Parasitic Diseases

What Is Albenza? Albenza ( albendazole ) is a prescription medication used to treat tapeworm infections. It's a benzimidazole anthelmintic that works by causing the parasitic tapeworms to have low glucose (sugar). Without glucose, the tapeworms don't have enough energy for critical bodily functions. As a result, they eventually die. Albenza is available in a tablet dosage form. Drug Facts Generic Name : Albendazole Brand Name(s) : Albenza Drug Availability : Prescription Therapeutic Classification : Benzimidazole anthelmintic Available Generically : Yes Controlled Substance : No Administration Route : Oral (by mouth) Active Ingredient : Albendazole Dosage Form(s) : Tablet What Is Albenza Used For? Albenza (albendazole) is used to treat infections caused by tapeworms. Taenia solium is a tapeworm, and infection with T. solium can occur from eating raw or unde...

RuslanDashinsky Getty Images As a parent, it's inevitable. No matter how often you change your baby's diaper, no matter how good you wipe, a diaper rash can still occur. And while you have done the best you can to prevent them, when they happen, you can't help but feel awful for your little one who may become fussy because of the discomfort. When that redness appears on baby's bottom, along with the bumps and lesions if it's a really bad case, what is a new mom or first-time dad to do? Enter, the best diaper rash creams to rescue you and your child's bum. There are plenty out there on the market that do the trick, but make no mistake: some are better than others. But if your baby needs relief immediately, take it from me — a mom of two who have had their fair share of diaper rashes — I've sampled them all. After trying every diaper cream on the market (and rea...

Ear mites are a type of mite that lives in the ear canal. These tiny parasites feed off skin oils and ear wax, which explains why they take up residence in the ear. Ear mites are more commonly found in animals, including family pets like your dog and cat. These mites can jump from animal to animal in close contact situations. There's also the risk of humans getting ear mites, although this is unlikely. If your dog or cat has a case of ear mites, here's how to identify signs and symptoms in you, as well as information on how to treat ear mites in humans. When ear mites get into a cat or dog's ear canal, one telltale sign of an ear mite infection is your family pet constantly scratching their head. You may even notice a darkish discharge resembling coffee grounds coming from their ears. It's important to identify an ear mite infection in pets as soon as possible. This way, you can get the infection under control and prevent the spread to other family pets and those living...

Dermatomyositis is a rare muscle disease that causes inflammation of the muscles, skin, and blood vessels. It may also affect other organs, such as the heart and lungs. Dermatomyositis belongs to a rare group of conditions called inflammatory myopathies. These conditions share certain symptoms, including: The symptoms vary widely from person to person, but it is generally possible to manage them with treatment. In this article, we discuss dermatomyositis in detail, including the causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and potential complications. We also look at the outlook for people with dermatomyositis and explain how this disease differs from other health conditions. Dermatomyositis is a rare acquired muscle condition, with an incidence of 9.63 per 1 million people. The condition affects females twice as often as males. All inflammatory myopathies affect the muscles. Dermatomyositis causes weakness of the proximal muscles, which are those near the trunk. It may also a...

Complete this sentence: Processed meats are a) cured, b) smoked, c) salted, d) preserved, or e) any of the above. If you guessed e, you're absolutely right. As Southeast Dermatology Specialists explains, a manufacturer might use any of those processes on muscle or organ meat to produce processed meat. And there's no denying that some of these meats are quite popular, but they also can be problematic for psoriasis patients. According to Good Housekeeping, the additives and preservatives used to turn regular meat into processed meat can also cause inflammation. These include salts, which can draw water out of skin cells and cause dehydration and damage, per Southeast Dermatology Specialists. Plus, processed meats can contain sugars, and that can lead to increases in blood glucose levels. This, in turn, can result in higher levels of a fatty lubricant matter called sebum, which could worsen psoriasis. In fact, there is concern that even unprocessed meats might still have hormo...

KHAIPUR NATHANSHAH, Pakistan — Deep inside Pakistan's flood zone, tens of thousands of people are refusing to leave their villages, frustrating already overstretched relief efforts and threatening a dramatic spike in deaths, according to Pakistani officials. Hundreds of villages have been inundated across Pakistan and are now reachable only by boat. Washington Post journalists secured rare media access to several submerged villages inside Dadu district, where the waters extend to the horizon in every direction. The only evidence of the immense devastation below the surface are occasional slivers of a rooftop, mosque minarets, power lines, treetops and traffic signals half-obscured by the swampy waters. About one-third of Pakistan is underwater, according to some satellite imagery analysis. The flooding, caused by a combination of heavy monsoon rains and unusually high glacial melt, is the worst to hit the country in recorded history, Pakistani officials say. More than 33 million pe...

What we put in our bodies—food—is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What we put on it—skin care and beauty products—is not. That could be an issue. In one 2021 report, scientists tested 231 popular makeup products from the U.S. and Canada and found that more than 100 had Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These are chemicals that don't break down and build up in the body over time. They include perfluorooctanoic acid, which may cause cancer, according to the American Cancer Society . Clean skin goes beyond washing your face. "Your skin is a living, dynamic organ," says Nava Greenfield, M.D. of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. "Just like you consider carefully what you put into your mouth, you should take care in what you place on your skin." Understanding what's in your products can help you achieve long-term health that's more than skin-deep. Here's what the science says you...