In 2020, low back pain affected 619 million people worldwide. It is the single leading cause of disability, and is only expected to increase in prevalence over the next few decades. This condition can make it hard to move, affecting your quality of life and mental well-being. Often, the exact cause is unknown! This is… Continue reading How to Tell if Your Low Back Pain is Serious
Tag: Awareness
Study Finds Nearly Half of Adult Cancer Deaths Preventable
A new study from the American Cancer Society found that about 40% of new cancer cases and nearly half of cancer deaths among adults in the U.S. are due to preventable factors. Key risk factors include smoking, excess body weight, alcohol use, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and infections like HPV. These are things… Continue reading Study Finds Nearly Half of Adult Cancer Deaths Preventable
Seasonal Depression in the Summer
For many, the summer months are a joyous time. Vacations, sunny days, and shorter nights. A chance to just relax and kick back with your family. Or even, time to enjoy the things you don’t normally get to during the rest of the year. But, for others, summertime can result in an unexpected depressive period,… Continue reading Seasonal Depression in the Summer
Health Conditions that Impact Black Communities
It has been researched and documented that Black individuals in the United States experience significant health disparities across sectors. “Compared to their white counterparts, African Americans are generally at higher risk for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS,” according to the Office of Minority Health. This same office reports, “Blacks/African… Continue reading Health Conditions that Impact Black Communities
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers
Medically reviewed and verified by Kate Burke, MD, MHA When proteins in the body misfold, they can spread to different organs and tissues. There, they start to accumulate. Over time, this build up of proteins can damage wherever they have landed. In many cases of amyloidosis, they spread to multiple parts of the body. In… Continue reading Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers
Oral Amyloidosis: How it Can Affect the Tongue
Medically reviewed and verified by Kate Burke, MD, MHA In previous articles, PatientsLikeMe has covered how the disease amyloidosis can affect different parts of the body. The digestive system, the brain, the heart. When proteins misfold, they can spread throughout the body and cause damage to any number of organs and body parts. That includes… Continue reading Oral Amyloidosis: How it Can Affect the Tongue
Stem Cell and Organ Transplants as Treatment for Amyloidosis
Medically reviewed and verified by Kate Burke, MD, MHA In the course of treating amyloidosis, doctors will try to manage and control the disease with medication. There is no cure, so the goal of treatment is to manage symptoms and limit the further production of harmful amyloid proteins. For some, medication cannot stop the disease… Continue reading Stem Cell and Organ Transplants as Treatment for Amyloidosis
The Effect of Amyloidosis on Vision
Medically reviewed and verified by Kate Burke, MD, MHA PatientsLikeMe has covered how the condition amyloidosis affects the body and various organs. This disease causes proteins to misfold, and as they build up across the body they disrupt its normal function. These protein deposits can land anywhere, although they are more commonly found in places… Continue reading The Effect of Amyloidosis on Vision
Pleural Effusion: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Pleural effusion is often referred to as “water on the lungs.” Not in the lungs, but on the lungs. This medical condition is where excess fluid builds up in the space between the layers of the pleura surrounding the lungs. The pleura is a thin membrane that lines the surface of your lungs and the… Continue reading Pleural Effusion: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Bell’s Palsy and Stroke: Similarities and Differences
Bell’s palsy and stroke are two conditions that can cause one side of your face to droop. While both are alarming, they have distinct differences, risk factors, and treatment options. It can be easy to confuse the two! The aim here is to help you understand these conditions, how to tell them apart, and what… Continue reading Bell’s Palsy and Stroke: Similarities and Differences