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A 2022 study found a 31% reduction in Americans’ use of prescription sleep aids from 2013 to 2018. The drop-off was even sharper among people 80 and older, who were 86% less likely to use FDA-approved sleep drugs by the end of the study period.
Fermented foods and drinks such as kimchi, kombucha, and tempeh are increasingly popular, adding to mainstays such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and beer. Heat and bright lights during manufacturing can destroy some beneficial probiotics. Fermented products can ease digestion, dampen inflammation, boost nutrient absorption, and battle harmful bacteria. People should look for product labels that say “live and active cultures” and avoid shelf-stable versions, which don’t contain probiotics.
Bladder problems in women can increase due to childbirth, menopause, and aging. Additional contributors to bladder symptoms include weight gain, pelvic organ prolapse, and the types of beverages people drink, as well as how much and how often. Women should see a doctor about increasing leakage, urgency, frequency, or nighttime urination; cloudy or strong-smelling urine; pain or burning while urinating; pain during sex; or lower abdominal pain.
Women are twice as likely as men to develop plantar fasciitis, the most common cause of chronic heel pain. Pain is worst in the morning and eases over the course of the day. Older adults, some athletes, and people who are overweight or obese are likelier to develop plantar fasciitis. Mainstay treatments include stretches, medication, night splints, and supportive shoes. Emerging treatments include injections of botulinum toxin (Botox), platelet-rich plasma, or fat.
While muscle pain is a possible side effect of taking statins, most discomfort is not caused by the drug, but most likely a “nocebo effect” where negative expectations can lead to perceived side effects.
By age 40, one in five women has dealt with an eating disorder, twice the proportion of women known to be affected by age 21. Risks for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating can rise at midlife due to job stressors, an empty nest, and dating again after divorce or widowhood. Health effects can include bone loss, heart problems, lung conditions, gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, and skin breakdown. Signs of an eating disorder include dramatic weight fluctuations, excessive exercising, and preoccupation with weight, calories, and body size and shape.
Arm tenderness is the most common side effect after vaccination. The injection stretches muscle fibers and triggers an immune response, causing discomfort. People can counter pain by moving the injected arm afterward and applying a cool compress or ice pack.
Concussions occur when the brain bumps or twists inside the skull after a blow to the head. Signs of concussion include headache, eye pain or fatigue, neck pain or stiffness, imbalance, impaired depth perception, difficulty remembering, or sleep pattern changes.
Many myths and misunderstandings about teeth and tooth health persist, such as what stains can be lightened, how cavities are formed, and whether fluoride is actually safe.
Gout strikes when too much uric acid builds up in the body and triggers severe pain, swelling, and redness in one or more joints, often in the big toe. New research suggests that an episode may increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke over the following two months.