People who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are two to three times as likely to experience a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — two common and potentially life-threatening types of blood clots — as those who don’t have IBD, according to research. DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in the leg, pelvis, or arm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A DVT can break off and travel into the lungs, causing a life-threatening blockage called a pulmonary embolism, which can prevent blood flow and disrupt breathing....

Here’s what you should know if psoriatic arthritis is affecting your spine. How Psoriatic Arthritis Can Affect the Spine Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can cause pain and stiffness in any joint in your body or anywhere the ligaments and tendons connect to bone. When psoriatic arthritis specifically affects the joints in the vertebrae of the spine, it’s known as spondylitis or axial arthritis. Sacroiliitis is when psoriatic arthritis affects the joints between your pelvis and spine, known as your sacroiliac joints....

In fact, a study published in 2019 in the journal Clinical Rheumatology found more than 25 percent of people who had both psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia-like symptoms were also found to have increased fatigue. “There is a high incidence of fatigue in patients who have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis,” says rheumatologist Soumya Reddy, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and codirector of the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Center at NYU Langone Health in New York City....

However atopic dermatitis might be affecting you, you aren’t alone. Approximately 1 in 10 Americans have atopic dermatitis — the most common type of eczema, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). “Atopic dermatitis is a systemic form of eczema that’s more closely related to allergies and asthma,” explains Jessica Krant, MD, MPH, a board-certified dermatologist, lifestyle medicine–certified physician, and certified life coach in New York City. The condition causes dry, itchy skin and painful rashes that may need to be treated with topical and/or oral medication....

A study of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — published in the November 2019 issue of the journal Stroke — found that young and middle-aged veterans with the condition had a 61 percent greater risk of transient ischemic attack (sometimes called a “ministroke”) and a 36 percent greater risk of a regular ischemic stroke than those without PTSD. “Given the evidence from studies of older adults and their elevated exposure to stressful life events, we anticipated that PTSD may be a potentially important risk factor for stroke in young people,” says lead study author, Lindsey Rosman, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine in Chapel Hill....

According to the American College of Rheumatology, low-grade fever is one of many common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms you may experience. The CDC considers an adult to have a fever when the person has a measured temperature of at least 100° F (37.8° C) or greater, with symptoms of feverishness or chills. In general, according to the Mayo Clinic, an elevated body temperature in and of itself is not considered serious until it reaches 103° F (39....

According to a news release from November 26, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says evidence suggests the romaine linked to E. coli illnesses was harvested in the Central Coast growing areas of northern and central California. Last week, health officials advised against eating all romaine lettuce, but now they say it’s safe to eat romaine harvested outside of those regions, according to the release. “Romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Central Coast growing regions of northern and central California does not appear to be related to the current outbreak,” said Scott Gottlieb, MD, commissioner for the FDA, in a separate statement on November 26, 2018....

But for some women, there’s a catch: A certain type of breast tissue — known as dense breast tissue — makes it difficult to spot cancers on mammograms, because dense tissue appears white on this type of imaging test, as does cancer. What’s more, simply having dense breasts increases your cancer risk, says Beth A. Jones, PhD, MPH, a research scientist who studies cancer screening and prevention at Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut....

— Sarah, Texas Your abdominal wall is basically composed of layers of muscle covered by fat. Some people have very little fat and very defined muscles six-pack abs. Others have a very thick layer of fat, which essentially hides the muscles underneath (a beer belly). In order to “flatten” your stomach, you need to reduce the amount of fat in your abdomen area, and this is only achieved through weight loss....

A study published this year in the Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that students taught to view stress as a coping tool performed better on math exams than students told to put stress out of their minds. The researchers behind the study say it’s more evidence that stress can be the key, not the inhibitor, to success. We are often told stress is a bad thing, says the lead researcher Jeremy Jamieson, PhD, an associate professor of psychology and the principal investigator of the Social Stress Lab at the University of Rochester in New York....

