Diseases & Conditions Archive

Mounting evidence suggests that wildfires, which are increasing in intensity and frequency, contribute to skin problems, including eczema flares. Here's what you need to know to protect your skin from wildfire pollution.

The shingles vaccine, Shingrix, can trigger side effects such as a sore arm, achiness, fatigue, and fever. But Shingrix is highly effective at preventing painful shingles rashes and a complication called postherpetic neuralgia, which involves long-lasting nerve pain.

Blue light therapy can treat conditions on or just under the skin, but it typically doesn't work well for varicose veins. Thick and rope-like, varicose veins require more aggressive approaches to eradicate them, such as sclerotherapy or thermal ablation.

People who received a COVID vaccine during the first two years of the pandemic had a lower risk of developing long COVID, according to a 2024 study.

Contrary to common assumptions, new allergies can emerge well into adulthood. New food allergies are more common than new seasonal ones, and shellfish is the most prominent late-emerging allergen. Women are more likely to develop food allergies in adulthood than men and to grapple with severe food-related anxiety. Some people with childhood allergies, such as those to peanuts or pollen, stop having symptoms when they reach adulthood. People who experience potential new allergy symptoms should see their primary care doctor or an allergist.

Doctors have three ways to treat Dupuytren's contracture, a condition that pulls one or more fingers toward the palm. A needle aponeurotomy breaks up the thick collagen tissue sticking to the tendons. A collagenase injection contains an enzyme that eats up and dissolves the collagen. Surgery involves the removal of the collagen tissue. With all three procedures, the condition can return. The procedure that's right for someone depends on the condition's severity and the location of the collagen.

Not all drug side effects are created equal: some are tolerable, some are dangerous –– and some may turn out to be surprisingly beneficial with weight loss and hair growth as superstar examples. Silver linings like these can lead to a new purpose for some medications.

Continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, offer valuable and accurate insights into blood sugar levels. But it's important to understand who CGMs are most appropriate for.