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Long lived the Queen. Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch lived a remarkably long life—over 30 years longer than other women also born in 1926 in the United Kingdom. Even for those born today, the average life expectancy for women isn’t much higher than 80 years, both in the U.K. and the U.S. It’s difficult to talk about the Queen without talking about her longevity. After all, as the Washington Post noted, at least nine out of 10 humans alive today were born after she became Queen....

You can get a cold year-round, but most people consider the winter months to be common cold season. The viruses that cause colds also spread more easily just after a drop in temperature and humidity. Generally, this means the United States’ cold season starts sometime around September and ends sometime around April. However, this doesn’t mean the cold weather itself makes you sick. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can cause very serious illnesses like hypothermia, but there is no strong evidence to show that cold temperatures can give you a cold....

Approximately 1 in 10 Americans has diabetes. The condition puts them at risk for long-term vision, kidney, and cardiac health problems. Key Takeaways People with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Diet is one way that people with diabetes can manage the condition and reduce their risk of other health problems.A new study has shown that the timing of when people with diabetes eat certain foods—not just that they eat those foods—may have an effect on their heart health....

Some people are extra sensitive to benzoyl peroxide, a common ingredient in topical acne treatments, and struggle to find acne cleaners and lotions that don’t have it. If you can’t use benzoyl peroxide because your skin is just too sensitive to it or because you’re allergic to it, don’t worry. There are plenty of other benzoyl peroxide-free treatments that you can use to help clear your acne. Benzoyl Peroxide Allergy and Sensitivity If you have sensitive skin or a history of eczema, you’re more likely to have a bad reaction to benzoyl peroxide....

Osteopenia is a condition marked by low bone mass. Although people with osteopenia have less dense bones (lower mineral content) than typical, the condition is not as severe as osteoporosis (a progressive bone-thinning disease). However, people with osteopenia are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis if their condition is left untreated. This article explains the risk factors for developing osteopenia, alternative therapies, and ways to maintain bone health. An estimated 43....

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is considered an idiopathic condition, meaning there is no known trigger for the nerve degeneration that produces its symptoms. Some weakly associated risk factors include family history and environmental exposures. But most people who have these risk factors don’t develop ALS, and most people who have ALS do not have any ALS risk factors. This article will discuss possible causes and risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, including processes that lead to nerve damage, genetics, and lifestyle risk factors....

Ribs are pretty hard to break. They are a bony framework that protects the vital organs located within the chest cavity. They are also are surrounded by strong muscles and usually can take a lot of abuse before they crack. Most broken ribs—including in children—come from vehicle accidents, but they’re also common from falling off horses, sports injuries, and falls. In some cases, lots of forceful coughing—like from a bout of pneumonia—can cause rib fractures....

A children’s hospital in Colorado has created a revolutionary new way to approach medical marijuana use for minors. Children’s Hospital Colorado crafted a medical marijuana use policy that combines the use of a clinical pharmacist and social worker to offer support to patients and families that are either using medical marijuana or are considering its use. Key Takeaways A children’s hospital in Colorado is working to open discussions with patients about medical marijuana use....

Did you know that your dental health has consequences that go well beyond your mouth? Taking care of your teeth has been found to protect your overall health, and the most surprising relationship between dental health and overall health is that problems with your dental health have been associated with stroke. What Kind of Dental Problems Lead to Stroke? Research studies from countries as diverse as Germany, France, Sweden, India, and Korea show that varying degrees of periodontal disease (gum disease) are associated with strokes....

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is made by our bodies and ingested through our diet. Abnormal cholesterol levels are unhealthy and can contribute to cardiovascular disease. If you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) your risk of cardiovascular disease is increased due to the higher prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance among women with PCOS. Approximately 70 percent of women with PCOS have dyslipidemia, which can be caused by high levels of triglycerides (TG) and low levels of high-density lipoprotein HDL (good cholesterol)....

