Staying Healthy Archive

Medical anxiety is a fear of doctors and medical settings. Nearly half of American adults in 2023 reported feeling anxious before a doctor's appointment, and four in 10 said their anxiety compels them to put off seeing a doctor. Medical anxiety can stop people from seeking preventive care or necessary treatments, jeopardizing their health. People with medical anxiety may be fearful of needles or shots, a painful test or procedure, or receiving bad news or a serious diagnosis.

A 2024 study found that two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine to prevent shingles remains highly effective after four years.

Balancing on one leg for 10 seconds or longer is a good way to improve balancing skills.

A 2023 study suggests that women who prefer to stay up and wake up later are more likely to develop diabetes and to have unhealthful lifestyle habits compared with those who prefer to go to bed and wake up earlier.

A 2023 study suggests that toothbrushing twice daily can lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia in seriously ill hospitalized patients.

A 2024 study found that the risk of premature death was 24% lower among people who used hearing aids regularly, compared with people who never used hearing aids.

Medical gaslighting describes when health care professionals seem to invalidate or ignore a patient's concerns. It can have many causes, such as a health care provider who has poor communication skills, limited time to speak with a patient, a lack of medical knowledge, or unconscious bias. Someone who suspects gaslighting is occurring during an appointment might try to reframe or rephrase health concerns or questions, or ask a buddy to speak on his or her behalf. If there's no resolution, it might be a good idea to get a different clinician.

A 2023 study found that between the 1930s and the mid-1980s, life expectancy in the United States was generally longer than in other wealthy nations. However, since the mid-1980s, the United States has been doing progressively and dramatically worse. Among many reasons for this change is the fact that the country doesn't make health care as widely available to all citizens as do other wealthy countries. For example, tens of millions of people in the United States do not have health insurance. Ultimately, it will be up to society to make health improvements nationwide.

More than 4.5 million dog bites occur in the US each year. Despite what you might expect, most of these are inflicted by a pet dog in a home. Learn more about how you can avoid injury, and what to do if you do get bitten.