SpiritRx Services Health Blog

Stay up to date on the most recent health news and updates

HIV: Getting Past the Fear

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Knowing your HIV status is critical for staying healthy or getting help if you need it. Learn how you can put fear aside and take steps to protect both your health and that of those you love.

HIV Stress and Side Effects: What to Know

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An HIV diagnosis will change your life. It brings with it both physical symptoms and emotional stress. But there are things you can do to take charge of your condition, manage your symptoms, and thrive.

Aging With HIV

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With new treatment and a better understanding of HIV, many people are living longer, healthier lives with the virus. Almost half of all HIV-positive people in the United States are older than 50. Find out why people are living longer and how to control complications as you age.

ADHD in Children: Focus on the Positives

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Can your child use certain ADHD traits to their advantage? Find out how focusing on the positives can help kids with ADHD build confidence and overcome obstacles.

ADHD and Your Child’s Self-Esteem

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When your child has ADHD, constant criticism and negative feedback on their behavior can lead to low self-esteem. But there are things parents can do to boost it.

Neurodiversity: What Is It?

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There’s a growing push to focus on our brain differences, not deficits. This wider view of “normal” is a big part of something called neurodiversity.

Mpox Virus Can Replicate on Surfaces for Days

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While most cases of mpox are spread via skin-to-skin contact, a new study reveals it’s possible to catch the virus by touching a contaminated surface in a house or a hospital room.

The Impact of Weight Bias

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In this webinar, Joseph Nadglowski, CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition, spoke about weight bias and the effects it has on our mental and physical health.

Treating AAT Deficiency and COPD

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What is the treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency? Learn more about treatments for AAT deficiency and the lung disease it can cause.

Managing Genetic COPD

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An expert in AAT deficiency, also known as alpha-1 or genetic COPD, shares strategies for managing it.

Diagnosing Genetic COPD

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An AAT deficiency diagnosis can take some time. Learn why it’s not always easy to get an alpha-1 diagnosis.

Genetic COPD: My Story

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This personal story details one woman’s experience with AAT deficiency, sometimes called genetic COPD. Learn more about life with AAT deficiency.

Addiction and Pain Management

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If you’ve battled a drug or alcohol addiction, you may be nervous about taking medications that treat pain, such as opioids. Learn more about the options you might have and how to weigh them.

Medications for Alcohol Dependence

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Treatment for alcohol use disorder isn’t just 12-step programs. Medication can help people who want to stop drinking or drink significantly less.

Weight Loss Surgery Could Cut Cancer Risk in Half Over Time

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Investigators compared almost 56,000 people with obesity who had bariatric surgery to the same number who did not. They tracked how many people developed cancer over the next 10 years. The surgery group had less than half as many cases of cancer.

What Is Breast Cancer Survivorship?

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The end of breast cancer treatment marks a big life change. Find out what you may experience and how to get the most out of life as a survivor.

Stress Can Speed Aging, but Recovery Can Slow It Again: Study

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Measuring biological aging has become so precise with DNA-based technology that researchers showed that trauma or stressful life events can rapidly speed up the pace of aging. But they also found recovery from the experience can return aging to its baseline.

Maker of Opioid Overdose Drug Aiming for $50 OTC Price

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Emergent said its goal is to make the OTC retail price “consistent” with the price the company charges public interest groups, which averages less than $50 per package. But the actual retail price will be set by individual retailers.

My Spouse Is Depressed: Tips on How to Help and Cope

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Is your spouse depressed? If your loved one withdraws from activities or sex, spends more time alone, or drinks more alcohol than they once did, they may have depression. Find out what to do if your partner refuses to get therapy and get tips to protect your own mental health.

Your Mental and Kidney Health

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IgA nephropathy can raise your chances of depression, anxiety, and stress. Here are some steps you can take to manage your mental and kidney health.

Weight Loss Drug Fracas Continues as Risk of Shortages Grows

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Since one of the side effects of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic is weight loss, people without diabetes have flocked to purchase the drug for a quicker way to shed pounds. To prevent widespread shortages, Canadian province British Columbia is banning Americans from purchasing the drug.

Can ChatGPT Help Adults Manage Their Liver Disease?

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ChatGPT delivered correct responses to commonly asked patient questions on cirrhosis and liver cancer, including how it is diagnosed and treated, and lifestyle and prevention strategies that may be useful.

Weight-Loss Surgery Might Reverse the Nerve Damage From Diabetes

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Two years after weight loss surgery, researches found patients had improvements in peripheral neuropathay aTwo years after weight loss surgery, researches found patients had improvements in peripheral neuropathy as well as high blood sugar (glucose) levels and levels of certain lipids (fats).s well as high blood sugar (glucose) levels and levels of certain lipids (fats).

Life Expectancy With COPD

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There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to predicting someone’s life span with COPD. A lot depends on your age, health, lifestyle, and how severe the disease was when you were diagnosed, plus the steps you’ve taken to lessen the damage afterward.

Long COVID Hitting Some States, Minorities, Women Harder

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The Census Bureau found that while 27% of adults have gotten long COVID, the condition has impacted some states more than others. The proportion of residents hit with long COVID ranged from a low of 18.8% in New Jersey to a high of 40.7% in West Virginia.

Why not enjoy vicarious ‘newlywed’ spark?

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DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: My husband has an unhealthy fascination with the newly-married couple in the apartment next door. He loves to listen in to their silly fights, which is fairly easy, as we share old walls.

Health Advisories

Unauthorized injectable drugs and medical devices seized from Vivian Spa in Mississauga, ON, may pose serious health risks
Health Canada has seized several injectable drugs and medical devices, including products labelled to contain botulinum toxin type A or hyaluronic acid from Vivian Spa, located at 11-3415 Dixie Road, Mississauga, Ontario, because they are unauthorized and may pose serious health risks. These products may have been administered as treatments for cosmetic purposes.
Ombrelle Garnier Complete Dry Mist Spray sunscreen recalled due to elevated benzene levels
Ombrelle Canada is recalling all lots of Ombrelle Garnier Complete Dry Mist Spray sunscreen, SPF30 and SPF 60, due to elevated levels of benzene. Frequent and long-term exposure (e.g., through the skin and by inhalation) to elevated levels of benzene may pose serious health risks.
Two lots of Novo-Gesic Forte/Acetaminophen recalled due to labelling error that may lead to overdose and in the most severe cases, death
Teva Canada is recalling two lots of Novo-Gesic Forte/Acetaminophen tablets, sold in 500 mg tablets, due to a labelling error that could result in a person exceeding the maximum daily dosage for acetaminophen.