Healing after food poisoning
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Light exposure at night may raise risk for heart disease
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
A lumbar belt may help ease low back pain
Children of centenarians may stay healthier and live longer too, study finds
Signs of pneumonia: Sometimes vague and unexpected
The surprising link between ovarian cancer and the fallopian tubes
Using a vibration plate: What it can — and can't — do for your body
People who walk more or walk faster live longer, study finds
Stress Archive
Articles
Don’t stress about heart health
Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. These strategies can help you manage it.
People often complain about stress, but it's actually a natural reaction with an essential purpose.
When the body senses danger, it starts its fight-or-flight response. Your nervous system releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which jolt the body into a protective mode. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breathing quickens, and your senses sharpen.
Is my winter mood change due to seasonal affective disorder?
Ask the doctors
Q. Every winter I experience mood changes. How do I know if it's seasonal affective disorder?
A. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that typically affects individuals during the winter months. Some experts believe it's triggered by a reduction in natural light, which starts in the fall and continues until the spring. Tracking your mood changes can help your doctor determine if you have the condition. People formally diagnosed with SAD experience episodes of major depression that occur in the fall and winter for at least two years. During these episodes, people may feel hopeless or worthless, have sleep problems, or experience changes in appetite or weight. They may also be irritable or anxious and lose interest in favorite activities.
Can my job cause high blood pressure?
Ask the doctors
Q. I have a very stressful job, and recently my blood pressure readings started going up. Could my job stress be the reason why?
A. Yes, chronic stress can affect blood pressure. Several hormones affect your heart's rhythm, including epinephrine and norepinephrine. When these hormone levels rise, your heart starts to work harder. Stress hormones can also constrict your blood vessels, causing temporary blood pressure spikes.
Smoking linked to mental illness
Research we're watching
Need another reason to quit smoking? Smoking may increase your chances of developing schizophrenia or depression, says a study published Nov. 6, 2019, in Psychological Medicine. It's long been known that people with mental illness are more likely to smoke than those without mental illness. But no one ever looked at what came first — the smoking or the mental illness. Researchers decided to find out using a database containing data from more than 462,000 people, of whom 8% were current smokers and 22% former smokers. The team found that people who smoked not only had a higher risk of developing depression and schizophrenia, but that people with either conditions were also more likely to smoke (although the association was not as strong for schizophrenia). The bottom line: Smoking may be bad not only for your lungs, but also your mind.
Image: Zhang Rong/Getty Images
Quick-start guide to mental health professionals
Learn about the different kinds of experts and how they can help you.
Where should you turn when you suspect that you have a mental health condition: a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or some other type of mental health professional? It's tough to figure out what kind of clinician can best help you sort out your problems and provide the care you need.
Often a primary care visit is a good start. Your physician can assess your symptoms and refer you to a mental health professional for evaluation and appropriate treatment.
Consider this Harvard finding before you toast the New Year
News briefs
We've reported before that heavy drinking is tied to an increased risk for developing dementia. A Harvard-led study published online Sept. 27, 2019, by JAMA Network Open suggests that the risk is even worse if you have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Researchers analyzed the data of more than 3,000 dementia-free adults (average age 78, some with MCI) who reported their alcohol use and underwent psychological testing for six years. People with MCI who drank heavily (more than 14 drinks per week) had a 72% higher risk for dementia than people who drank less than one drink per week. However, people without MCI who drank moderately (seven to 14 drinks per week) didn't appear to have an increased risk for dementia, and even seemed to have a 37% lower risk for dementia compared with people who consumed less than one drink per week. The bottom line: "Our results suggest that moderation is the healthiest approach if you drink. And if you have mild cognitive impairment, you may want to reconsider drinking alcohol at all," says Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, a study author and researcher with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Image: franckreporter/Getty Images
How to improve your episodic memory
These tips can help you recall the details from past events and learn from them.
Does this sound familiar? You can't recall the name of someone you met before. Or you forget the time-saving shortcut from a previous car trip. Or you repeatedly make the same silly mistake doing a once-familiar task.
It's frustrating when you can't recall certain past details. You may chalk it up to "senior moments." But, the actual problem is a breakdown in your episodic memory, the brain's largest and most complex memory system.
Troubled by migraines? Cut back on your caffeine drinks
In the journals
Over-the-counter pain medicines that contain caffeine can be effective at stopping some headaches. But drinking a large amount of caffeinated beverages might actually trigger a headache for some people with migraines, according to a study published in the August 2019 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Researchers recruited almost 100 people with migraines who suffered from fewer than 15 headaches per month. For six weeks, they recorded the timing and characteristics of each migraine and their intake of caffeinated beverages.
Can supplements help boost your immune system?
Your money might be better spent on something else.
During the winter months, you've likely seen ads for products that claim to give your immune system a boost to help you ward off colds and the flu. But can something in a bottle, whether a vitamin formulation or probiotic, really rev up your immune system to help you stay healthy?
"Unfortunately, the reality is that those kinds of products aren't really offering you any benefit," says Michael Starnbach, a professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School. "There's no evidence that they help in fighting disease."
Healing after food poisoning
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Light exposure at night may raise risk for heart disease
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
A lumbar belt may help ease low back pain
Children of centenarians may stay healthier and live longer too, study finds
Signs of pneumonia: Sometimes vague and unexpected
The surprising link between ovarian cancer and the fallopian tubes
Using a vibration plate: What it can — and can't — do for your body
People who walk more or walk faster live longer, study finds
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