In my post 9 Ways to Let Go of Stuck Thoughts, I offer some tools to deal with obsessions. But since I’ve been imprisoned by this insanity as of late, I thought I’d share more of them with you that have helped me escape, if only for a few minutes, to a place of peace. 1. Rely on Other Brains In the state of severe ruminations, your brain is toast....

It’s not only because time away from work and the responsibilities of daily life helps us shed stress. Our brains, it seems, are happier when we take them to new, far-flung places — though it’s best to check the CDC’s COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination before booking any trips to check travel restrictions. How does travel benefit us? Here are five ways your next trip may contribute to your overall health and well-being....

Stress and COPD are closely linked. Everybody has an alarm system deep in their brains that detects a breathing problem. If this alarm system detects that you’re not getting enough air, it sends out a warning that feels like a sudden rush of anxiety. When you have COPD, you’re always struggling to get enough air, so your alarm system can become hyperactive. That can be a constant source of stress....

Or maybe you’ve already said something well intended that nevertheless clearly upset the other person, and worrying about what to say next can be unsettling. Here, mental health experts share seven common phrases that we should all stop saying to anyone with bipolar disorder — and the thoughtful, helpful things to say instead. 1. ‘Everyone Has Mood Swings Sometimes’ Mood episodes, which are the hallmark symptom of bipolar disorder, are not the same as mood swings....

Besides causing discomfort, chronic hives can interfere with daily activities, but there are many ways to manage the condition — even if you don’t know its cause. Start with these steps to soothe or prevent the symptoms associated with chronic hives: Avoid known triggers One of the best ways to control hives is to avoid known triggers, according to a report published in the June 2015 issue of the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology....

The toxic resin that causes a poison ivy rash is called urushiol, and it is present in every part of the plant: the leaves, stems, flowers, berries, and roots. This resin may provide a slight gloss or shiny hue to help distinguish it from nonpoisonous plants. In other words, no part of the plant is safe to touch. 2. Shoot for Ideal Removal Conditions “Poison ivy is slightly easier to manage in the winter, when it’s leafless, though there are still irritants present in the stems and branches,” says Michael Cook, owner of TruGreen Midsouth, a lawn care company with offices in Mississippi and Louisiana....

“Dancing is the ultimate workout,” says Julie Granger, a Paris-based International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) personal trainer and founder and creator of The Studio Paris and Ballerina Body Training. Not only does dancing involve engaging all of your muscles and limbs, it also gets your heart pumping. Plus, dancing can be a whole lot of fun. A workout you can look forward to? Sign us up. The style of dance you do will influence how intense of a workout it is, but pretty much any style of dance can be a workout....

Several countries have eliminated locally transmitted malaria in recent years, using a number of tools ranging from effective drug treatment to insecticides. But these tools are widely considered inadequate to eliminate malaria from the areas where it’s most deadly — namely sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia. To reduce malaria transmission with the ultimate goal of eradicating the disease, many organizations have long supported the development of potential malaria vaccines....

Researchers found that nearly one-half of the younger children in the trial, all of whom were African American, responded differently to asthma treatments than older African American children and African American adults in the trial (and they responded differently than white children in other studies). The research evaluated responses to what’s known as “step-up treatment,” the practice of adding additional medicines or increasing doses for uncontrolled asthma. Experts say that part of the reason this difference in response to treatment may not have been identified until now is that, historically, African Americans were underrepresented in research studies....

Pycior, then 8 years old, says that that phrase whirled around in his head for nearly a decade until one day he snapped. “It isn’t appropriate to tell an 8-year-old to be strong for their mom. … They shouldn’t even have to be strong for themselves. They should be allowed the space to grieve and be vulnerable,” says Pycior, who is a school social worker at Manville High School in Manville, New Jersey....

Wildfire smoke is one example of air pollution, and it’s associated with an increase in the risk of health complications in people with diabetes, according to a study published in June 2020 in Environmental Health Perspectives. In other research, such as a review published in September 2020 in Gut Microbes, scientists have uncovered the surprising role that air pollution in cities can play in altering gut bacteria and increasing diabetes risk....

Dark Chocolate Usually, dessert isn’t a good choice when you’re stressed, but dark chocolate may be an exception. This treat could help reduce stress in two ways — via its chemical impact and its emotional impact. Chocolate feels like such an indulgence that it can be a real treat to simply savor a piece of it, and that feeling alone can help reduce stress, says Meyerowitz. Dark chocolate, which is also rich in antioxidants, can also lower levels of stress hormones in the body, according to a Swiss study published in theJournal of Proteome Research in which participants had eaten about 1....

One of the most effective ways to prevent and treat acne is to regularly wash with cleansers that are designed to keep skin clear and healthy. These acne washes are typically inexpensive, widely available, and simple to use. Choosing the right one may take some trial and error as everyone’s skin is different. What to Look for in a Face Wash for Acne Active Ingredients Check the product label for key active ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, advises dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki, MD, founder of Toronto’s Bay Dermatology Centre and author of the skincare book Beyond Soap....

Unlike the common cold, the flu is a serious respiratory disease that can lead to potentially dangerous complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you do become infected, it’s important to take steps to prevent spreading the disease to others and keep your own symptoms from getting worse. What Can I Do to Ease Flu Symptoms? How do you treat the flu at home? Since the flu is caused by a virus, taking antibiotics won’t help....

One common thread among their responses? They’re always looking for ways to make everyday activities a little easier, all while keeping symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness at bay. But you don’t have to take our word for it. You can read hundreds of real-life tips on Tippi Psoriatic Arthritis from others who are living with the condition. Here are a few of our favorites. Make Mornings More Productive Mornings can be particularly tough for people who have psoriatic arthritis....

In a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, researchers compared patients’ satisfaction with fingertip blood sugar testing and testing using an alternate site, in this case the palm of the hand. They found that people who test their blood sugar levels four times a day like the idea of using alternative site testing approaches. However, they also found that testing on their palm with regular lancing supplies didn’t always provide easy access to get enough blood for a test strip....

Zanubrutinib belongs to a class of drugs known as BTK inhibitors (BTKi), which work by preventing the growth of malignant B-cells (white blood cells that make illness-fighting antibodies), according to the National Cancer Institute. The FDA previously approved the drug, which is made by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company BeiGene, for three other forms of lymphatic cancer: Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, marginal zone lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. CLL is a common form of leukemia, accounting for about one-quarter of all new cases each year; the American Cancer Society (PDF) estimates there will be almost 19,000 new cases and close to 4,500 deaths in the United States in 2023....

Although this study didn’t prove that coffee or tea was the reason cases of stroke and dementia were lower in this population, the association is believable, says Douglas Scharre, MD, a professor of clinical neurology and psychiatry and the director of cognitive neurology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Several studies have found an association between caffeine consumption and decreased risk of stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease,” he says....

I appreciate how caring parents will do most anything to help their child. Mine took me to see the best Chinese herbalists in San Francisco and spent a small fortune buying the prescribed herbs. The smell of those bitter herbal brews simmering for hours remains with me to this day. They also arranged for me to try different diets, such as a pork-free diet and a dairy-free diet. Unfortunately, none of those diets worked the way we hoped to ease the psoriasis symptoms....

When it comes to the new coronavirus, the data is still too sparse to answer definitely how or whether one supplement or another might help the immune system fight off the virus. What microbiologists who study the immune system do know about our body’s defenses is that ramping up our immune system to be on “high alert” or globally boosting it to fight off every and any germ out there is actually a flawed concept, says Michael N....