Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a virus that can cause an infection similar to the common cold. In some cases, it can cause serious breathing problems.

Enterovirus D68 spreads when a person who is sick with the virus coughs, sneezes or touches a surface that is touched by others. Although adults can get infected with enteroviruses, enterovirus D68 most commonly affects children. Mild signs and symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Cough
• Body and muscle aches

Severe signs and symptoms may include:

• Wheezing
• Difficulty breathing

Children with asthma who become infected may be more likely to have serious breathing problems.

In rare cases, children infected with enterovirus D68 may have problems with their muscles. The muscles can become weak or stop working temporarily (acute paralysis). Experts are unsure whether enterovirus D68 is linked to muscle weakness, but they recommend that parents contact a doctor if their child isn't walking correctly or develops sudden weakness in an arm or leg.

If you suspect your child might have enterovirus D68, contact his or her doctor. Although there is no specific treatment, your child's doctor might have advice about how to ease your child's symptoms. Call the doctor immediately if your child is having trouble breathing or if his or her symptoms don't improve or get worse.

There is no vaccine against enterovirus D68. However, the following steps may help protect your child and prevent the spread of infection:

• Wash hands often with soap and water.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, stair rails and toys.
• Stay home from school, work or child care if you are sick.

If your child has asthma, make sure the asthma action plan is up to date and that he or she takes prescribed medications as directed. Seek medical care if your child develops wheezing or difficulty breathing that doesn't improve with prescribed medications. Get a flu vaccine when it's available.

Epidural steroid injections are usually limited to just a few a year because there's a chance these drugs might weaken your spinal bones and nearby muscles. This isn't caused by the needle — it's a possible side effect of steroids.

Steroid injections can also cause other side effects, including skin thinning, loss of color in the skin, facial flushing, insomnia, moodiness and high blood sugar. The risk of side effects increases with the number of steroid injections you receive.

Epidural steroid injections contain drugs that mimic the effects of the hormones cortisone and hydrocortisone. When injected near irritated nerves in your spine, these drugs may temporarily reduce inflammation and help relieve pain.

But steroid injections also disrupt your body's natural hormone balance. Delaying repeat injections allows your body to return to its normal balance.

It's important to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of long-term epidural steroid injections. If you're in pain between epidural steroid injections, you might ask your doctor about other treatment options for back pain.

While it's not possible or appropriate in every case, involving your partner in your erectile dysfunction treatment can be helpful.

Research suggests that erectile dysfunction has a negative impact on men and their partners, and it might be a considerable source of distress for both members of a couple. Involving your partner in your erectile dysfunction treatment might help improve your treatment success and restore a positive sexual experience for you both.

For example, your partner might:

• Help you talk to your doctor. Your partner might remember something that you forgot to share or better describe changes in the patterns of your erectile dysfunction.
• Benefit from learning from your doctor. Talking to your doctor about the physiology and psychology of sexual function and sexual intimacy can help your partner understand why erectile dysfunction happens. Your partner also might benefit from learning about your treatment options, what role he or she can play, and treatment expectations.
• Help you with your therapy. Your partner can provide input or feedback about your treatment and help you adhere to your therapy.

If you'd like to involve your partner in your treatment for erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor. He or she might also recommend that you and your partner see a sexual and relationship therapist.

Essure was designed as an implantable birth control device that permanently blocked the fallopian tubes in women. The company that made the Essure system of birth control discontinued sales of the device in the U.S. in 2018. Sales of the device stopped in 2017 in all other countries.

The company cited commercial reasons, not safety issues, for halting sales of the device.

But there have been reports of serious side effects with the device, including persistent pain, development of a hole in the uterus or fallopian tubes, and movement of the device from the fallopian tubes into the pelvis or abdomen. Studies on the safety of the Essure device continue even though it's off the market.

If you already have the device in place and don't have any side effects, you can continue to rely on Essure to prevent pregnancy. Speak with your doctor or other care provider about any safety concerns you may have about the device.

If you have persistent pain or other symptoms that you think might be related to the Essure device, talk with your doctor or other care provider about your options. Removing the Essure device may require surgery, which poses certain health risks.

Estriol is a female sex hormone that surges in a woman's body during pregnancy. Studies have shown that women with MS have significantly decreased relapse rates during the third trimester of pregnancy, when estriol levels are most elevated, and that relapse rates rebound after delivery, when estriol levels drop abruptly.

In one trial, nonpregnant women treated with pregnancy levels of oral estriol had a significant decrease in brain lesions after six months of treatment. When treatment stopped, lesions returned to previous levels. When treatment resumed, the lesions again decreased.

In addition to reducing relapse rates, research shows that estriol may improve cognitive function.

