These findings should lead healthcare providers to be on the lookout for signs of atrial fibrillation in their patients who have persistent asthma, says Nazem Akoum, MD, the director of the atrial fibrillation program and an associate professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Akoum was not involved in the study. Although there are no immediate changes in screenings or guidelines around asthma and afib, this relationship will be something providers consider in patients with asthma, according to Akoum....

This process often fails to produce an accurate and timely diagnosis in people with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). This form of arthritis is characterized by inflammatory back pain, which is sometimes described as a dull ache accompanied by stiffness that tends to get worse with rest or inactivity, and better with movement. Unlike its better-known “sister” disease, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), nr-axSpA doesn’t cause inflammation that’s visible enough on X-ray images to make a definitive diagnosis....

How could someone spending hours on end enrobed in such wonderful sensation not notice? RELATED: What to Do When COVID Kills Your Sense of Smell and Taste Why Our Brains ‘Ignore’ Some Scents Scent processing happens in a very old part of the brain, one that is very closely related to memory. It’s why a dog will remember where he’s buried his bone, and why a particular smell will send us straight back in time to a place or person with which the smell has a strong connection....

It’s estimated that more than 75 percent of people with asthma also have GERD, according to the Cleveland Clinic. And in a study in a February 2017 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers examined possible factors that cause frequent asthma flares and found that higher body mass index, gastroesophageal reflux, and chronic sinusitis were each linked with frequent exacerbations of asthma. “Clearly, there’s a connection between reflux and asthma, especially adult-onset asthma,” says Michael Vaezi, MD, a professor of medicine and otolaryngology and director of the Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville....

“You’re not going to be able to prevent all headaches,” says Mark Green, MD, a professor of neurology, anesthesiology, and rehabilitation and the director of the center for headache and pain medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. That’s because there are headache triggers you can control and those you can’t. Some triggers in the latter category are the weather and, if you’re female, the hormonal fluctuations that occur with menstruation and perimenopause....

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), physical activity can help make your blood cells become more sensitive to insulin, allowing the treatment to work more effectively. Exercise can also help your cells remove glucose from your blood, which means lower blood sugar levels and improved A1C. And, of course, exercise can help you improve your overall health, maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke, and lower stress, among other important considerations when you have type 1 diabetes....

When these cells don’t work properly, the body can no longer produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes therefore require lifelong insulin therapy. Other medications and lifestyle changes may also help people manage the disease. Insulin Delivery Insulin cannot be taken orally because the stomach’s digestive juices will destroy the hormone. It must instead be taken by injection, using an insulin pen or a syringe, or through an insulin pump....

And while meningitis is most often caused by bacteria or a virus, did you know that physical injury, illness, and certain medications can also lead to the condition? There are actually five types of meningitis — bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, and non-infectious — each classified by the cause of the disease. Symptoms are similar for each type of meningitis, but there are some differences, says Lorene Cathey, RN, MSN, manager of infection prevention at The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville....

— Lori, Pennsylvania There are many reasons that one could feel tired all the time besides thyroid disease and not eating enough. Most people need at least eight hours of sleep per night to be at their energetic best, and most Americans do not get this amount of sleep regularly. Sleep deprivation can cause fatigue, anxiety, and weight gain. Another reason why you might be tired is dehydration, especially if you lost four pounds in the first week of your diet....

Are you doing everything you can to manage your heart condition? Find out with our interactive checkup. How Blood Pressure is Measured Blood pressure is measured with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer, through which the user listens for the sound of the force of blood in the patient’s arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure). Measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), systolic pressure is the top number in your blood pressure reading....

But do those risks hold true when it comes to e-cigarettes? Unlike their tobacco counterparts, e-cigarettes allow users to inhale nicotine and sometimes flavors without also inhaling the smoke, tar, and carbon monoxide found in traditional cigarettes. Because e-cigarettes are relatively new to the scene, we don’t yet have as much research about how they impact the body. Still, numerous studies already offer crucial insights about how vaping might affect both your risk of type 2 diabetes and your management of the disease....

And because of that, the condition took from her two things in life she loved: her work as a nurse and her music. She was a guitarist, flutist, and vocalist who specialized in liturgical music. Still, “I love life,” says the married mother of two adult children who lives in Rhode Island. “I love my family, and I love the thought of the adventure of life ahead. I feel that now I am physically able to do some of the things my husband and I didn’t do in our forties and fifties....

“Adult acne is often hormonal and tends to be cystic — so it’s the hard red bumps,” says Rebecca Baxt, MD, a dermatologist at Baxt CosMedical in New York City and Paramus, New Jersey, and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). “It’s very frustrating, especially for women who didn’t have acne as a teenager or just had a little and wonder, Why am I getting pimples now?...

The worry is certainly valid. On the keto diet, each day you’re eating up to 80 percent of your calories from fat and sticking with 20 to 50 grams of net carbs, a term used in popular diets, including keto and Atkins but one that is not officially recognized in the medical community. (To calculate net carbs, subtract fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carb amount, per Atkins.) This all means you’ll be eating a lot of fat per day, and in the name of meeting that quota, that may include unhealthy choices such as butter, coconut oil, and animal fat....

Travel abroad is booming now that the U.S. government no longer requires citizens to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or of recent recovery from COVID-19 in order to fly home, per the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But with COVID-19 surging in many parts of the United States and the rest of the world, it pays to strategize about what to do if you get sick while you’re away....

But with this necessary safety step, a new skin issue is, well, popping up: “maskne.” The name is pretty self-explanatory: acne caused by wearing a mask. While you may be surprised by the skin irritation, there are measures you can take to prevent or treat it to get your clear skin back. RELATED: What Your Breakouts Tell You About Your Acne Maskne Is the Result of a Perfect Storm of Factors That Cause Acne It’s distressing to start seeing spots pop up on your face again....

This membrane produces and circulates mucus into your sinus and nasal passages to help remove dust, particles, and microbes from the air that you breathe. Tiny hair-like cells called cilia sweep the mucus to the openings that lead to the back of your throat, allowing it to slide down into your stomach. (1,2) A sinus infection occurs when the sinuses (or, more specifically, the mucous membranes) become inflamed and swell up because of a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection....

Migraine attacks may come on suddenly without warning, or they may be preceded by certain known triggers, such as skipping a meal, being exposed to smoke or air pollution, or experiencing a change in hormone levels as part of the menstrual cycle. Most migraine attacks last from 4 to 72 hours, although effective treatment can shorten them to a matter of hours. On the other hand, some migraine attacks can last even longer than 72 hours....

Resilience refers to both the process and the outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, according to the definition from the American Psychological Association (APA). It’s having the mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and ability to adjust to both internal and external demands, per APA. “It’s your ability to withstand adversity and bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns,” says Amit Sood, MD, the executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being and the creator of the Resilient Option program....

Most people who get a salmonella infection recover fully without treatment, but in some cases, the illness can be severe enough to require hospitalization. DiarrheaAbdominal crampsFeverHeadacheNausea and vomitingLoss of appetite Nausea and vomitingPersistent diarrhea that lasts for longer than three daysBlood in your stoolsFever higher than 102 degreesContinuous vomiting and inability to keep liquids downReduced urine output and dry mouth and throat (which are signs of dehydration)Dizziness, especially when standing upSevere abdominal pain...