Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health
As wildfires become more frequent due to climate change and drier conditions, more of us and more of our communities are at risk for harm. Here is information to help you prepare and protect yourself and your family. How does…
An action plan to fight unhealthy inflammation
Although inflammation serves a vital role in the body’s defense and repair systems, chronic inflammation can cause more harm than good. And that may make you wonder: what can I do about it? In fact, there’s a lot you can…
Want a calmer brain? Try this
For neuroscientist Sara Lazar, a form of meditation called open awareness is as fundamental to her day as breathing. “I just become aware that I am aware, with no particular thing that I focus on,” explains Lazar, an associate researcher…
Which migraine medications are most helpful?
If you suffer from the throbbing, intense pain set off by migraine headaches, you may well wonder which medicines are most likely to offer relief. A recent study suggests a class of drugs called triptans are the most helpful option,…
Medication side effects: What are your options?
Medications can provide a host of health benefits. They may prevent or eliminate a disease. They might improve your quality of life and even help you live longer. But the medicines we take also have potential side effects. While listed…
21 spices for healthy holiday foods
The holiday season is one of the hardest times of the year to resist salty, fatty, sugary foods. Who doesn’t want to enjoy the special dishes and treats that evoke memories and meaning — especially during the pandemic? Physical distancing…
PTSD: How is treatment changing?
Over the course of a lifetime, as many as seven in 10 adults in the United States will directly experience or witness harrowing events. These include gun violence, car accidents, and other personal trauma; natural or human-made disasters, such as…
Concussion in children: What to know and do
Concussion is one of the most common injuries to the brain, affecting about two million children and teens every year. It is a particular kind of injury that happens when a blow to the head or somewhere else on the…