Poor Sleep May Age the Brain Faster
As the general population is growing older, there’s more interest in finding out what aging does to the mind and body. One of the accepted normal consequences of longevity has been that older people spend more time lying in bed, but frequently complain that they don’t get enough sleep. In a recent study conducted by […]
Fighting Off the ‘Flu – and Beating It After It Strikes
Public health websites encourage people to get their annual influenza vaccine not later than October 31 to ensure immunity builds up before peak flu season, which usually ramps up in November and lasts through winter. There’s the cute slogan “Flu before Boo”, which means get vaccinated before Halloween. Getting the shot by this time provides […]
Hair Loss in Women: Causes, Life Stages, and Ways to Cope
Hair loss is widely regarded as a phenomenon that mainly affects men as they age, but there’s no real difference across genders, other than the outward appearance. Receding hairlines and bald scalps are fully visible signs of hair loss in men, but in women it’s more subtle, when hair volume is lost, and the visible […]
Menopause, Estrogen, and Vaginal Health Explained
For months, I could tell that my sister-in-law Laura was hiding something but she was reluctant to open up. Finally I asked her to let me try and help. She couldn’t quite explain why something felt different – she was sleeping with the window open for sudden waves of heat. She kept lip balm and […]
Elevated Blood Pressure – Causes, Effects, and Medical Management
Elevated blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition where the force of blood pushing against artery walls stays higher than it should be. Blood pressure naturally rises and falls during the day, but when elevated blood pressure persists over time, it can slowly damage the body. This condition is common and often develops without […]
What Causes Irregular Periods (and What They Can Mean)
Growing up in a family where I was the only girl, amongst a brood of older and younger brothers, I felt quite lost as I moved into puberty and on through my teenage years, because I was experiencing a problem that wasn’t shareable around the dinner table. Chatting behind closed doors with my Mom didn’t […]
Energy Drinks and Mental Health
When researchers looked at people who drink a lot of coffee versus those who regularly reach for energy drinks, an interesting and concerning pattern showed up. Higher energy drink use was linked to a greater risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially among young men. That doesn’t mean energy drinks are the direct cause. This […]
Should you Trust AI with Health Questions?
Most service providers aren’t trend setters. There may be one pathfinder that “runs it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes”, but when more than one for-profit corporation is offering a similar (or identical) service that competes with the “new” model, you can be pretty sure that many people rose up to salute and […]
Rethinking Alcohol and Health
For decades, moderate drinking was praised for heart and brain protection, but science is rewriting that story. It’s hard to put it more bluntly than the World Health Organization did in its statement in January 2023, which said “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for health.” Newer studies that are based on facts rather […]
The Flu Is Surging. Here’s a Game-winning Plan
I don’t know about you, but almost everywhere I turn this year, someone seems to be sick. Coworkers. Family. Friends. And the data backs it up. As we move into 2026, the U.S. is in the middle of a moderately severe flu season. According to the CDC’s most recent Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report for Week […]
