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A year prior I was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a chronic illness that makes me react to certain foods, environmental factors, and stressors like I’m allergic to them. Hives, anaphylaxis, diarrhea, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues are common with MCAS. Doctors also confirmed that I had irritable bowel syndrome and a joint hypermobility spectrum disorder — which is often comorbid with MCAS. With each diagnosis came a new sense of responsibility about my body....

For one thing, many people with colon and rectal cancers (known as colorectal cancer) don’t experience symptoms at all until the disease has reached a more advanced stage, when it is more difficult to treat. This is why screening tests for seemingly unaffected people are of such vital importance. The drop in colorectal cancer deaths over the past few decades is due in part to increased screening efforts that are identifying asymptomatic cancers....

The GI tract is a complex group of organs, each of which helps your body digest and absorb food. Your upper GI tract includes your esophagus, stomach, and the first section of your small intestine, called the duodenum. The lower GI tract is made up of most of your small intestine and all of your large intestine, which includes your colon, rectum, and anal canal. (2) The finger-shaped appendix is attached to a part of your large intestine called the cecum — a small pouch typically considered to be the beginning of the large intestine....

Your arteries can become blocked up over time from deposits of plaque — the buildup of fat, cholesterol, cells, and other substances. This condition is called atherosclerosis, and it can affect any artery in the body. Why the Procedure Is Done Angioplasty is often used to restore blood flow to the heart in people who have coronary arteries affected by atherosclerosis, a condition called coronary heart disease (CHD), or coronary artery disease....

Afib begins in the upper chambers of your heart, known as the atria. Fibrillation refers to a rapid, irregular heartbeat. While a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), atrial fibrillation can cause your atria to beat 300 to 600 times per minute. (2) Atrial fibrillation can lead to a number of symptoms, including fatigue, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. However, in some people, the condition doesn’t cause any symptoms....

At its most basic level, BPD is a disorder that causes a person to have impairments in self-identity and in regulating their emotions. People may go from one intense emotion to the next, feeling extremely loving followed by feeling irrationally angry. Once an event triggers a strong emotion, it’s harder for the person to return to a more peaceful state of mind. (2) These mood swings can last hours or days....

I was next, experiencing my first COVID-19 symptoms the morning of Christmas Eve. Since both my husband and I were vaccinated and boosted, we felt blindsided. My husband rebounded fairly quickly, but I languished for nearly two weeks and didn’t feel quite like myself for a solid month. (I blame my asthma.) As I recovered, I came across a study that suggested there may be a silver lining to this wretched experience: so-called super immunity, also known as hybrid immunity, attainable through a combination of vaccination and infection....

But dehydration is thoroughly preventable. Read on to find out what is actually happening to your body when you’re dehydrated, what to do about it, and how to help prevent it. Signs of Dehydration in Adults Feeling thirstyMuscle crampsUrinating less often than normalDark-colored urineDry skinFeeling tired or lethargicFaintingConfusionDry, shriveled skin Signs of Dehydration in Children Children “are going to be much quicker to dehydrate than adults,” says Arielle Levitan, MD, an internal medicine doctor at NorthShore Medical Group in Highland Park, Illinois, who owns the personalized vitamin company Vous Vitamin....

Jock itch is highly treatable with over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Although jock itch gets its name because it’s common in athletes, the condition is also experienced by people who sweat a lot or who are overweight. Although it can be uncomfortable, jock itch usually isn’t serious. Treatment may involve keeping the groin area clean and dry and applying topical antifungal medications to the affected skin. The fungus that causes jock itch is highly contagious....

Currently, other types of JIA include: Systemic, which affects the entire body, including the joints, the skin, and internal organs, according to the Arthritis FoundationJuvenile enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), which affects the tendons and ligaments attached to the bone, per AboutKidsHealthPsoriatic arthritis, which affects the joints and features a rash on parts of the skin, according to the Arthritis FoundationUndifferentiated, which isn’t clearly linked to one type but has some form of joint swelling and/or pain...

