Brooke Hinderhan thought she had turned a corner with her health. After metformin failed to control her diabetes, doctors prescribed Ozempic. For a time, the popular GLP-1 drug worked, bringing her blood sugar under control. Even the side effects were manageable — until she developed severe fatigue, followed by diarrhea and stomach cramps that left … Read more
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Exercise is the best medicine” — and for good reason. Regular movement improves sleep, boosts energy and supports mood while also strengthening the heart and lowering stress. It’s one of the most powerful tools for preventing, and even detecting, cardiovascular disease early, as symptoms such as shortness of breath often … Read more
Every so often, Dr. Laurence Levine fields a phone call from a circumcised man desperate to restore his penis to its original glory. Levine, a board-certified urologic surgeon in Chicago, said he does a “fair amount of penile cosmetic surgery,” but he doesn’t replace foreskin lost to circumcision. “A man should be happy … with … Read more
Spring in NYC is famously fickle — we have to prepare for everything from slushy snow and gloomy rain to gusty wind and even “pollen tsunamis.” Wait, pollen tsunamis? Before you consult your Farmers’ Almanac, a pollen tsunami is a significantly longer and more intense allergy season buoyed by warmer temperatures, rising carbon dioxide levels … Read more
A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has killed three passengers and sickened at least four others, worrying health experts. People most often contract the rare but deadly disease from the feces, urine or saliva of infected rodents, but the World Health Organization insisted Tuesday that no rodents have been found on the … Read more
The suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has killed three people and sickened at least seven others, has two likely causes — and both are bad news for the 150 passengers on board, experts said. The more likely scenario would be passengers contracting the virus from the feces, urine or saliva … Read more
Fox & Friends has officially launched Wellness Week, a dedicated series aimed at navigating the world of social media health trends. “The internet is jam-packed with millions of these trends that are promising you a healthier, younger and more energized life. But it’s hard to tell what’s a real hack or just hype,” said host Kayleigh … Read more
The dismissal of this chronic condition is a common pain point for the nearly 10% of women who have it. In a society that normalizes women’s pain, plenty of doctors have been known to write off endometriosis complications as less than serious. Enough so that today, leading experts say the disorder goes underreported and can … Read more
Boy, is it tough to get men to go to the doctor. Research shows that most men would rather do just about anything else. This is a major problem because everyone needs regular check-ups and preventive screenings to address silent conditions and improve long-term health outcomes. Let’s keep it simple — here are the two … Read more
New research has found a concerning characteristic in babies that could greatly affect their health down the line. While some gut microbiome can pass in utero, a newborn’s gut microbiome was previously thought to be nearly sterile, mostly acquiring bacteria during birth or via breastfeeding. But new findings may prove otherwise, according to research presented … Read more
More than three million people travel to undergo cosmetic surgery each year, statistics show — but the potential savings come at a cost. Most people opting to pursue this so-called “medical tourism” are chasing budget-friendly price tags. International surgeries, such as hair transplants in Turkey, can cost as little as $4,000 to $5,000, compared to $20,000 to … Read more
Tick bites are sending Americans to the emergency room at the highest rate in nearly a decade, according to new CDC data. During the second week of April, 71 out of every 100,000 emergency room visits were for tick bites — more than double the usual average of about 30 per 100,000, said the agency, … Read more
For Brandon Axelrod, a 27-year-old physician at one of Manhattan’s most acclaimed medical facilities, it’d be easy to have an inflated ego. But the $405,000 albatross that is his student loan debt keeps the Long Island native grounded. It’s a humongous, humbling bill that the oral and maximal facial surgery resident is remitting with the help of helium. … Read more
They’re the small molecules with the big buzz. You couldn’t live without peptides, which regulate essential functions such as metabolism, tissue repair and immune response. The body naturally produces thousands of them, like collagen and oxytocin, while some are sold as synthetic compounds, like Ozempic and aspartame. And since 2023, 19 of the manmade ones … Read more
A fatty bulge at the base of the neck — commonly known as a “buffalo hump” — isn’t always just a cosmetic concern, as experts say it can sometimes signal an underlying condition. As more Americans grapple with poor posture, obesity and chronic conditions requiring long-term medications, experts warn that these factors can contribute to the … Read more
Taking care of your health never gets old. As we age, it’s important to maintain healthy habits — including proper nutrition, regular exercise and quality sleep — and to follow recommended preventive care, such as cancer screenings and vaccines. Keeping it simple, here are the two key things women should do each decade to stay … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I’m an ophthalmologist, a physician who specializes in medical and surgical eye care, and I’m hoping you can help me debunk a common myth about eye health. Many assume eye disease happens only to older adults. While age does increase the risk of developing certain vision-threatening diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma … Read more
A deadly vaccine-preventable disease is making a comeback. A highly contagious and fast-moving infection that primarily affects children under five years of age is back, as fewer babies get vaccinated year after year. And doctors who have been trained in the past 40 years have never seen a case before. As vaccinations rates among children … Read more
Most people go through life dreading a serious diagnosis and surgery. I spent my formative years begging for both. At 30, while my peers were advancing their careers and growing their families, I couldn’t shower without vomiting from the strain it put on my body. I couldn’t pull up my underwear or tie my shoes … Read more
A young woman was diagnosed with blood cancer after her symptoms were dismissed as anxiety and told by a GP, “You look healthy, so you must be fine.” Abby Maxwell was reassured by doctors that nothing was wrong despite losing 84 pounds in under a year and suffering from regular bouts of nausea and vomiting. … Read more