5 inflammation-fighting food swaps
Inflammation: if you follow health news, you probably hear about it often. When is inflammation helpful? How can it be harmful? What steps can you take to tone it down? What is inflammation and how does it affect your body? If you’re not familiar with the term, inflammation refers to an immune system reaction to an infection or injury. In those instances, inflammation is a beneficial sign that your body is fighting to repair itself by sending in an army of healing white blood cells. As the injury heals or the illness is brought under control, inflammation subsides. You’ve probably seen this happen with a minor ankle sp...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 10, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kelly Bilodeau Tags: Arthritis Autoimmune diseases Health Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs

Is IBD an underrecognized health problem in minority groups?
As many people know, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex condition affecting the intestine, which is the part of the digestive tract that helps digest food and remove water, salt, and waste. But you might not know this: in recent years in the US, IBD is being diagnosed more often among people who are Black, Hispanic/Latinx, East and Southeast Asian, or from other minority groups than it was in past decades. Is this a true rise in cases? Is IBD underrecognized in minority populations? While we don’t have all the answers yet, exploring health disparities in IBD and explaining its symptoms may encourage more peopl...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 7, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa, MD, MPH Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Health care disparities Inflammation Source Type: blogs

Sickle cell disease in newborns and children: What families should know and do
If you’ve learned that your newborn or young child has sickle cell disease, you — and other family members and friends — may have many questions. These days, most cases of sickle cell disease in the US are diagnosed through newborn screening. It’s important to make the diagnosis early, so that babies can be started on penicillin (or another antibiotic) to prevent infection. Getting connected early to a pediatrician for primary care — and to specialists in blood disorders who can work closely with the child as they grow, and with their families — can help prevent complications of the disease. The basics Hemoglob...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 6, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Children's Health Genes Health care disparities Parenting Source Type: blogs

COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens: What we do — and don’t — know
Vaccines have been heralded as a key measure to slow the COVID-19 pandemic and one day bring it to an end. Every day, millions of American adults are receiving one of the authorized vaccines proven highly effective at preventing severe illness that might otherwise lead to hospitalizations and deaths. In the US, most people over 65 have now been fully vaccinated, protecting the most vulnerable in our population. As an infectious disease specialist, my responses to the questions below are based on what we know so far about infection and vaccines in children and teens. We’ll need to continue filling in gaps as research is d...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 5, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kristin Moffitt, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Coronavirus and COVID-19 Parenting Vaccines Source Type: blogs

Happy trails: Take a hike, now
While the COVID-19 pandemic is not over by any means, more people are getting vaccinated, and restrictions are gradually lifting. After too much time spent inactive and indoors, what better way to move your body and enjoy nature than by taking a hike? In many ways, hiking is the ideal antidote to a global pandemic, as it can heal both body and soul. Enjoy the benefits of a hike Like power walking, hiking offers a moderate-intensity cardio workout, provided your route includes some hills or inclines. Trekking on uneven surfaces engages your core muscles and improves your balance. Hiking also is a mood booster. Research sho...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 4, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Matthew Solan Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Healthy Aging Heart Health Mental Health Source Type: blogs

Sleep well — and reduce your risk of dementia and death
This study controlled for demographic characteristics including age, marital status, race, education, health conditions, and body weight. In the second study, researchers in Europe (including France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland) examined data from almost 8,000 participants from a different study and found that consistently sleeping six hours or less at age 50, 60, and 70 was associated with a 30% increase in dementia risk compared to a normal sleep duration of seven hours. The mean age of dementia diagnosis was 77 years. This study controlled for sociodemographic, behavioral, cardiometabolic, and menta...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 3, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Andrew E. Budson, MD Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Healthy Aging Memory Neurological conditions Sleep Source Type: blogs

COVID-19 vaccines and the LGBTQ+ community
I have a confession: in late 2020, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the FDA, I was hesitant to get one myself. Despite working in public health and believing strongly in vaccines to keep our community healthy, I was anxious about putting something in my body that seemed so new. I thought: “What if the vaccine is dangerous?” “What about long-term side effects?” I am part of the LGBTQ+ community. Our history may help explain why I hesitated. Are LGBTQ+ people more hesitant to get the vaccine? In March a New York Times article reported that LGBTQ+ people are more hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 30, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Sabra L. Katz-Wise, PhD Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Health care disparities LGBTQ Vaccines Source Type: blogs

Polycystic ovary syndrome and the skin
Often, the skin can be a window to what is occurring inside your body. For women with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, this this may mean acne, hair loss, excessive facial or body hair growth, dark patches on the skin, or any combination of these issues. What is PCOS? Skin and hair issues can be the most readily perceptible features of PCOS, and thus sometimes the reason for seeking medical care. However, features of PCOS also include menstrual irregularities, polycystic ovaries (when the ovaries develop multiple small follicles and do not regularly release eggs), obesity, and insulin resistance (when cells do not respo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 29, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kristina Liu, MD, MHS Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Family Planning and Pregnancy Fertility Skin and Hair Care Women's Health Source Type: blogs

