Levothyroxine sodium (brand name - Synthroid) is the most commonly prescribed drug to help treat hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of the principle thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4) that is made and released by the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormone increases the metabolic rate of tissue...
When your red blood cell count (hematocrit) is low, you might develop a condition called anemia. This means you are not making enough red blood cells or are losing blood from your body. You need the red blood cells to carry oxygen everywhere. If your doctor...
With diabetes comes increased risk for heart disease. Manage your diabetes and understand the link with keeping blood pressure and cholesterol within normal ranges. Know these numbers: A1C. This is a blood test that measures average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3...
NeoVisc (Sodium Hyaluronate) injections are one way to prevent the pain caused by osteoarthritis in your knees. NeoVisc is a viscosupplement (lubricant) that can be injected into your knee to reduce the pain that occurs when your knee moves. NeoVisc is a 1.0% solution of...
Synvisc injections are one way to prevent the pain caused by osteoarthritis in your knees. Synvisc is a viscosupplement (lubricant) that can be injected into your knee to act as a cushion that reduces the shock and friction created whenever your knee moves. Synvisc is...
Most people assume that bones can only break under extreme conditions. Bones are actually comprised of living tissue that is constantly replaced by new, stronger tissue. If the regeneration cycle is altered, your body will remove more tissue than it creates. This is known as...
Fluticasone Propionate (brand name - Flonase) is a prescription nasal spray approved to treat indoor and outdoor allergies and nonallergic symptoms. Fluticasone Propionate helps reduce the inflammation that leads to nasal symptoms that include congestion, sneezing, and itchy, runny nose. Fluticasone Propionate combats symptoms for both...
Bacterial infections have become a concern for both physicians and patients. Infections caused by difficult to treat bacteria are becoming more and more common. The most common bacterial infections include urinary tract infections caused by bacterias, and chronic bacterial prostatitis. UTI Urinary tract infections, or UTIs,...
Unlike bacterial illnesses, viral illnesses are not living organisms. Viral illnesses attack living cells and reproduce themselves, at the expense of the host cell. Antiviral medications inhibit the replication of viral DNA needed for a viral illness to reproduce. Virally infected cells absorb more acyclovir...
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is pain that continues after the rash from shingles heals, caused by nerve damage from shingles. PHN can develop in anyone who had shingles. About 12.5% of people who had shingles develop PHN. PHN is most common in people 60 years of...
Blood clots can limit or completely restrict the flow of blood to important areas of the body, leading to heart attacks or strokes. For people that already suffered a stroke or heart attack, or have poor circulation as a result of peripheral artery disease (PAD)...
What is osteoporosis? A common misconception is that bones are solid and can only break under extreme trauma. Most people don't realize that bone is actually living tissue, just harder tissue than your skin or heart. Your body continuously replaces older bone tissue with new tissue,...