Harvard Health Content API

Mouth conditions unrelated to the teeth can cause discomfort and affect mouth function. Examples include canker sores, dry mouth, and thrush. Canker sores are painful ulcers that develop in the lining of the mouth or gums. Chronic dry mouth is a lack of saliva. Thrush is an overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans that appears in the mouth as white patches or sores. Treatment for these conditions may involve simple therapies to try at home or prescription treatments.

Some people with newly diagnosed mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma have another option for first-line treatment. Instead of using prescription eye drops initially, they can have a laser procedure called selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). SLT uses light pulses to help clean up debris clogging the eye’s natural drains. Clogged drains lead to elevated eye pressure that damages the optic nerve. SLT's effects wane after three to five years, at which point it may be necessary to have the procedure again, or to begin using eye drops to treat glaucoma.

Harvard Medical School has created a large department dedicated to developing and teaching young scientists about the emerging field of computational medicine. This field uses new mathematical techniques to make sense of the thousands of numbers generated in experiments measuring various molecules. Analyzing such “big data” was once unimaginable. Now, scientists have the tools to do it, and to compare tissue of people with and without a disease to find out which molecules are different.

Stretching the muscles that support the spine can help alleviate persistent or recurring low back pain. The muscles to stretch include the erector spinae muscles along the spine, the iliopsoas muscles connecting the spine to the lower limbs, and the abdominal muscles in the front of the body that help prop up the torso. Other muscles that support the back include those in the front of the hips, back of the thighs, and buttocks. An example of a back stretch is lying on a bed and pulling the legs close to the chest for half a minute.

Older adults exposed to light while sleeping at night may be more likely to have obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes compared with adults who sleep in darkness.

After surgery unrelated to the heart, a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (afib) may be more common than previously thought. These cases, which may constitute 13% of new afib diagnoses, appear to be undertreated.

People who meet the recommended physical activity guidelines may experience the same health benefits regardless of whether they spread the exercise out over the week or do it all in one or two days.

Vegetarian chili is a filling, heart-healthy meal that can be dressed up with various toppings. Leftovers can be frozen in single-serving containers for simple dinners or lunches later.

Anti-clotting medications have a well-known and fairly common effect: a heightened risk of bleeding. Being older, having certain health conditions, and taking certain drugs (including popular over-the-counter pain relievers) can increase this risk. Minor bleeding includes bleeding gums after toothbrushing or flossing and nosebleeds that take longer than usual to stop. Signs of more serious bleeding (which requires immediate medical care) include tea-colored, pink, or red urine; blood in the stool or black, tarry stools; or a sudden, severe headache.

Vascular dementia, which arises from longstanding, cumulative damage to small blood vessels in the brain, may cause or contribute to up to half of cases of dementia. The vessels may thicken or become blocked by blood clots, causing tiny strokes that damage specific parts of the brain important for various thinking abilities. Keeping blood pressure in the recommended range of 120/80 or lower is the best way to prevent vascular dementia.