Heidi Godman

The term "gaslighting" is usually applied to personal relationships, when a partner’s manipulation causes you to doubt your mental capacity, ideas, and feelings. But in recent years, gaslighting has been recognized in medical settings, too.

By now, you're probably familiar with high-intensity interval training, a popular workout strategy that alternates bursts of strenuous exercise with rest or lower-intensity activity. The technique helps you get fit

Agonizing tooth pain, sharp jaw discomfort, a dull ache in your gums — each one is a sign of dental trouble or something even more serious. Unfortunately, many people put

We have thousands of medications that help prevent or fight disease and infection. Unfortunately, many of them can cause a persistent metallic taste in the mouth. This side effect is a type of taste distortion called dysgeusia, sometimes referred to as "metal mouth." The symptom is extremely unpleasant and can have a severe impact on your mood, appetite, nutrition, and quality of life.

Even if you’ve fall-proofed your home, the outside world is full of hazards that might lead to dangerous trips and tumbles. And since falls are a major cause of broken bones, head injuries, and injury-related deaths, especially as we get older, it’s essential to know how to stay safe once you step outside your door. Here are tips to avoid falls in a variety of public areas.

You don’t always get to prepare for a prolonged hospital stay. But when you know you’ll be hospitalized for a few days — such as for an elective procedure — do more than just pack a small bag before you go. Here are six tasks for your to-do list.

The use of video calls for health care visits skyrocketed during the pandemic. And even though the pandemic seems to have eased, some aspects of video-based telemedicine remain extremely popular, according to evidence published in the February 2024 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine

Here’s an example of why you must be especially careful when selecting supplements: Harvard Medical School researchers say that galantamine, a plant extract used in prescription medications to treat Alzheimer’s, is often mislabeled and sometimes contaminated with bacteria when it’s sold as a dietary supplement. Scientists compared 11 brands of prescription generic galantamine and 10 brands of over-the-counter galantamine dietary supplements. "In the generic drug, the amount of galantamine listed on the label accurately represented the amount of galantamine in the pills and, importantly, no bacterial contamination was found. But 90% of galantamine dietary supplements contained an inaccurate amount of galantamine, ranging from less than 2% to 110% of the labeled quantity. Disturbingly, 30% were also contaminated with bacteria that could, if consumed at higher levels, cause diarrheal illnesses," says Dr. Pieter Cohen, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The results were published online in a research letter Feb. 23, 2024, by JAMA. To ensure that you’re getting safe supplements, Dr. Cohen urges you to look for certification seals from vetted independent third parties, such as the U.S. Pharmacopeia and NSF International’s Certified for Sport program. And talk to your doctor before taking any dietary supplement.

Want to find out if the snoring, gasping, or choking sounds you’re making during sleep are actually signs of obstructive sleep apnea? Until recently, you would have had to go to a sleep lab, get hooked up to dozens of sensors, and spend the night. Now, thanks to the miniaturization of sophisticated technology, you can conduct a basic sleep test in your own bed. "Home sleep tests are often the preferred approach to detect sleep apnea, not just by doctors, but also by insurance companies. Many are no longer covering in-lab studies, which cost thousands of dollars. A home sleep test costs a few hundred dollars, and it’s usually covered," says Dr. Sogol Javaheri, a sleep specialist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

If you had to guess which exercise is most effective at lowering blood pressure, you might not choose tai chi, known for its flowing motions and deep breathing to calm the mind and improve balance, strength, and mood. But a small randomized trial published online Feb. 9, 2024, by JAMA Network Open