Stroke Archive

As more US states have legalized recreational cannabis or passed medical cannabis laws, public perception that cannabis is a harmless substance is growing. But its long-term benefits and risks remain unclear, and research has revealed consistently that heavy long-term cannabis use can affect cognition in midlife.

Climate anxiety is distress related to worries about how the effects of climate change. It's more likely to affect adolescents and young adults, leading to chronic stress, depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, and more. What can you do to manage climate anxiety in yourself or a young person in your life?

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.

People who struggle to remember names, details, or words during conversation are dealing with a phenomenon called "blocking," which is related to diminished memory recall. Addressing issues like stress, depression, an unhealthy diet, insomnia, lack of exercise, and prolonged isolation can improve recall. Otherwise, when blocking situations arise, people can try to incorporate cueing, a method that uses "hints" to help the brain better retrieve information.

Compared with eating carbohydrates, eating protein—particularly protein from plants— was associated with lower odds of later developing cognitive declines, according to a Harvard study in the January 2022 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Among people with chronic heartburn, sleeping on the left side appears to help backed-up stomach acid leave the esophagus faster than sleeping on the right side or back, according to a study in the February 2022 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

When doctors say that it's okay to take proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) "on demand" for chronic heartburn, the advice doesn't apply to everyone. PPIs inhibit the production of stomach acid, which can back up into the esophagus and can cause pain (heartburn) and damage the lining of the esophagus. People with damage to the esophagus often stay on PPIs long-term to prevent further problems. People without damage to the esophagus can take a short course of PPIs as needed.

Nighttime skin itching can stem from dry skin, hormone changes, certain medications and skin care products, and rarely, a more serious illness. It can help to change bedding or pajamas, take short baths or showers, apply moisturizer liberally, and use a humidifier.

Brain fog is tied to the severity of certain menopause symptoms, especially depression and sexual problems. Estrogen loss may be a factor, but cognitive issues aren't expected to linger. Women in menopause may worry dementia is the culprit, but Alzheimer's is rare at midlife. Strategies for coping with brain fog include staying calm, challenging the brain by changing routines, writing reminders, exercising, getting sufficient sleep, and avoiding multitasking.

A new study suggests a high-fiber diet may protect against dementia. In a group of about 3,700 older adults, those who consumed the most fiber (about 20 grams daily) had the lowest rates of dementia, and those who ate the least fiber (8 grams daily) had the highest rates.