In 2013, Victoria Beckham tweeted that the alkaline cookbook Honestly Healthy: Eat With Your Body in Mind, the Alkaline Way, written by vegetarian chef Natasha Corrett and nutritionist Vicki Edgson, was her favorite. Since then, the alkaline diet has become much more common. But celebrity diets don’t necessarily work for everyone or yield long-term results. Not to mention, there’s a lack of research behind the main principles of the alkaline diet — and for some people, the approach may come with health risks....

Being a mom with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) adds layers of complexities that are often not talked about when it comes to feeding your child, what’s best for you physically and mentally, and what works for your family. It’s not a black-and-white issue, and the gray area can be overwhelming as you navigate pregnancy and parenthood with IBD. Uncertainty About the Best Way to Feed My Son When I was pregnant with my first child six years ago, I was adamant aboug not breastfeeding....

A frequently cited study, published in 1989 in the Journal of Substance Abuse, that followed 200 people found that 77 percent of people stuck with their resolutions after one week, 43 percent stuck with them three months out, and 19 percent stuck with them for two years, with many citing a lack of willpower. Another study, published in March 2002 in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, found only 46 percent of resolvers reported success at sticking to their resolutions six months after the new year....

Finding the right foods for managing IBS, especially when you’re having a sick day, can feel a lot like solving a mystery — piecing together clues and uncovering culprits. As you learn ways to ease symptoms like diarrhea and constipation, you’re likely to get overwhelmed by the long list of foods you shouldn’t eat. You want to know what you can eat when IBS symptoms strike so you can stay well nourished....

Indeed, Zumba is currently practiced by 15 million people in 180 countries, according to the company. Here’s everything you need to know about what Zumba is, the health benefits, and how to get started. Unlike other fitness classes, like step aerobics or hip-hop, Zumba is a trademarked name that refers to classes, programs, and services offered by the brand Zumba Fitness, LLC. That means only those who have been licensed by the company can offer Zumba classes....

Unfortunately, travel is a notorious migraine trigger. Traveling can mean changes in sleep, weather, and diet — all common migraine triggers, according to the American Migraine Foundation (AMF). Even the sheer stress of getting to your final destination can bring on an attack; stress is a trigger for almost 70 percent of people with migraine, notes the AMF. Here’s the good news: There’s a lot you can do to avoid migraines while traveling....

RELATED: 10 Essential Facts About Caffeine Here are some of the top benefits you may enjoy if you decide to kick caffeine. 1. More Sustained Energy Through the Day When you think of a pick-me-up, does the logo of your favorite coffee place loom large in your mind? While caffeine does provide a temporary surge — it’s a stimulant, after all — most people also experience a subsequent plunge as well, according to Pam Nisevich Bede, RD, who works for Abbott in Abbott Park, Illinois....

“People aren’t used to eating out for so many meals or having a full buffet of food readily available during this time of year,” says Rachel Goldman, PhD, a New York City–based licensed psychologist and clinical assistant psychiatry professor at the New York University School of Medicine. “When we’re distracted by being in a new environment or chitchatting with friends and family, we’re more likely to pick at food in front of us regardless of whether we’re hungry....

It’s no wonder: Special diets, supplements, and even food-sensitivity testing are routinely touted online as ways to substantially lessen MS symptoms or even “beat” or “cure” the disease. Sometimes these recommendations are made by medical doctors, sometimes by practitioners of complementary or alternative medicine, and sometimes simply by individuals who feel better after changing their diet. As a registered dietitian nutritionist with relapsing-remitting MS who counsels other people with MS about diet, I’ve encountered many myths about the role of diet in managing this disease....

“Walking affects multiple systems in the body, and so it offers a lot of great benefits,” says James N. Robinson, MD, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Despite being low-impact, walking is considered a moderately intense aerobic activity — if you do it at a pace at which you can still talk but singing would be difficult — meaning it works your cardiovascular system....