Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Only an estimated 40% of American adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week, the low end of what the government recommends. Only 20% of adults perform the recommended strength training twice a week. This lack of movement makes older adults less fit than they could be for their age. But the good news is that people can build strength and improve their fitness at any age using a gradual, progressive approach that focuses on building strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility and balance.

Intimate partner violence, which includes physical or sexual violence, psychological harm, or stalking by a current or former partner, affects as many as one in three women. Help is available, even during the pandemic. Leaving an abusive situation can be challenging, but having a plan can help. Women should also be aware that the abuse isn’t their fault and they are not alone. As many as one in three women experiences intimate partner violence.

Neurotoxins and dermal fillers for cosmetic use are being sold illegally online to unlicensed individuals, putting people at risk of serious complications.

Having had irregular or long menstrual cycles is linked to a higher risk of dying before age 70.

Intense exercise doesn’t reduce the risk of early death compared with lower-intensity workouts.

Wearing a face mask can be uncomfortable. It can make breathing feel a little challenging, spark feelings of claustrophobia, or irritate the face and ears. Fortunately, many steps can help reduce face mask discomfort. For example, if breathing with a mask on feels difficult, it will help to breathe at a slower rate. If ear pain is a problem, it will help to use an “ear saver” that relieves pressure on the ears.

Experts recommend an average of seven to nine hours of total sleep per night, but you also want your brain to reach a stage called deep sleep. During this stage, the brain creates and stores new memories, makes a hormone that helps tissues grow and regenerate, and “flushes out” toxins and waste products that have accumulated during the day. One can take several steps to improve sleep quality, including going to bed and waking up at the same time each day; avoiding mobile phone use, exercise, or caffeine intake too close to bedtime; and using a noise machine to increase deep sleep.

The pandemic makes coping with holiday pressures a little tricky. If one is concerned about COVID-19 exposure at a holiday event, it may help to chat with loved ones to get support for a decision about whether to attend. If one must celebrate the holidays alone, it may help to grieve what is lost, savor past holiday gatherings, watch online religious services, and continue to practice special traditions—such as making holiday foods or putting up holiday decorations.

The pandemic is leading some people to put off visits to their eye doctors. Delayed care could allow eye problems——such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, or an eye stroke——to go undetected or unchecked, especially since these conditions may not have symptoms in the early stages. But allowing eye problems to progress can result in eye damage and vision loss. It’s best to keep scheduled eye appointments, especially eye care for existing conditions.

A number of home remedies and over-the-counter medications can soothe sore gums. Examples include using over-the-counter painkillers, topical gels, better flossing tools, hot or warm compresses, and warm saltwater rinses, and avoiding foods with rough textures. When using these methods, gum pain often goes away after a few weeks. For conditions such as ulcers, trauma, burns, inflammation, or herpes simplex, the body may heal on its own after 14 days. However, if gum pain persists, one should go to a dentist.