Climate change

A total of 74 medical and public health groups including the AMA, AHA issued a call to action against climate change last week, describing it as a public health emergency that threatens the health, safety, and well-being of millions of people. Climate change was also described as a major health opportunity to “deliver immediate and sustained health benefits to all.” …

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Dementia (including Alzheimer Disease)

Patient education: Dementia (including Alzheimer disease) (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is dementia? — Dementia is the general term for a group of brain disorders that cause memory problems and make it hard to think clearly (figure 1). Different forms of dementia are linked to changes in the brain. Alzheimer disease causes many parts …

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Ruptured Eardrum

Patient education: Ruptured eardrum (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is a ruptured eardrum? — A ruptured eardrum is a hole or tear in your eardrum. The eardrum is a thin layer of tissue between the ear canal and middle ear (figure 1). The most common causes of a ruptured eardrum are: ●Ear infections – …

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Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What are nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs? — Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, also called “NSAIDs,” are medicines that relieve pain and reduce inflammation. They are one of the most commonly used kinds of medicines. NSAIDs can help people who have conditions that cause ongoing pain, such as …

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Alternative Medicine

Patient education: Alternative medicine (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is alternative medicine? — Alternative medicine is any treatment or technique that is supposed to help with health but is not part of mainstream medicine. People sometimes refer to alternative medicine as “complementary medicine.” Other related terms include: ●”Holistic care” – This means considering the …

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Blocked Tear Duct

Patient education: Blocked tear duct (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is a blocked tear duct? — A blocked tear duct is a condition that causes the eyes to tear much more than usual. The tear duct is how tears drain from the eye. It is a path of small tubes that runs from the …

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Constipation In Adults

Patient education: Constipation in adults (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is constipation? — Constipation is a common problem that makes it hard to have bowel movements. Your bowel movements might be: ●Too hard ●Too small ●Hard to get out ●Happening fewer than 3 times a week What causes constipation? — Constipation can be caused …

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Patient education: Carpal tunnel syndrome (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is carpal tunnel syndrome? — Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain and numbness in the fingers and hands, and sometimes the arms. It happens when a nerve in the wrist called the “median nerve” gets pinched or squeezed. The median nerve …

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Medicines For High Blood Pressure

Patient education: Medicines for high blood pressure (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate Why do I need medicines to treat high blood pressure? — Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and other serious problems. The medicines your doctor prescribes to treat high blood pressure can help reduce the …

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Cataracts

Patient education: Cataracts (The Basics) Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate What is a cataract? — A cataract is clouding of the lens in the eye. The lens is the part of the eye that focuses light (figure 1). Cataracts can cause vision loss. What are the symptoms of cataracts? — Cataracts make a person’s vision blurry or …