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… a positive outlook can benefit your physical health. NIH-funded scientists are working to better understand the links between your attitude and your body. They’re finding some evidence … expand our awareness and open us up to new ideas, so we can grow and add to our toolkit for survival,” Fredrickson explains. “But people need negative emotions to move through difficult …

… Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been around for decades. In the past 20 years or so, it’s become a growing part of our lives. Researchers are now drawing on the power of AI to improve medicine and health care in innovative and far-reaching ways. NIH is on the cutting edge … technology could warn the wearer of unsafe body movements. Other studies are seeking ways to better manage blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels using wearable sensors. Learn more about the …

… How often do you feel thankful for the good things in your life? Studies suggest that making a habit of noticing what’s going well in your life could have health benefits. Taking the time to feel gratitude may improve your emotional well-being by helping you cope with stress. Early research suggests that a … have been shown to help some people increase their positive emotions. Her team is trying to better understand how a daily boost in positive emotions can help people cope with stress and …

… Drug abuse can be a painful experience—for the person who has the problem, and for family and friends who may feel helpless in the face … During the program, a parenting consultant visits the home to observe the parents’ relationship with their child. Parents complete several questionnaires about their own and their … skills. Children whose parents are in the program have fewer behavioral problems and do better when they get to school. Shaw and his colleagues are now following these children through …

… It turns out that too much salt can lead to a host of health problems. The chemical name for dietary salt, or table salt, is sodium chloride. Since 90% of the sodium we ingest is from … it’s the sodium part most doctors focus on. “The best known effect of sodium on health is the relationship between sodium and blood pressure,” explains Dr. Catherine Loria of NIH’s National … to pay attention to nutrition facts on the labels,” Loria says. “The percent daily value is a better guide than the language that’s used on food labels like ‘low-salt.’ These labels can be …

… digest food. They prevent dangerous infections in your organs. And so much more. They’re vital for your health. This collection of microbes in your body includes bacteria, fungi, and viruses. … or eating an unhealthy diet. Now, studies are starting to uncover ways to use microbes to improve your health. … Restoring Balance … One of the big jobs for our helpful microbes is to … the bloodstream. “These tell us how much we eat, when to eat, and what to eat,” he says. This communication between our cells and our microbes seems to play a role in obesity. Chang and …

… are not necessarily a sign of alcohol use disorder. But you may want to reconsider your relationship with alcohol. Learn more about blackouts and alcohol . …

… Where you feel the pain, what other symptoms you have, and how long headaches last can vary. For many people, headaches are an occasional nuisance. For others, they can be chronic and … lifestyle changes. Drinking enough water, avoiding headache triggers, managing stress, or improving sleep can sometimes be enough. Other headaches may require more intensive … the headaches so you can work to avoid them. Sharing your diary with your doctor can help them better understand the type of headaches you’re having and suggest a treatment plan. …

… Caring for a friend, parent, or other relative who lives far away? If you live an hour or more away, … caregiver. You may be arranging care or helping with bills and paperwork. You could be communicating with health care providers. And you’re probably an important source of emotional support for your friend or relative. Doing all this from afar can be challenging. There are things you …

… Migraine headaches can last for days. Some people have what’s called an aura before migraine pain sets in. Aura can include … trigger pain. The nerve cells that drive migraine pain are known to sit outside the brain. And communication between these nerves and the brain was thought to be blocked by a structure called …