Stroke Archive

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

Aerobic and muscle-building exercises can trigger physiological changes that improve blood vessels and metabolism in ways that help prevent all the major risk factors that contribute to heart disease. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Exercise can also improve mental health problems such as depression and stress, which are common but underrecognized risks for heart disease.

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.

Several problems can block the passages on one or both sides of the nose. For example, allergies can inflame sensitive tissue inside the nose, reducing the space left for air to flow through nasal passages; a crooked wall (septum) separating the passages of the nose can block airflow, making it hard to breathe; and aging can cause tissues in the nose to sag, which can narrow nasal passages. Strategies to open nasal passages depend on the cause of obstruction. Treatments range from using nasal sprays to widening nasal passages with surgery.

Concussions occur when the brain bumps or twists inside the skull after a blow to the head. Signs of concussion include headache, eye pain or fatigue, neck pain or stiffness, imbalance, impaired depth perception, difficulty remembering, or sleep pattern changes.

A new study suggests that older adults who maintain an high level functional fitness have a lower their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke compared with those who are not as fit.

Gout strikes when too much uric acid builds up in the body and triggers severe pain, swelling, and redness in one or more joints, often in the big toe. New research suggests that an episode may increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke over the following two months.

Many medications can affect sleep. These include prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter remedies. For example, decongestants, certain antidepressants, or beta blockers can make it hard to fall or stay asleep, and nicotine replacement medications can cause a person to have nightmares. Strategies to avoid drug-related sleep problems include taking the medication during the day, taking a lower dose, practicing good sleep hygiene (such as going to bed and waking up at the same time each day), or switching to a new medication.

Sitting too much is bad for health. But there are ways to make time spent seated a little healthier. For example, people can keep their brains active by reading, writing, doing a hobby (such as knitting), or playing an instrument. And people can exercise while in a seated position. It's possible to do an aerobic workout that gets the heart and lungs pumping, such as a seated dance routine or calisthenics, as well as muscle-strengthening activities or stretching exercises.

People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition marked by trouble focusing and impulsive behavior, may be more likely to have cardiovascular disease that people without the disorder.