Dental appliances for sleep apnea: Do they work?
Keeping your partner — or yourself — up at night with loud snoring? This might be more than a nuisance. About 25% of men and nearly 10% of women have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious sleep disorder characterized by explosive snores, grunts, and gasps. Tissue at the back of the throat temporarily obstructs the airway, leading to breathing pauses (apneas) throughout the night. Not only does OSA leave people tired and groggy, but it also puts them at risk for a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, depression, and heart disease. The most effective and best-studied treatment is positive airway pre...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 28, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Julie Corliss Tags: Dental Health Fatigue Hypertension and Stroke Sleep Source Type: blogs

Terrified of needles? That can affect your health
No one likes getting stuck by a needle. Whether for a blood test, vaccination, or blood donation, needle sticks are something most people would prefer to avoid. Yet, judging only by schedules for routine vaccinations and tests, the average healthy person can expect at least 165 needle sticks over a lifetime. Get hospitalized? That might add dozens or even hundreds more. And the number of needle sticks experienced by people with diabetes, HIV, and some other illnesses hovers in the “don’t ask” range. For many, this may be more of an annoyance than a real problem. But if you have a strong fear of needles or aversion to...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 27, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Anxiety and Depression Behavioral Health Coronavirus and COVID-19 Source Type: blogs

Life expectancy: How can we address uneven declines?
Not long ago, during pre-pandemic 2019, the reported life expectancy at birth for non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic populations was approximately 75, 79, and 82 years, respectively. The higher life expectancy of Hispanic people compared to others in the United States may come as a surprise to some. This phenomenon, known as the “Hispanic paradox,” was first noted in the 1980s, and its legitimacy has been debated since. A host of explanations have been proposed, including hypotheses about the “healthy immigrant” (people who migrate to the US are healthier than those who stay in their native countr...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 26, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Numa Perez, MD Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Health care disparities Health trends Healthy Aging Source Type: blogs

Edibles and children: Poison center calls rise
If a 3-year-old finds a cookie on the table, chances are they are going to eat it. Even if it is made with marijuana or THC, CBD, or other components of cannabis. As more states have legalized the use of marijuana and an ever-widening range of derivative products, it’s not surprising that more children are being exposed — including by eating marijuana edibles. A research brief published in the journal Pediatrics found that between 2017 and 2019, there were 4,172 calls to regional poison control centers about exposures to cannabis in babies and children through age 9. About half of the calls were related to edibles. The...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 23, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Children's Health Marijuana Parenting Source Type: blogs

Pills and the planet: Environmentally-friendly steps for your medicine cabinet
Most people might not guess that pills (or creams, patches, and inhalers, for that matter) have a big impact on the environment — but they do. Climate change is leading to noticeable effects on the environment, as well as to consequences for our health, such as rising rates of asthma and new patterns of infectious diseases. The key driver of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions. Our health care system plays a large role, contributing close to 10% of our nation’s greenhouse gases. The US is also responsible for more than 25% of the world’s total health care emissions. Within our health care system, pharmaceutica...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 22, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Wynne Armand, MD Tags: Drugs and Supplements Environmental health Healthy Aging Source Type: blogs

Diet, disease, and the microbiome
There is growing interest in the human body’s microbiome and its connection to chronic disease. A new study examines that connection, along with how the foods we eat influence the composition of our microbiome. Microbiome protects host and plays role in disease risk The microbiome consists of the genes of tiny organisms (bacteria, viruses, and other microbes) found in the gastrointestinal tract, primarily in the small and large intestine. The normal gut flora — another term for the microbiome — protects its human host. For the microbiome to flourish, the right balance must exist, with the healthy species dominating t...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 21, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, LDN, NASM-CPT Tags: Healthy Eating Heart Health Probiotics Source Type: blogs

Want healthy eyes? What to know at 40 and beyond
Did the print on that label suddenly shrink? If you’re in your 40s or beyond, you may have asked yourself that question as you struggled to read something that you used to be able to see clearly with no problem. Blame your aging eyes. Much like our joints, our eyes undergo age-related changes. While eye problems can affect people of any age, some conditions become more common after age 40. Getting older? Three common eye conditions Presbyopia. The lens of the eye gets stiffer with age, which makes it harder to focus on objects nearby — hence your label-reading struggles. Many people find satisfaction with inexpensive r...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 20, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kelly Bilodeau Tags: Diabetes Eye Health Healthy Aging Source Type: blogs