Vaccines have been much in the news lately. Here, from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), an agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are some of the shots that you should think about getting: COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that causes symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Older… Continue reading Vaccines and Older Adults
Tag: side effects
Fighting High Cholesterol with Statins
You go to the gym faithfully, and you try to watch your diet. But after your annual physical, you find out that your blood cholesterol is surprisingly high. Your doctor calls you back to discuss taking a medication known as a statin. Here, in a Consumer Update, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) answeres… Continue reading Fighting High Cholesterol with Statins
On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Treating cancer without debilitating side effects has long been the holy grail of oncologists, and researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Switzerland’s Lausanne University Hospital may have found it. According to a UCI news release, Charles Limoli, professor of radiation oncology at UCI, and Marie-Catherine Vozenin, associate professor of radiation oncology at… Continue reading On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Going Under: A Closer Look at Anesthesia
Every day, people undergo surgery. Some operations require going deep into the body. Some can take many hours to finish. Many of these procedures are possible only because of anesthesia. Different types of anesthesia may be used depending on the procedure. Local anesthesia numbs a small part of the body, such as a tooth. Regional… Continue reading Going Under: A Closer Look at Anesthesia
Can Ketamine Help Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Researchers have found that a single, low-dose ketamine infusion was relatively free of side effects for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Elia Acevedo-Diaz, M.D., Carlos Zarate, M.D., and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, reported their findings in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Studies have shown that… Continue reading Can Ketamine Help Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression?
What You Need to Know about Breast Implants
Should I get breast implants? Should they be saline or silicone? Which style? How much monitoring is needed after surgery? Those are common questions people have when considering breast implants. That’s why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers (FDA) the following information to help people making decisions about breast implants. Breast implants are medical… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Breast Implants
Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix
If you’re taking a medication, is it safe to drive? Most likely, yes. Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises you to make sure before operating any type of vehicle, whether a car, bus, train, plane, or boat. Although most medications won’t affect your ability to drive, some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs… Continue reading Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix
A Tale of Two Vaccines
The new shingles vaccine is much better than the old one – but it’s more painful as well. Canadian researchers analyzed 27 clinical studies involving two million patients age 50 or older and found that the new vaccine, Shingrix, was 85 percent more effective in reducing cases of shingles. The research was published by The… Continue reading A Tale of Two Vaccines
What You Should Know about the Shingles Vaccine
Shingles vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles, an acute inflammation of the nerves characterized by skin eruptions. Shingles, which often encircles the waist, is caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. One of the most common complications from shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a burning sensation that lasts long… Continue reading What You Should Know about the Shingles Vaccine
3 Signs It’s Time to Seek Alternative Treatments for Overly Medicated Kids
Parents of children suffering from ADD, ADHD or other brain-based disorders can grow frustrated and even desperate as they seek to stem the difficulties they and their children face daily. Often, medicating the children becomes not just a last resort, but a first resort. Parents will try whatever they can to help their child, and… Continue reading 3 Signs It’s Time to Seek Alternative Treatments for Overly Medicated Kids
Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications
In an effort to combat dry mouth, a common side effect of medications, researchers are recommending that health care providers monitor that effect and adjust doses of medicine as needed. Having dry mouth means you don’t have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. The condition can lead to problems chewing, eating, swallowing, and even… Continue reading Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications
Why Some Stroke Survivors Won’t Take Statins
Stroke survivors often steer clear of statins because of negative news about the medicines’ side effects, and because of their own bad experiences. However, the drugs are potentially lifesaving. Individuals who have had a stroke are at risk of a second stroke, which carries a greater risk of disability and death than first time strokes.… Continue reading Why Some Stroke Survivors Won’t Take Statins
Your Medications and Your Driving
If you’ve ever worried about the effect your medications might have on your driving skill, the experts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( http://www.nhtsa.gov/) tell you what you need to know: For most people, driving represents freedom, control and independence. Driving enables most people to get to the places they want or need… Continue reading Your Medications and Your Driving
A Safe Painkiller?
Researchers working from scratch have developed a new opioid drug candidate that blocks pain without the dangerous side effects of current prescription painkillers. The international team — led by scientists at UC San Francisco, Stanford University, the University of North Carolina (UNC), and the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany — explored more than four trillion… Continue reading A Safe Painkiller?
Choosing the Right Antidepressant
Depression is a difficult condition to deal with – and choosing the right medicine can be almost as complicated. There are a lot of choices today, but their effects may be unpredictable, according to the Mayo Clinic. As a result, the Mayo experts say, patients can spend months or even years looking for the right… Continue reading Choosing the Right Antidepressant
The Skin-Care Products that Can Harm You
Some consumers seeking to change their skin color are turning to injectable products marketed to whiten or lighten their complexion. These products are potentially unsafe and ineffective, and might contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants. FDA has not approved any injectable drugs for skin whitening or lightening. “These products pose a potentially significant safety risk… Continue reading The Skin-Care Products that Can Harm You
Too Many Pills for Seniors?
Although older Americans get mental-health medications at more than twice the rate of younger adults, they are much less likely to see a psychiatrist, according to new research. That raises questions about whether they could be at risk of problems caused by a collision of multiple medications – and about whether primary care doctors may… Continue reading Too Many Pills for Seniors?
This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs
Patients over 50 who have ulcerative colitis live longer if they undergo surgery rather than taking drugs This according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the finding was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Most physicians opt to treat [ulcerative colitis] with medications, as opposed… Continue reading This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs