Diseases & Conditions Archive

Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, a healthy diet, and sufficient sleep are cornerstones of self-care for people with type 2 diabetes. But can mind-body practices help people manage or even treat type 2 diabetes? An analysis of multiple studies suggests they might.

Everyone is born with the blood vessels that underlie hemorrhoids, but they may become problematic when they enlarge. Half of people have symptoms by age 50 that include pain, itching, swelling, and bleeding. Home remedies such as pain relievers, topical creams and ointments, sitz baths, and cold compresses don't eradicate hemorrhoids. In-office procedures can cut off blood supply to internal hemorrhoids, allowing them to fall off. Surgery is the only definitive treatment option for external hemorrhoids visible at the anus.

A 2022 study found that taking supplements for four weeks to treat "bad" LDL cholesterol was ineffective, compared with taking a statin drug for four weeks. Supplements studied included fish oil, cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, plant sterols, and red yeast rice.

In a large 2022 study, people with unhealthy sleep patterns (those who snored, experienced daytime sleepiness, had insomnia, slept less than seven hours per night, or slept more than nine hours per night) were more likely to develop glaucoma than people with healthy sleep patterns.

Stroke survivors who take their blood pressure drugs as prescribed may be less likely to experience a serious fall compared with those who don't take their medications on schedule.

Approximately one in three people ages 65 to 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Getting a hearing test is recommended to identify any hearing loss before it worsens and prescribe a hearing aid if needed. While hearing aids are traditionally expensive, new over-the-counter devices can make them more affordable for people with mild or moderate hearing loss.

Rates of obesity in children have more than tripled in the past six decades, and are still climbing. With millions of children and teens at risk for the many complications of obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidelines for pediatricians.

A major theme of the 2023 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care guide is healthy weight loss. The new guidelines also encourage collaboration on meaningful lifestyle changes that help with sleep and health metric targets.

While a man cannot directly give his female partner a bladder infection, he can increase her risk with vigorous or frequent sexual intercourse.

An enlarged thyroid, called a goiter, or nodules on the gland are quite common, especially in women. Doctors pat down the neck during physical exams to help detect these conditions. Treatment depends on whether a lesion is cancerous or causing severe symptoms. Some goiters or nodules are simply monitored over time.