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Weather affects where we live, what we do, and when we can do it. It can also impact our health. Temperature extremes, hot or cold, can harm our bodies in different ways. Harsh conditions and storms may lead to other health dangers, too. Over the last few years, wildfires began increasing in frequency and size. Smoke from wildfires contains a mix of complex chemicals, and exposure can cause…

You’ve likely had countless cuts and scrapes in your life. Normally, when you get a small skin wound, your body can repair it quickly. But sometimes, the repair process doesn’t work properly. If this happens, even a tiny tear in the skin can have trouble healing. That can lead to pain and distress and pose a risk for dangerous—or even deadly—infections. Wounds that don’t heal for three months or…, Rebuilding Skin, When you have an open wound, blood can get out of the body, and germs can get in. “So the body’s goal is to seal that wound as quickly as possible,” says Dr. Maria Morasso, a skin biology researcher at NIH. This normally involves an orderly series of steps. First, a clot forms over the wound to prevent blood loss. Next, cells from the [qtip: immune system| The system that protects your body from…, Roadblocks to Healing, There are different ways the wound-healing process can go wrong. For example, too little or too much inflammation can lead to problems, Morasso explains. Too much inflammation can damage nearby tissue. It can also prevent immune cells in a wound from working the way they’re supposed to. If immune cells aren’t working properly or if there’s too little inflammation, new tissue may not form over the…, Finding New Treatments, Researchers are working to develop new ways to treat chronic wounds. Morasso and her team are comparing mouth wounds—which heal very rapidly—with normal skin wounds and nonhealing wounds. Her team’s recent study showed that diabetic foot ulcers lacked two proteins that are found in wounds that heal normally. Because the proteins were missing, immune cells weren’t able to move into the wounds. “If…

Bacteria are found nearly everywhere. They’re in your food, recreational waters, and even the air. Some bacteria help keep you healthy. But some can make you very sick. If you’re healthy, your body may fight off harmful bacteria on its own. But sometimes you need antibiotics. These are drugs that kill bacteria or stop them from growing. They can be critical for preventing or fighting a life-…, [qtip:genes|Stretches of DNA that define an organism’s characteristics.]. , Sometimes antibiotics don’t stop all the bacteria in an infection. Any bacteria that survive will continue to multiply. They may gain further drug resistance. This makes it even more difficult to control them with antibiotics. Drug-resistant infections pose many dangers. Bacteria that are resistant to one drug may still be treatable with stronger drugs. But these backup drugs can have more…, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacteria. These bacteria tend to spread in hospitals and other health care settings. They’re often resistant to many antibiotics. Fowler’s team is testing whether phages can be used to treat people with the infection. They’re also working on a rapid test that can tell the difference between infections caused by bacteria and those caused by viruses. Doctors could use the test to decide how to…

More than 6 million people in the U.S. are living with dementia. The condition causes loss of thinking abilities, memory, and other cognitive skills. Safe and affordable ways to prevent or slow the age-related loss of brain health are greatly needed. Past studies have linked hearing loss to the development of dementia. So, treating hearing loss may be a way to slow or prevent brain problems. A…

Palliative care is a specialized type of medical care for people who have a serious or life-threatening illness. It can help relieve pain, discomfort, stress, and other symptoms. It aims to improve quality of life when a person is seriously ill. You may receive palliative care while getting treatment for a serious illness. It can help you deal with side effects of medical treatments. You might…

Did you know that you can team up with scientists to help medical research? You don’t need an advanced degree or special knowledge of science. You can become a “citizen scientist” by simply devoting some of your free time to ongoing research projects. Your efforts can help to increase medical knowledge and might lead to new treatments. Your role could be as simple as playing an online game or…, All of Us, NIH’s, All of Us, Research Program invites just about anyone in the U.S. to join. The program aims to partner with at least 1 million people nationwide to build one of the most diverse health databases in history. So far, about 500,000 people have fully enrolled. Researchers are using their data to study a wide range of health issues. Diversity among participants is key for this study. Our cultural practices,…, [qtip:genetic|Having to do with genes, stretches of DNA you inherit from your parents. Genes can affect your risk for certain diseases.], make-up can have a big impact on our health. So can the places where we live and work. Researchers aim to understand how these many factors affect our health. “Some groups, like Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, have been left out of these kinds of studies in the past. But we don’t want any groups of individuals to be left behind,” says Dr. Fornessa T. Randal, executive…, All of Us, . “, All of Us, is trying to include everyone.” To join, All of Us, , you complete an online consent form and surveys. You can get more involved by agreeing to share data from your electronic health records. You may be invited to a free appointment to give samples like blood or saliva. You can decide how much information you’re willing to share. One benefit of joining is you can choose to get information about your own health. You might learn more about your…, Game Time, NIH has also supported several online games and activities over the years that contribute to science. The games are free to play., All of Us, has a new game component called “Exploring the Mind.” It includes online quizzes and puzzles that measure things like your attention span and ability to recognize emotions. It’s available to most participants enrolled in the program. Another project called “ MindCrowd ” is studying how brain function changes with age. Volunteers take a 10-minute online memory test. You can take the test several…, Community Matters, Several NIH-supported citizen science projects involve working closely with communities. “One clear message we get from community members is that they don’t just want to be the subjects of research. They want to be active partners,” says NIH’s Liam O’Fallon, an expert in community-engaged science. “They want to help with defining the questions and collecting the data. And they want to help…

It’s a familiar sensation as the days grow shorter and colder: a scratchy, painful feeling when you swallow, talk, or even just breathe. Sometimes, a sore throat is little more than a nuisance. But it can also be a sign of serious infection. So how do you know which is which? And what can you do to soothe a sore throat? Many things can trigger a sore throat, explains Dr. Alison Han, an infectious…, [qtip:allergen|Substance that produces an allergic reaction when a person comes in contact with them, like pollen or dust.]., It can be an infection, like a virus or bacteria. Sometimes, it’s even just dry air,” she says. So, when should you call your health care provider? That depends on how bad the sore throat is and what symptoms come with it, Han explains. “If it’s a mild sore throat and a runny nose, some congestion, that’s probably a typical cold,” she says. But severe pain plus symptoms like a high fever and a…

Some people end up with long-lasting illness after being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is called Long COVID. Symptoms can include extreme tiredness, difficulty thinking or concentrating, and breathing problems. Researchers are trying to understand why some people get Long COVID and others do not. To learn more, a team of scientists compared blood samples from more…

Children naturally gain weight as they grow and develop. Some kids may gain extra pounds, but lose them as they develop and grow taller. For others, gaining too much weight may lead to obesity. Children with obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults. Over time, excess weight may lead to health problems like heart disease, joint pain, or type 2 diabetes. Genes and family history can affect…

The frosty air of winter can be invigorating. But cold air can also pose threats to your health, whether you’re indoors or outside. If your body temperature drops too low, it can lead to a serious, sometimes deadly condition known as hypothermia. Learn to recognize the signs of this condition, and take steps to keep yourself and your family warm and safe during this chilly season. A normal body…