Recent Blog Articles

An emerging treatment option for men on active surveillance

Gun violence: A long-lasting toll on children and teens

Adult female acne: Why it happens and the emotional toll

Talking to your doctor about your LGBTQ+ sex life

Untangling grief: Living beyond a great loss

Thunderstorm asthma: Bad weather, allergies, and asthma attacks

Heart problems and the heat: What to know and do

I’m too young to have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, right?

Period equity: What it is and why it matters

Back pain: Will treatment for the mind, body—or both—help?
Diseases & Conditions Archive
Articles
How do I calm my shaking hands?
Long-established treatments for essential tremor, such as medication and deep brain stimulation surgery, have been joined by a leading-edge technique called focused ultrasound. This incision-free procedure aims sound waves at a spot deep in the brain responsible for tremors. While scientists study ultrasound’s long-term effects, the procedure is currently used to treat shakiness on only one side of the body. Other common causes of tremor include Parkinson’s disease, caffeine, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety, and fatigue.
Diabetes risk increases after COVID-19 diagnosis
A 2022 study found that people who recover from COVID-19 face significantly higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had short-term upper respiratory tract infections, which are often caused by other viruses.
Why does my eyelid twitch?
Most people have eye twitches at some point in their lives. These are usually a sign of minor physical or mental stress. Spasms can be calmed with a warm compress, sleep, or exercise. People should see a doctor if one or both eyes close involuntarily with spasms.
Can stress trigger hiccups?
Hiccups are sometimes triggered by emotional stress such as surprise, fright, or nervousness. People can try to stop hiccups by holding their breath for five to 10 seconds, breathing into a paper bag, or sipping ice water. Occasionally, hiccups signal other conditions.
Injections for knee osteoarthritis might not cause damage
People with knee osteoarthritis often gain temporary pain relief from joint injections. However, there is uncertainty about long-term risks of steroid injections. A 2022 study suggests that the risk may be minimal if these injections are done infrequently.
You don’t say? Does that tickle?
Ticklishness falls into two categories: gargalesis (which produces laughter and squirming) and knismesis (the sensation of a feather brushing over the skin, also known as light-touch tickling). It is not clear why some people are ticklish, but it may be a bonding or protective reaction.
Answers to questions about long COVID
A troubling aspect of COVID infection is long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or PASC. PASC is marked by persistent symptoms 30 days or more after a person tests positive for COVID. Also, symptoms suggestive of PASC may emerge many weeks after recovery from the initial infection. Scientists are still learning about PASC, but they have discovered much so far, such as who may be at higher risk, what symptoms are common, how long it may last, and what people can do to protect themselves.
Adult female acne: Why it happens and the emotional toll
Women are more likely to get acne after age 20 than men. Unfortunately, treatment options that worked in the teenage years may not work as well in adult females. The emotional toll of acne may include a higher risk of developing depression, and having severe acne can negatively affect quality of life.
Thunderstorm asthma: Bad weather, allergies, and asthma attacks
Thunderstorm asthma is an attack that starts or worsens after a thunderstorm. It can occur in anyone with asthma, but it most often affects people with seasonal allergies. There are several risk factors that make experiencing this phenomenon more likely, so it's important to know what these are.
Struggling with migraine hangovers? Read this
Migraines can last hours or days and span several distinct phases. A post-headache phase leaves as many as four out of five migraine sufferers feeling like they have a hangover. Experts recommend different approaches to help ward off lingering symptoms depending on their intensity.
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