Finding your focus

The brain has an enormous power to learn, remember, and solve problems. Yet, like any aging body part, it can gradually slow, and people may find it harder to concentrate and stay focused. Following certain strategies can help prepare the brain for situations that require a high level of focus and improve overall brain health.

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Working around health issues and sex

While specific health problems can affect men’s sexual performance and stamina, it’s how they respond to these obstacles that can pose the greatest challenge. Worrying about how conditions may cause physical limitations or possible health risks during intimacy can make sex more stressful. However, with a few adjustments, men can often navigate around health issues like heart disease, arthritis, and back pain so sex is safer and more enjoyable.

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The heart-related hazards of air pollution

Air pollution is an often overlooked yet important contributor to cardiovascular disease. Tiny particles known as PM2.5 travel deep into the lungs, where they irritate receptors and trigger nerves involved in the autonomic nervous system. This irritation also contributes to inflammation, which accelerates atherosclerosis. Climate change can worsen the damaging effects of air pollution in several ways, such as by promoting wildfires and dust storms, which creates more PM2.5. To reduce pollution’s harmful effects, people can check air quality information and use portable indoor air cleaners when pollution levels are elevated.

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Is it a heart attack?

The first-ever guidelines to diagnose chest pain document the range of possible heart attack symptoms. They include a sense of pressure, tightness, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest but also in the shoulders, arms, neck, back, upper abdomen, or jaw. The report also provides a road map to help doctors assess chest pain with selective use of the latest available tests. Chest discomfort can also result from other conditions that affect the heart (such as pericarditis) and nearby organs. These include acid reflux, muscle or joint issues, and lung problems.

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