Diseases & Conditions Archive

Both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be managed successfully with the right medications.

Shortness of breath, persistent coughing, and wheezing are well-known symptoms of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Yet the two disorders have separate causes. COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is primarily due to changes in lung tissues brought on by smoking and abetted by aging. Asthma is essentially an allergic reaction that causes muscle spasm and mucus secretions that close the airways.

When you sense the ground spinning under your feet, it could be vertigo. But there may be a simple remedy.

An episode of dizziness is one of the things most likely to drive you to the doctor—and for good reason. The sense that you're literally losing your footing can be terrifying.

As many as one in four adults has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition marked by excess fat in the liver. Although often symptomless, it can eventually damage the liver, leading to fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain, and other symptoms. NAFLD tends to occur in people who are overweight or obese, or who have diabetes—problems that are also common in people with heart disease. Now, new research finds a strong link between NAFLD and dangerous plaque inside in the heart's arteries.

The study, in the Nov. 4, 2014, issue of Radiology, included 445 people who were admitted to emergency rooms with suspected heart attacks. Researchers used computed tomography (CT) scans, a type of enhanced x-ray imaging, to assess the participants' livers and coronary arteries. People with NAFLD were six times as likely to have high-risk plaque—the type most likely to cause a heart attack—than those without the liver condition. There are no treatments for NAFLD, but eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight if needed may help prevent or even reverse possible liver damage from the condition. 

Q. Is there something to relieve severe neuropathy in someone's feet?

A. You are not alone: neuropathy is a remarkably common problem. Fortunately, there are several treatments that bring relief to most people who suffer with this condition. There are different types of neuropathy (more formally called polyneuropathy). I'll assume you have the most common type, called axonal neuropathy.

If you have diabetes or prediabetes and you need motivation to get your blood sugar under control, consider this: a study published Dec. 2, 2014, in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that diabetes in midlife appears to age the mind at a faster rate in later life. Researchers analyzed changes in the thinking skills of more than 15,000 people during a 20-year period. The average age at the start of the study was 57. Twenty years later, among people with a history of diabetes, there was 19% more decline than expected. There were even declines, although smaller, among people with a high blood sugar condition known as prediabetes. "We know that over time, diabetes, like hypertension, will cause mini-strokes in the brain that will impair one's thinking and memory. This study strengthens the claim that addressing cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes early may prevent dementia in the future," says Dr. David Hsu, a psychiatrist in the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. You can lower your blood sugar—and your risk of diabetes—by exercising, losing weight, and cutting back on refined grains and added sugars. 

Tinnitus can't be cured, but find out about proven treatments for persistent and bothersome sounds.

Dyspepsia is a frequent or persistent upset stomach. Sometimes no underlying cause is found. It can help to avoid foods that trigger the dyspepsia, such as fatty foods, and to eat smaller but more frequent meals.

Pneumonia can rapidly become serious, particularly for seniors, so get treatment early.

Diabetics get no help from testosterone shots

Getting a testosterone boost didn't help men with diabetes and symptoms often attributed to low levels of the hormone, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The 88 men in this small randomized clinical trial were ages 35 to 70 and overweight. They had type 2 diabetes and moderately low testosterone levels.

At the start of the study, the men filled out a questionnaire that asked about a variety of general symptoms sometimes attributed to low testosterone. These include fatigue, muscle weakness, depression, a general "blah" feeling, and sex-related difficulties, such as low interest in sex and erectile problems.

New guidelines recommend solutions that don't require medication.