Search

Experts estimate that millions of Americans could benefit from treatment for an alcohol problem, but most don’t get it. To make it easier to find help, NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed the, NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator, . You can use it to find help for yourself or a family member or friend. Alcohol use disorder is a health condition that can improve with treatment. But the same treatment path doesn’t work for everyone. Searching for the right treatment can be complicated. The navigator makes this complicated process easier by explaining what you need to know to recognize and choose quality care. It describes…

Did you know that your body has its own internal network of clocks? These biological clocks help you feel alert during the day, hungry at mealtimes, and sleepy at night. Keeping your body’s daily cycles, or circadian rhythms, in sync is important for your health. “Circadian rhythms are big influencers in the body,” explains NIH’s Dr. Michael Sesma, an expert in circadian biology. “They affect…

Brain imaging advances are helping doctors better treat patients who have a stroke. The most common types of strokes are caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. These are called ischemic strokes. Strokes are a medical emergency. When blood can’t deliver nutrients and oxygen, the brain tissue in the area begins to die. Doctors must restore blood flow to the brain as fast as…

Doctors can’t always explain why one person gets cancer and another doesn’t. But research has shown that certain risk factors may increase a person’s chance of getting cancer. One risk factor is obesity, or having too much body fat. Many studies have found links between obesity and certain types of cancer. Most of these studies have compared differences between large groups of people who…

The eyes are more than windows to the soul. With advances in eye health technology, they can also give a unique look into your health. “The eye is a real window into what’s happening in your body,” says NIH eye health expert Dr. Houmam Araj. It’s a convenient way for a doctor to get a clear view of your blood vessels, nerves, and connecting tissue without surgery. Researchers are working on new…, What Doctors See Now, Getting regular eye exams is important, even if you think your vision is fine. Eye exams allow an eye care professional to monitor your eyes for common vision problems and signs of disease. “There aren’t early warning signs for the most common eye diseases,” says NIH eye specialist Dr. Rachel Bishop. “By identifying diseases early, you have the best treatment options and the best chance of…, Advances in Imaging, “Today’s clinical technologies to image the eye are pretty amazing, but they are undergoing tremendous advances,” says Dr. Donald Miller, an expert in eye imaging technology at Indiana University. “Future eye health practitioners will have incredibly more powerful imaging tools than anything we have now.” With new tools, eye health professionals may be able to catch disease even earlier. For…, Improving “Sight”, New technologies may also help people with low vision and blindness get around more easily in their day-to-day lives. For example, an NIH-funded eye doctor recently improved a miniature telescope technology that can be mounted on regular eyeglasses. Called Ocutech bioptic telescopes, these devices help people with low vision see better while driving. This gives them the chance to stay behind the…

Many people slowly lose their hearing as they get older. Not being able to hear well can make it hard to communicate. That can affect your relationships, emotional well-being, and work performance. For those who need them, hearing aids can help. These electronic devices are worn in or behind the ears. They make sounds louder. Close to 29 million adults could benefit from hearing aids, yet only 1…

Have you noticed an AED device in an airport or other public place? An AED is an automated external defibrillator. You can use this portable device to quickly shock someone’s heart and try to save their life if they collapse, have no pulse, and stop breathing. This condition is known as sudden cardiac arrest. If a cardiac arrest isn’t treated within minutes, the person will usually die. When the…

Palliative care is more than end-of-life care. It’s an added layer of care to support and improve the quality of life for someone with a serious illness. You receive palliative care in addition to your treatments. This type of care is also known as comfort care, symptom management, or supportive care. Palliative care considers all aspects of your care. It isn’t only for treating pain and physical…

It’s natural to be afraid after something scary or dangerous happens. When you feel you’re in danger, your body responds with a rush of chemicals that make you more alert. This is called the “flight or fight” response. It helps us survive life-threatening events. But the brain’s response to frightening events can also lead to chronic problems. This can include trouble sleeping; feeling on edge…, What is Trauma?, “Most people associate post-traumatic stress symptoms with veterans and combat situations,” says Dr. Amit Etkin, an NIH-funded mental health expert at Stanford University. “However, all sorts of trauma happen during one’s life that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms.” This includes people who have been through a physical or sexual assault,…, Biology of Traumatic Stress, Researchers are looking into what puts people at risk for PTSD. One team, led by Dr. Samuel McLean, a trauma expert at the University of North Carolina, is investigating how post-traumatic stress symptoms develop in the brain. They will be following 5,000 trauma survivors for one year. “We’re enrolling people who visit trauma centers immediately after a trauma because evidence suggests that a lot…, Coping With Trauma, How you react when something traumatic happens, and shortly afterward, can help or delay your recovery. “It’s important to have a coping strategy for getting through the bad feelings of a traumatic event,” Tuma says. A good coping strategy, he explains, is finding somebody to talk with about your feelings. A bad coping strategy would be turning to alcohol or drugs. Having a positive coping…, Finding Treatments, “While we currently diagnose this as one disorder in psychiatry, in truth, there’s a lot of variation between people and the kinds of symptoms that they have,” Etkin says. These differences can make it difficult to find a treatment that works. Etkin’s team is trying to understand why some people’s brains respond to treatment and others do not. “PTSD is very common. But the variety of ways that it…

Did you know that the virus that causes “cold sores” or “fever blisters” on or around the mouth can also infect other areas of the body? The infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus. And it’s very common. Most people with herpes infection don’t even know it. They may not have symptoms or not notice them. For people who do have symptoms, a herpes infection may show up as one or more…