Sometimes called domestic violence, IPV includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness celebrates the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Month. About 1 in 4 adults experience mental illness in a year, and 1 in 17 adults lives with a serious mental illness. Some common symptoms to pay attention to for yourself or people you care about are: Excessive…
Stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitor: this is a category of common antidepressant medication that increases the amount of time serotonin is active in your brain.
The Center for Disease Control cites heart disease as the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Men have a greater risk of heart attack, and tend to experience one at an earlier age. Regardless of gender, prevention through primary care, testing, and heart-healthy activities and diets are important. Knowing…
Noun: chest pain that occurs when blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.
The CDC puts the prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, at 1 in 3 adults worldwide. That figure is true in the United States as well, according to the American Heart Association. Hypertension increases risk of strokes and heart attacks. The CDC warns that hypertension does not always have warning signs, so it is…
September is National Recovery Month and we want to recognize the work people have done and continue to do to recover from substance use disorders. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.7 million adults struggled with a substance use disorder in 2017. Substance use, treatment, and recovery are impacted by many…
Noun: the top number of a blood pressure reading.
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention day, today we have some information on how to help those we care about. The National Institute for Mental Health suggests these five ways of helping someone experiencing emotional pain. Ask how they are feeling; if they are considering suicide or self-harm. Keep them safe as is appropriate for…
Noun: the bottom number of a blood pressure reading.
An operation to remove part or all of the prostate. Radical (or total) prostatectomy is the removal of the entire prostate and some of the tissue around it.
Woo, #WordWednesday is here! Our word of the week is influenza, commonly known as the flu. influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics (flu season). The best way to avoid getting the flu this year? A flu shot! Every year the CDC…
It is #WordWednesday again! Our word of the week is Periodontitis. Periodontal disease or periodontitis is a disease that affects the structures around teeth – the gums. It is one of the two main types of gum disease (alongside gingivitis). Gums become infected with bacteria and if the infection spreads, it can cause irreparable damage to your…
It’s #WordWednesday! Our word of the week is tuberculosis. Tuberculosis or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs. Are you interested in why we picked tuberculosis as our word this week? Come back on Friday for our #HealthFactFriday! An infectious bacterial disease characterized by the…
Mai- kruh- bai- owm The microorganisms in a particular environment (including the body or a part of the body). The gut microbiome plays a very important role in your health by helping control digestion and benefitting your immune system and many other aspects of health.
Post-exposure prophylaxis PEP stands for post- exposure prophylaxis. It means taking antiretroviral medicines (ART) after being potentially exposed to HIV.
uh- seh- tuhl- kow- leen A chemical in the brain (neurotransmitter) that appears to be involved in learning and memory- Acetylcholine is greatly diminished in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Viruses are the mosr common cause of hepatitis, but the condition can also be caused by other factors. There are five main virus types that can cause hepatitis- type A, B, C, D, and E.
Injection drug use accounts for most of the incident infections with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States. HCV infection is a complex and challenging medical condition in injection drug users. Caring for patients who use illicits drugs presents challenges to the health-care world that require cultural competence, patience, and an understanding of the…
Analytic Treatment Interruption is the cessation of a study participant’s antiretrovital therapy (ART) while carefully monitoring their viral load. One of the goals for the HIV research field is to achieve a functional cure for HIV, the elimination of detectable virus without the use of ART. Interested in learning about HIV Cure research? Register for…
Everybody knows the importance of fruit as a part of a well-balanced diet, but most people do not know just how good fruit is for health physical and mental health. Studies show that increases in the consumption of fruit (and veggies) are linked to increases in mental well-being and life satisfaction. Eating the suggested amount…
In an earlier health fact, we discussed the advances in technology that led us to having effective treatment for HIV however, the search for a cure is important even if we have effective treatment. Significant discoveries about the body’s immune system have been made on the road to finding a cure with some promising attempts…
HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, and the combination of drugs used to treat it is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART is recommended for all people living with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are. ART must be taken every day, exactly as your health…
Refreshing sleep is important in staying healthy. May is recognized as Better Sleep Month, which aims to raise awareness about the benefits of sleep and how poor sleep can disruptive our day to day activities. Better sleep does not refer to just the length of time we sleep, but the quality of sleep, environment (uninterrupted,…
