Medical devices Archive

Many people need to take multiple medications for health and symptom control, but it requires extra attention to prevent risks for drug interactions, dosage errors, and other problems. Several strategies can help, such as learning the names of pills, what they do, and why they're necessary; writing down the day, time, and dose of each drug; using organization tools such as pillboxes and alarms; and scheduling a medication review with a doctor or pharmacist every 12 months, so that unnecessary pills-such as those no longer needed-can be omitted.

A 2024 analysis of 137 studies involving almost 90,000 people found that older drugs called triptans are more effective at stopping migraine pain in a moment of agony, compared with newer medications such as ditans and gepants.

The two main side effects caused by statins are muscle aches (which disappear once the drug is stopped) and a higher risk of diabetes (which is most common in people with obesity and prediabetes).

Up to 40% of American adults have reported difficulty swallowing pills. Older adults are more susceptible to this problem, known as dysphagia, because they take more medications. Dysphagia may provoke people to abandon their medication regimen. Problems swallowing pills are typically traceable either to the medication or the person taking it. Drugs can cause dry mouth, affect taste, irritate the esophagus, or cause sedative effects. Conditions that affect swallowing include cancer, stroke, neurological diseases, and hiatal hernia.

Problems with attention and focus, impulsivity, and constant motion are possible symptoms of ADHD.

Most men over 50 will develop an enlarged prostate. Many different therapies are available, including medications and various types of surgery. Aquablation is gaining in popularity, and a recent study showed that improvements in urinary function from aquablation were still holding up after five years.

Ice baths typically happen in water that's between 50° and 60° F. Studies about their health benefits are inconclusive, but ice baths can be risky. People should never take an ice bath without someone nearby, and stay in for a maximum of 15 minutes.