Author: Jane Farrell

Humidity from Masks May Lessen Severity of COVID-19

Masks serve as a barrier to help protect the people wearing them from getting or spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. These droplets travel into the air when coughing, sneezing, or talking. Masks are a simple barrier to help block respiratory droplets. Studies… Continue reading Humidity from Masks May Lessen Severity of COVID-19

What Happens after COVID-19?

When people recover from infection with a virus, the immune system retains a memory of it. Immune cells and proteins that circulate in the body can recognize and kill the pathogen if it’s encountered again, protecting against disease and reducing illness severity. This long-term immune protection involves several components. Antibodies—proteins that circulate in the blood—recognize… Continue reading What Happens after COVID-19?

The Truth About Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can cause surprisingly serious damage. There are two kinds of bruxism in which people grind, crunch or clench their teeth. In awake bruxism, people often don’t do it deliberately and may not even be aware that they are doing it – for example, if they are concentrating on something. With the… Continue reading The Truth About Teeth Grinding

Imposter Scams Lead List of Consumer Frauds

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 2.1 million fraud reports from consumers in 2020, according to newly released data, with imposter scams remaining the most common type of fraud reported to the agency. The FTC reported that online shopping was the second-most common fraud category reported by consumers, elevated by a surge of… Continue reading Imposter Scams Lead List of Consumer Frauds

COVID-19 and Herd Immunity

The United States could be approaching herd immunity, which occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely, according to Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Based on the number of vaccinations that have already been administered, as… Continue reading COVID-19 and Herd Immunity

Heart Experts: Federal Diet Guidelines Good – With One Exception

The American Heart Association (AHA), the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, has responded to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) released earlier in 2021 by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). “The new federal dietary guidelines emphasize the importance of healthy eating and… Continue reading Heart Experts: Federal Diet Guidelines Good – With One Exception

Heart Disease Patients and COVID-19

Deaths from ischemic heart disease and hypertensive diseases in the United States increased during the COVID-19 pandemic over the prior year, while globally, COVID-19 was associated with significant disruptions in cardiovascular disease testing. These findings are from two papers publishing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that examined the indirect effects of… Continue reading Heart Disease Patients and COVID-19

Repeat Heart Attacks Drop, but Survivors Still Face Danger

After surviving a heart attack, the proportion of patients who experience a repeat attack within a year fell between 2008 and 2017, with a greater decline in women than men, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. Despite the improvement, the rate of recurrent heart attacks, hospitalization for heart… Continue reading Repeat Heart Attacks Drop, but Survivors Still Face Danger

Spouses of ICU Patients Have Their Own Heart Attack Risk

Having a spouse in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) may make a person more likely to have a heart attack or cardiac-related hospitalization themselves within a few weeks of the ICU admission, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. “Spouses of ICU patients should pay attention to their… Continue reading Spouses of ICU Patients Have Their Own Heart Attack Risk

Filling Prescriptions during the Pandemic

In these uncertain times, staying healthy is a priority for everyone. The last thing anyone should worry about is filling and receiving prescriptions, especially if you rely on them to treat serious or chronic conditions. Here, doctors and pharmacists fromScripta Insights, a healthcare IT solution and employee benefit, offer tips that will help you get… Continue reading Filling Prescriptions during the Pandemic

Exercising Safely in Cold Weather

The pandemic continues, and while you’re masking up and staying home, that can be especially frustrating in the winter months, when outdoor exercise may be more difficult than at other times of the year. If you can’t afford – or don’t want – bulky exercise equipment in your house, here are some tips from the… Continue reading Exercising Safely in Cold Weather

Neurological Symptoms and COVID-19

A new database will collect information from clinicians about COVID-19-related neurological symptoms, complications, and outcomes as well as COVID-19 effects on pre-existing neurological conditions, according to a news release from The National Institutes of Health (NIH). The COVID-19 Neuro Databank/Biobank (NeuroCOVID), which was created and will be maintained by NYU Langone Health, New York City,… Continue reading Neurological Symptoms and COVID-19

What You Need to Know about Binge Drinking

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern of excessive alcohol use corresponds to consuming 4 or more drinks (female), or 5 or… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Binge Drinking

A Nutrient that Kills Invading Bacteria

Scientists studying the body’s natural defenses against bacterial infection have identified a nutrient — taurine — that helps the gut recall prior infections and kill invading bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn). The finding, published in the journal Cell by scientists from five institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could aid efforts seeking… Continue reading A Nutrient that Kills Invading Bacteria

What We Know about COVID-19 Variants

Information about the characteristics of Covid-19 variants is rapidly emerging. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily these variants might spread, whether they could cause more severe illness, and whether currently authorized vaccines will protect people against them. At this time, in January 2021, there is no evidence that these variants cause more… Continue reading What We Know about COVID-19 Variants

Leg Fat and Hypertension

Adults with fatter legs — meaning they have a higher percentage of total body fat tissue in their legs — were less likely than those with a lower percentage to have high blood pressure, according to new research to be presented at the virtual American Heart Association’s Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions. The meeting is a… Continue reading Leg Fat and Hypertension

How to Heal Chapped Lips

While it may seem that dry, cracked lips are something you must live with until spring comes, you can have soft, supple lips year-round. Here, from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), are their top recommendations for keeping lips smooth. Use non-irritating lip balm, lipstick, and other products that you apply to your lips. Many… Continue reading How to Heal Chapped Lips