Adult Vaccinations

Introduction Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is a conditional pathogen that forms part of normal intestinal flora of mammals but can infect other organs, especially the skin, nose and pharynx. 1 Historically, S. aureus infections have been obtained within hospital environments, but the incidence or occurrence of S. aureus infections is increasing in community settings. 2 Normally, S. aureus does not cause harm to human carriers; while, it can cause both invasive and noninvasive infections. Recurrent S. aureus skin infections have been correlated to atopic dermatitis (AD), 3–5 and almost 80% of the individuals with AD show cutaneous S. aureus colonization. 6–9 Based on its susceptibility to beta-lactams, S. aureus is commonly described as methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) or methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). A series of host responses will be occurred induced by both MSSA and MRSA. After S. aureus reaches the sub epidermal space, it is either locally cont...

Shoveling snow can place demands on your heart that are as significant as exercise on a treadmill. Because shoveling snow can increase your cardiac demand so significantly, it's easy to wonder if this frequent winter activity could send you to the hospital. Indeed, shoveling snow involves strenuous physical activity and cold temperatures. And 2019 research shows that these elements can contribute to increased risks for cardiac events. Let's look into why this activity can be potentially hazardous and what you can do to prevent a heart attack while shoveling snow. If you are going to shovel snow, it's important to know your limits and recognize when your body (especially your heart) is telling you that you're doing too much. Early warning signs of a heart attack can include: mild or "stuttering" pain in the chest, neck, shoulders, left arm, or back breaking out in a cold sweat heart palpitations or rapid heartbeat nausea According to the American Heart Associat...

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It commonly affects the skin, but it's also possible to get shingles in the mouth. The varicella-zoster virus is the same virus that causes chickenpox, also known as varicella. Chickenpox mainly affects children. However, after an infection, the virus can stay in your nervous system for many years without causing symptoms. If the virus reactivates later in life, it can cause shingles. This typically happens in older adults or in people with weakened immune systems due to medications they're taking, health conditions, or high levels of stress. Read on to learn more about oral shingles, along with options for prevention and treatment. The typical symptoms of oral shingles include: a tingling or burning sensation in the mouth facial tenderness tooth or mouth pain rash or blisters on the face or mouth (including the tongue) fever fatigue The symptoms can vary depending on the stage of infection. The s...

There are millions of types of fungi, including yeasts and molds. While these fungi occur naturally in many places—and some within our bodies—they rarely cause severe disease. Some conditions that weaken the immune system might make you more susceptible to these kinds of infections and require treatment using antifungal medications. There are several types of antifungal medications, and this article will explore the different varieties, when they might be used, and what to expect while taking them. Common Fungal Infections Some types of fungi naturally exist on our skin and in our bodies, but our immune systems keep the effects of these fungi in check to prevent infections or serious problems. When this balance is upset—often by diseases or treatments that weaken the immune system—the fungi take over healthy tissues and cause infections. The most common types of fungal infections in humans are: Fungal infections can impact any part of the body, even your l...

Any new growth on your skin can be a cause for concern, especially if it changes quickly. Given the danger of skin cancer, it's important to have any new growth checked by a dermatologist. Unlike certain types of moles that may appear on your body, skin tags are not cancerous. However, it's possible to mistake skin tags for other lesions that may be cancerous . Your dermatologist will ultimately determine whether this is the case. Keep reading to learn more about skin tags and how they're different from cancerous lesions. A skin tag is a flesh-colored growth that can be thin and stalky looking or round in shape. These growths can develop in many areas on your body. They're most common in parts where friction is created from skin rubbing. As skin tags age, they may become red or brown in color. Skin tags are often found in the following areas of the body: No. Skin tags are benign growths that contain collagen, a type of protein found throughout the body, and blood vessel...

Significance Encouraging vaccination is a pressing policy problem. Our megastudy with 689,693 Walmart pharmacy customers demonstrates that text-based reminders can encourage pharmacy vaccination and establishes what kinds of messages work best. We tested 22 different text reminders using a variety of different behavioral science principles to nudge flu vaccination. Reminder texts increased vaccination rates by an average of 2.0 percentage points (6.8%) over a business-as-usual control condition. The most-effective messages reminded patients that a flu shot was waiting for them and delivered reminders on multiple days. The top-performing intervention included two texts 3 d apart and stated that a vaccine was "waiting for you." Forecasters failed to anticipate that this would be the best-performing treatment, underscoring the value of testing. Abstract Encouraging vaccination is a pressing policy problem. To assess whether text-based reminders can encourage pharmacy vaccination...