Harvard Health Blog

Read posts from experts at Harvard Health Publishing covering a variety of health topics and perspectives on medical news.

Articles

The cost of chronic pain

Even with comprehensive insurance, people with chronic conditions must shoulder the costs of many treatment-related expenses that are not covered because they are considered complementary or alternative therapies.

I love my kids but they’ve ruined my neck

People who have kids spend a lot of time looking down. Even those who don’t probably spend a lot of time looking down at their phone, tablet, or laptop. Either way it’s bad for the neck muscles; a physical therapist offers some advice.

We heard you — incontinence affects men too. Here’s what you need to know

Urinary incontinence is more common in women, but men experience it too, particularly as they get older. Whether it’s urge incontinence or stress incontinence, there are strategies and treatments that can help.

New study downplays potential risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among elderly men treated with hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

The male hormone testosterone contributes to normal brain function, and some research links memory loss in older men to testosterone declines that occur naturally with aging. However, testosterone is also like jet fuel for prostate tumors, causing them to grow faster, so during cancer treatment doctors will often give hormonal therapies that suppress its activities […]

Using social media to help parents get vaccine questions answered

Doctors want their patients to have access to accurate and helpful health information, and today that means online. Researchers found that expectant mothers who used a website that provided information about vaccines were more likely to get their babies vaccinated.

Addiction, the opioid crisis, and family pain

The changes in understanding around substance use disorders are making treatment more readily available to those who need it and reducing the stigma attached to addiction, but may make those with addiction in their family history feel that the change has come too late for them.

5 things parents and teachers need to know about ADHD

As many as 10% of children in the US have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, creating challenges for them as well as teachers, classmates, and family members. Understanding the condition is crucial to treating it successfully.

4 tips for teaching your child how to ride a bike “on the road”

Once you have taught a child the mechanics of riding a bicycle, the real challenge is teaching them how to ride safely on the streets. Our tips will help instill important safety and awareness practices in your young rider.

Contrary to popular belief, epidurals don’t prolong labor. Phew.

Challenging a long-held belief, a new study found that women who received epidural anesthesia during labor did not have prolonged labor or higher rates of cesarean births.

What parents should know — and do — about young children and mobile devices

Use of mobile devices by children up to age 8 has exploded in recent years. This isn’t necessarily bad, but parents should be aware of how much time their children are spending on devices daily, and make the effort to ensure they are being used responsibly and appropriately.

Study investigates treatment regret among prostate cancer survivors

Surveys of over 900 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the 1990s found that approximately 15% had some regret over their treatment choices. Study authors encourage doctors and patients to have frank and thorough discussions about about the risks and benefits of various forms of treatment for prostate cancer.

The best thing you can do to keep your child safe from bullying

Spending time every day asking children questions in an open-ended way that encourages them to talk fosters an openness that can help parents know what’s going on in a child’s life outside the home, including any potential bullying issues.

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