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We each have a unique “healthiest self.” We have different minds, bodies, living situations, and people helping to shape our health and well-being. This website offers science-based health tips in five different areas. Find ways to improve your relationships, emotional and physical well-being, and your surroundings.

Patients often stress and worry about an upcoming surgery. But stress can lessen your body’s ability to heal. It can increase inflammation—the swelling or heat your body makes to protect against injury or illness. You can take steps to improve your health before surgery. This is called prehabilitation. A new study showed that personalized prehabilitation programs lowered problems after surgery.…

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element. It’s found in soil, water, and air. Long-term exposure can cause health problems. Millions of people rely on water sources with unsafe levels of arsenic. A new study showed that reducing arsenic exposure can lower the chances of death from cancer and heart disease. The study tracked adults living in Bangladesh. Researchers measured the levels of arsenic…

Cancer cells multiply in an uncontrolled way, making them difficult for your body to stop. Chemotherapy, or chemo for short, uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. These drugs usually target cells that are growing quickly. Normal body cells can also get caught in the crossfire of many chemotherapy drugs, causing unwanted side effects. Scientists are finding ways to lessen…

Your brain contains a complex network of nerve cells, called neurons, that send signals to the rest of your body. These signals allow you to sense the world around you, control your body’s movements, and experience emotions. But sometimes things can go wrong. Groups of neurons may send abnormal bursts of signals all at once. This surge of brain activity is called a seizure. Any seizure is a cause…, Unraveling Symptoms, Anything that disturbs the pattern of normal brain activity can lead to seizures. Seizures may develop from illness, infections, damage or tumors in the brain, genetic factors, or problems during brain development. There are two main types of seizures: generalized and focal. Generalized seizures start in both sides of the brain. Focal seizures start on one side but may spread to both sides. Some…, Diagnosing Epilepsy, Epilepsy can develop at any age. But infants, children, and older adults are at the highest risk. Diagnosing epilepsy involves a review of your medical history. You may have [qtip:neurological|Related to the body’s nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body.] testing and blood tests done. Blood tests can check for infections or genetic conditions.…, Dr. Carrie McDonald, a scientist who specializes in imaging at the University of California, San Diego, is testing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify these brain patterns on MRI scans. Her group found that AI could correctly identify over 80% of individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy. “Using AI to identify brain areas with specific patterns of damage will not only help radiologists but…, Getting Treatment, Doctors usually prescribe antiseizure drugs first to control seizures. But some people don’t respond to these drugs. They may need to see a nervous system specialist, called a neurologist, who focuses on epilepsy. Dr. Sara Inati, an epilepsy specialist at NIH, is researching better ways to evaluate and treat people with drug-resistant epilepsy. They may have repeated seizures that can damage…

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Babies need vitamin K for their body to make blood clots. Blood clots are how the body stops itself from bleeding. But babies aren’t born with vitamin K. And they don’t start making it until they begin eating solid foods. Most babies born in the U.S. get a vitamin K shot after birth. Without it, babies are at risk of bleeding in the brain and the body in the first six months of life. While rare,…

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. Screening tests can check for signs of breast cancer before symptoms start. If cancer is found early, it increases the chance that it can be treated more effectively. Doctors generally recommend mammogram screening based on a woman’s age. A new study shows that it’s safe for breast cancer screenings to be based on women’s risk…

There’s much more to your mouth than your teeth, gums, and tongue. Your mouth also contains billions of tiny critters that can only be seen with a microscope. These are called [qtip:microbes|Microscopic germs like bacteria, fungi, and viruses.]. Together, all the microbes living in your mouth are known as the oral microbiome. Scientists believe the oral microbiome can contribute to diseases both…, Who’s in There?, Your mouth makes a lovely neighborhood for microbes. And many different types can move in. Scientists believe roughly 700 species of microbes live in the human mouth. Some of these may contribute to diseases. Others help keep disease-causing microbes from taking over. “It’s a natural, normal part of life to have these microbes living in your mouth,” says Dr. Christian Abnet, an oral cancer…, Beyond the Mouth, One kind of microbe that can wreak havoc in the mouth is bacteria. Dentists are well-known for pointing out that sugar-loving bacteria can harm your teeth and gums. These live in the plaque that dentists scrape off your teeth. But the influence of these microbes is not confined to the mouth. Mouth microbes have been linked to a wide variety of diseases outside the mouth. These include cancer,…, Managing Our Microbes, Getting rid of disease-causing microbes in our mouths is easier said than done. There are medications that kill microbes, called antibiotics. But current antibiotics kill off all kinds of microbes, not just harmful ones. That’s why Emiola’s team is working on more precise ways to destroy disease-causing microbes. “When you kill all of the microbes, the problematic ones tend to repopulate faster…, Wise Choices, box for more tips that are good for both you and your mouth microbes.

Everything in your body has its proper place. Muscles and other internal structures help keep your organs where they should be. But sometimes they’re not strong enough to do that. In that case, a piece 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 places,…