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TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Ticks can be a problem for people who love to spend the summer outdoors, especially in certain regions of the United States. Ticks are responsible for the well-known Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, said Dr. David Ingram, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at Penn State Health Medical Center.He's also a father of young children who calls himself the tick police. Here, he shares some helpful information:To pass the harmful bacteria that causes Lyme disease, a blacklegged tick must be attached to the victim for about 24 to 48 hours. For another tickborne disease called anaplasmosis, it’s around 24 to 36 hours. For babesiosis, it’s about 48 to 72 hours. Anyone who knows they’ve had a tick attached for 36 hours or...

TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Many doctors have stopped giving opioids for pain, even during surgery, because of the opioid addiction crisis in the United States. But a new study questions the wisdom of this approach.Restricting the drugs during surgery may do more harm than good, researchers report.“The opioid crisis is a major motivator for mitigating the risks of opioid usage,” said study co-author Dr. Laura Santa Cruz Mercado, who was a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) at the time of the study. “But appropriate opioid administration in the operating room may reduce total opioid usage after surgery," she added in a hospital news release.She and her colleagues analyzed information on more than 61,000 adults who had surgery at MGH between 2016...

TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- You could have high blood pressure and not realize it. The only way to know for sure is to have your blood pressure tested. It’s an important step, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), and so is understanding your results so you can keep your blood pressure under control.A diagnosis of high blood pressure -- and any unusually low blood pressure readings - must be made by a health care professional.Blood pressure readings have two numbers. Systolic blood pressure is the upper number and tells you how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart contracts. The diastolic blood pressure is the lower number and it reveals the pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart...

TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Cirrhosis of the liver poses a significant health challenge worldwide. With no known cure, it requires comprehensive management to slow liver damage, alleviate symptoms and prevent potential complications.Cirrhosis is characterized by irreversible scarring of the liver. This article will explore its causes, symptoms and treatments and will look at the day-to-day realities of living with this disease. What is cirrhosis of the liver?Cirrhosis is a late-stage consequence of liver disease, characterized by the development of extensive scar tissue in the liver, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In the initial stages, individuals may not have noticeable symptoms. As the condition progresses, however, symptoms may become apparent.Alcoholic cirrhosis...