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Steroid Education Sheet Steroids are used to reduce or prevent inflammation and decrease immune responses.They also can be used to treat some cancers.How to take steroids:*Take with food to avoid stomach upset.*Take in the morning to coincide with the body’s natural cortisol secretion cycle.POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS Additional Information about Potential Psychological Effects • Emotional and social side effects of steroids can be unpredictable. Research estimates varywidely, but suggest...

What is cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa? Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a rare form of vasculitis(in ammation of blood vessels) that involves smalland medium-sized arteries of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue i.e. the deeper layers of the skin. It is sometimes called periarteritis nodosa. How does it relate to systemic polyarteritis nodosa? Although identical skin lesions are common in systemic PAN, cutaneous PAN should be considered a separate disease and distinguished...

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome is possibly the most common nerve disorder experienced today. It affects 4 – 10 million Americans and is usually very treatable. Middle­aged to older individuals are more likely to develop the syndrome than younger persons, and females three times more frequently than males. Carpal tunnel syndrome disables a key nerve, resulting in symptoms ranging from mild occasional numbness to hand weakness, loss...

BPPV is a common cause of dizziness. It occurs in people of all ages but is more common in middle-aged and elderly people. It causes short bursts of intense dizziness when the body or head is placed in certain positions such as lying on one side in bed or looking upwards. People can feel sick and are sometimes unsteady for a few hours after the dizziness has gone...

Overview Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries make changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight by limiting how much you can eat or by reducing the absorption of nutrients, or both. Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries are done when diet and exercise haven’t worked or when you have serious health problems because of your weight. There are many types of weight-loss surgery, known collectively...

Overview A Baker’s cyst is a fluid-filled cyst that causes a bulge and a feeling of tightness behind your knee. The pain can get worse when you fully flex or extend your knee or when you’re active. A Baker’s cyst, also called a popliteal (pop-luh-TEE-ul) cyst, is usually the result of a problem with your knee joint, such as arthritis or a cartilage tear. Both conditions can cause...

ARTHRITIS AND JOINT PAIN Arthritis, or inflammation (pain with swelling) of the joints, is the most common extraintestinal complication of IBD. It may affect as many as 30% of people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Although arthritis is typically associated with advancing age, in IBD it often strikes younger patients as well. In addition to joint pain, arthritis also causes swelling of the joints and a reduction...

Arthritis and Infection Risk People with inflammatory forms of arthritis have an increased risk of infections, which can range from mild to life threating. This increased risk can be caused by the disease itself, medications you take to treat the disease, and a variety of other health and lifestyle factors. Doctors have long known that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis have an increased risk of infections, which...

Overview An ACL injury is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate (KROO-she-ate) ligament (ACL) — one of the major ligaments in your knee. ACL injuries most commonly occur during sports that involve sudden stops or changes in direction, jumping and landing — such as soccer, basketball, football and downhill skiing. Many people hear or feel a “pop” in the knee when an ACL injury occurs. Your...

What is osteonecrosis? Osteonecrosis is a bone disease. It results from the loss of blood supply to the bone. Without blood, the bone tissue dies. This causes the bone to collapse. It may also cause the joints that surround the bone to collapse. If you have osteonecrosis, you may have pain or be limited in your physical activity. Osteonecrosis can develop in any bone, most often in the:...