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Obesity affects about 1 in 5 kids in the U.S. It’s a growing concern. Carrying extra weight can raise a child’s risk of future health problems. Some research has found that living in a neighborhood without grocery stores and healthy food options may raise the risk for obesity. A new study looked at how limited food options at a young age affects future health. Scientists analyzed data from more…

Loud sounds can harm tiny structures in your inner ear. This can lead to noise-induced hearing loss or a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus can cause buzzing, hissing, or humming in your ears. Hearing loss can happen instantly, or gradually over time. The louder the sound, the more damage it can cause. You can protect your hearing by moving away from loud sounds or turning down the volume. You…

Get classroom materials and activities to help kids learn about bones, joints, muscles, and skin. This NIH website is meant for teachers and students in grades four through six. But everyone can benefit from learning more about these essential body parts.

A heart attack or stroke can happen within seconds. Getting treatment fast for these medical emergencies can mean the difference between life and death or disability. But do you know the symptoms of these dangerous events? And do you know if you’re at risk for having one? More than 1.5 million people have a heart attack or stroke every year in the U.S. Heart attack happens when blood flow to the…, Know the Symptoms, Act Fast, The most common symptoms of a heart attack are pain, heaviness, or discomfort in the center or left side of your chest. But they’re not the only symptoms. Women are more likely than men to have other symptoms, like pain or numbness in the left arm. Some people may also feel a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Others feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or above…, Are You At Risk?, Most heart attacks and strokes happen in people who have certain risk factors (see the Wise Choices box). If you know your risk, you can be on the lookout for symptoms. You can also take steps to lower that risk. One major risk factor for heart attack is high cholesterol in the blood. High cholesterol can also increase the risk for stroke. Cholesterol can build up on the walls of blood vessels,…, [qtip:inflammation|Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection.], in heart disease. His research has shown that high cholesterol and inflammation work together to increase heart-attack risk. “Heart disease involves both accumulation of cholesterol and an inflammatory fire lighting the match underneath it all,” he says. In a recent study, his team measured inflammation using a test called hsCRP as well as blood cholesterol in women in their 30s. Women with high…, Lower Your Risk, If you’re at risk for a heart attack or stroke, lifestyle changes and medications can help you lower that risk. “Eating more vegetables and less red meat, exercising, and quitting smoking all lower heart attack and stroke risk,” Ridker says. “And it turns out they all reduce inflammation as well.” Other steps you can take to reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke include maintaining a…

Don’t let bad food spoil your celebrations this holiday season. Follow safe food practices so everyone can keep enjoying the festivities after their meals. Germs like bacteria, viruses, and parasites—or the toxins they produce—can get into your food and make you sick. “The difficult thing is you can’t see these germs, and you can’t taste them,” says Dr. William Alexander, an NIH expert in food-…, [qtip:immune system|The system that protects your body from invading viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic threats.], , and those over 65 years old. If you aren’t getting better after a couple of days, have a fever higher than 100 degrees, bloody stool, or are vomiting so often that you can’t keep fluids down, contact your doctor. Dehydration is one of the biggest issues from food poisoning. So be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Watch for symptoms of dehydration, like not peeing much, a dry mouth and throat, and…, E. coli, infection produces a toxin that can lead to life-threatening kidney problems for kids. It can’t be treated with antibiotics, either. An NIH-funded study is testing whether giving these patients fluids through an IV can prevent kidney complications. NIH-funded researchers are looking for ways to prevent food-borne illnesses, too. Some are studying the biology of how bacteria and viruses get into…

As the U.S. population ages, more adults are developing thinking and memory problems, called mild cognitive impairment. Scientists have been looking for ways to prevent or delay this type of mental decline and more severe disorders, like dementia. Some studies have found links between healthy eating and improved thinking and memory. An eating pattern called the MIND diet has shown promise. It…

Millions of Americans are living with visual impairments. These are vision problems that can’t be fixed with glasses, contacts, or other standard treatments. Learn how to locate services that can help with daily activities and improve your quality of life.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and other tissues that form a sling or hammock in the pelvis. These pelvic floor muscles do important work. They help to hold essential organs in place. These key organs include the bladder, intestines, and rectum. In women, they also include the uterus, cervix, and vagina. Trouble can arise if the muscles or tissues in the pelvic floor weaken or are injured…

There’s a reason we can spot a friend in a crowd—humans are wired to focus on faces. We’re incredibly skilled at recognizing small differences in a face, like a square jaw, arched brows, or high cheekbones. The uniqueness of faces inspires artists and poets. It also enables facial recognition technology. The distinct features of each face help to define who we are. “There’s a lot of information…, Molding the Face and Head, One way to decipher the underlying biology of the face and head is to gather data—lots of it. Scientists analyze genetic information, take images of people’s faces, and collect other biological information from both humans and animals. And they share this data with other scientists to enable discoveries. So far, researchers have linked over 300 areas of our DNA to facial features like nose height…, Tailoring Treatment, While scientists haven’t yet pinpointed all the factors that affect our faces, they do know that when craniofacial disorders arise, they generally begin before birth. These disorders occur when bones, nerves, and tissues in the face and head don’t form properly as a baby is growing in the womb. For example, cleft lip and palate is a birth defect that arises around the second or third month of…, Finding New Options, Surgeries for the face and head can be complex and tough on the body. Even after surgery, some children may have trouble eating, breathing, and speaking. Scientists are continuing to develop new surgical techniques to help patients speak better and improve how their faces look. Others are creating computer programs and artificial intelligence tools to plan surgery for cleft lip or palate.…

We’ve all heard that exercise is good for us. Experts recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This can include brisk walking, biking, playing tennis, or even pushing a lawnmower. Strength training exercises, like lifting weights, push-ups, or sit-ups, are recommended at least two days a week. Many benefits of exercise are well-known. Aerobic…, [qtip:cognitive|Related to the ability to think, learn, and remember.],  abilities often start to decline. We may have difficulty with learning and memory. That’s because our brains undergo cellular changes as we get older. The protective barrier around the brain also changes, altering which substances can get into your brain. Some of these have potentially harmful effects. Studies in mice and rats have shown that exercise can partially offset these changes. And it…