Salicylic Acid Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat psoriasis, “sal acid,” as it’s commonly called, is available in a variety of products, including shampoos, ointments, lotions, creams, soaps, and pastes. Salicylic acid helps to soften scales and exfoliate or lift them off your skin. Sal acid can be helpful as long as you use it according to directions. Too much salicylic acid, or salicylic acid left on the skin (or scalp) for too long, can cause irritation or stinging....

Obliques, like the rest of the muscles of the core, are important for everyday movements. “If you look at the anatomy of the obliques, as far as where they attach on the pelvis and rib cage, they’re involved in the stabilization of the pelvis, so it’s important to make sure they’re strong and they’re working as they should,” says Rondel King, CSCS, a corrective exercise specialist and personal trainer in New York City....

Having a too-high percentage of body fat can lead to obesity, which comes with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. So what’s the difference between a fat-burning exercise and other exercises? It all comes down to intensity, says Len Kravitz, PhD, coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “Exercise at a comfortable but challenging intensity for optimal fat burning,” he says....

Here’s a primer: The popular ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Meanwhile, you’ll aim for moderate protein in your meal plan. In other words, it’s a far cry from the fad low-fat diet approaches of yesteryear — and, really, from other diets in general. The main way ketogenic diets differ from other popular low-carb diets is that keto diets aim to drive your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, in which the body starts burning stored fat as a source of energy, instead of carbohydrates, says Stacey Mattinson, RDN, who is based in Austin, Texas....

Young Children Receiving Platinol Are More Prone to Hearing Loss Than Older Ones What’s New Children younger than 5 who receive the drug Platinol (cisplatin) as part of their chemotherapy regimen may be at high risk for permanent hearing loss, especially during the early phase of their treatment, according to research published online September 2 in the journal Cancer. Research Details Researchers examined previously collected data from 368 Canadian patients with childhood cancer (140 of whom were younger than 5, and 288 of whom were older) who received Platinol and had at least two hearing tests during the course of their treatment....

Sheer willpower, a regular exercise regimen, and the low-carb eating plan put her on a track to successfully managing type 2 diabetes, she says. RELATED: 7 Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise if You Have Diabetes Taking the First Steps Toward Making Lifelong Changes Marcus, a church office manager in Arlington, Virginia, knew it wasn’t healthy or effective for her diabetes management to weigh 260 lbs. She’s right: Extra weight can increase insulin resistance (the hallmark of type 2 diabetes), making it harder to control blood sugar and increasing the risk for health complications, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA)....

The popular social media platform TikTok, known for 15-second video clips about pretty much any topic you can think of, has been lauded for starting important conversations about mental health, especially among young people, enabling them to learn about mental health conditions, and get support from peers going through the same things. But now a more troubling mental health TikTok trend has arisen. Within the past year, there’s been an increase in teens and young adults using TikTok to self-diagnose conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder (DID), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette syndrome, among others....

At first, Stephanie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but when she found another doctor who took the time to complete a thorough evaluation, she learned the true culprit was borderline personality disorder (BPD), which she was diagnosed with six months later. The Challenges of Having a Partner or Spouse Diagnosed With BPD Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness that can cause affected individuals to have a negative self-image, make risky or impulsive choices, engage in self-harming behaviors, and have intense emotions and mood swings....

No matter how well you typically sleep, it’s not unlikely that lately your nights may be a little bit more restless than usual. “It’s a time of stress, and sleep does get disrupted during stress,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, a White Plains, New York–based clinical psychologist who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Relying on Medication RELATED: How to Handle Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19 According to the National Sleep Foundation, stress puts your body into a state of hyperarousal, which makes it tough to fall asleep and get back to sleep after waking up during the night....

Where Does Gas Come From? Gas, also known as flatulence or belching, may be caused by air that you swallow while eating, particularly if you’re rushing. Gas can also result when bacteria break down undigested food in the large intestine. For instance, the stomach and small intestine don’t fully digest fiber as well as the carbohydrates found in many foods. “Not all carbohydrates are easy to digest,” explains dietitian Angela Lemond, RDN, CSP, LD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who has expertise in gastrointestinal nutrition....