Talking to Your Child About It
Some kids seem to grow up faster than others. That’s even truer if your child has central precocious puberty (CPP). That’s sexual maturity that starts before age 8 in girls or age 9 in boys. Puberty can affect how your…
Self-Care Tips for Parents of a Child With Central Precocious Puberty
Parenting a child with any health condition is no small task. While your first priority may be to support them, it’s also important to know your needs throughout the process, from the moment you get the diagnosis to treatment and…
How It Affects Their Emotions and Social Life
Puberty can be a tough time for any kid. But it might be harder on those with central precocious puberty (CPP). That’s when kids show signs of sexual maturity early. In general, CPP is when puberty starts before age 8…
What’s Next for Bipolar Treatment?
By Paula Zimbrean, MD, as told to Hallie Levine Over the last 2 decades, there have been huge advancements in the treatment of bipolar disorder. We’ve learned that there are several types: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic. All present…
Stroke Risk in Young and Middle-Aged Adults
It was a hot July day in Nashville. Sekou Writes, a 51-year-old writer based in New York, had just given a speech at a graduation ceremony for a youth summer program he had been leading. He stepped down from the…
Learning to Live With Chronic Migraine
In the summer of 2005, Qasim Amin Nathari was giving the sermon for Jumuah (Friday prayers in the Muslim religion) to about 200 members of a New Jersey congregation. He wasn’t nervous. He had no reason to be. He knew…
Prenatal Supplement Labels Not Always Accurate: U.S. Report
Jan. 12, 2024 – The labels on prenatal supplements, commonly taken by people during pregnancy to promote maternal and fetal health, often misstate the amount of nutrients the product contains, according to a government report released Thursday. Experts from the Government…
Complacency Has Replaced Alarm in the Newest COVID Surge
Jan. 12, 2024 – Sneezing, coughing, sniffling – it may seem that everyone you know is sick with some type of respiratory virus right now. At present, the United States is getting hammered with such illnesses, with visits to the…
Insulin Injections at Home: What to Expect
When you need insulin to manage your diabetes, that often means learning how and when to give yourself injections. The good news is that it’s easier and less painful than ever before. Kathy Bostrom, 68, has been handling injections herself…
Why This Exercise Is So Good for High Blood Pressure
Jan. 11, 2024 – What you already know: Physical activity helps ease high blood pressure. What you may not know: Researchers have found that one type of exercise – and one single exercise in particular – helps lower blood pressure…
How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body?
Chances are you already know that eating too much sugar isn’t good for you. Yet you’re probably still overdoing it. Americans average about 270 calories of added sugars each day. That’s about 17 teaspoons a day, compared to the recommended limits of…
Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Talking About Your Diagnosis
Finding out that you have non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often overwhelming. And so is telling others about your diagnosis. You may worry how others will react. You may not want your friends and family to worry or to treat…
Take Action After Diagnosis with HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Although advocating for yourself is essential with any health concern, when the diagnosis is human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, it’s even more important. On March 27, 2006, Janet Shomaker felt a lump in her breast. A…
FDA Approves Florida Plan to Import Drugs from Canada
Jan. 5, 2024 – U.S. regulators on Friday approved a plan to allow Florida to import medicines, describing this as a step toward allowing the state to purchase medicines directly from Canada at a lower cost. The FDA authorized Florida’s Agency…
Eli Lilly Offers Obesity Drug Directly to Consumers
Jan. 5, 2024 — Eli Lilly, maker of the anti-obesity drug Zepbound, announced this week the launch of LillyDirect, a direct-to-patient portal, allowing some patients to obtain its drug for as little as $25 a month. The move is seen…
Clean Air Tips for Your Home
SOURCES: EPA: “Indoor Air Quality,” “What are the main ways to control moisture in your home?” “Improving Indoor Air Quality,” “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality,” “Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter (PM).” Board on Population Health…
Teach Your Kids to Avoid Colds
Let’s face it: Kids are microbe magnets. They also like to share. These tiny humans don’t enter the world knowing that spraying a sneeze into your face or wiping their runny noses and then putting their grubby little hands into…
Optimizing Treatment for Inoperable Lung Cancer
By Carl Gay, MD, PhD, as told to Hallie Levine When patients hear the term “inoperable lung cancer,” they often think that that means their cancer is incurable. But thanks to advances in treatment over the last several years, this…
Mediterranean Diet Wins – Yes, Again
Jan. 3, 2024 – Losing weight and eating healthier aren’t at the very top of the list of 2024 New Year’s resolutions, at least according to one survey. Saving money is, cited by 59% of more than 400 respondents. But 47%…
What I’ve Learned About the Challenges of MG
What I’ve Learned About the Challenges of MG …
Advice That Helps and Advice That Hurts When You Have Myasthenia Gravis
Advice That Helps and Advice That Hurts When You Have Myasthenia Gravis …
Possible Signs of an Emergency Situation
Runny noses. Stomach aches. An itchy rash. These are a few of the typical ailments that occur in children everywhere. But what if something more serious develops, like a fever above 103 degrees or a stiff neck? You may not…
The Truth About Beet Juice
Most lists of “super foods” don’t include beet juice, or beetroot juice as it’s called in some countries, but maybe they should. Beet juice may boost stamina to help you exercise longer, improve blood flow, and help lower blood pressure,…
Chest Pain and Other Signs
When a heart attack strikes, it doesn’t always feel the same in women as it does in men. Women don’t always get the same classic heart attack symptoms as men, such as crushing chest pain that radiates down one arm….
