symptoms: muscle pain, tenderness, and fatigue. However, it is also characterized by issues with memory, sleep, and mood. Although there has not been a definite answer found when it comes to the cause of this medical condition, some researchers have found a link between fibromyalgia and an overactive nervous system, which causes painful stimuli to be experienced even more intensely. One issue with fibromyalgia is that it is very hard to diagnose. There is no blood work, x-ray, or scan that can diagnose fibromyalgia. Moreover, it is often…
Although they are usually harmless and actually quite common, leg cramps can be both uncomfortable and painful. In this article, we provide an overview of the reasons why we get leg cramps and offer tips on how to reduce the likelihood of getting them in the future. What are leg cramps? Leg cramps are also known as Charley Horses (named after baseball pitcher Charley Radbourne who often experienced these during gameplay) can be defined as sudden and involuntary contractions of the leg muscles. They can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. One way to relieve a leg…
Many people end up visiting their family doctors and even emergency rooms complaining about pain, numbness, and discomfort in the legs and feet. Unfortunately, the cause of this pain and these sensations are usually not as obvious as they would be if there had been a specific incident such as a fall or injury. Continue reading to learn about the top ten reasons that people experience leg pain and numbness including Sciatica and common electrolyte imbalances. Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is usually associated with exhaustion, mood disturbances, memory issues, and muscle pain throughout the body. However, it is also characterized by feelings…
Fingernails are one body part that tend to get little attention, unless you are the type who goes for weekly manicures at your local nail salon and follows nail art accounts on instagram. What you might not know is that our fingernails can actually tell us a lot about what is going on with our bodies and can help clue us in to different medical conditions. You might think of them as being dead but like your hair, your nails are made up of living cells and they can act as a window to what is going on internally in…
A staph infection is a very serious skin infection that is the result of by bacteria entering the body from either the skin or nose. It can even lead to issues with the internal organs. The bacteria to blame are known as staphylococcus bacteria. This bacteria is super dangerous as it can lead to a whole slew of health problems such as toxic shock syndrome, boils, impetigo, and cellulitis. If not treated properly, it can develop into MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is resistant to antibiotics such as methicillin (hence the name) and other times of antibiotic…
There is a whole lot of information out there when it comes to eating right and eating healthy. Often there are opinions that do not seem to mesh with each other. For instance, sometimes a certain food could be considered to be healthy according to one specialist or diet plan and could in fact be terrible for you. Moreover, even when there is no argument that certain foods are bad for you, just how bad can sometimes be a surprise. We of course need food to survive but how much of an influence it has on the internal and external…
If you suffer from heartburn, you are not alone. This painful and arguably annoying condition is experienced by one in five adults every week. The main culprit is the release of stomach acid into the esophagus. This is commonly referred to as acid reflux and cam lead to feelings of pain and tightness in the chest. If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage as stomach acid is so potent that it can essentially eat away at the lining of the esophagus. Therefore, it is highly suggested that you seek medical attention if you experience acid reflux that persists and…
Funnily enough, heartburn doesn’t have much to do with your heart. Heartburn occurs due to the release of stomach acid (also referred to as regurgitated gastric acid) into the esophagus and can be painful, annoying, and inconvenient. It got its name from the fact that this burning sensation often occurs right behind your breastbone, where your heart is located. This awful sensation often expands to the throat and even the mouth. If you have ever experienced heartburn you might be having flashbacks to that awful taste in your mouth and we apologize if that is the case. There are a…
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people, and celebrities are no less likely to have it than the average person. Diabetes has had a huge impact on the lives of many celebrities and a lot of these famous people have spoken out about their experiences of diabetes and how they manage this disease on a daily basis. Seeing how some of our most beloved celebrities deal with diabetes can help others with it, especially when it comes to young people. Although the most iconic person with diabetes might be Wilford Brimley (or in his words, diabeetus) there are…
A medical professional should without a doubt treat serious burns, such as third degree burns; however, some burns can be treated at home. Regardless of which method you choose to use, burns should first be rinsed under cold water (for as long as possible) before being gently cleaned with mild soap and water (making sure not to break any blisters and not to use a soap with too many chemicals) and then bandaged with clean gauze in order to limit the likelihood of infection in that area of the skin. Then, afterwards you can use any of the below, after…
Sepsis is a condition that is the result of an infection entering the bloodstream. When sepsis occurs the result is a compromise immune system. Although the body does its best to defend itself effectively, it may not be able to do so if there are prevailing health concerns such as cancer, AIDS, a recent surgery, or an immune deficiency at play. Therefore, it is important to know what to look out for in order to gain a sense of whether you may have a blood infection. Skin Spots We all get some sort of skin spots, especially with age. However,…
One statistic that you might not be familiar with is that it is believed that an estimated 6.6 million Americans will be dealing with poor vision and blindness by the year 2030. That is double the number of people in the United States dealing with those issues now. Many people blame the decline in eye health on modern technology such as our smartphones that many of us have glued to our hands and the computer screens many of us stare at for most of the day. However, many people ignore the fact that our diets play a huge role when…
Ovarian cancer, commonly referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’ is a disease that has symptoms that are very difficult to notice. The symptoms often appear like normal disturbances that can be felt under normal circumstances. The only variation is that these annoyances can be felt on a daily basis for a very long period of time. By the time that one notices that the symptoms need to be taken seriously, ovarian cancer may have advanced to an extent that it may be very hard to treat it properly. Given that only 20% of the women that suffer from this disease…
If you are having issues with your heart, please contact a medical professional immediately. There are certain health issues that might indicate that you have an irregular heartbeat. For instance, experiencing frequent dizziness and chest tightness can be an indication that you may have an irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia. However, don’t fear, as we are here to tell you about what symptoms to look out for. Even if you have experienced any of the below symptoms, if this is only on an occasional basis you should not feel the need to panic. The reality is that most people experience…
Diabetes insipidus, not to be confused with the much more common and unrelated diabetes mellitus, is a rare health condition that causes an imbalance of water within the body. The result is an increase in the amount of urine excreted and a seemingly unquenchable thirst. Unfortunately, at present there is no cure for diabetes mellitus. However, luckily for those with this condition, there are certain treatments that can help to limit the abovementioned symptoms. Continue reading to learn more about both the causes of diabetes insipidus and its related symptoms. Causes of Diabetes Insipidus The two different types of diabetes…
Hyperthyroidism is also known as an overactive thyroid. The thyroid glands of individuals with this condition overproduce two primary hormones called tetraiodothyronine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The role of these hormones is to manage the amount of energy that the body’s cells expend. Therefore, when there is an overproduction of either or both hormone the result s hyperthyroidism. Although there are multiple different reasons for hyperthyroidism, the most common is a health condition known as Grave’s disease. It is also connected to different health conditions such as Hashimoto’s disease and Crohn’s disease. Mood Swings A change in hormone levels can…
Sjogren’s syndrome is more commonly referred to as either dry eye or dry mouth syndrome. It occurs when the body’s autoimmune system does not work properly and starts to attack the cells of the body that produce both tears and saliva. Therefore, it is considered to be an autoimmune disorder. This condition tends to target women aged fourty and above, although people of all genders and age groups can be affected. The most common symptoms include various infections of the mouth and eyes as well as infections within the breathing passages as well as other glands and tissues of the…