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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.

A study found that the drug teplizumab helped people at risk for type 1 diabetes. The drug delayed the average time to the start of the disease. Some who were treated in the trial have yet to develop symptoms. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to control their blood sugar. Insulin is a hormone that helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells, where it’s used for energy. If not well…

COVID-19 vaccines are a key part of overcoming the pandemic. Fully vaccinated people can start doing some of the things they had to stop. This includes visiting friends and loved ones who are also fully vaccinated. You might still have questions about vaccines. How do they work? How do scientists know they’re safe? It’s important to know these answers and share them with others. Vaccines are the…

Paying attention to what’s going on right this second can be hard. We often spend more time thinking about what’s coming up in the future. Or dwelling on things in the past we can’t change. We can miss out on experiencing the present. It’s possible to train yourself to focus on the present moment. You become aware of what’s going on inside and around you—your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and…, Health Benefits of Mindfulness, Studies suggest that focusing on the present can have a positive impact on health and well-being. Mindfulness-based treatments have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. There’s also evidence that mindfulness can lower blood pressure and improve sleep. It may even help people cope with pain. “For many chronic illnesses, mindfulness meditation seems to improve quality of life and reduce…, Developing Healthy Habits, Being mindful may also help you make healthier choices. Loucks’s team at Brown created an eight-week mindfulness program for people with high blood pressure. They studied whether the program increased participants’ awareness of their habits. This included how they ate. The study found that participants chose a healthier diet after taking the course. You can bring mindfulness to your eating habits…, Learning To Be Mindful, If you want to practice mindfulness, there are many online programs and apps. But they’re not all created equal. Experts suggest looking for resources from medical schools and universities. Check to see if they’re evidence-based. Dimidjian’s team developed an eight-week self-guided online mindfulness program. Her studies showed that the program helped reduce symptoms of depression more than a…