After years of study, your child is ready to graduate from college—congratulations! As you celebrate this milestone, use the opportunity to advise and guide your new graduate on their health. While your child may have enjoyed some independence at college, they probably had many conveniences on campus to support healthy habits. When they were sick,…
A balanced diet is a key to well-being at any stage of life, but good nutrition takes on added importance as you age. Many of the health issues associated with aging—such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cognitive changes—can be improved, managed or prevented with a healthy diet and regular exercise. “Prioritize nutrition for your…
When you’re having a conversation with a friend, multiple parts of your brain are involved. Wernicke’s area, in the temporal lobe, processes the sounds created by speech into something you can understand; it also makes written language comprehensible. Broca’s area, in the front of the left hemisphere, turns your thoughts into words and sends that…
At lunch with a friend, you notice that she’s using an app on her phone to record her meal. When you ask if she’s following a new diet, she says that she’s tracking her macros, and she’s never felt better. Tracking or counting macros refers to keeping tabs on the macronutrients that you eat so…
Editors note: This story originally ran May 15, 2023 and was updated May 2, 2024. Breast cancer screening saves lives, but when to start screening hasn’t always been clear. While the age to start has been debated in recent years, most experts now agree that women should start having mammograms at age 40. “Starting mammograms…
Self-care rituals are all over social media: elaborate nightly skin care routines, yoga retreats in exotic locations, expensive wine and fancy desserts. But while self-care is often depicted as an indulgence—something special that will help you escape the stress of life’s demands—the concept is much simpler and more accessible to everyone. Self-care is the process…
Challenges and setbacks are part of life. You lose out on a promotion at work. A loved one gets seriously sick. You receive a staggering repair bill. You go through a divorce or a tough breakup. While it’s normal to need some time to deal with the shock of a loss or an unexpected difficulty,…
This story originally ran Nov. 20, 2017, and was updated April 23, 2024. When it comes to your overall health, it’s good to go with your gut. The gut microbiome in your digestive tract contains trillions of beneficial bacteria but also yeast, viruses and fungi. Rather than causing disease, these “good bacteria” play an important…
In 2000, eliminating the sexually transmitted infection syphilis nationwide seemed possible. Cases were at an all-time low in the United States, with fewer than 6,000 reported. Now, syphilis rates are the highest since the 1950s, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, there were 203,500 cases of syphilis…
Once you receive a cancer diagnosis, your medical team will strive to understand everything about your cancer: where the cancer cells are in your body, how fast they’re spreading and how abnormal they’ve become. As cancerous cells grow, they may form tumors (clumps of cells) and travel throughout the body. All of these factors are…
If you have cancer, there’s a good chance your doctor has discussed radiation with you. More than half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy at some point in their treatment. Radiation is known for its effectiveness. “Radiation uses X-rays to damage the DNA of cancer cells,” says UNC Health radiation oncologist Ashley Weiner, MD,…
During pregnancy, you see your care team regularly to ensure everything is on track. You might take classes and read books to get ready for the baby or write a birth plan and make checklists of supplies to buy. Still, nothing can truly prepare you for bringing a newborn home, where there may not be…
