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Bony Nodes On The Hand Joints Are Common With Osteoarthritis
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 64-year-old man in good medical health. Recently, a bump the size of a pea appeared on the large knuckle of my index finger. My general physician glanced at it and said that it was an arthritic node. I asked him who could remove it, and he told me not to worry about it until it grew or started to cause pain.
I want a ...Read more
Condiment confusion
That little touch of tomato-y goodness you dip your fries into and the creamy sauce that makes your chicken salad smooth and tasty may seem like minor grace notes in the symphony of foods you eat every day. But ketchup -- or catsup, depending on where you're from -- can be loaded with food felons.
Ketchup was once considered a cure-all for ...Read more
West Nile virus detected in Massachusetts 'earlier' than normal: Dept. of Public Health
West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year in the Bay State, according to the Department of Public Health.
The confirmed virus in a mosquito sample collected last week in Shrewsbury is “a little early,” DPH officials said.
“Mid-June is earlier than we typically first find West Nile virus-infected ...Read more
Is brain rot real? Here's what brain health experts say
Doomscrolling. Instagram obsessions. Mindless YouTube video viewing.
Distracting behaviors, yes. But can they actually rot a person's brain?
Last year, Oxford University Press designated "brain rot" as its word of the year, defining it as the "supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state" caused by overconsuming "trivial ...Read more
Biting off more than you can endure
Almost 60% of most Americans' calories come from ultra-processed foods -- stripped of nutrition and packed with refined carbs, sugars, salt, unhealthy fats and unpronounceable chemical ingredients. And, according to a paper presented at an American College of Cardiology-Asia meeting, that's a recipe for disaster.
The researchers looked at data ...Read more
Sudden Hearing Loss Occurs In Left Ear Without A Direct Cause
DEAR DR. ROACH: About a month ago, I woke up without hearing in my left ear. I initially suspected a wax blockage or a blocked eustachian tube but eventually realized that it was more serious. I saw an ENT doctor who gave me a steroid shot and put me on prednisone. An MRI doesn't show a stroke or tumor.
About 5% to 10% of my hearing seems to ...Read more
COVID 'razor blade throat' rises as new subvariant spreads in California
COVID-19 appears to be on the rise in some parts of California as a new, highly contagious subvariant — featuring “razor blade throat” symptoms overseas — is becoming increasingly dominant.
Nicknamed “Nimbus,” the new subvariant NB.1.8.1 has been described in news reports in China as having more obvious signs of “razor blade ...Read more
Measles cases are in 34 states with North Dakota now the focus
As super-contagious measles continues to spread and nears a six-year U.S. record, cases in its original epicenter of West Texas may be subsiding as hesitant residents become more concerned and willing to vaccinate, while North Dakota is a new focus with the highest rate of any state.
The reality of measles may be overcoming vaccine ...Read more
His leg felt numb on the airport escalator. He had a stroke mid-flight
Jacob Adkisson and his husband, Taylor Hess, spent a joyful weekend in East Texas last fall celebrating their niece's wedding. On Monday, they headed home to Denver.
On the airport escalator, 37-year-old Adkisson felt tingling and numbness in his right leg. He mentioned it to Hess. Both figured that Adkisson must have stepped wrong and pinched ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: When to consider virtual care
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: We live in a rural area about 40 minutes from our health system's nearest clinic. However, they do offer the option to meet virtually with our health care team members. We'd like to try virtual care. Could you tell us more about it?
ANSWER: Whether you live in a rural or urban community, virtual care can be a great choice for ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Is there a link between ADHD and bladder control?
If your child has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and also struggles with bladder control or toileting issues, you are not alone. Many parents are surprised to learn that these challenges often go hand-in-hand.
The good news? There are clear reasons behind the connection. Even better, there are practical steps you can take to ...Read more
Medicaid, individual market health insurance would be harder to get in Colorado under GOP bill
Veronica Montoya relies on Medicaid for the $15,000 infusions that restrain her immune system from attacking her body, and worries she may lose that access if Congress adopts drastic changes to the health care program.
Provisions of congressional Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would add work requirements for some people covered...Read more
Innovative way to slash your lousy LDL levels
Around 33% to 36% of adults in the U.S. have a lousy LDL cholesterol level of 130 mg/dL or higher, putting them at risk for a heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and dementia. Aiming for 70 mg/dL is heart-smart. But only around 20% of patients at high risk of heart disease manage their LDL -- because they don't want to take a ...Read more
Getting Covid Booster Before Cruise Is Prudent For Couple
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I will be traveling to the United Kingdom in July and will be on a ship with about 700 passengers. We are wondering whether it would be smart (or unnecessary) to get a COVID booster before the trip. We are both in our late 60s and have had all of the available COVID shots. (The last one we received was on Oct. 10...Read more
In a dusty corner of California, Trump's threatened cuts to asthma care raise fears
Esther Bejarano’s son was 11 months old when asthma landed him in the hospital. She didn’t know what had triggered his symptoms — neither she nor her husband had asthma — but she suspected it was the pesticides sprayed on the agricultural fields near her family’s home.
Pesticides are a known contributor to asthma and are commonly used...Read more
Washington state whooping cough cases soar as vaccination rates drop
SEATTLE — Washington state reported 25 times as many whooping cough cases last year as the year before, according to new data that serve as a reminder of the disease’s continued surge here and nationwide.
The state Department of Health in a Friday statement said the rise in cases last year was “staggering” and coincides with a drop in ...Read more
How a neurologist faces the disease that is slowly stealing his cognitive powers
It was 2006 when Dr. Daniel Gibbs first noticed he was losing his sense of smell. But it wasn't what he didn't smell that tipped him off that something might be wrong.
It was what he did smell: perfume, mixed with baked bread. "The same thing, every time."
Gibbs, a neurologist in Portland, Oregon, knew this was an olfactory hallucination. And ...Read more
4 ways Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would undermine access to Obamacare
Major changes could be in store for the more than 24 million people with health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, including how and when they can enroll, the paperwork required, and, crucially, the premiums they pay.
A driver behind these changes is the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the name given to spending and tax legislation designed ...Read more
On Nutrition: Don't miss the fine print on weight-loss drugs
I hear a lot of talk around our small town when someone becomes noticeably thinner. “He sure has lost a lot of weight.” “Did she have weight loss surgery?” “I hope he’s not sick.”
What seems to be getting the most attention lately, however, are the number of people who have lost weight with certain medications. And the most ...Read more
IBS-C Continues To Interfere With Man's Basic Life Activities
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a young adult male who has been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Until this diagnosis, I had never even heard of the condition. A colonoscopy and an MRI were both negative. The three worst symptoms are chronic constipation, bloating and stomach cramps.
I was referred to a gastroenterologist ...Read more
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