If you’re going through menopause, have you noticed that along with the hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes, you also feel a lot more pain? It’s not just your imagination. A new study has found that women with menopause symptoms are nearly twice as likely to have chronic pain diagnoses, such as fibromyalgia, migraine, … Read more
Does your baby have flaky, irritated, cracked skin? About 1 in 5 kids gets eczema. For some, it’s the first symptom of a lifetime of allergies. Infants who have eczema are more likely to develop hay fever and asthma later. Doctors refer to this type of allergic disease progression as “atopic … Read more
Anticipation is a big part of pregnancy. You wonder what your baby will look like, and more important, whether he or she will be healthy. An ultrasound offers an early peek inside the womb, and a chance to learn a bit more about your baby’s expected due date and well-being. A first-trimester ultrasound is usually … Read more
The number of men who take testosterone has dropped dramatically in the past few years, in part because of growing awareness of the risks that may accompany it. Should you avoid it? Testosterone, a hormone, helps men maintain muscle, bone health, libido, and the ability to perform in the bedroom. But beginning in their mid-30s, … Read more
Before your periods stop completely, your body makes the transition to menopause in a phase called perimenopause, which could last 2 to 10 years. During this time, when hormone levels fluctuate and eventually drop, all kinds of changes in your cycle are fair game. What You Can Expect In your 40s — and maybe even … Read more
More than 1 million Americans have myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). While researchers tie it to problems involving the brain, immune system, and energy metabolism, the causes of the illness and a cure remain undiscovered. Dana J. Brimmer, PhD, a visiting scientist at the CDC, explains what doctors do know. Q: What is this disease? Brimmer: Myalgic … Read more
Masturbation is a very natural and healthy part of childhood. And it can start at a younger age than you might think. “It’s the beginning of a lifelong learning experience about their bodies and, later, about sex and sexuality,” says David Swanson, PsyD, a child and family psychologist practicing in Los Angelesand author of HELP — My … Read more
Starting a family is a big step for everyone, but having a child is more complicated when both partners are the same sex. When a couple is gay or lesbian, they’re missing at least one essential piece of the conception puzzle. “To conceive, you need a sperm, an egg, and a uterus,” says Amanda Adeleye, … Read more
If yesterday’s workout is making your muscles scream today, take it as a good sign. You most likely have “delayed onset muscle soreness” (DOMS), and it means you worked hard enough to create tiny tears in your muscle fibers. It can happen when you bump up your workout intensity, frequency, or length, or when you … Read more
I remember feeling like an impostor when I was younger. I was held back in second grade. In high school, though I was in a lot of higher-level classes, I always felt like I was working harder than anyone else. Reading took much longer for me, it seemed. I’d read a paragraph and think, “I … Read more