Medication side effects Archive

People who have trouble swallowing pills can try several strategies, such as changing head position when swallowing, adding pills to food that's easy to swallow, and breaking up pills into smaller pieces.

The way people's bodies absorb and process medications changes as they age. This, along with additional health problems, muscle loss, or frailty, can make seniors more vulnerable to drug side effects and interactions. Adults 65 and older use more over-the-counter drugs than any other age group in the United States. Nonprescription drugs to reconsider include aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, proton-pump inhibitors, and older types of antihistamines.

The specialized cells of our immune systems help to keep us healthy and free of infectious diseases. Immunotherapies teach those same cells to recognize and destroy cancer. Researchers are reporting promising results with a different method that involves engineered cells studded with receptors that bind to specific targets on cancer cells.

A new type of nonhormonal medication to prevent hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause, Veozah, was approved by the FDA in 2023. An ad for the drug has useful information, but some key questions are not answered.

Contrary to previous recommendations, people who think they are having a heart attack or stroke should not take an aspirin on their own. Their symptoms might be caused by a different problem that might be made worse by taking aspirin.

Many people who develop rheumatoid arthritis later in life don't receive optimal medications to treat it, called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Reasons for this include the high costs of DMARDs, concerns about drug side effects, coexisting conditions that complicate treatment, inaccessibility to health care, or perceived frailty that makes doctors nervous about prescribing DMARDs. People who feel they should be getting DMARDs (but aren't) should ask about ways to make such treatment feasible.

A 2024 analysis found that many people without heart problems are taking daily low-dose aspirin therapy, even though it might have more health risks than benefits. Some of them have not consulted with a doctor about whether daily aspirin is safe for them.

People often aren't aware of the full range of conditions that physical therapy (PT) can effectively treat. PT can be used not only after surgery or injury, but also for stroke, brain injuries, balance problems, neuromuscular conditions, spinal cord injuries, and more. PT is also done to help people avoid falls, as well as for pelvic floor dysfunction and vertigo. People participating in PT work with physical therapists to determine goals and plan a course of treatment to meet those goals by improving mobility, strength, and flexibility.