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It may seem like strange advice, but should you let your teen sleep in? A growing body of research evidence suggests that this might actually be good for teenagers, helping to improve morning sleepiness and easing the effects of insomnia among night owls. These teens may be more attentive and productive in school and the rates of absenteeism may actually drop. Why do teens respond so well to sleeping in and should we move to allow teens to stay in bed a little later each day to improve their sleep?...

When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, officials scrambled to enact policies to limit the spread of the virus. Now, a new study analyzes which policies are the most effective—and which haven’t been very helpful. Key Takeaways Jurisdictions have enacted a wide range of policies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, with varying effectiveness.Researchers have analyzed these policies to try to determine which are the most effective.Public compliance is an important factor in the success of these policies....

Debridement is the process of removing unhealthy tissue from the body. The tissue may be necrotic (dead), infected, damaged, contaminated, or there may be a foreign body in the tissue. Why Debridement Is Done As an example, a patient has a serious wound that is infected and is not getting better with antibiotics and wound care. The wound is getting larger, the patient is getting sicker, and without better control of the infection, the patient could be in a life-threatening situation....

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is at the center of wide range of painful health conditions. Initially, it just causes chickenpox and then it leads to shingles.Usually, though the virus doesn’t actually go away when the rash subsides. Instead, the virus goes into hiding, lurking in ganglionic nerve cells near the spinal cord, waiting for an opportunity to make another appearance. Shingles is one of the best-known ways VZV returns for round two....

When people think about sexual orientation, they generally refer to a person’s sexuality (meaning the quality or state of being sexual). But, sexual orientation is not only limited to a person’s ability to experience sexual attraction. There are people who do not experience sexual attraction toward people of any gender. This, too, is a sexual orientation and is referred to as asexuality. Asexuality is not the same thing as celibacy or abstinence, in which a person consciously chooses not to have sex irrespective of their sexual feelings....

Radon (Rn) is a naturally occurring radioactive element. It is inert, colorless, odorless, and can be found in trace amounts in the atmosphere. Radon disperses quickly so exposure outdoors or in small amounts indoors is harmless. But exposure to high levels within a closed space for a long period of time can cause cancer. High levels of radon can accumulate when the gas becomes trapped indoors through cracks in the building’s foundation or other holes in the house....

Omnicef is a popular antibiotic for ear infections in babies, but it may cause red stools. The question is whether or not what you’re seeing is blood or something else. Antibiotic Side Effects Bloody stools can be a complication of being on antibiotics. Being on antibiotics can cause an infection of the intestinal tract called Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff). Other symptoms usually include abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea (often bloody), fever and decreased appetite....

Pain is one of the several unexpected consequences of stroke. Post-stroke pain is not typically among the early stroke symptoms, and it may take weeks or months for post-stroke pain to develop. Because it takes a while for post-stroke pain to begin, stroke survivors often consider the physical pain after a stroke to be related to “aging,” stress, or something else. It is important to have your post-stroke pain evaluated by your healthcare provider, because there are many effective medical treatments for it....

White vaginal discharge may seem alarming to some. However, most of the time there is nothing to worry about. In fact, most people with vaginas will have some discharge. White vaginal discharge is usually a sign of a normal menstrual cycle. It can give you a clue as to what stage of the cycle you’re in. It can also be an early sign of pregnancy. However, there are times when white discharge may signal an infection, such as a yeast infection, which occurs when yeast grows out of control, or bacterial vaginosis (BV), bacterial overgrowth in the vagina....

The COVID-19 vaccine can cause some commonly known side effects. One of the most commonly discussed side effects is a sore arm at the injection site. Key Takeaways A sore arm is a common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. There are several reasons why your arm may be sore after getting vaccinated, including your body’s immune response and inflammation in your muscle. Moving your arm and using a cool compress should help soothe the pain....

You have eaten pineapple for as long as you can remember, but this time you find your lips tingle as you take a bite. Or maybe you ate your favorite shrimp scampi dinner only to discover you are covered with hives. Perhaps you are relaxing on your front porch when suddenly your eyes start getting itchy and your experience bouts of sneezing. Is it possible that even as an adult you can suddenly develop allergies, both food and seasonal ones?...

A new study suggests that we can intuitively choose foods that meet our micronutrient needs with our innate “nutritional wisdom.” The study findings challenge the idea that human cravings are only driven by calories. Key Takeaways A new study showed that humans have an innate ability to make food choices that offer an appropriate and balanced amount of micronutrients.Experts say nutritional instinct also appears in certain cultural food practices.This study may prompt more researchers to explore how to harness human instinct to optimize health....

Acupuncture has come to be a respected alternative treatment for a range of medical issues, from anxiety to fibromyalgia to weight loss. There’s evidence it also may be helpful for alleviating symptoms and improving the quality of life for people who have allergies. In fact, guidelines for using acupuncture for allergies are included in some guidelines for physicians. For example, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation recommends doctors offer acupuncture to patients seeking nonpharmacological treatments for allergies or refer them to an acupuncture provider....

Eye problems and disorders are common in the elderly population. Laser surgeries and other treatments exist to address some of these aging-related conditions. The key is to detect them early. Regular eye exams will help detect vision problems before they become serious. Here is a list of common age-related eye problems that can affect people at various stages in life but often affect the elderly. Cataracts Your eye has a lens that helps it to focus....

The aorta is an artery and is the largest blood vessel in the body. As an artery, the aorta carries blood away from the heart. (Most arteries carry oxygenated blood.) The aorta plays an essential part in supplying oxygenated blood to all of the body except the heart, which gets its blood supply from arteries attached at the very base or root of the aorta. If it is torn or ruptured during trauma or from a medical condition, the aorta can hemorrhage a potentially fatal amount of the body’s total blood volume within minutes....

Asthma in childhood is higher in premature babies than those born full term. Asthma, a chronic lung problem that causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed, makes it hard to breathe and can be fatal if left unchecked. Asthma can be mild to severe and can have allergic or non-allergic causes. Healthcare providers have long known that babies born before 33 weeks gestation are more likely to have asthma than babies born at term....

This article will discuss different types of joints, how a ball and socket joint moves, and examples of ball and socket joints throughout the body. Anatomy A ball and socket joint is a synovial joint, which means it allows for smooth movements between bones. The end of one bone within the joint is spherical, forming the ball, while the end of the other bone within the joint contains a rounded depression, forming the socket....

There are numerous drugs used in urology, the medical specialty which deals with conditions of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive system. The drugs are categorized by their uses and mechanism of action.​ The most commonly prescribed drug classes in urology include: Alpha-blockers: Work by relaxing muscles at the bladder neck to improve urinary flow 5-alpha inhibitors: Treat enlarged prostate by blocking the production of the male hormones that are associated with prostate enlargement Anticholinergics: Minimize bladder contractions and increase bladder capacity for people with an overactive bladder (OAB) The drugs can be used on their own or in combination....

The federal government is mailing at-home COVID-19 tests to households across the country as parts of the North and Southeast experience cold snaps and snowfall. Key Takeaways At-home rapid tests should continue to work if they were left out in freezing temperatures for a short period of time.Bringing the test back to room temperature for at least two hours should make it usable, but heat exposure may damage it beyond use....

If you’ve had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove your uterus), you might wonder if you can still develop gynecologic cancer. It is possible, but your level of risk depends on the type of procedure. After a hysterectomy, it’s important to watch for warning signs of ovarian cancer or a type of cancer that mimics it, called primary peritoneal cancer. Abdominal swelling and bloating are important symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored....