Diseases & Conditions Archive

Articles

Another natural remedy for constipation?

Constipation can describe many types of problems with moving your bowels. It becomes chronic when it lasts for weeks or months. Many people are interested in natural remedies for constipation, and one of the most common is adding fiber to your diet. A new study compared three natural sources of fiber, with encouraging results.

Does the sex of your surgeon matter? A new study says yes

If you need surgery, does the sex of the surgeon matter? A study reviewed procedures done in Canada over a 12-year period involving more than a million adults, and found that in general, people operated on by female surgeons were less likely to experience complications. But why?

 

 

Health disparities and headache treatment

Migraines are a common neurologic condition, but it's estimated that in the US only about a quarter of adults with migraine are able to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Part of the reason for this is likely due to disparities in health care, and researchers found evidence of disparities related to race, socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, and geography.

5 skin spots you shouldn't worry about

Most skin spots are harmless, but it's important to be able to distinguish them from skin cancers and precancers.

Can ALS be caused by traumatic brain injury?

Though decades of research have suggested risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a specific cause remains unknown. New research studied professional football players and found that they had a much higher risk of developing ALS than men in the general population, though the study was only observational.

Zinc gets a lukewarm response for fighting colds

A recent analysis found evidence mixed on whether zinc can help prevent or treat a cold. However, there appears to be no significant harm from taking over-the-counter zinc products in safe amounts per the label's instructions.

Do older adults benefit from blood pressure treatment?

A study published online Aug. 26, 2021, by The Lancet found that blood pressure treatment protects against heart attacks, strokes, and other major cardiovascular disease problems in people up to age 85 and possibly older. For people younger than 75, the study confirmed that people taking blood pressure medicines had 10% to 20% fewer cardiovascular disease problems. For people 75 to 84, there still was a 10% reduction. For people older than 85, the results were mixed, but there still appeared to be a benefit from blood pressure treatment.

Tics and TikTok: Can social media trigger illness?

For hundreds of years there have been documented instances of groups of people developing similar, medically inexplicable, and sometimes bizarre symptoms, such as paralysis, involuntary tics, or uncontrollable laughter. Known as sociogenic illness, a recent example appears to be fueled by social media postings—meaning physical proximity is no longer a factor.

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