The American Society of Hematology states, “Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets and proteins in your plasma work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury. Typically, your body will naturally dissolve the blood clot after the injury has healed. Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can be

Artist Flash Rosenberg once commented, “I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” There is still a lot of debate over the positives and negatives of coffee and other sources of caffeine, but research is showing that in moderation, caffeine consumption can be a good thing. Research published in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that caffeine, whether consumed through coffee, tea, soda, or chocolate has a positive effect on our

In the early 1990s , the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Estee Lauder and Self magazine began distributing pink ribbons at events to promote breast cancer awareness. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today, most people are aware of breast cancer, but many don’t have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast

Fall has arrived! The leaves are turning colors, the air is getting cool and crisp…and you’re sneezing? Allergies don’t just occur as things bloom in the spring and summer. Fall allergies have different triggers than spring and summer allergies, but they can be just as annoying. Ragweed is a common culprit. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America report that 10 to 20 percent of Americans suffer from ragweed allergy or hay fever. Ragweed begins releasing pollen in late summer and continues

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about cannabis? Most people might think of the “high” effect the marijuana plant has on people. However, there is a compound in the cannabis plant that has many health benefits and it has been booming on the market recently. It is called Cannabidiol, or CBD for short. The psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant is called THC. THC produces a high feeling, increased appetite, and memory impairment. Unlike THC, CBD has been shown to have

Between June 28 and August 20th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recorded 193possible cases of severe respiratory illnesses among people in 25 states who vaped nicotine or cannabis-related products. As of September 6, 2019 the CDC reported the number has more than doubled, to 450 in 33 states. One of the reasons for the increased popularity of e-cigs or vaping was the belief that the habit was less dangerous than smoking. However, this current epidemic proves otherwise. One of

Do Johns Hopkins Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic sound like reliable sources to you? They do to the folks who write fake health news too. Both Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic keep their media departments hopping, issuing press releases to disprove the stories they have been mentioned in. Last week on “To Your Health” I explained how prevalent fake health news has become and how dangerous it can be. This week, we will look at how to avoid it. The authors of fake health news often try to lend

The cough method of CPR, the danger of the HPV vaccine, cancer-causing Nutella and the Zika virus conspiracy are just a few of the most popular health related posts on Facebook. They are also dangerous because they are highly inaccurate. According to Pew Research, 62% of U.S. adults get their news on social media. This led to “fake news” problems often cited during the last election cycle, but studies have recently confirmed that fake health news shared on Facebook is more frequently read than

Lon Hodge, a Vietnam veteran with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder once said: “People tell me, you don’t look like you need a service dog. And I say, that’s because I have a service dog.” While dogs can be someone’s companion, they can also help save someone’s life. Service animals are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as dogs that have been trained to perform a task for their owner. The most commonly known service animals are guide dogs who are trained to lead blind and visually

What if when we talked about kids going “back to school” we considered their actual backs and their spinal health? A 2006 study in The Pediatric Journal of Orthopedics found 37% of children experience back pain due to carrying heavy backpacks. Rob Danoff, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a certified family physician with Philadelphia’s Aria Health System compares the spine to the frame of a house: it’s what keeps your child’s body sturdy and upright. Put too much weight on this frame while a