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
Getting a full eight hours of sleep and still feeling drowsy? Sleep experts say it’s not just about how much shut-eye you get. Dr. Wendy Troxel, a licensed clinical psychologist and senior behavioral scientist at RAND based in Utah, emphasized the “really important distinction” between quantity and quality of sleep. “Many people will say, ‘Man, I’m … Read more
Someday soon, doctors who don’t run their patients’ records through an AI model will be considered negligent. At least, that’s what Steve Brown thinks. He’s the founder of CureWise, an app designed to guide patients through cancer care with the help of AI. He’s also a cancer patient well on the way to recovery — thanks … Read more
Caroline Shaw had no idea she would feel an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom in the middle of her facelift. “My face was only half done, and they asked if they could take my picture, which they gave me as a souvenir,” the 57-year-old life coach, who splits her time between the Upper East … Read more
Maeve O’Neil, a 19-year-old freshman at George Washington University, knew she was sick — but had no idea just how dire it had become. It was seeing a dramatic spike in her respiratory rate, resting heart rate and body temperature through her device that gave her the courage to get it checked out — before … Read more
Don’t get your panty liners in a twist. One OB-GYN is in a cramp about the overuse of panty liners when one of her patients mentioned wearing the sanitary pad every day. Calling it “panty liner abuse”, the doc took to social media to explain why this is a big no-no when it comes to … Read more
This granola mom is taking things to a whole other holistic level. In a head-scratching social media video, posted by Massachusetts health spa Caney Salt + Wellness Studio, a mom’s voice is heard saying, “I salt my kiddos and you should too,” as she’s seen tidying up a room filled with, you guessed it — … Read more
Measles is back in a big way — and it’s catching some doctors off guard. In North Carolina, hospital staff took a staggering two hours and 20 minutes to isolate 7-year-old twin brothers who arrived at an Asheville ER last month with fever, cough, rash, pink eye and cold-like symptoms, KFF Health News reports. The … Read more
When it comes to matters of the heart, there’s more to consider than hitting your weekly cardio goals at the gym. With new technologies like smart beds that register abnormal rhythms and T-shirts designed to alert wearers to underlying heart conditions, patients have more tools to measure and track their heart health than ever before. … Read more
As people age, vision naturally declines, and the risk of eye conditions increases. That includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that typically occurs in patients older than 50. AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss among adults over 60 and impacts millions of Americans, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. The condition degrades … Read more
It was supposed to be peak relaxation. Kate Johnson and her husband, Sean, planned a 10-day ski vacation to Japan early last year. They figured it would be their last big trip for a while since they were trying to get pregnant. A few weeks before boarding the plane, the Hoboken couple found out they … Read more
Eating your veggies? Thumbs up. With computerized records and messaging through patient portals, some doctors have traded their infamous chicken scratch handwriting for easier-to-decipher hieroglyphics. And a new study aims to understand emojis’ emerging use within the medical profession, specifically clinical notes and patient portal messaging. As part of their work, researchers from University of … Read more