Diseases and Conditions

Sometimes you just can't avoid using a public bathroom. Is it safe with coronavirus raging? How can you be sure?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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.

By Patty Rasmussen

Learn the steps of contact tracing, one critical way that public health officials stop viruses like COVID-19 from spreading, in this HowStuffWorks video.

Wearing some sort of face mask is more important than ever now to protect you and others from coronavirus. But how do clean and safely store it?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Despite strict closing and mask orders, San Francisco was hit hard by the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. But some residents balked at the rules and that meant more people died.

By John Donovan

As COVID-19 rages around the world, distilleries quickly ramp up the switch from booze to hand sanitizer in an all-out effort to curb the spread.

By Jeremy Glass

When you were a kid, your mom probably told you not to go around barefoot because you could get worms. But are nematodes still a problem today?

By Alia Hoyt

Anosmia, or the loss of the ability to detect one or more smells, is a common symptom of upper respiratory viral infections. It might also be a way to tell if you have novel coronavirus.

By Jesslyn Shields

The World Health Organization just declared the coronavirus a full-blown pandemic. What does that even mean, and how is that different from an epidemic?

By Sarah Gleim

You've probably heard the word "quarantine" a lot in relation to the coronavirus. But how is it different from patient isolation?

By Patty Rasmussen

More than a year has passed since a new strain — SARS-CoV-2 — emerged in China and rapidly spread across the globe, infecting more than 90 million and killing more than 2 million. What has — and hasn't — changed since then?

By Sarah Gleim

A study from the National Institutes of Health found women who regularly use permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners are at a higher risk of breast cancer. The risk increases significantly — more than six times — for black women.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

It's called auto-brewery syndrome and, for some folks, it's a fact of life.

By Laurie L. Dove

A bland diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast was a standard remedy for children with diarrhea and other stomach issues. But not any more. What happened to the BRAT diet?

By Alia Hoyt

Just 10 percent of Americans with pancreatic cancer survive for at least five years. Why is the outlook so grim and what can be done about it?

By Alia Hoyt

Although it's far more common in women, men get breast cancer too. And they have a much higher fatality rate. Why is this and what can be done?

By Alia Hoyt

We know science rarely says anything good about sitting all day. But did you know that if spend too much time on your bum, you could end up killing it?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Although the disease is associated with sailors of yore, it can affect anyone lacking vitamin C. And it still impacts some people today.

By Mark Mancini

The EPA deemed ethylene oxide a carcinogen in 2016, yet there are many cities across the country being polluted with the invisible gas.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

If you have a gut feeling something is off in your physical or mental well-being, a parasite could be the culprit.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

There's been a steady uptick in Lyme disease across the United States since 1997, but the news isn't all bad.

By John Donovan

Spring is here, your pollen allergies have kicked in and you feel tired and sleepy. Could pollen have something to do with it? Or is it just the meds?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Spring may be beautiful, but it's a tough time of year for anybody with allergies. That's why they rely on the daily pollen count for relief.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Ever had that sinking feeling when you bite down on a sandwich and accidentally encounter a foreign object like a toothpick or a piece of plastic? If you spot it in time, you can spit it out. But what if you don't?

By Alia Hoyt

A new study showed that about 10 percent of Americans who thought they had food allergies actually had food intolerance issues. So what's the difference?

By Dave Roos