Dealing with joint pain and stiffness is difficult at any point in the year, but research has shown that the winter months are usually even more so because cold weather affects arthritic conditions. While cold weather doesn’t cause arthritis in and of itself, it can be an exacerbating factor for many people with joint pain and stiffness driven by arthritic conditions. There are several reason why cold weather affects joint pain. One is barometric pressure; when pressure is lo

Mold is a fungus that lives both inside and outside, and thrives best in moist areas. It reproduces by sending spores through the air that make their way to other areas. Mold is typically harmless, and for the most part, people are exposed to it every day. Sometimes, though, mold can create a problem. This is especially true when it begins growing in your home. When surfaces are moist enough, mold spores can land on them and begin to thrive. Areas of the house that are more s

Becoming infected with Lyme disease can lead to a plethora of different ailments, all of which could take months or years to develop after the initial infection. For those who seek treatment early, further complications could be avoided, but unfortunately this isn’t true in every case. This is because the Borrelia bacteria, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, can camp out in the tissues of the body and lie dormant before it wakes up to attack the body all over again. Those

Aging is a natural part of life. As people grow older, they become more susceptible to a variety of different health conditions based solely on the cellular processes that go along with the aging process. Much of medical science in the field of aging has been focused on how to treat age-related diseases as they arise, but there has been a limited focus on the mechanisms that cause aging to be a risk factor for many health ailments. Geroscience aims to bridge that gap in resea

Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a herpesvirus infection that can affect many areas of the body including the eyes, brain, and other internal organs. It is similar to the mononucleosis virus. In most people, the virus doesn’t present with any symptoms, but when symptoms do appear, they tend to mimic a flu or cold. In those with weakened immune function, however, the virus can be severe and may even lead to blindness. With a case of CMV, the virus stays within the body for the rest

The human body is a symbiotic system that relies heavily on all of its processes to run smoothly. When one system fails, the others are forced to pick up the slack in one way or another. This leaves room for chronic disease and illness to take hold, causing a host of symptoms such as fatigue, chronic pain, and immune dysfunction. There are certain substances in the body that need balance at all times so that chronic illness can be avoided. Free radicals, for example, are atom

A healthy lifestyle isn’t something you can achieve overnight. It takes hard work and discipline not only to reach an optimal level of health, but also to maintain it. Since the human body operates symbiotically, many different processes rely on one another to keep the mind, body, and immune system functioning at their best. A healthy diet is one of the first things one thinks of when it comes to keeping things running properly, but it’s not the only factor. Exercise plays a

The industry behind weight-loss fads benefits greatly from new and trendy diets. From the cabbage soup diet to all-out juice cleanses, there have been many options to choose from for anyone looking to shed a few pounds. There’s a reason the grandiose health claims are eaten up by the masses, so to speak. According to data from the CDC, roughly 71.6% of adult Americans over the age of 20 are either overweight or obese. With such high numbers, it’s not hard to come to the concl

Bodily systems work together in intricate ways. There are 11 major systems in the human body. The nervous system sends important signals throughout the body, the cardiovascular system sends nutrients through constant blood flow, and the respiratory system keeps air in the lungs. Every single organ network has a specific job to do, and when they’re running optimally, good health follows. The digestive system is in charge of breaking down food and turning it into fuel. It is d

A healthy immune system is the key to overall health. It’s designed to encourage the proper response against invaders when they manage to infiltrate the body and cause infection, disease, or chronic illness. The immune system sends out specific cells in an attempt to curb the spread of these invaders and eliminate them from the body. When the immune system isn’t functioning at its best – which can happen when the body isn’t getting all the essential vitamins it needs – pathog

Having a chronic disease can often feel debilitating. Getting through the day can be an uphill battle when you feel as though your body is playing on the opposite team, but there are things that can be done to help ease symptoms. Chronic illnesses can range in severity, but they all have one thing in common: they stick around for the long run. Dealing with a constant illness can be exhausting, and that constant fatigue can lead to a lowered immune response in the body. Those

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be hard to eat a balanced diet. Between not having enough time to cook healthy meals, the convenience of takeaway, and heavily processed food items taking center stage on grocery store shelves, maintaining a well-balanced diet can be a difficult thing to accomplish. However, it is possible to continue living virtually the same lifestyle while also getting all the whole foods your body needs to keep it running at its best. For those who have

Lyme disease can cause serious issues throughout a patient’s entire body. This is one of the attributes that makes the disease so hard to pin down, and why reliable diagnosis is one of the most obvious problems doctors and patients face. Despite Lyme disease manifesting in all sorts of various ways, one of the areas it primarily affects is the gut. Around 70–80% of our immune system is controlled by our gut and the microbiome (helpful bacteria) contained within it. Lyme has a

Sleep is an important part of keeping our bodies healthy. We often think of sleep as a total mind and body shutdown, but in reality, that’s not the case. Although our conscious mind switches off, sleep is actually a very active state for us. A lot of processing, strengthening, and restoration occurs while we sleep, although exactly how and why this process works the way it does is still a bit of a mystery to scientists. Physically, our bodies use sleep to repair damaged muscl

Maintaining a healthy weight is important to our overall general health. Worldwide incidences of obesity and overweightness are continuing to climb every year in the Western world, and especially in America. This is having an overall detrimental effect on our wellbeing, resulting in higher numbers of heart disease, diabetes, and even mental disorders such as depression. What you choose to put into your body can have a startling effect on your state of mind, as well as your ph

If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, you might be wondering if it’s still safe for you to take part in exercise. The answer is yes – as long as you tailor your fitness regime to fit your symptoms. Being active can actually be a huge help in supporting your health by boosting your immune system and building up your strength and endurance. Here’s what you need to know about exercising with chronic Lyme disease. It’s completely understandable that you might not fe

In spite of the fact that Lyme disease cases are growing in number, there is still much confusion about how best to diagnose and treat this complex condition. Caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease is transmitted by blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) infected with this bacterium. People who visit a doctor after noticing early symptoms of Lyme disease such as fever, body aches, or a rash resembling a target may receive blood tests to check for ant

There are so many reasons why good nutrition is essential to your health. Boasting everything from disease-fighting properties to the ability to help your skin glow, a balanced, clean diet can result in you having an overall healthier system. Good nutrition becomes even more vital if you’re battling a chronic illness like Lyme disease. In this case, your body needs even more assistance in getting all the vitamins and nutrients you require to keep up your strength and even red

Suffering from any disease can be unnerving, especially when it comes to the U.S. health care system with its notoriously high costs and stringent insurance protocols. But for people with Morgellons disease, the onset of this particular disorder can create a whole host of issues separate from the debilitating effects of the disease itself. The main issue is that Morgellons isn’t formally recognized by any official health care body in America or abroad. Despite the Centers for

Suffering from any disease can be unnerving, especially when it comes to the U.S. health care system with its notoriously high costs and stringent insurance protocols. But for people with Morgellons disease, the onset of this particular disorder can create a whole host of issues separate from the debilitating effects of the disease itself. The main issue is that Morgellons isn’t formally recognized by any official health care body in America or abroad. Despite the Centers for