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child getting mouth swabbed with bacteria in the background.

The World Inside Your Mouth

… live in the mouth might secrete substances that can get into your bloodstream, go into the brain, and cause things to go awry,” says Dr. Colin Combs, an expert in neurodegenerative … disease inside our mouths. Beta-amyloid is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In the brain, it clumps together into “plaques.” But Combs’ work recently showed that beta-amyloid is …
Illustration of friends relaxing by a fireplace.

Feeling Stressed?

… You breathe faster, your heartbeat quickens, blood sugar rises to give you energy, and your brain uses more oxygen as it shifts into high alert. But if stress lasts a long time—a condition … Other NIH-funded studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, alter brain structure and function, and have a positive effect on the immune system. “Mindfulness is a …
Illustration of a busy computer workstation.

Mindfulness Matters

… NIH-supported study found a link between mindfulness meditation and measurable changes in the brain regions involved in memory, learning and emotion. Another NIH-funded researcher reported …
Illustration of a man wearing a hearing aid

Struggling to Hear?

… making sounds louder. If it’s been a while since you’ve heard the soft sounds of speech, your brain may need time to re-learn and translate those sounds for you. Do you think you may need a …
Illustration of wildfires burning behind houses.

Watch Out for Wildfire Smoke

… too. For example, exposure to polluted air may increase the risk of developing cancer and brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Some studies suggest that pregnant …
Illustration of a sick girl, with a red nose and a tissue, looking out the window at kids playing ball in the sunshine.

Catching a Cold When It’s Warm

… Others can cause an illness with rash. In rare cases, enteroviruses can affect the heart or brain. To prevent enterovirus infections, says Pichichero, “it’s all about blocking viral …
Illustration of blood cells and bacteria

Staying Safe From Sepsis

… kills nearly 270,000 of those. Many recover. But some have lifelong damage to the body and brain. “We can get many people over that first infection that caused the sepsis,” Hotchkiss …
Illustration of a young person imagining junk food

When Food Consumes You

… studying possible genetic causes for eating disorders. Others are looking for changes in the brain. They hope their studies will help guide how eating disorders are diagnosed and treated. …
Illustration of a blood vessel with plaque buildup

Control Your Cholesterol

… an artery in the heart, it can cause a heart attack. “Or, if this happens in the artery of the brain, it can cause a stroke,” he says. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in particles …
Illustration of a man showing a fungal infection to a doctor.

The Fungus Among Us

… But a few types of fungal infections can be deadly. Fungi that get into the lungs, blood, or brain are especially dangerous. Anyone can get a fungal infection. But people who have a weakened …