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Bacterial vaginitis, or vaginosis, is an infection of the vagina caused by an overgrowth of certain species of bacteria called anaerobes. Normally, the “good” bacteria, lactobacilli, keep the anaerobes in check.

When this balance is disrupted, the following signs and symptoms can appear:

At QuickMD, we dedicate ourselves to enhancing women’s health through education. As such, here are some complications that arise from cases of bacterial vaginosis.

Complications of Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis can lead to several serious complications:

Bacterial Vaginosis Prevention

To reduce the risk of bacterial vaginosis, consider the following preventive measures:

Medications for Bacterial Vaginosis

Here are some ideal medications to help treat bacterial vaginosis:

If you are experiencing symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, you can easily get treated online. Talk to one of our doctors to get diagnosed and treated.

Cholesterol is a fat-like organic molecule, or carbon compound, made by all animal cells, including the human variety. All cells need it for their cell membranes, and the liver makes it to produce hormones and vitamin D. Our bodies make all the cholesterol we need. Cholesterol is also found in meat and dairy products.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries cholesterol through the blood vessels, settling in the walls and forming plaque, which narrows the walls.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it can be removed from the body.

Too much LDL cholesterol can lead to heart and blood vessel disease when arteries become clogged. When the coronary arteries, which feed blood directly to the heart muscle, are clogged, the heart does not get enough oxygen or nutrients to pump, and a heart attack can result. If arteries carrying blood to the brain are blocked, a stroke can occur.

Normal Cholesterol Levels

Prevention of High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is found in meat and dairy products only. Eating a diet low in meat, eggs, and whole milk and high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains will help to lower cholesterol levels. Regular exercise helps raise HDL levels and the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol. Because body weight and diet both shape these numbers, it helps to understand cholesterol’s link to weight loss and weight gain.

Medications for Cholesterol

The most common medications used for high cholesterol are ‘statins.’ They work by slowing down the production of cholesterol and drawing the molecule out of plaque. When high triglycerides are also a concern, doctors may add a fibrate such as fenofibrate.

How QuickMD Can Help

Did you know our doctors can prescribe you Lipitor and any of the other statins online via video, phone, or chat? Your prescription is sent to your pharmacy in minutes.

Male pattern baldness is a very common condition, affecting 25% of men by 30 and 50% of men by 50. It is a normal part of aging, caused partly by heredity and partly by hormonal changes. Whether to treat should be made within five years of the first hair loss. Hair follicles close after the first five years, making hair growth impossible.

Many remedies can be found online, with limited or no evidence in the medical literature. Below is a list of the best-studied and most effective medications against hair loss in men.

Medications for Male Pattern Baldness

Did you know? You can now get Propecia online. Just create an account and talk to our doctors instantly to start treating your male pattern baldness.

Is a cure for diabetes possible? Regarding type 2 diabetes, doctors talk about the possibility of remission. Patients in remission have normal blood sugar levels without taking any diabetes medications.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is defined as high blood sugar levels due to the body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels by helping blood sugar enter the body’s cells, turning it into energy. Due to reasons not fully understood, some patients develop insulin resistance: their pancreatic beta cells are still making insulin but to no avail. Factors such as obesity, high waist size, poor diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, family history, and air pollution can all raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

What Can I Do to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

Fortunately, there is much that patients can do either to lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes or even cure their diabetes. Body weight is an excellent place to start. While not a perfect marker, body mass index (BMI) assesses weight. BMI = weight in kg/height in cm squared. Along with managing body weight, some patients take medications such as dapagliflozin to help lower blood sugar.

Normal BMIs range from 18.5 to 24.9. Women’s and men’s waist sizes should be under 35 inches and under 40 inches (this may not apply to very athletic individuals).

Improve Your Diet

A good diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, and herbs and low in red and processed meats and processed foods, especially white flour and refined sugar. Research has shown that individuals eating diets high in vegetable protein have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those high in animal protein. Fruits and vegetables in various colors provide a variety of phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, recommended by nutritionists.

Working Out

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, United States, recommends that adults perform 150 minutes of aerobic exercise every week. This can be broken up into chunks of 30 minutes at a time, five days a week, or 75 minutes two days a week. Aerobic physical activity speeds up your heart and breathing.

The CDC recommends muscle training, such as lifting weights, working out with giant rubber bands, or performing push-ups twice a week.

Avoiding Smoking

Avoiding smoking and air pollution also lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes for reasons that will become clear with further research.

Please note that the above—while helpful to anyone—cannot help to cure type 1 diabetes.

Want to Put Your Type 2 Diabetes into Remission?

Our physicians can provide a plan for lifestyle changes to help you reach your goal. They can also prescribe all your diabetes medications online. If medication is part of your treatment, understanding the different options can also help you have a more informed conversation with your doctor. Our overview of oral antidiabetic medications explains how the most common diabetes pills work.

