Yale Medicine

2 weeks ago | yalemedicine.org | Carrie MacMillan |Carrie Macmillan

Keeping symptoms at bay is important for anyone with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—an umbrella term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two conditions that cause chronic inflammation of the digestive system. That inflammation can lead to diarrhea and abdominal cramping and pain. In the past, doctors relied on symptoms or invasive testing to gauge how well a medication, a primary treatment for IBD, was working.

1 month ago | yalemedicine.org | Carrie MacMillan |Carrie Macmillan

Having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a lot more than the stereotypes people often associate it with, such as washing your hands raw or repeatedly checking to see if a door is locked. It’s a complex condition that involves uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that make people feel compelled to take actions (compulsions) to relieve an underlying anxiety.

1 month ago | yalemedicine.org | Carrie MacMillan |Carrie Macmillan

Every year, stroke claims thousands of lives in the United States, ranking as the fifth leading cause of death and a major contributor to long-term disability. Many people may not realize that women face a higher risk of stroke than men, driven by unique biological factors and a longer average lifespan. An estimated 795,000 people have a stroke each year in the U.S.—a figure that includes about 55,000 more women than men, according to the American Heart Association.

1 month ago | yalemedicine.org | Carrie MacMillan |Carrie Macmillan

As cancer care advances with more sophisticated treatment options, it’s helpful to understand what your doctor means when using such terms as tumor biomarker, tumor sequencing, and tumor board. But first, let’s start with a definition of tumor. A tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the body that can be cancerous or noncancerous. Most tumors have undergone genetic changes (mutations).

2 months ago | yalemedicine.org | Sonya Collins

If you often experience a stinging, burning, or scratchy feeling in your eyes, chances are you have chronic dry eye. It affects an estimated one in 10 U.S. adults—and research shows that this condition is on the rise. While experts believe that age and hormone changes are among the most common causes of chronic dry eye, our increasing reliance on smartphones, computers, and other screen-based technologies may explain the recent increase in cases.