HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Know how to prevent, treat and control the symptoms of various diseases and medical conditions. We explain what's happening in your body when disease strikes, and what you can do to feel better faster.
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One bite from a lone star tick might have you eating veggie burgers for life.
Friends often tell cancer patients to "stay positive" in order to beat the disease. But is there any scientific proof that positivity helps with cancer survival? And can positivity have a dark side?
By Alia Hoyt
What is the new COVID-19 variant BA.2, and will it cause another wave of infections in the U.S.? Two immunologists from the University of South Carolina weigh in.
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What's to blame? What else? Climate change.
According to scientists, T-cells have been steadily changing the pandemic picture and are one reason for optimism that the pandemic may soon be behind us.
By Luke O'Neill
If a friend or relative is undergoing chemotherapy, you want to help them but may not be sure of the best way to do so. Here are eight great ideas that almost any patient will appreciate.
By Alia Hoyt
Because it has far more mutations than the delta variant does, the new omicron variant may be much more contagious. An expert on emerging viruses explains.
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Who gets long COVID and why still remains a mystery, but several new studies are showing it's much more widespread than we initially thought. So what is long COVID and how can it be treated?
The World Trade Center dust consisted of a dangerous mixture of particles, asbestos and a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, and it's still causing health problems for survivors.
We hear many reports of people vaccinated against COVID-19 getting the disease. How does that happen — and why should that not stop us from getting the vaccine?
By Alia Hoyt
New data released today from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is behind the agency's updated mask guidelines. What so alarmed the CDC that it's telling even the vaccinated to wear masks again?
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What in the world is monkeypox, and should Americans be worried about another contagious virus spreading across the U.S. and Europe?
The wildly contagious delta coronavirus variant now accounts for more than 80 percent of cases in the United States. Does it pose a threat to eliminating COVID-19 across the globe?
Often you might hear someone say about their elderly relative "He died of old age." But what does that really mean? Can old age kill you?
By Alia Hoyt
How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains why we should pay attention to these five variants, some of which might be new to you.
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It's been a year since the World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic. The last 12 months have been truly historic and life-changing in ways that we may not even yet recognize.
By John Donovan
We should know by now to wear a mask in public. But with more variants of coronavirus, should we wear two masks to stop the spread?
By John Donovan
Reopening schools is at the top of everyone's wish list, but does reopening them cause COVID-19 to spread? Well, it's complicated.
You've probably heard of a tumor, but what about a neoplasm? How similar are they and are they always cancerous?
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It might be OK for a Smurf to have blue fingers, but for the rest of us, it's something you don't want to see. Cyanosis is usually a sign of a bigger health problem.
By Alia Hoyt
The low FODMAP diet was created by a team of researchers in Australia to help those with digestive issues like IBS. This is one diet that's not about losing weight.
The symptoms for both are similar though there are a few differences. Treatment is also similar for mild cases of either. But severe cases of COVID are much more deadly, so how do you know what you have?
By Alia Hoyt
New parents — especially new moms — are prone to an ailment known as mommy thumb. It's painful and real, but what is it and how is your baby causing it?
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Sometimes you just can't avoid using a public bathroom. Is it safe with coronavirus raging? How can you be sure?
Many health experts are gravely concerned about how the massive protest crowds, chanting and especially use of tear gas could accelerate the spread of coronavirus.