Why do Women Lose their Sexual Desire?
Did you know that nearly half of women report having at least one problem with sexual function — whether its low desire, loss of arousal, trouble having an orgasm, or pain during sex? Probably not, since it’s not something you hear…
What You Need to Know
For many women, sexual desire goes up and down over the years, often tied to changes in relationships, stress, and physical changes like pregnancy and menopause. But roughly 10% of women deal with a low sex drive that causes them…
12 Tips for Nighttime Heartburn Relief
Nighttime heartburn affects four out of five people who suffer regular heartburn and acid reflux. The discomfort and bitter taste can make sleep uncomfortable, even elusive. While over-the-counter and prescription drugs can treat symptoms once you have heartburn, “the cornerstone…
Vagina Size and Sexual Pleasure: Does Size Matter?
The age-old question of whether or not size matters is typically directed at men. But although they might not talk about it, some women may worry about the size of their vagina and how it affects sexual pleasure, particularly after having…
Is That Hum Keeping You Up? Here’s How to Get Better Sleep
Dec. 27, 2023 – Sleep deficit is a global problem. Perhaps nowhere is this truer than in Omagh, a small city in Northern Ireland, where residents have been kept awake since September by a sustained, persistent buzz or hum at…
Which Work? Who’s Minding the Store?
Dec. 28, 2023 – The market for dietary supplements – vitamins, minerals, botanicals, herbs, and other products promoted as ways to help you feel better, look better, perform better, sleep better, and stay healthy – is booming, and that boom…
What to Expect Over the Long Term
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term illness that you’ll likely live with for decades. Most people have mild to moderate symptoms, but they can be unpredictable — flaring and then tapering off. So, what can you expect in the future,…
Newest Treatments for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Newest Treatments for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma …
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma …
Dry Drowning & Secondary Drowning: Symptoms and Warning Signs
You pay close attention to your kids when they’re swimming or playing in the pool, splashing in the ocean. You make sure a lifeguard is on hand, and you never leave your little ones alone near any water — even…
Gallbladder Diet: Foods for Gallbladder Problems
Most people never give a thought to the health of their gallbladder. The pear-shaped organ does have an important job, collecting and storing bile — the fluid that helps the body digest fats. But unlike the heart, liver, and kidneys,…
Protecting Native American Women’s Hearts During Pregnancy: Expert’s View
Heart disease is the top cause of death for U.S. adults. And for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AIN) women, the risk is particularly high during pregnancy and spans generations. To help lower that risk, the American Heart Association (AHA) recently released…
Signs That Chronic Heart Failure Is Getting Worse
By Maya Guglin, MD, as told to Mary Jo DiLonardo Your heart’s job is to pump blood around your body to supply all your organs with the oxygen they need to work well. When your heart doesn’t pump as strong…
Lifestyle Changes I Needed to Make
By Bouba Diemé as told to Keri Wiginton I started to get coughs and chest pain that seemed to come out of nowhere. Exercise got a lot harder. I was 26 and ran a fitness boot camp, so I was relatively…
What Does Ejection Fraction Have to Do With Heart Failure?
By Steven Schiff, MD, as told to Stephanie Booth My patients’ concerns about heart failure are usually, “What is my prognosis?” “What are the treatments, like medication and surgery, that are available to me?” But some people will ask me for…
Alone Time vs. Loneliness: What’s a Good Balance?
