https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/ en NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Copyright 2024 2024-04-16T12:30:00+00:00 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/your-smile-and-mouth-can-tell-you-more-than-you-might-think https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/your-smile-and-mouth-can-tell-you-more-than-you-might-think#When:12:56:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Issue6Main.jpg While you might not realize it, your mouth plays an important role in your health and well-being. Good oral health is about more than just avoiding cavities. It's about being able to speak, chew, taste, swallow, and express yourself. And having a pain-free mouth allows us to sleep better at night and makes it easier to focus on our everyday routines. A two-way street: Mouth to body and body to mouth From the mouth to the body Your mouth contains bacteria, both good and bad. When harmful bacteria builds up in the mouth, you’re more likely to develop gum]]> Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:56:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/meet-the-director-rena-dsouza-d.d.s-m.s-ph.d-national-institute-of-dental-and-craniofacial-research https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/meet-the-director-rena-dsouza-d.d.s-m.s-ph.d-national-institute-of-dental-and-craniofacial-research#When:12:20:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/RenaDSouza-main.jpg Rena D’Souza, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., wants everyone to better understand the close link between oral health and the rest of the body. Her passion for research led her to become Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in 2021. Dr. D’Souza aims to advance NIDCR’s research mission and help close nationwide gaps in oral health care. She talked to NIH MedlinePlus Magazine about her career and why oral health is about more than just teeth. Tell us about your background and what led you to study dentistry. I grew up in India in]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2024 08:20:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/putting-your-best-foot-forward-steps-for-happy-healthy-feet https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/putting-your-best-foot-forward-steps-for-happy-healthy-feet#When:13:33:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Foot_health2.jpg Our feet are mechanical wonders. They support the weight of our bodies and allow us to stand, balance, and move through the world. Just like any other part of your body, your feet need care to stay healthy, active, and strong—and to prevent problems later! Common foot problems  Did you know that your feet are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments? These parts work together so you can walk, run, skip, dance, and more. But this complexity—and the stress your feet undergo each day—also means there’s a lot that can go wrong. Some common]]> Thu, 06 Jun 2024 09:33:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/making-it-easier-to-get-hiv-treatment https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/making-it-easier-to-get-hiv-treatment#When:13:29:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Woman_Taking_Medicine.jpg HIV research has come a long way since the epidemic began in the 1980s. Today, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives with the right treatment. The treatment for people living with HIV is known as antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is a combination of medicines taken together. Patients need to take ART for the rest of their lives. This can be hard for people who have financial and other barriers to accessing health care. Recent studies supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Mental Health are helping expand people’s access]]> Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:29:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/pregnancy-related-deaths-are-on-the-rise-and-sepsis-is-a-big-reason https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/pregnancy-related-deaths-are-on-the-rise-and-sepsis-is-a-big-reason#When:11:58:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Closeup_Pregnant_Woman.jpg More and more people each year are dying from complications related to pregnancy and delivery. In the United States, deaths from pregnancy, during delivery, or postpartum rose from 17.4 (per 100,000 live births) in January 2019 to 20.9 in January 2023. What’s even more alarming is that most of these deaths could have been prevented. Infections and sepsis are the second-biggest cause of maternal deaths in the United States. Sepsis is life-threatening and can happen to anyone, but pregnant people and infants are among the most likely to get it. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection someone already has. This infection triggers]]> Thu, 30 May 2024 07:58:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/what-is-sepsis https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/what-is-sepsis#When:12:44:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Doctor_Checks_Iv_Bag.jpg Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection. It occurs when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction that can lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels. This makes it hard for nutrients and oxygen to reach your organs. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis, but other types of infections can cause it, too. The infections are often in the lungs, stomach, kidneys, or bladder. It's possible for sepsis to begin with a small cut that gets infected or with an infection that develops after surgery. Sometimes sepsis can occur in people]]> Tue, 28 May 2024 08:44:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/what-triggers-seasonal-allergies https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/what-triggers-seasonal-allergies#When:12:00:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Seasonal_allergies.jpg Ah, spring! It's the time of year when the cold goes away, sunshine warms your skin, trees and flowers blossom, and…your nose starts running, your eyes water, and you can’t stop sneezing. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—seasonal allergies affect millions of people. If you’re one of them, those pretty trees and plants may make you feel worse, not better. That's because of pollen, a powdery substance made by certain plants. Pollen is harmless, but if you have seasonal allergies, your body mistakes the pollen for something dangerous. This reaction causes symptoms like coughing, sneezing, a runny]]> Tue, 21 May 2024 08:00:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/h20-for-healthy-aging https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/h20-for-healthy-aging#When:11:42:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Hydration_and_healthy_aging.jpg Water is essential for just about every function in our bodies, from keeping our organs working properly to regulating our body temperature. Losing more water than we take in can lead to dehydration, which happens when your body doesn’t have enough fluid to function properly.  Our bodies are constantly losing fluids. Sweating during exercise or in hot weather, dealing with an illness such as diarrhea or vomiting, and even breathing and going to the bathroom all cause our bodies to lose water. And as we age, our bodies don’t retain fluids as well. We may also become less aware]]> Tue, 07 May 2024 07:42:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/glaucoma-what-you-need-to-know https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/glaucoma-what-you-need-to-know#When:12:12:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/NEI-medialibrary-4884421.jpg Glaucoma is the name for a group of diseases that can damage the optic nerve in the eye. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises and increases pressure inside the eye. About 3 million Americans have glaucoma, and it’s the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide. If you have glaucoma, you may not have symptoms right away. But over time, you may slowly lose your peripheral (side) vision. It may seem like you’re looking through a tunnel. Over time, your central (straight-ahead) vision may decrease until you eventually lose your ability to see. An eye exam can]]> Thu, 02 May 2024 08:12:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/not-seeing-clearly-cataracts-might-be-the-problem https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/not-seeing-clearly-cataracts-might-be-the-problem#When:11:05:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/Ophthalmologist.jpg Like a camera, your eyes rely on a lens—the clear part of the eye that helps focus light on the retina. A cataract is a clouding of that lens, which can affect your vision. Most cataracts develop from aging. By age 80, more than half of Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. You may be at a higher risk if you smoke, consume alcohol excessively, or have a family history of cataracts. Spending a lot of time in the sun without sunglasses can also raise your chances of cataracts. Diabetes and steroid use can also cause cataracts. ]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:05:00 -0400 -