Posts

Meanwhile, others must take care of your newborn because you’re just not strong enough to hold him, and you’re terrified you’ll drop him if you do — all because of your mystery illness. Wendy Baruchowitz, 44, of Rye, New York, survived this nightmare scenario and came through it a thoroughly changed woman. She now dedicates much of her time to helping others who have the mysterious condition known as POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome....

Damian Berkel, 65, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, experienced that problem after walking into a conference room that was lit with both halogen and LED lighting. “It was so bright that it triggered an instant migraine so intense that my knees buckled and I had to leave,” he says. Berkel isn’t alone. According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraines are responsible for more than 157 million missed workdays in the United States....

Lung complications from rheumatoid arthritis can be serious and even cause death. Don’t wait to protect your lungs and airways if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Research published in the European Respiratory Review shows that damage to the lining of the lung, or the pleura, may occur in up to 70 percent of all people with RA, but only 3 to 5 percent experience symptoms. Almost 10 percent of people living with RA will also develop interstitial lung disease (ILD), or scarring of lung tissue, according to the Arthritis Foundation....

A recipient of the Harvard University Maternal Health Task Force Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Health, Dr. Crear-Perry is a thought leader, advocate, and trainer in issues concerning racism as a root cause of health inequities, best known for her work to remove race as a risk factor for conditions such as premature birth. The following are some highlights from an edited transcript of the interview. Mary C....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the specific products being voluntarily recalled are: Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread (40-ounce size with “best if used by” dates of May 4 and May 5, 2023, and UPC code 37600-10520)Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread Club Pack (two 40-ounce jars sold together with a “best if used by” date of May 5, 2023, and UPC code 37600-10667)Skippy Reduced Fat Super Chunk Peanut Butter Spread (16....

The diet took its name from Dr. Agatston’s area of practice, according to the South Beach Diet website, and the approach quickly became popular in the Miami area. Dr. Agatston’s weight-loss plan was published in 2003 as The South Beach Diet, which has since sold millions of copies. What Is the South Beach Diet, and What Is Its Purpose? The South Beach Diet eliminates refined carbohydrates — white flour and sugar are the top culprits....

So she and a partner, Robin Miller, met with a fashion designer to discuss how to create a more stylish and comfortable sleeve. With that unique mission in mind, the two women made a commitment to help make life better for women who would need to wear gloves or arm sleeves — for life — and, in 2006, they launched LympheDIVAs. There would soon be more obstacles to face, including Miller leaving the company in 2007 and, soon after, Troxell learning her breast cancer had returned....

“Stretching is good for everybody and definitely something to do on a regular basis as part of an overall exercise plan,” says Jacque Crockford, a doctor of health science and an ACE-certified personal trainer based in San Diego. Stretching is a type of exercise that boosts flexibility and mobility by lengthening the muscles, either by extending them or with movement. Here’s what you need to know to get started with stretching....

The study, published on May 29, 2019, in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that older women (the average age was 72) who took 4,400 steps each day (about 2 miles, depending on the length of your stride) had a 41 percent lower rate of death than women who took 2,700 steps each day for the four-year follow up period of the study. Mortality gains for the women continued to grow until 7,500 steps a day, at which time the benefits seemed to plateau....

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has long been suspected of playing a role in the onset of multiple sclerosis. A report published in early 2022 in Science reinforced that connection, garnering much attention from the mainstream media as well as MS bloggers, myself included. While the exact mechanism by which EBV and MS are connected remains unknown, and there are surely other factors at play in determining who gets MS and who doesn’t, the two now seem almost inextricably connected....

Drug Combo Prolongs Survival for People With Liver Cancer What’s New Combining the drugs Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab) improves survival time and significantly reduces the risk of death in people with hepatocellular cancer, the most common type of liver cancer, according to research published May 14, 2020, in The New England Journal of Medicine. Research Details The international study, led by UCLA researchers, involved 501 people who had advanced or inoperable hepatocellular cancer....

Headaches are usually not listed as a symptom of gallbladder problems, nor does a connection between the two appear to be a popular research topic, judging by the lack of such articles in medical research databases. But ask someone who practices Eastern medicine, a practitioner who looks at the body in a different way, and you’ll get a much different answer. Eastern medicine practitioners recognize the “gallbladder headache,” and believe that gallbladder problems can be related to certain headaches....

Key Considerations for Choosing the Right Hat Go big. The hat should cover your entire head. Choose “a hat that’s not just a visor — look for a real hat, one that covers the top of your head,” advises Martin Weinstock, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology and epidemiology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The scalp, even if covered with hair, is still susceptible to damage from the sun....

A normal heartbeat has a predictable rhythm to it, a kind of pa-dum-pa-dum-pa-dum that’s slower when you’re resting and faster when you’re in motion. “If you listen, normally there may be some variation in the heart rate, but it will be nice and regular,” says electrophysiologist Burr Hall, MD, an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y. “In atrial fibrillation, it may sound almost like when your shoes are in the dryer, going all over the place....

Anyone can be affected by DVT, but certain risk factors based on a person’s sex at birth can raise their risk of developing a DVT. Specifically, estrogen hormonal therapy and hormonal birth control can actually raise a person’s chances developing DVT during childbearing years. “Gender plays an important role in the incidence of venous thromboembolism,” says Gregory Piazza, MD, a cardiovascular medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School....

“Lying is part and parcel of everyday life,” says Robert Feldman, PhD, professor of psychological and brain sciences and deputy chancellor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. “In a sense, lies are the lubricants that move social interaction forward,’’ says Dr. Feldman, who wrote The Liar in Your Life. But when lying gets out of control it can wreak havoc in your personal and professional lives — potentially destroying relationships and careers....

The recall was issued after the company received customer complaints about finding “mirror-like” material in ground beef purchased at grocery stores in Texas, where Tyson is based, FSIS said in a statement. “There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products,” FSIS said. “Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.” This will go down as one of the biggest beef recalls in U....

Given the recent interest in mushrooms as a functional food, it’s no surprise that mushroom extract supplements have been popping up all over the place — including in coffee. These products claim to do everything from staving off anxiety to fighting cancer. So, is a mushroom capsule or coffee just what the doctor ordered? Here’s what the research, and leading experts, have to say. What Are Mushroom Extract Supplements? Mushroom extract supplements are extracts or powders produced from various types of mushrooms....

MAC consists of two types of nontuberculous mycobacteria: Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare. These bacteria are generally indistinguishable by scientists, so they are often grouped together as mycobacterium avium complex. MAC is everywhere in the environment and does not make most people with normally functioning immune systems sick, though that is possible. Learn more about the types, symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options available for mycobacterium avium complex infections....

“Omega-3 fatty acids are not made in the body, so you need to eat foods that contain them or take a supplement,” says Lynne J. Goldberg, MD, the director of the hair clinic at Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts. Fish and seafood contain DHA and EPA, while plant-based foods such as walnuts and flaxseed contain alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, a fraction of which is then converted into EPA and DHA, notes the National Institutes of Health....