Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

A detailed look at supplements and their medical use.

Long-established treatments for essential tremor, such as medication and deep brain stimulation surgery, have been joined by a leading-edge technique called focused ultrasound. This incision-free procedure aims sound waves at a spot deep in the brain responsible for tremors. While scientists study ultrasound’s long-term effects, the procedure is currently used to treat shakiness on only one side of the body. Other common causes of tremor include Parkinson’s disease, caffeine, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety, and fatigue.

A 2022 study found that women with overactive bladder showed significant improvement in urinary symptoms, such as urgency and leakage, after they engaged in a type of telehealth care.

A 2022 study found that people who recover from COVID-19 face significantly higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had short-term upper respiratory tract infections, which are often caused by other viruses.

A 2022 study found that people who have depression after a heart attack are nearly 50% more likely to suffer a stroke compared with heart attack survivors who don’t develop depression.

Most people have eye twitches at some point in their lives. These are usually a sign of minor physical or mental stress. Spasms can be calmed with a warm compress, sleep, or exercise. People should see a doctor if one or both eyes close involuntarily with spasms.

Hiccups are sometimes triggered by emotional stress such as surprise, fright, or nervousness. People can try to stop hiccups by holding their breath for five to 10 seconds, breathing into a paper bag, or sipping ice water. Occasionally, hiccups signal other conditions.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is less common in summer, but a seasonal pattern of depressive symptoms can occur despite exposure to many hours of daylight. Many summertime SAD symptoms resemble overall depression markers, but eating and sleeping patterns can deviate. People can combat summertime SAD by sticking with antidepressants and psychotherapy, maintaining routines, exercising, and taking a break from social media.

Mammograms are still the gold standard method for breast screening, but additional imaging tests can help detect cancers that might otherwise be missed in women with dense breasts or other breast cancer risk factors. Ultrasound is inexpensive but has a high false-positive rate if used alone. MRI is expensive but very accurate for tumor detection. Three-dimensional mammograms are highly accurate but have a 50% false-positive rate over a decade of yearly screening in women ages 40 to 79.

A 2022 study suggests that eating meat (including poultry) fewer than five times a week may protect people from cancer. Consuming only fish and no meat or following a vegetarian or vegan diet may offer even greater protection.