As of yet, estriol is not approved for use in the U.S. Trials are currently underway to test the efficacy of estriol, which has the potential to play a role in the treatment of MS.

Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a common cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

As a general guide for exercise and illness, consider this:

• Exercise is usually OK if your symptoms are all "above the neck." These signs and symptoms include those you may have with a common cold, such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or minor sore throat.

  Consider reducing the intensity and length of your workout. Instead of going for a run, take a walk, for example.

• Don't exercise if your signs and symptoms are "below the neck," such as chest congestion, a hacking cough or upset stomach.
• Don't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.

Let your body be your guide. If you feel miserable, take a break. A few days off from exercise when you're sick shouldn't affect your performance. Resume your normal workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better. Check with your doctor if you aren't sure if it's OK to exercise.

If you do choose to exercise when you're sick, reduce the intensity and length of your workout. If you attempt to exercise at your normal intensity when you have more than a simple cold, you could risk more-serious injury or illness.

Yes, people with MS can exercise. But, it's best to take an individual approach, as levels of ability can vary. Common symptoms of MS, such as fatigue, weakness and poor coordination, may make the prospect of exercise daunting. But some studies show that the benefits of exercise far outweigh the challenges if you have MS — as long as you remember not to overdo it and that moderation is essential.

If you have MS, check with your doctor before starting a routine. People with MS can benefit from at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least three days a week. For someone with MS, exercise that's too aggressive can bring on severe fatigue and injury and exacerbate symptoms. Though regular aerobic exercise can increase strength and balance, improve bowel and bladder control, and decrease spasticity related to MS, it can backfire if you don't take a gentler approach.

You may experience numbness, tingling or blurred vision when you start to exercise. This is due to a rise in core body temperature resulting from exertion. Typically, symptoms will ease as your body cools down. You can manage your body temperature while you exercise with a cooling garment or device.

A physical therapist or fitness instructor familiar with MS can help create a routine that fits your capabilities and addresses issues such as body temperature, poor balance, fatigue and spasticity. He or she can also assist in monitoring your pulse and breathing rate to help you pace yourself and avoid overexertion. Pool exercise, such as water aerobics, also may help with balance and, therefore, reduce your risk of falls.

Anyone with MS can modify an exercise routine to meet his or her needs. Just remember to work within your range of ability and not to overdo it.

If you exercised regularly before pregnancy, there's no need to focus on your heart rate for exercise during pregnancy.

Years ago, some experts recommended a heart rate of no more than 140 beats a minute for exercise during pregnancy. Today, however, heart rate limits aren't typically imposed during pregnancy. For healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — preferably spread throughout the week — without any specific heart rate limits. This recommendation also advises that pregnant women who were previously engaged in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or who are highly active can continue their activities, provided they remain healthy and talk with their health care providers about any needed activity adjustments over time.

Still, reasonable precautions for exercise during pregnancy are important. Get your health care provider's OK for any exercise during pregnancy. This is especially important if you have known medical conditions or risks, including:

• A history of preterm labor
• An incompetent cervix (cervical insufficiency)
• Placenta previa — when your baby's placenta covers your cervix — during the third trimester
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Poorly controlled type 1 diabetes

Pace yourself appropriately. In general, you should be able to carry on a conversation while you're exercising. If you can't speak normally while you're working out, you're probably pushing yourself too hard.

While exercising, stay well-hydrated, avoid exercises that require you to lie flat on your back for extended periods of time, and stop if you have unusual signs or symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding, chest pain or painful contractions. Contact your health care provider if you have any symptoms that concern you during your exercise.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

• Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Greater amounts of exercise will provide even greater health benefit. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefit.
• Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

Moderate aerobic exercise includes activities such as brisk walking, swimming and mowing the lawn. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes activities such as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines, your own body weight, resistance tubing or resistance paddles in the water, or activities such as rock climbing.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes or more a week.

Reducing sitting time is important, too. The more hours you sit each day, the higher your risk of metabolic problems. Sitting too much can negatively impact your health and longevity, even if you get the recommended amount of daily physical activity.

Short on long chunks of time? Even brief bouts of activity offer benefits. For instance, if you can't fit in one 30-minute walk during the day, try a few five-minute walks instead. Any activity is better than none at all. What's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.

Yes. Climbing stairs is an example of a practical, everyday physical activity that provides health benefits. It can also burn off calories — about 65 calories in 15 minutes. Going at a faster pace or carrying heavier items can burn even more calories.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following activity levels for adults:

• Muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week
• At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activity

Aim to do physical activity for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can break it up into short chunks of time during the day. Some examples of physical activity include walking briskly, jogging or bicycling.

Taking the stairs can be one way to include physical activity into your daily routine. Some other ideas could include parking farther away from your destination, taking short walk breaks during the day, or doing yardwork or housework.