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Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder
… Is the long, cold winter getting you down? For people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the change in seasons brings on a form of … But experts caution that St. John’s wort can interact with many medications. And melatonin may improve sleep for some people with SAD, but it’s not known if long-term use is safe. If you’re experiencing SAD, talk with your doctor to come up with a plan to feel better. Learn more. …
Blood Test Predicts Age When Alzheimer’s Symptoms Start
… can estimate when someone will begin to show Alzheimer’s symptoms. This could help researchers better design approaches to prevent or treat symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder … a “clock” model. The model could identify individuals likely to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms. For those who developed symptoms, it could estimate the age of symptom onset. The time between …
Nurturing Healthy Neighborhoods
… Spaces … Studies show that green spaces, such as parks or woods, seem to affect your health for the better. Dr. Francine Laden, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, …
Cloudy Vision?
… eye drops to widen part of your eye called the pupil. The doctor can then look into your eye for cataracts and other problems. If you have mild cataracts, using a magnifying lens and brighter lights can help you see better inside. Sunglasses that reduce glare can help with vision outside. Cataracts that are bad …
Managing Pain
… pain. One reason, explains NIH pain expert Dr. Michael Oshinsky, is that opioids work well for many people. Opioids can stop the body from processing pain on many levels, from the skin to … an opioid overdose. This number includes deaths from prescription opioids. “We don’t need ‘better’ opioids. We need to move away from the reliance on opioids for developing pain … that send signals from one nerve cell to another.] in the brain,” Williams says. “So, by improving something like sleep, you’re also improving pain.” Non-opioid drugs can help some …
Breathe Easier
… or even schools. Whether outdoors or indoors, the effects of air pollution are most obvious for those who already have difficulty breathing. “All people are likely susceptible to the … are high. This information can help you make choices about when to do outdoor activities. … Improving Air Indoors … Indoor air pollution can be harmful, too. It can come from many sources. … boost how well kids do in school. “Kids who come to school and aren’t as sick are going to do better. So that’s kind of the overall goal,” Phipatanakul says. … Inside Out … One good thing …
Fishing for Clues to Human Health
… spine, brain, heart, gut, ears, eyes, and other organs. Fish and people use similar processes for eating, moving, fighting germs, and more. And fish and people change in very similar ways … humans, zebrafish can regrow damaged limbs and other body parts. Scientists are working to better understand this ability. What they learn could help to improve human treatments for …
Artificial Pancreas Helps Kids With Diabetes
… glucose builds up in your blood. This can cause serious health problems. Current treatments for type 1 diabetes include frequent testing of blood glucose and insulin injections. But … glucose levels than the kids getting standard care. They had about three more hours per day of better blood glucose control. The benefits were greatest during the night, when kids would be …
Acupuncture Relieves Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults
… chronic low back pain. Participants were divided into three groups. Each received treatment for 12 weeks. One group had access to standard medical care alone. This included options for … less back pain than those offered standard care alone. The acupuncture groups also reported improved physical function after six months. After 12 months, they had less disability from pain … who already take several medications. “Acupuncture offers a less invasive option that has a better safety profile than a lot of the common treatments for back pain in older adults,” says …
Dealing With Trauma
… much longer. If symptoms last more than a month and become severe enough to interfere with relationships or work, it may be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. “There are … NIH-funded researchers are uncovering the biology behind these brain changes and looking for ways to prevent and treat PTSD. … What is Trauma? … “Most people associate post-traumatic … a trauma. “For those who start therapy and go through it, a large percentage of those will get better and will get some relief,” Tuma says. Some medications can help treat certain symptoms, …
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