Before we discuss oral antidiabetic medications (antihyperglycemics), it is essential to understand the two types of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

This form of diabetes is caused by the lack of insulin production. The beta cells in the pancreas do not produce enough of this hormone.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is caused by insensitivity to insulin. The pancreas might produce more than the normal amount of insulin, but muscle and other cells cannot use it effectively to help take in sugar and convert it to energy.

Type 1 diabetes generally must be treated with insulin injections. Fortunately, for type 2 diabetic patients, oral antidiabetic medications are available, and insulin may not be required. One such option is empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor that helps lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

Types of Oral Antidiabetic Medications

Metformin

Glucophage (metformin) is the first drug of choice for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients. Metformin works by sensitizing cells to insulin, lowering the rate of sugar absorption in the small intestine, and lowering the amount of sugar produced by the liver. Interestingly, this medication does not just lower blood sugar levels but may also significantly increase life expectancy. Initially, metformin may cause some gastrointestinal side effects, but these usually fade after days to weeks. Dapagliflozin is another medication used to manage type 2 diabetes which also helps lower blood sugar. You can ask your doctor about what medication is appropriate for you.

Sulfonylureas

Sulfonylureas increase the production of insulin in the pancreas and lower the breakdown of insulin in the liver.

Meglitinides

Meglitinides stimulate the release of insulin from pancreatic cells.

Thiazolidinediones

Thiazolidinediones improve sugar metabolism.

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors

These medications slow the absorption of carbohydrates from the small intestine.

DPP-4 Inhibitors

DPP-4 inhibitors increase insulin release and slow stomach emptying.

Did you know that QuickMD can refill your diabetes medications online? You can access them from the comfort of your home, and prescriptions can be sent to any pharmacy, including mail pharmacies that deliver directly to your door.

Fungal infection of the nails, scientifically called onychomycosis, is not a dangerous health condition but is a concern for many from a cosmetic perspective. Infected nails appear thick, discolored, misshapen, and broken or crumbling. Effective treatment can be challenging and often requires medical intervention.

Oral Antifungal Medications

Oral prescription medications are usually the first-line treatment against nail fungus:

Lamisil (terbinafine)

For fingernail infections, they are taken as a 250 mg tablet once a day for six weeks, and for toenail infections, for 12 weeks. Full effects may be seen only after a new, healthy nail has fully grown out. While taking this medication, patients should avoid beverages with caffeine and stay out of the sun and tanning beds.

Sporanox (itraconazole)

For fingernail infection, 200 mg twice a day is taken for two weeks, followed by three weeks without treatment, then 200 mg twice a day for one week. For toenail infection, 200 mg twice daily is taken for 12 weeks.

Oral antifungal medications can affect liver function cause rashes, and other problems. They can also interact with other medications so that some patients may be better suited to prescription-strength topicals.

Prescription-Strength Topical Antifungal Medications

Jublia (efinaconazole 10% solution)

Applied to the nails and surrounding skin every day for a year.

Penlac (ciclopirox)

Painted onto the nails and surrounding skin every day for a week, then peeled off. This process is repeated every week for a year.

Conclusion

Treating nail fungus can be difficult and frustrating. Depending on the treatment option chosen, results may take up to a year to see.

Did you know that QuickMD can treat nail fungus online? Get treatment from the convenience of your home with no insurance needed.

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is reddened, itchy, dry, or weeping patches of skin usually seen on the hands, feet, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, eyelids, and inside the elbows and knees. It is caused by environmental irritants. 

The immune system attacks environmental irritants on the skin and, in doing so, attacks the skin as well. Patients with eczema frequently suffer from hay fever and asthma as well.

Treatment Options for Eczema

Moisturizers

Keeping the skin hydrated is crucial. Regular application of moisturizers can provide significant relief, reducing dryness and irritation.

Bleach Bath

A bleach bath can help reduce bacteria on the skin, which may prevent infections. Use half a cup of bleach in 40 gallons of water for 10 minutes twice a week.

Mild Soap

Using mild, fragrance-free soaps can help minimize irritation.

Cortisone Creams or Ointments

Several cortisone creams or ointments, either over-the-counter or prescription-strength, are available to reduce inflammation and itching.

Protopic (tacrolimus) Cream

An immunosuppressant can reduce skin inflammation for up to 6 weeks.

Elidel (pimecrolimus) Cream

Another immunosuppressant applied twice a day for up to 6 weeks to manage eczema symptoms.

Azathioprine

Originally developed for transplant patients, this immunosuppressant is taken orally at a dose of 100 to 250 mg per day to treat severe eczema.

Cyclosporine

Developed to prevent transplant rejection, cyclosporine can be used along with topical medications for up to one year to manage severe eczema.

