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“Often the new year is a time of reflection for people, which can come along with a lot of self-doubt and criticism. People might worry about their progress toward their life goals,” says Nicholas Crimarco, PhD, a psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety Related Disorders in Westchester, New York. These feelings of anxiety can sometimes spiral into worry traps, which the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center defines as “anticipating problems, focusing on a negative event, and posing ‘what if’ questions,” to an excessive degree....

— Mary, Michigan Arm pain is not a common symptom of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), although it can occur in rare cases. In general, GERD involves the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. While many patients have no symptoms, heartburn is the most common complaint. However, other patients have more atypical symptoms such as chest pain, which can mimic heart attack; and sore throat, hoarseness, or a bad taste should stomach contents reach the mouth....

And “you don’t need to have a mental health condition in order to engage in therapy,” says Christine Crawford, MD, an associate medical director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “Therapy is for everyone.” Talking to a therapist about your emotional health is considered preventive care for your mental health, she explains. “It’s about learning strategies and tools you can use to navigate life and protect our mental health, so we’re not inundated or overwhelmed,” says Dr....

It’s an ancient practice that’s been around for centuries but has gained resurgence in recent years, as researchers study it to determine its effects on health. A number of studies have established the many benefits of meditation, including using it as a tool in managing chronic illnesses. Meditation and Mental Health Considering meditation is focused on calming the mind, it may be natural to assume that the practice can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety....

What he didn’t know at the time was that he acquired aphasia, a language disorder that often occurs as a result of a stroke. Broussard knows that he had conversations with medical providers shortly after his stroke but has no memory of the types of questions he was asked or the answers he gave. Luckily, Broussard’s wife was there to help communicate with medical providers in the hospital and at follow-up visits....

Then, in 2015, the American Cancer Society (ACS) deemed these self-exams superfluous in terms of increasing overall breast cancer survival rates and even raised concern over unnecessary biopsies that ensued when women would find their own lumps and bumps. That’s why that year, the ACS announced that it no longer recommends breast self-exams as a screening tool for those women at average risk of developing breast cancer. Breast Awareness and Knowing Your Normal So where does this leave us seven years later?...

Healthy Diet: The Building Blocks The best source of meal planning for most Americans is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food Pyramid. The pyramid, updated in 2005, suggests that for a healthy diet each day you should eat: 6 to 8 servings of grains. These include bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, and at least 3 servings should be from whole grains....

As you process your emotions, gather information, and come to terms with your treatment plan, remember one important thing: The diagnosis is not only a shock for you — it’s devastating for your spouse or partner too. “A diagnosis of prostate cancer is shocking to the patient, and it’s shared with that patient’s partner; it’s shocking to him or her as well,” says Michael J. Morris, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City....

Age: 50 Why I Tried It: To help motivate me to stick with my home workout routine As a longtime athlete (I hold world records in Nordic walking), it’s not a stretch to say I enjoy working out and that I pursue a robust fitness routine. (I do cardio six days a week, full-body strength training two to three times a week, and yoga at least three times a week)....

Foods That Could Be Aggravating Your Symptoms and How to Reduce Your Intake Individual food triggers and the symptoms they cause can vary in people with IBS. So a food that causes bloating in one individual with IBS might cause gas in another and no reaction in a different person. If you’re not sure what foods are causing or worsening your symptoms, there are certain items you should try removing from your diet before others....

With so much hype surrounding vitamin-C-infused skincare, I was on the hunt for affordable products packed with the topical version of the vitamin. With a beauty editor following, and science-backed products, it was Image Skincare — more specifically the brand’s vitamin C products — that initially caught my eye. Applied to skin, the immune-boosting vitamin C supposedly brightens complexions — and I am definitely searching for a summer glow. Image Skincare, a spa favorite, has serums, moisturizers, and even drinks that fit the bill....

But that doesn’t mean people living with schizophrenia or any mental health condition can’t benefit from using complementary therapies in addition to their drugs. One of those therapies that may be worth trying is aromatherapy, says Heidi Chesla, a medical aromatherapy specialist in and around Baltimore and an instructor to physicians at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The sense of smell has a direct connection to certain parts of the brain, Chesla explains, noting that the smell of intense smoke, for instance, can immediately trigger a stress response and, alternatively, that the smell of a rosebush can calm our emotions....

In the study, which consisted of 2,976 people, half the participants presented with at least one of three symptoms: pain, insomnia, and depression. Approximately 34 percent of the patients studied experienced insomnia, while 29 percent had depression, in addition to moderate to severe pain. RELATED: 13 Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis The Osteoarthritis, Insomnia, and Depression Connection “Our study showed that among patients with osteoarthritis, about 47 percent of them reported moderate to severe pain, 17 percent clinical insomnia, and 21 percent clinical depression,” says Minhui Liu, PhD, RN, a research fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore and the lead author of the study....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on November 16 that the lab-grown poultry, which takes living cells from chickens and grows them in a controlled environment to produce the meat, was safe for human consumption, and that it had “no further questions” about the product’s safety. This is the first “No Questions” letter from the FDA for lab-grown meat, poultry, or seafood. The voluntary premarket consultation is not an approval process, but it is an important first hurdle that the company needed to clear....

“It’s deeply problematic that in the United States, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, fewer than 1 in 15 adults have optimal cardiometabolic health,” says Meghan O’Hearn, a doctoral candidate at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston and lead author of the study, which was published in the July 12 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers also found “striking disparities” in cardiometabolic health by age, sex, education level, and race and ethnicity, she adds....

“Drinking was how I dealt with internalized homophobia, as well as the implosion of my family,” she recalls. “I had no idea where to look for help, or who to ask. It felt like something was the matter with me, that I had this soul-crushing problem, and the only relief was alcohol.” RELATED: LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2021: Improving Health and Wellness Zenoff was far from alone in being uncertain about where to turn for help, and this can be particularly true for people with addiction and trauma, says Sarah Church, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the founder of Wholeview Wellness, a New York City–based outpatient addiction treatment center that serves many LGBTQ+ clients....

Still, some memories from my teen years remain as clear to me as if they happened yesterday — especially ones that concern my psoriasis. The doctors diagnosed me with psoriasis in elementary school. As a teenager, I coped with severe psoriasis at a time when there were few good treatment options. I experienced some of my most challenging moments with this condition during those years. I can describe my journey in four words....

For the study, conducted in 2020 at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical center in New York City, scientists tested 266 people for antibodies to COVID-19 at least two weeks after their symptoms were mostly gone and they no longer showed signs of active infection. None of the subjects had experienced severe cases, or had any signs of acute infection when they were tested for antibodies, and they had no lingering symptoms other than a potential loss of taste or smell....

Donna Jackson Nakazawa, researcher, writer, and author of The Autoimmune Epidemic, says “patients with lupus do better if they follow an ‘anti-autoimmune diet,’ which means consuming whole foods, rather than processed foods. This means lamb, chicken, or turkey; fish with low mercury content; hormone-free eggs; organic vegetables and fresh fruits; whole grains from gluten-free sources; nuts and seeds; and olive, sesame, and flaxseed oils. It also means avoiding highly processed foods, including preserved bread products, cereals and snacks, preserved meats, and other foods that are often full of chemicals, preservatives, and additives....

Because lupus is a chronic disease, doctors work with you to manage symptoms — which can range from mild arthritis and rash to problems with the kidneys and other organs — using a variety of medicines and therapies. And the best treatment approach for you might change over time as your symptoms and the condition changes. Generally, with the help of a rheumatologist, up to 90 percent of people with lupus have a normal life expectancy, according to the Lupus Foundation of America....