Dec. 22, 2023 – For many, ’tis the season for nonstop holiday and family gatherings, lasting from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. While some wish those nonstop parties would continue, others feel an overwhelming desire to just be alone and…
Protect Your Mental Health This Holiday Season
While the holidays can be a time of celebration and joy, they can bring up tough emotions for some people. These feelings, called the “ holiday blues ,” can be confusing to work through. But the…
A Month With No Alcohol?
Dry January: It means you don’t drink alcohol for the month of January. Experts say it gives your body a chance to reset and allows you to re-evaluate your relationship with alcohol – and it’s getting more popular. What began…
Medical Delivery by Drone Is Happening. How Good Is It?
Dec. 21, 2023 — In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos went on 60 Minutes to make a bold announcement: In 5 years, Amazon customers would be getting deliveries by drones. People could receive just about any item they wanted in only 30…
Staying Active With Advancing Heart Failure
By Richard Josephson, MD, as told to Stephanie Watson Back in the middle of the 20th century, there was a concern that people with cardiovascular disease could hurt themselves if they exercised. People with heart failure used to be confined…
Treatment Options When Things Get Worse
By Michael Balk, MD, as told to John Donovan When we talk about heart failure, the first thing I do with people is ask a number of questions about diet and other potential conditions that may cause the heart failure….
Accepting a Geographic Atrophy Diagnosis
You can still live a full life with geographic atrophy (GA). Even though your vision may be different, GA doesn’t lead to total blindness. You can use your remaining vision and make certain adjustments to stay active and independent. How…
Finding Support for Geographic Atrophy
With the right social support around you, managing life with geographic atrophy (GA) may be easier. GA can affect many of your daily activities, such as cooking, driving, paying bills, using your computer, and working. You might not be able…
Lung Cancer in Women Who Never Smoked
Lindi Campbell remembers the date: Dec. 6, 2017. That was when she found out she had lung cancer. “I was so shocked,” she says. She had never smoked, and she didn’t know anyone with lung cancer, let alone any other…
Health Risks of Ketamine: What to Know
Dec. 18, 2023 – The autopsy report of 54-year-old Friends actor Matthew Perry issued Friday by the Los Angeles County medical examiner has drawn attention to the possible risks of ketamine use, a drug traditionally used as an operating room…
How to Handle a Narcissistic Mother, What Works
Anju Chandy was 18 years old when she left her Bakersfield, CA, home for a college far away. After years of frustration, the more miles she could put between her and her narcissistic mother, the better. “I knew I didn’t…
When It’s Time to End a Friendship and How to End It
After his father died, Paul Marlow, a 36-year-old mental health advocate in Surrey, British Columbia, was at a turning point. “I saw I needed a change,” Marlow says. He wanted to let go of unhealthy habits and start fresh. “I…
What I Wish I’d Known Before Chemo
As the saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” When I finished chemo in February 2011, I knew a lot more than when I walked in for my first infusion 4 months earlier. I had learned things about myself and about cancer…
Should You or Shouldn’t You?
Coughs send more people to the doctor’s office than any other specific symptom. And Americans spend billions of dollars every year on over-the-counter medications like suppressants and expectorants to treat them. Clearly we’re concerned about our coughs. Clearly lots of…
Good News, With Some Complications
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Good News, With Some Complications …
What Causes Obesity? More Science Points to the Brain
Dec. 15, 2023 – For much of his life, 32-year-old Michael Smith had a war going on in his head. After a big meal, he knew he should be full. But an inexplicable hunger would drive him to pick up…
The Mental and Emotional Impact of Hearing Loss
The Mental and Emotional Impact of Hearing Loss …
Is Drinking Ever Good for Heart Health?
Dec. 13, 2023 – You may have read articles about how a glass of red wine a day can improve heart health, or a study that showed how light to moderate drinking, in general, is linked to a lower risk…
U.S. Task Force Takes on Rising BMIs Among Kids
Dec. 13, 2023 – Children with obesity issues should undergo “comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions,” including supervised physical activity sessions for up to a year, a federal task force said. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force – a team of independent,…
Are Glucose Monitors for Those Without Diabetes a Good Idea?
