Diseases & Conditions Archive

A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a broken blood vessel in the eye. It's usually not serious and resolves on its own within two weeks. People who also experience eye pain or vision changes may have an eye infection and should see a doctor.

Bouts of dizziness can be unsettling sensations that may last only a few seconds or linger for several minutes or even longer. Episodes may be isolated or recurrent. Many people have a difficult time articulating what they experience when they say they feel dizzy, because the term encompasses a range of sensations like lightheadedness, wooziness, unsteadiness, or spinning. To help identify the cause, people should first consider whether they are experiencing primarily lightheadedness or vertigo.

A 2024 Harvard study involving more than 84,000 diabetes-free people (average age 62), who were followed for seven years, found those whose sleep duration varied most had a 34% higher risk for diabetes, compared with those whose sleep duration varied the least.

Even if someone has never gotten the flu or COVID—or at least hasn't gotten very sick from them—there still are good reasons to get vaccines that protect against the viruses. Both the flu and COVID viruses can injure the body, making it vulnerable to new major illnesses such as heart, lung, gastrointestinal, or brain disease. But recent solid evidence has shown that vaccines not only reduce the risk of getting the flu and COVID, but also reduce the risk of developing the serious diseases associated with COVID or flu.

When you take an aging parent to a medical appointment, you wind up playing many roles. Millions of people in the US are caring for family members and are learning as they go along, so they can benefit from tips to keep them on track before, during, and after the appointment.