Methotrexate

Initially developed as an anticancer drug, methotrexate has been found helpful in treating psoriasis and can be effective for atopic dermatitis as well.

How QuickMD Can Help

Did you know? QuickMD offers the convenience of treating eczema from your home. We can provide you with a prescription for steroid creams online or any other treatments that may be required, putting you in control of your health.

Depression can be quite challenging to treat. Treating depression should consist of cognitive behavioral therapy (counseling), and in more severe cases where counseling does not adequately treat it, antidepressant medications are warranted. But what is the best antidepressant for you?

Discovering the best antidepressant for you is a unique journey that may require time and effort. Each person is different, and everyone responds to medications in their own way. Not all antidepressant medications work the same (mechanism of action), so you—in collaboration with your doctor—might need to explore various options to find the one that suits you best.

Types of Antidepressants

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs work by increasing the level of a molecule known as serotonin between cells in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps brain cells communicate, and low levels are associated with depression. SSRIs are often the first drugs prescribed for depression (first-line antidepressants). Examples of SSRIs include:

Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

SNRIs are prescribed when SSRIs alone are not enough. Norepinephrine is another neurotransmitter. Examples include:

Atypical Antidepressants

These increase levels of dopamine as well as serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Examples include:

Tricyclic Antidepressants

These increase levels of serotonin and norepinephrine while blocking levels of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, in the brain. Examples include:

Conclusion

Unfortunately, there is no simple test to determine which medication will be most effective for any individual patient. What complicates the issue further is that most antidepressants take at least a few weeks to start showing an effect on someone’s mood. A helpful way to more objectively decide if a therapy is effective is to start a ‘mood journal,’ which is a diary where you write down daily how you feel.

You could even create a mood scale, e.g., between 1-10, to observe how and if things change over time. Remember, depression is not an in-the-moment feeling; it is an abnormally depressed mood over some time.

Remember, finding the best antidepressant for you often involves some degree of trial and error. But once you find the right medication, it can significantly brighten your life, offering hope and a path toward a brighter future.

How Can QuickMD Help?

QuickMD is here to assist you in your journey toward finding the right antidepressant. We offer comprehensive online counseling services and can prescribe antidepressants online, all from the comfort of your home. The best part? No insurance is needed. We’re here to make your treatment process as convenient and accessible as possible.

Vaginal yeast infections (also known as candidal vulvovaginitis or vaginal candidiasis) can cause irritation, itchiness of the vagina and skin around it as well as whitish vaginal discharge. The infection is caused by a species of fungus known as Candida albicans and is referred to medically as candidiasis.

This type of infection is common, affecting perhaps as many as 3 out of 4 women over their lifetimes. Let’s learn about the risks, prevention, and how women can depend on telemedicine to treat yeast infections.

Risk Factors of Vaginal Yeast Infections

The following raise the risk of developing vaginal candidiasis:

How to Prevent Vaginal Yeast Infections

Prevention of vaginal yeast infections consists of the following:

Treatment of Vaginal Candidiasis

How QuickMD Can Help

Did you know? QuickMD can treat vaginal yeast infections from the convenience of your home and provide you with a prescription for fluconazole online (or any of the other antifungal prescription drugs).

The term “exercise-induced asthma” is often used interchangeably with “exercise-induced bronchoconstriction”, but there is a subtle difference. While the former refers to the condition in asthmatic patients, the latter can affect both asthmatic and non-asthmatic individuals. In both cases, exercise can trigger the bronchi, or airways, to narrow or constrict, making breathing difficult.

Therefore, it’s more accurate to use the term “exercise-induced bronchoconstriction” for the general population.

Signs and Symptoms During Exercising

Triggers of Exercise-Induced Asthma

Exercise-Induced Asthma Prevention

Treatment of Exercise-Induced Asthma

Short-term beta-agonists are the most commonly prescribed treatment for exercise-induced asthma. They are highly effective and usually, 1-2 puffs are inhaled just before exercise (~5-20 minutes before). However, it’s important to note that the body can build up a tolerance to them if they are used excessively, so it’s best to follow your doctor’s instructions.

Long-term corticosteroids are inhaled to lower inflammation in the bronchi and can be especially helpful for asthmatics who have worsening asthma during exercise:

Combination corticosteroids with long-acting beta-agonists are inhaled to lower inflammation and open bronchi. They are an option for asthmatics with well-controlled asthma who routinely suffer from exercise-induced asthma attacks:

Leukotriene modifiers lower inflammation in some patients and are an option as well, taken orally two hours before exercise:

Did you know? QuickMD can prescribe asthma medications online, right from the comfort of your home. This means you don’t have to worry about visiting a clinic or dealing with insurance. We’re here to make managing your condition as easy as possible.