For people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, moist heat in the form of warm compresses or paraffin dips can help reduce the pain when hand inflammation is mild to average. Paraffin is a waxy substance derived from petroleum. It melts when heated to about 120°F to 130°F. The hands are dipped several times so that a film of paraffin forms that keeps the temperature warm for about ten to 15 minutes....

The words eczema and atopic dermatitis are often used interchangeably, but clinically speaking, eczema is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that include atopic dermatitis, and which cause red, itchy, inflamed skin. More than 30 million Americans have some form of eczema, according to the National Eczema Foundation. Some forms of eczema, like contact dermatitis, are short-term conditions that resolve within days or weeks. Atopic dermatitis, though, is chronic and inflammatory, and often begins during childhood....

However, as the past several months have shown, managing these issues, and the emotional toll they can take, is particularly problematic during a global pandemic. If you’re a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, chances are you’ll need support as you and your loved one navigate the challenges posed not only by their condition but also by COVID-19. As part of National Family Caregiver Month in November — the theme for this year is, appropriately, “Caring During Crisis” — two caregivers, Michele Cook and Ken Gregersen, share how they’ve handled the role and grief during this time....

The French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) issued a statement advising consumers to limit their intake of foods containing nitrates and nitrites like the processed meats popular in hors d’oeuvres and on sandwiches. It’s well established that eating foods containing nitrates can lead to higher risk for colorectal cancer if consumed in excess. “The higher the exposure to these compounds, the greater the risk of colorectal cancer in the population,” the statement reports....

The drugs, which include Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab), have been used over the past several years to treat a growing number of cancer types and have had particular success in helping patients with melanoma and lung cancer. “They are changing the landscape of cancer therapy and have multiple [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration approvals for both solid and liquid cancers,” says Zoe Quandt, MD, the author of the new study and an endocrinologist with the of University of California in San Francisco....

A number of countries besides China honor the holiday, including Vietnam and South Korea, as well as people in every corner of the world who celebrate it as part of their heritage, notes Smithsonian. A centerpiece for any Lunar New Year gathering is traditional foods. In fact, many of these foods have important symbolic meanings related to the celebration of the new year. Noodles are eaten for a longer life, tangyuan (sweet rice balls) for family togetherness, and dumplings and spring rolls for increased wealth, reports the Food Network....

The lack of CRF in children is very concerning because of its association with short and long-term health consequences, says Geetha Raghuveer, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri, both in Kansas City, Missouri, and the chair of the writing committee for the statement. “The immediate effects of poor fitness are related to changes in heart function and blood vessel function, which over the long term can result in premature cardiovascular disease,” says Dr....

Not only can Coca-Cola remove grease stains from clothes and fabric and clean your car engine, but now researchers say the soft drink can get rid of stomach blockages. Researchers reviewed 10 years’ worth of detailed cases on 46 patients with a condition called gastric phytobezoar — a stomach blockage — who were treated with so-called Coca-Cola dissolution therapy. Phytobezoars, the most common type of stomach blockage, are composed of indigestible food fibers from fruits and vegetables including celery, pumpkin, prunes, raisins, leeks, beets, persimmons, and sunflower seed shells....

We all know that change is hard, especially when it comes to eating habits, and especially when you’re trying to cook for a family. “There is really a massive amount of research about the Mediterranean diet,” Dr. Feuerstein says. “The research states that it reduces risk of heart disease and reduces risk of stroke. This is really the diet that we should be keeping to.” Other foods that are part of a Mediterranean diet include whole grains, poultry and eggs in moderation, fish oils and plant oils, and very little dairy....

About 30 percent of people with Crohn’s disease will develop arthritis, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. This makes arthritis the most common extraintestinal (outside the digestive tract) complication of Crohn’s. And while typically more than half of people with arthritis range in age from 18 to 64 years olds, Crohn’s-related arthritis often happens in people between 25 and 45. The Link Between Crohn’s and Arthritis Some research suggests an overlap between Crohn’s disease and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis....

However, “there’s very little basis for assuming what’s happening so far has anything to do with immunity debt,” says Michael Osterholm, PhD, a professor and director of the Center for Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities. Here’s a closer look at the immunity-debt claim and other possible explanations for the spike in respiratory infections this winter. What Is ‘Immunity Debt’? The notion of immunity debt as the cause of this surge in respiratory illnesses appears to have originated from a position paper published in August 2021 in Infectious Diseases Now, in which French researchers suggested many infectious diseases like RSV that receded during the pandemic quickly rebounded once people stopped masking and isolating themselves....

A: First off, congratulations! How exciting for you and your family. What a magical time in all of your lives. Enjoy it! As for exercise during pregnancy, I am a firm believer in exercising consistently if you can manage it. Exercise is important throughout a woman’s life and pregnancy is no different. Some mothers will disagree with me and, God knows, they have every right. I have not been through this personally, so it’s easy to have an opinion....

Now, with several new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus starting to circulate, experts say it’s time for all of us to get serious again, and also to take additional steps to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. New Coronavirus Variants Spread More Easily Viruses acquire mutations all the time, and the coronavirus has invariably been doing so since it first made its way into the world. But several variants that have emerged in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil have changed in ways that make them more dangerous....

But now that it’s the first full week in January, and arguably the first week back to normalcy, you might find yourself at the intersection of wanting to master the challenge but also wanting to pour a glass of vino. Keep your eyes on the prize. Making it through Dry January alcohol-free is a worthy goal. When Jennifer Ashton, MD, chief medical correspondent of ABC News, tried Dry January herself, the challenge changed her relationship with drinking forever....

That’s where diets like the Dukan diet come in. Big names who have credited the diet for their weight loss include British royal Kate Middleton and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez. (1) The diet is a low-carb, high-protein weight loss plan, similar to the Atkins diet, that’s split into four phases. It claims to help you lose weight quickly without being hungry. In 2000, Dukan published The Dukan Diet, a book outlining an eating plan that was based on his experience using it with patients....

In June 2022 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Dupixent to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in children 6 months to 5 years old who haven’t achieved enough symptom relief with prescription corticosteroid creams or ointments, according to a statement from the drug’s developers, Sanofi and Regeneron. More than 1 in 10 Americans have atopic dermatitis, which is much more common in children and typically develops before kids are 5 years old, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)....

Climate change has become “a lived experience for more and more people,” wrote the authors of a perspective article published in 2021 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This shift has kindled feelings of loss or mourning that can closely resemble other forms of bereavement. The authors of the perspective article define “ecological grief” as mourning of the loss of ecosystems, landscapes, species, and ways of life due to climate change....

But you may not be aware of one particularly dangerous trigger: the virus that causes cold sores, the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Direct contact with another person’s cold sore, especially when eczema symptoms are flaring, can lead to a very serious complication called eczema herpeticum. Infants and children with moderate to severe eczema are most susceptible to this skin infection, but eczema herpeticum can also affect adults, says the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)....

“It can be difficult for people to discuss some of the more embarrassing symptoms related to type 2 diabetes,” says Susan Spratt, MD, an endocrinologist with Duke University Health System and associate professor with the Duke University School of Medicine. But in order to design a customized plan for your overall health, your doctor needs to know about every little ache, pain, or itch you’re feeling. Still a bit shy about sharing?...

Researchers looked at a group of 375 individuals who not only lost a lot of weight — more than 80 pounds on average — but also managed to keep those extra pounds off for more than seven years on average, and were exercising at least twice a week. Consistency may be one secret to their success. Most of the participants — 68 percent — exercised at the same time several days a week, while the rest of the participants varied the times of their workouts over the course of a week....