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… touch, sight, taste, sound, and smell. Most people experience their senses one at a time. In synesthesia, one sense can be experienced at the same time as another. For example, a person … color, like the letter “A” always being red no matter what color it’s written in. This is the most common type of synesthesia. Synesthesia isn’t very common. It sometimes runs in … requiring more than one sense. Synesthesia remains a mystery for now. But Sathian and other NIH-funded researchers plan to keep studying it. The condition may hold keys to understanding …

… of men will have some significant leg vein problem,” says Dr. Cheryl McDonald, a physician at NIH. Varicose veins are caused by blood pooling in the veins. This makes them bulge out. Varicose veins most often occur in the legs, but they can appear other places too. The veins farthest from your heart have the …

… Usually, the wall of the abdomen is strong. The muscles keep your intestine in place. But if there’s a weak spot, the intestine … is pushing the wall of the tire outward to create that bulge,” says Dr. Dana K. Andersen, an NIH hernia expert. A hernia developing in the abdomen is extremely common. Babies, children, and …

… 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 loss, measure it, and suggest treatment options.]. If ear wax or an ear infection is the cause, the hearing loss may be temporary. Other causes, such as nerve damage, may lead to … look to others. “Hearing loss is far more obvious than a hearing aid,” says Dr. Kelly King, an NIH hearing health expert. “The hard work people do to compensate for their hearing loss, and the …

… take care to keep yourself safe from cold-weather hazards like hypothermia. “Hypothermia is when the body’s core temperature decreases below 95 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Dr. Basil Eldadah, an NIH aging expert. Hypothermia can happen when you’re exposed to very cold temperatures for too … a slower heartbeat, a weak pulse, and slow or shallow breathing. It could even result in loss of consciousness in advanced stages.” Anyone can get hypothermia when exposed to cold …

… eyes. So can normal aging. What can you do to find relief? One major cause of eye discomfort is not blinking enough. “When we focus on tasks like reading or computer work, our blink rate just plummets,” says Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger, an NIH ophthalmologist. Not blinking enough can cause your eyes to become dry and uncomfortable. … factors that increase eye dryness may help your eyes feel better, too. Air blowing directly in your face from a fan or from air vents in the car can contribute to eye dryness, says …

… causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of your joints, the connections between bones. Arthritis is most common in adults. But it can also affect children. This is called juvenile arthritis. “Arthritis is … and growing,” says Dr. Michael Ombrello, who specializes in treating joint diseases at NIH. There are many types of juvenile arthritis. “Juvenile idiopathic arthritis” is the most …

… Everything in your body has its proper place. Muscles and other internal structures help keep your organs … of tissue or organ can slip through a gap in the weakened structures around it. The result is a condition called a hernia. Most hernias occur in the abdomen. But they can happen in other … causes the weakness in an area to last longer, increasing the risk for a hernia. Fischer’s NIH-funded research is looking at ways to reduce the chance of someone getting an incisional …

… live, work, or go to school, you can find ways to move more and sit less throughout your day. In addition to helping your health, you might have fun without spending a lot of money. Moving … and can also improve your balance. But even though many of us know that physical activity is a good thing, most adults nationwide don’t meet even the minimum recommended amounts of … we more active? “Lack of time is a common reason for not exercising,” says Dr. Mary Evans, an NIH expert on physical activity and nutrition. “Another important factor is location—having safe …

… to see up close. You might have trouble adjusting to glaring lights or reading when the light is dim. You may even have put on blue socks thinking they were black. These are some of the … But you can take steps to protect your vision and reduce your risk for serious eye disease in the future. Effective treatments are now available for many disorders that may lead to … thinking your arms just aren’t long enough,” says Dr. Emily Chew, a clinical researcher at NIH’s National Eye Institute. “A good and simple treatment for presbyopia is reading glasses.” …