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The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, travels through the air in droplets. It’s spread when people cough, sneeze, or talk. As schools reopened, researchers have been looking at how best to keep kids safe. A new study found that mandatory masking reduces the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Researchers tracked COVID-19 infections within 61 school districts, grade 12 and lower. Six of the…

Throbbing, aching head? You’re not alone. Nearly everybody has had a headache. It’s one of the major reasons people visit the doctor and miss work or school. Not all headaches are the same. They can differ in how severe the pain is and how often you get them. Some people may get them only once in a while. Others may get them daily. What causes headaches varies. Some types of headaches run in…

Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits offer science-based health tips in five different areas. Learn simple ways to prevent disease. Find tips to improve your relationships, emotional and physical well-being, and surroundings. Order copies or print them yourself in English or Spanish .

Your body’s disease defense system, called the immune system, goes to battle every day. It helps keep you healthy by fighting off viruses and bacteria that sneak into your body. But sometimes, your immune system makes mistakes. If it sees your body’s healthy cells as a threat, it may attack them. This can cause an autoimmune disorder. There are many different autoimmune diseases. Some involve…, What Are the Triggers?, Some autoimmune diseases are rare, but others are fairly common. About 1% of people in the U.S. have rheumatoid arthritis, explains Dr. Mariana Kaplan, an NIH specialist in autoimmune diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis damages the joints. Certain [qtip:genes|Stretches of DNA you inherit from your parents that defines features, like your risk for certain diseases.] put you at higher risk for…, Getting a Diagnosis, A diagnosis of an autoimmune disease can take time, says Grayson. Especially if it’s one that affects many parts of the body. People often turn to different doctors for different symptoms. “If you’re seeing, for example, an eye doctor, a skin doctor, and a lung doctor separately, they may not see that your symptoms are connected,” says Grayson. Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can also mimic those…, Tamping Down the Attack, There are no cures for autoimmune disorders yet. But researchers have made progress in managing symptoms. Drugs called corticosteroids are often the first treatment for an autoimmune disease. “They work quickly, and they’re effective,” Mammen says. But steroids suppress your entire immune system. So they can have serious side effects. These include high blood pressure, bone loss, and weight gain…

When the weather gets warm, you may want to get outside for some fun in the sun. Going to a pool, lake, or beach often tops that list. Spending time in the water can bring health hazards. But some simple habits can help keep your summer fun—and healthy. Many different germs and organisms can live in water. These include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and plant matter that can make you sick. A lot…, Cryptosporidium, (Crypto) and, Giardia intestinalis, . But bacteria, like, E. coli, , and viruses can also be the cause. Many water-borne germs come from the poop of people and animals. So it’s important to never go to the bathroom or to change dirty diapers near the water. If you bring a pet, be sure to pick up after them. Pools are often treated with a chemical called chlorine to kill germs. But it doesn’t work on all of them immediately. Some, like Crypto, can linger for days…, enterococcus, ., Enterococcus, lives in the guts of people and animals. High levels of the bacteria can mean the water is contaminated with poop. That often means that other germs are present, too. His group works with local partners to create daily water forecasts. The forecasts predict which areas may have high levels of bacteria. They alert local residents using the websites howsthebeach.org and howsmyscriver.org . Porter…, Vibrio vulnificus, (Vibrio). Vibrio can make you very ill if you eat contaminated seafood. They are also flesh-eating bacteria. If they infect a wound on your skin and aren’t treated, it can lead to amputation or death. The team is trying to figure out what factors can predict an increased risk of Vibrio infections. Changes to the water’s temperature and salt levels may increase the bacteria’s growth. Another…

Fluid buildup at the back of the eye can cause swelling and leaky blood vessels. This is called macular edema. If left untreated, it can lead to blurred vision and eventually blindness. Retinal vein occlusions are one cause of it. These are blockages in veins in the retina (the light-sensing tissue in the back of your eye). A new study showed that treating blockages brings long-lasting benefits.…

Many things affect your health. These include your biological makeup as well as your behavior. Eating a healthy diet, getting enough physical activity and sleep, and managing your stress can all help you stay healthy. But your environment matters, too. Where you’re born and grow up, and where you live and work influence your risk for many diseases. Whole person health looks at all the factors…

Pathways is a magazine designed for students in grades 6–12. It aims to build awareness about basic science and how it’s important to health. The recent Vaccine Science issue highlights how mRNA vaccines work. It also explains how other tools help prevent outbreaks.

There are many reasons you might wait to have kids. You may want to focus on your career. Or save some money first. About 20% of women in the U.S. now have their first child after age 35. You may have heard that getting pregnant can be more difficult as you age. Or that it’s riskier for both the mom’s and the baby’s health. While these can be issues when having children later in life, many…, Getting Pregnant, It can be more difficult to get pregnant with age. There are many reasons for that. One is that fertility decreases as you get older—for both men and women. Women are born with a set number of eggs. Each month, a woman’s ovary releases an egg to be fertilized. This process is called ovulation. But before that, her body recruits many eggs in preparation for this process. A handful of eggs are…, Pregnancy Problems, If you’re over 35 and haven’t gotten pregnant after trying for six months, talk with your health care provider. You may be experiencing issues with infertility. Infertility is when a couple can’t get pregnant or a woman hasn’t been able to carry a pregnancy to term. NIH-funded researchers are studying the causes of infertility for both men and women. There are many reasons for infertility. “The…, Seeking Help, “If being able to have a child becomes an issue, there are treatments,” Eisenberg says. “The majority of women are able to have a child with help.” Treatments for infertility depend on the cause. Endometriosis and fibroids can be treated with drugs, surgery, and other methods. Medicines can help stimulate ovulation. These are called fertility drugs. Some are taken orally and others are injected.…, Staying Healthy, Infertility isn’t the only issue older couples face. “Whether a woman can have a baby as she ages also depends on her health,” Decherney says. “The chances of having diabetes or high blood pressure—which are the two major diseases that impact pregnancy—are higher.” Obesity, heart conditions, and cancer can also interfere with a woman’s ability to get pregnant or stay pregnant. They can lower men’…

Swelling in the body can happen for many reasons. Summer heat can cause your arms or legs to swell if you’ve been sitting or standing for a while. Body parts can also swell from overuse or an injury. But sometimes, swelling is a sign of an underlying medical condition. More than half your body is made of water. Much of it flows around in your bloodstream. Water also makes up a lesser-known fluid…