Immune and infectious diseases Archive

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are different, though they can have similar symptoms. IBS symptoms seem to arise from hypersensitive nerves and abnormal muscle contractions in the digestive tract, while IBD results from a problem with the immune system causing inflammation.

One reason people eat yogurt is because it contains probiotics — beneficial bacteria and yeasts that improve digestion, provide protection from dangerous organisms, and boost the immune system. But not everyone likes the taste or texture of yogurt, so here are some other foods that offer the same benefits.

Scientists are testing potential vaccines that aim to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Until then, strategies that may help ward off UTIs include drinking lots of water each day, emptying the bladder after sexual intercourse, using vaginal estrogen creams (for women), wiping front to back after gong to the bathroom (for women), taking a daily long-term, low-dose antibiotic, taking a single dose of an antibiotic after sex (if recurrent UTIs often follow sexual intercourse), or taking cranberry supplements.

A rapid heart rate—tachycardia—is a key feature of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a mysterious condition that involves the nervous system and can cause a constellation of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and brain fog, as well as pain in the chest, extremities, or elsewhere in the body. At least half of all cases of POTS are thought to be triggered by an infection (such as mononucleosis), which then spurs inflammation or an autoimmune response. Treatment includes drinking lots of water, eating lots of salt, and graded exercise training.

While the COVID pandemic changed how many people approached their health, the experience offers a teachable moment about how people can maintain new and improved healthy habits. Four areas that were most affected by COVID and enabled people to create positive changes are exercise, diet, medical check-ups, and social connections.

A 2023 study suggests that women who practice many aspects of a healthy lifestyle are about half as likely as women who don't to experience persistent symptoms after a COVID-19 infection.

While Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States, a report from the CDC shows that ticks that cause babesiosis are appearing in more parts of the Northeast and Midwest.

Nail-biting can introduce germs into people's mouths that can cause a range of illnesses, including colds or salmonella. The habit also creates tiny fissures in skin that can become infected. People who bite their nails should occupy their mouth and hands with other tasks.

Although uncommon, heart infections may trigger inflammation that can damage the heart. People should be aware of the risks and symptoms of the three main types: pericarditis (swelling and irritation of the protective, double-layered membrane that surrounds the heart, called the pericardium), myocarditis (inflammation in the middle, muscular layer of the heart), and endocarditis (inflammation that affects the heart’s inner lining or one or more of the heart’s valves).

Many COVID-19 symptoms — such as fever, cough, or muscle aches — overlap with the symptoms of other respiratory conditions, such as influenza, a common cold, or asthma. But there are differences among the conditions. For example, a bout of the flu or a cold will not cause shortness of breath the way COVID-19 will. And while asthma can cause shortness of breath, it won't cause a fever or body aches the way COVID-19 will. A person who's experiencing concerning symptoms of respiratory illness should report them to a doctor.