#mayo-clinic

#mayo-clinic

Q: Is there a way to cure my constipation without taking laxatives or prescription medications every day?This is one of the most common questions I get asked as a gastroenterologist, and I understand why.Constipation, usually defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week, is the most frequent gastrointestinal complaint.

With all the hype about probiotics and prebiotics and no shortage of products with big, impressive claims, finding the right one can feel confusing and intimidating.That's why it's so important to know what to look for.At its core, the concept is simple: probiotics are live strains of beneficial bacteria that can positively impact gut health and support digestion, and prebiotics are specific compounds (mostly fibers) that help good bacteria thrive.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office confirmed on Thursday that the California Democrat experienced broader health complications following her shingles diagnosis, contradicting an earlier denial from the senator herself.A Feinstein spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that those complications included Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis.

I learned I wasn't wanted during a party game.One Christmas, home from college, I went to a holiday gathering of families with my parents.After dinner we played a game where husbands answered frank questions on behalf of their wives.When my parents' turn came, the host asked my father, How many children did you want when you got married?

"I've got over 40 diagnoses in my charts at this point," she said.The Stanford medical library has been a refuge for Von Raesfeld."I would spend hours as a kid just pouring over medical books, just trying to find information on me," she recalled.For a while, doctors treating Von Raesfeld's symptoms with drugs only made things worse, especially with three medications she took to treat lupus in her late 20s that she says resulted in three joint replacements, toxic encephalopathy and night-vision loss.

Antonio Rapuano got an infusion of a monoclonal antibody to treat his COVID in Albano, Italy in 2021.Such infusions have been effective treatments for COVID during the pandemic, but doctors are now finding that most monoclonal antibodies no longer work against new variants of SARS-CoV-2.Yara Nardi/Reuters Monoclonal antibodies were once the star of COVID-19 outpatient treatments.

After a mild winter in the U.S., will there be an uptick in ticks this year?Researchers say it is hard to predict how the tick season will play out.This year's mild winter and early snow melt, though, could mean more ticks earlier than usual and a wider spread of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, scientists said.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We've been telling you how, during the current cold snap in certain parts of the country, it can be dangerous to spend a lot of time outdoors.So we would never suggest heading out to exercise right now if you're in one of those places.But when we are not in a once-in-a-generation storm, there are ways to exercise outdoors in the cold.

Bloating is an uncomfortable feeling of fullness or pressure in the abdomen.Like an overinflated balloon, a bloated belly can feel packed with air, and in some cases may be visibly enlarged or distended.Bloating is a common issue.By some estimates, up to 30% of Americans experience it from time to time.

After a bad night's sleep, nothing feels right.The mind is fuzzy and the muscles are sapped.Often the last thing you want to do is work up a sweat.You might find yourself wondering what kind of workout you should do, and if it's better to put it off until you're not quite so groggy.A recent paper from researchers in Australia suggests that exercisers functioning on little sleep can get the most out of a workout by doing it earlier in the day and focusing on strength and endurance, rather than complex skills.

One moment, Keyontae Johnson was soaring to the hoop to convert an alley-oop.The next, Johnson, a junior forward at the University of Florida and the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference preseason player of the year, suddenly collapsed face first on the Florida State hardwood during a game on Dec. 12, 2020.

One moment, Keyontae Johnson was soaring to the hoop to convert an alley-oop.The next, Johnson, a junior forward at the University of Florida and the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference preseason player of the year, suddenly collapsed face first on the Florida State hardwood during a game on Dec. 12, 2020.

The agency notes that if a more dangerous COVID variant were to emerge, it might reconsider the vaccine strain at other times of the year on an "as-needed and emergent basis."Some immunologists and vaccine researchers say simplifying the process along the lines of the flu vaccine is appropriate at this point in the pandemic.

Creatine supplements may seem exclusively for bulky bros at the gym, but the science behind it suggests creatine might aid sleep-deprived parents who aren't looking to get swole at all.Once creatine enters the body, it turns into creatine phosphate, which helps create a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - a small molecule used to transport energy between cells.

So you've grown a belly.There's no need to beat yourself up for it.It happens all the time, and in some sense, it's inevitable.The mid-section spread starts as you head toward middle age, or your diet fails you.After all, men are particularly susceptible to packing pounds around the gut.But here's the good news: Undoing the damage and getting your abs back is possible and there are exercises to lose belly fat that work.

Why do we have nightmares?There are only theories.They may be our subconscious' way of helping us confront scary situations in a safe place.They may also be an internal therapy of sorts, letting us work through complex emotions.What we know for sure is that, for kids, nightmares and bad dreams are more common and often more terrifying.

Liam Hendricks is updating fans on his health.The Chicago White Sox pitcher took to Instagram on Jan. 8 to share that he was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma."As a professional athlete, I have always been mindful to try and use my position in the public eye to the most positive ends possible by shining a light on causes or issues that touch close to home for myself, my wife and my family," the 33-year-old wrote.

A toddler is thriving after doctors in the U.S. and Canada used a novel technique to treat her before she was born for a rare genetic disease that caused the deaths of two of her sisters.Ayla Bashir, a 16-month-old from Ottawa, Ontario, is the first child treated as fetus for Pompe disease, an inherited and often fatal disorder in which the body fails to make some or all of a crucial protein.

After a bad night's sleep, nothing feels right.The mind is fuzzy and the muscles are sapped.Often the last thing you want to do is work up a sweat.You might find yourself wondering what kind of workout you should do, and if it's better to put it off until you're not quite so groggy.A  recent paper from researchers in Australia suggests that exercisers functioning on little sleep can get the most out of a workout by doing it earlier in the day and focusing on strength and endurance, rather than complex skills.

From Turkish baths to Mexican sweat lodges, sweating for leisure and health certainly isn't new.But lately saunas have spread from Finland's forests and millionaires' mansions to shopping strips around Australia.Dozens of businesses  including multi-branch brands like City Cave, which is aiming to hit 100 spas this year, and Recovery Lab, with seven branches across the eastern states  are selling Australians the chance to sweat it out in infrared saunas, touted as a high-tech update to the ancient wellbeing practice.

One of Taylor Swift's new songs about grief after loss is resonating with a particular group of people.On "Bigger Than The Whole Sky," one of the bonus tracks on her Midnights album, Swift sings about someone grieving a premature loss or someone being gone too soon.Though it's not entirely clear what the song is about, some fans believe it's touching on pregnancy loss - with people who have experienced miscarriages gravitating toward the heartbreaking lyrics.