Dec. 12, 2023 — Wearable technology has been a game-changer for consumers. From rings and watches to wristbands, patches, and clothing, information that once required a bunch of confusing calculations is now available anytime, anywhere with a flick of the…
9 Foods To Help You Lose Weight
Delicious foods that help you diet? It sounds too good to be true. No doubt: Weight loss involves math. You have to eat fewer calories than you burn. “Certain foods can help you shed body weight,” says registered dietitian Heather…
My Experience on HIV Treatment
By Olga Irwin, as told to Kara Mayer Robinson I don’t remember the exact date when I found out I was HIV positive, but I remember the first conversation I had with my doctor very well. He diagnosed me with AIDS…
Stem Cell Therapy Implant Shows Promise For Type 1 Diabetes
Dec. 11, 2023 – An experimental device containing millions of stem cells significantly reduced the need for insulin shots among people with type 1 diabetes, according to a new study – a treatment researchers say may someday provide a cure for…
Changes That Major Depressive Disorder Can Cause
Looks can be deceiving. Just ask Melissa Drake. The 50-year-old author and consultant from Southern California says she had a good job, owned a home, and was raising a wonderful son. On the outside, her life looked pretty good. But…
Advances in Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder is the most widespread mood disorder in the world. Also called clinical depression, or just depression, it’s when you have symptoms of low mood or hopelessness for at least 2 weeks. Scientists still don’t know what causes…
Apps and Online Therapy for Depression
As a dietitian at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Ilisa Nussbaum worked on the front lines of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. One of her responsibilities was to make sure patients on ventilators with COVID-19 got their nutritional needs met….
Getting Comfortable in My Skin
Psoriasis treatment has come a long way. New medications like biologics have helped more people achieve clearer skin. But everyone with psoriasis is different. What works for one person won’t always help someone else. A certain medication might clear your…
New COVID Variant JN.1 Could Disrupt Holiday Plans
Dec. 7, 2023 — No one planning holiday gatherings or travel wants to hear this, but the rise of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, is concerning experts, who say it may threaten those good times. The good news is recent…
Are No-Spray Christmas Trees Better for You? What to Know
Dec. 8, 2023 – Michelle Pridgen sometimes finds tiny black bugs called aphids in her Christmas tree, and usually a bird’s nest as well. “I just incorporate the nest into my decorating,” she said cheerfully. Pridgen manages the farmers market…
Do You Have the Flu, RSV, COVID, or the Common Cold?
Winter is almost here, and with it may come runny noses, coughing, and congestion. But how do you know if you just have a common cold, or if you have one or more of the three respiratory viruses that make…
‘White Lung’ Pneumonia – What You Need to Know
Dec. 7, 2023 – How worried should you be about outbreaks of “white lung syndrome” pneumonia in children reported in Ohio, Massachusetts, and several countries in Europe? WebMD asked experts this question, as well as if the cases are related…
Alzheimer’s Agitation: Give Creativity a Try
Agitation can be one of the most troubling symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. You’ve probably tried everything you could think of to bring calm to your loved one. Keep in mind the behavior is part of the disease and a form…
Keeping Up Your Relationship Through Alzheimer’s
Maintain your relationship with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s through relationship-centered care.
Shop Around to Save on Drug Prices
Prices for medications may be very different from pharmacy to pharmacy, even within the same ZIP code. So you may be able to save money on your medicines by shopping around for the best price. “Prescription and over-the-counter medication prices…
Apps That Can Help You Manage Your Condition
If you’re looking for a multiple sclerosis (MS) app, there are a lot of choices. On Google Play and on Apple’s App Store, a search for “MS apps” could yield more than 1,000 results. After you filter out all the…
For Happier Holidays, Set Your Expectations – and Breathe
Dec. 4, 2023 – The holiday season is upon us, and with it, a flurry of activities and obligations. There are gifts to buy, parties to attend, cookies to bake, latkes to fry, and families to entertain. The stress can…
When PAD Is an Emergency
More than eight million Americans have peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which narrowed or blocked arteries lead to circulatory problems in the arms and legs (especially the legs), making it hard to walk without pain. Yet what people with PAD…
Do I Really Need Surgery for Peripheral Artery Disease?
For the first time in what seems like forever, Judith Taylor sleeps without interruption. She’s not awakened by pain or numbness in her feet caused by the peripheral artery disease (PAD) she was diagnosed with 3 years ago. She doesn’t…
Foot Care Tips for People With PAD, From Podiatrists
You’ve probably heard that “getting your steps in” can help you stay healthy. But for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), walking even a few blocks might feel as challenging as a 10-mile run. This common circulatory condition, which affects…
Peripheral Artery Disease: Sneaky Symptoms
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) develops over time. And in the early stages, you may not realize it’s happening. But there are things you can do to lower your odds of ever getting PAD. The first step is to understand how…
Perinatal and Postpartum OCD: ‘I Was Falling Apart’
Ruth Zalta, right, with her children Cradling her newborn son, Erin F. saw herself tripping and falling down the single step to her living room, knocking the scissors off the handrail. As the scene vividly played out in her mind,…