Dealing with thick, discolored toenails
Wriggling toes in the sand and wearing sandals are warm weather treats, unless you’d rather keep your toes under wraps due to thickened, yellowish nails. Nail fungal infections (known as onychomycosis) are common, affecting up to 14% of the general population. In advanced cases, nails can become brittle, crumbly, or ragged, or even separate from […]
Easy ways to shop for healthful, cost-conscious foods
Three months into the year is a good time to recalculate if you’ve been slacking on your resolution to eat healthy. And if you’ll be leaving home base or school soon and foraging for yourself (plus or minus roommates), it’s a great time to learn about healthy, low-cost choices for your grocery list. The basics: […]
Monitoring blood pressure at home? Make sure you follow these steps
When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? All adults should have this simple test at least once a year. If a blood pressure reading at your doctor’s office is elevated — that is, higher than a healthy range — current guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend repeating the […]
The new RSV shot for babies: What parents need to know
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common virus that just causes cold symptoms for most people. But for very young babies, and for babies and young children with certain health problems, it can be very dangerous. A new immune-boosting therapy may help. What complications can RSV cause? RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis […]
How to help your child get the sleep they need
It’s tempting at this time of year to let summer sleep schedules stay in place or let bedtimes slide, especially when parents feel tired out, too. But it’s important that children have a regular routine — and that they are sleeping during the dark hours and awake during the light ones, as our bodies do […]
Got immunity? Thank your thymus
Quick, point to your thymus gland. If you pointed to the front of your upper chest, well done! The thymus gland sits just behind the upper part of the breastbone, between the tops of the lungs and in front of and above the heart. In newborns, the thymus gland may be 2.5 inches long and […]
Preventable liver disease is rising: What you eat — and avoid — counts
In today’s fast-paced world, our waking hours are filled with decisions — often surrounding what to eat. After a long day, dinner could well be fast food or takeout. While you may worry about the toll food choices take on your waistline or blood pressure, as a liver specialist, I also want to put fatty […]
Harvard Health Ad Watch: Why are toilets everywhere in this drug ad?
If the first goal of a drug advertisement is to grab your attention, this ad for Entyvio (vedolizumab) works. You see a young woman getting into her car, sitting in her work cubicle, sitting in a restaurant, and finally in the waiting room of her doctor’s office. But she’s not sitting on the seat of […]
Chronic stomach pain in children: What’s the most common cause?
The most common cause of chronic stomach pain in children isn’t anything you can find on a test or cure with a medicine. And that can make it very challenging to diagnose — and treat. You may not have ever heard of functional abdominal pain. Yet it ranks as the most common cause of stomach […]
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Colon cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer after lung cancer. If recent messages about colon cancer screening have left you a little confused, that's understandable. In August, the American College of Physicians (ACP) released updated guidance for colon cancer screening that differs from other major organizations, including recommendations from the American Cancer Society (ACS) […]