For some people, many foods, medicines, and bee stings mean life-threatening allergic reactions that require immediate treatment with injectable epinephrine. For many people, January means the start of a new drug deductible to be met. In June 2017 the FDA approved a new form of emergency epinephrine called Symjepi, which may be good news for […]
Understanding allergy medications
Image: Thinkstock You may need a combination of pills and nasal sprays to find relief from allergy symptoms. Find relief with antihistamines, steroid sprays, decongestants, or shots.
Red meat allergy spread by ticks: A link to heart disease?
Research we’re watching A bite from a lone star tick can trigger an unusual allergy that causes hives, swelling of the throat and lips, or an upset stomach when you eat red meat. But that’s not all: people with this rare red meat allergy may be particularly prone to narrowed, stiff arteries in the heart, […]
Tai chi can improve life for people with chronic health conditions
Last summer, I practiced tai chi with my 83-year old mother at the senior center near her home. The hour-long class helped me realize why this flowing, meditative practice is an ideal exercise for older people with health issues. My mom is doing well, but she has osteoporosis and had a heart valve replacement a […]
Cognitive behavioral therapy offers a drug-free method for managing insomnia
Bleary-eyed insomniacs know all too well that problems with sleep aren’t limited to nighttime hours. In fact, people who have trouble falling or staying asleep often feel crummy all day long. Many people with insomnia turn to sleeping pills, which often have unwanted side effects. Few of them know about an equally effective therapy that […]
Studies support broader use of cholesterol-lowering statins
The latest guidelines used to determine who should take a cholesterol-lowering statin to prevent heart disease appear to be more accurate and cost-efficient than the previous guidelines. That’s according to two studies led by Harvard researchers, both published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. For many years, the main deciding factor in […]
Doctor-rating websites offer helpful but limited advice
If you’ve ever used the Internet to find a health care provider, chances are you’ve run across doctor rating sites like Healthgrades.com or RateMDs.com. In addition, websites that offer reviews of everything from restaurants to repairmen (such as Yelp and Angie’s List) also feature critiques of doctors, dentists, and other clinicians. A recent survey found […]
Preparing your feet for summer
Flip-flops, crop tops, and backyard barbecues: they’re all signs of summer. Foot pain isn’t a welcome part of that picture, but it will be a reality for many people in the coming season. “We often see people develop problems when they wear sandals or go barefoot, or when they increase their activities after being less […]
Mediterranean diet may help counteract age-related declines in memory and thinking skills
When I make a salad, I drizzle olive oil onto it and toss in a handful of toasted walnuts. Could this simple, tasty habit help me stay mentally sharp in the coming years? Maybe so. A new study in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that eating a Mediterranean-style diet enhanced with extra-virgin olive oil […]
When the first step is the hardest
Research is homing in on new treatment approaches for heel pain from plantar fasciitis. If you’ve ever stepped barefoot onto a child’s Lego or a jagged shell on the beach, you’ve experienced the searing pain it produces on the sole of your foot. Now imagine that pain is the first thing you feel when your […]