Fibromyalgia pain is complex and involves multiple dysfunctions in how the body processes signals. One of these processing dysfunctions deals with something called pain inhibition. In most people, sustained or repeated pain is perceived as diminishing. For example, when they put on a tight pair of pants, it may be a little painful at first, but then the pain fades away. If the dentist pokes at healthy gums multiple times, the first poke will hurt the worst and subsequent ones will hurt less....

Gas stoves release concerning levels of methane and air pollutants into residential homes, according to a new study published by Stanford University. Key Takeaways Stanford researchers found that gas stoves and ovens release methane even when they’re not in useWhen a gas stove is turned on, the level of nitrogen oxides—air pollutants that could be damaging to health—surpasses the outdoor safety exposure limit within minutes.Kitchen vents can help reduce nitrogen oxide exposure, especially in smaller homes, but this is not a perfect solution....

Celiac disease is actually quite a common condition, but you wouldn’t necessarily realize how common it is because so many people who have it haven’t been diagnosed. Because celiac is a genetic condition — in other words, you need to have the “right” genes to develop it — the rate of celiac disease varies widely from country to country. In the United States, about one in every 141 people have celiac disease, which means approximately 1....

In most cases, diverticular disease doesn’t cause symptoms. Diverticulosis is the formation of diverticula, which are small, usually painless pouches that can develop in the colon. And diverticulitis, which is diverticular inflammation, can cause discomfort or pain. These conditions tend to occur after the age of 40. When diverticular disease is asymptomatic, it is often discovered as an incidental finding, such as with a screening colonoscopy. Tests that might be done to evaluate symptoms of possible diverticular disease include a non-invasive abdominal computed computerized tomography (CT) scan or a colonoscopy, which is more invasive....

If you find yourself falling asleep during the day, you might question whether you are too sleepy. There is a simple screening tool used by sleep doctors to identify individuals who suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. Learn the questions that are part of it and how they may help to identify problems associated with sleep disorders, like sleep apnea and narcolepsy. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale The Epworth sleepiness scale is a questionnaire that is routinely used to assess the degree of an individual’s sleepiness....

Of the many illnesses that are related to aging, a worsening memory and eventual dementia are among the most frightening. If there’s good news for an aging population, it’s the growing evidence that modifiable risk factors—that is, lifestyle habits within our control—play a role in preventing dementia and its most common form, Alzheimer’s disease. A 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined the role that nuts and olive oil played when added to plant-based Mediterranean diet, in the development of cognitive decline....

Despite the commonly acknowledged difficulty deaf children have learning English, there is no shortage of resources for helping them do so. Literacy Teaching Methods Some classes use a tool called Manipulative Visual Language (MVL). This technique helps deaf children visualize the sounds they can not hear. Literacy Products Gallaudet University’s Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center product catalog includes an entire section on literacy. Products available include a book on using dialogue journals, posters, and a writer’s handbook for deaf students....

Rumination disorder is a disorder characterized by an individual’s uncontrollable and frequent regurgitation of food. The food that is regurgitated is either re-chewed and swallowed, or spit out. It’s most common to see a diagnosis of rumination disorder in infants, young children, and individuals with intellectual disabilities. However, as more awareness about rumination disorder is available adolescents and adults are now more frequently diagnosed. It is not considered a commonly diagnosed disorder....

Many caregivers wonder whether it’s OK to lie to someone with Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia when they find that trying to convince their relatives of the truth isn’t working. Many years ago, it was thought that strict reality orientation should be used when Alzheimer’s individuals became confused. In other words, if the person thought her parents were still alive, it was recommended that she be told the truth—that her parents were dead—in order to bring her back to reality....

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is classified into four stages according to its severity, with moderate COPD considered stage II of the disease. Overview of Moderate COPD If you’ve been diagnosed with moderate COPD, according to the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), your forced expiratory volume (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio—as measured by a simple lung test known as spirometry—should be less than 70 percent; and your FEV1 should be between 50 percent and 79 percent of the predicted values for a healthy population....