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Channel: Robert H. Shmerling, MD – Harvard Health Blog
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Terrified of needles? That can affect your health

No one likes getting stuck by a needle. Whether for a blood test, vaccination, or blood donation, needle sticks are something most people would prefer to avoid. Yet, judging only by schedules for...

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Are antidepressants also pain relievers?

Did you know that antidepressant medications are often prescribed for people without depression? It’s true. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed for chronic pain, especially pain related to nerve...

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Do vitamin D, zinc, and other supplements help prevent COVID-19 or hasten...

The appeal of safe, natural treatments is undeniable. It’s true for age-old conditions such as the common cold, and for new diseases, especially if they have no known cure. So it makes sense that there...

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Harvard Health Ad Watch: Mitochondria do a lot for you — what can you do for...

Ever see an ad for a product that sounds awesome and wondered if it was really that good? That happened to me recently. “How are you taking care of your mitochondria?” an announcer asked. Well, there’s...

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Zero weight loss from zero calorie drinks? Say it ain’t so

Are you trying to cut back on calories by making the switch from regular soda to diet soda? Do you prefer carbonated water with a bit of flavor, such as Hint or LaCroix? Or maybe you’ve purchased a...

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You got the COVID-19 vaccine? I have vaccine envy

I admit it: I have vaccine envy. It’s that feeling of jealousy, disappointment, or resentment you feel when someone else gets the vaccine for COVID-19 — and you can’t. I’m not proud of it. We should...

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Does your health monitor have device bias?

In recent years, there’s been a veritable explosion in the number and type of health monitoring devices available in smartphones and fitness apps. Your smartphone is likely tracking the number of steps...

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Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

Chocolates and flowers are great gifts for Valentine’s Day. But what if the gifts we give this year could be truly life-changing? A gift that could save someone’s life, or free them from dialysis? You...

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COVID-19 vaccines: Safety, side effects — and coincidence

As the pandemic rages on, it’s increasingly clear that widespread vaccination is essential to help contain it. Physical distancing, universal face coverings, and frequent handwashing are effective, but...

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Harvard Health Ad Watch: Can an arthritis drug help you become a morning person?

Perhaps this is obvious, but drug ads are not intended to inform you about the best way to treat a condition you may have. Their primary purpose is to sell a product, as explained in an earlier blog on...

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Are early detection and treatment always best?

Throughout my medical career, I’ve heard statements like these: Early detection offers the best chance of cure. If you wait for symptoms, you’ve waited too long. Knowledge is power, and the sooner you...

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Need surgery? Should you avoid your surgeon’s birthday?

If you need surgery, it should reassure you to know that researchers have been studying factors that predict surgical success or failure for years. Some of the most important findings have been ones...

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Can gout be prevented?

To many people, gout seems like a disease of the past. Cartoons from 200 years ago depicted it as a condition afflicting the wealthy (“the disease of kings”), whose gluttonous consumption of food and...

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Good news: Deaths due to HIV are way down

World news this month appropriately focuses on containing the COVID-19 pandemic, as the first vaccines become available. Yet we can also celebrate major success in the fight against a different global...

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Will eating more chilis help you live longer?

I have to admit it: it can be hard to take news about the latest healthy diet too seriously. There seems to be an endless list of recommendations about food choices, but little consensus. It’s enough...

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Treating neuropathy: Which medication is best?

Imagine experiencing burning, tingling, and numbness in your legs day in and day out, getting worse over time — and your doctors can’t find a reason for it. That’s the situation for millions of people...

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Masks save lives: Here’s what you need to know

Surging COVID-19 rates throughout the country and in many parts of the world make our efforts to protect ourselves and others more important than ever. Yes, the predictions are dire, but we are not...

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Migraine headaches: Could nerve stimulation help?

Are you one of the 20 million to 40 million people in the US suffering with migraine headaches? If so, here’s news worth noting: The FDA has just approved an over-the-counter nerve stimulation device...

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Does lupus or arthritis affect your prognosis if you get COVID-19?

Soon after the coronavirus pandemic began, we learned that older adults and people with certain chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, are at increased risk for severe COVID-19....

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It’s still true: Not all the news about COVID-19 is bad

I thought the pandemic would be over by now. And I’m not alone; there were sophisticated models predicting a dramatic drop in the number of infections by the summer. And while there was understandable...

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