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Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist. They sit below the rib cage on each side of the body. Kidneys filter blood. They remove waste products and water to make urine. They filter about a half cup of blood every minute.  The kidneys also make substances that control your blood pressure. And they play an important role in keeping your bones strong.  Chronic (long-term…

Looking for COVID-19 resources in Spanish? NIH has a COVID-19 Spanish resource page. Visit the site for information on testing, treatments, and vaccines. You can also find information about participating in COVID-19 clinical trials.

Sometimes, the pace of modern life barely gives you time to stop and rest. It can make getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis seem like a dream. But sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart…, Sleep for Repair, Why do we need to sleep? People often think that sleep is just “down time,” when a tired brain gets to rest, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester. “But that’s wrong,” she says. While you sleep, your brain is working. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create. Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered that the brain has a…, Sleep Myths and Truths, How much sleep you need changes with age. Experts recommend school-age children get at least nine hours a night and teens get between eight and 10. Most adults need at least seven hours or more of sleep each night. There are many misunderstandings about sleep. One is that adults need less sleep as they get older. This isn’t true. Older adults still need the same amount. But sleep quality can get…, Sleep Disorders, Some people have conditions that prevent them from getting enough quality sleep, no matter how hard they try. These problems are called sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. “Insomnia is when you have repeated difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep,” says Brown. This happens despite having the time to sleep and a proper sleep environment. It can make you feel…, Getting Better Sleep, If you’re having trouble sleeping, hearing how important it is may be frustrating. But simple things can improve your odds of a good night’s sleep. See the Wise Choices box for tips to sleep better every day. Treatments are available for many common sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help many people with insomnia get better sleep. Medications can also help some people. Many people…

Life is busy before a baby arrives. There are many things to do to prepare. One of the most important is to visit your health care provider regularly. Check-ups before your baby is born are called prenatal visits. They help make sure you and your baby are healthy. Your health care provider will look for certain problems that can happen during pregnancy. Some issues are best treated early. Others…

After having COVID-19, most people’s bodies develop antibodies to help fight it off. These are special molecules made by the body’s disease defense system, the immune system. A study found that people with these antibodies were less likely to get COVID-19 again. Researchers looked at more than 3 million people who had an antibody test for SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.…

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to vision loss and blindness. It’s usually caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye. This can damage a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. Glaucoma may not cause any early symptoms. Many people don’t know they have it. That’s why it’s important to have regular eye exams. There, your eye doctor will check for signs of…

It can be difficult to know when to seek help for your mental health. This NIH resource can help guide you. Learn which symptoms may be signs that it’s time for professional help.

Your blood is an amazing, multi-purpose substance. It flows continuously through the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to your cells. But if you get a scrape or cut, some of this flowing liquid quickly turns to a protective clot. Clots are tangles of molecules and blood cells that clump together. They help prevent blood loss when the skin breaks open. They also help stop infections from getting…, Clogs in the System, Three main things can lead to dangerous blood clots, explains Dr. Mitchell Elkind, an expert on stroke at Columbia University. “One is an abnormality in the blood that makes it more likely to clot. For example, [qtip:genetic|Having to do with genes. Genes are stretches of DNA you inherit from your parents. They define features like your risk for certain diseases.] causes, cancer, or damage from…, Symptoms of a Clot, Blood clots can occur anywhere in the body. That makes it difficult to find them before they cause a problem, Elkind explains. The symptoms of a blood clot depend on where they are. A clot blocking blood flow to the brain can lead to a stroke. Strokes can cause sudden difficulty seeing, speaking, or walking. They can also make you feel weak, numb, dizzy, or confused. A clot that blocks blood flow…, Busting Blockages, Treatment depends on where a clot is and how long you’ve had symptoms. Certain drugs can break up and dissolve some types of clots. But they have to be given within a few hours of when symptoms start. A type of surgery called a thrombectomy can be used to remove clots in large blood vessels. It can be used even if people don’t get to the hospital in time to receive clot-busting drugs. “That’s…, Stopping a Clot, If you have a clot that’s forming, certain medications may help shrink it or stop it from growing. These drugs are called anticoagulants. They’re more commonly known as blood thinners. Sometimes, people with certain heart conditions are given blood thinners to prevent blood clots from forming. But blood thinners can have side effects, including an increased risk of bleeding. So doctors don’t give…

Arthritis 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 particularly a problem for children because their bones and joints are developing and growing,” says Dr. Michael Ombrello, who specializes in treating joint diseases at NIH. There are…

There’s a new website for information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Find resources for people living with dementia and their caregivers. You can also read about new research. And find out how to participate in studies.