HB Mag Health Research Team
No, you cannot get HSV from sharing a drink. Herpes simplex virus does not spread through food, water, or the shared surface of a cup or bottle. The virus spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected area — usually the mouth or genitals. That distinction matters, because it explains why some real-world situations carry … Read more
Hot flashes are the most common symptom of the menopause transition, and the most effective treatments are well established. For moderate to severe symptoms, menopausal hormone therapy is the most effective treatment available, and it is the standard against which other options are measured. For people who cannot or prefer not to use hormones, several … Read more
Whoop estimates stress by combining heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate into a single daily number. It reads these signals from the wrist, mostly at night, and compares them to your own recent baseline rather than to a population average. That approach captures real physiology. It also has clear limits, and knowing them … Read more
Boredom drinking is real, and it is not a character flaw. When your brain is understimulated, it reaches for the fastest available source of stimulation and reward — and for many adults, that is alcohol. The habit forms because alcohol delivers a quick hit of dopamine and relaxation that briefly fills the empty space. The … Read more
Most mosquito bites are harmless. They itch, they swell a little, and they fade within a few days. You should worry when a bite comes with signs of a severe allergic reaction, a spreading skin infection, or a fever that appears days to weeks after you were bitten. For the large majority of people in … Read more
Hair loss is common, and so is vitamin D deficiency. That overlap has led many people to wonder whether low vitamin D is causing their thinning hair. The short answer: vitamin D deficiency is linked to some types of hair loss, but the evidence that correcting a deficiency regrows hair is limited. Vitamin D plays … Read more
There is no single remedy that works for every itchy rash. The best approach depends on the cause, but for most everyday itching the most reliable first step is a fragrance-free moisturizer plus a short, cool-to-lukewarm shower, followed by a topical treatment that matches the underlying problem. Itching is a symptom, not a disease, and … Read more
Aquaphor Healing Ointment does not clog pores in the way most people fear. It is a mixture of petrolatum, mineral oil, and lanolin alcohol, and it sits on top of the skin rather than sinking into pores. Petrolatum is the key ingredient here, and it is widely regarded as non-comedogenic — meaning it does not … Read more
Gout can affect the hip joint, but it is uncommon. Gout most often strikes the big toe, then the midfoot, ankle, and knee. Hip gout is rare and often overlooked, partly because hip pain has many more common causes. When it does happen, the symptoms can look like osteoarthritis or bursitis, which is why diagnosis … Read more
Necrotizing fasciitis is a fast-moving bacterial infection that kills the tissue covering muscle, called fascia. Doctors diagnose it by combining a physical exam, blood tests, imaging when it is safe to delay surgery, and—most importantly—direct inspection of the tissue during surgery. No single test can rule it in or out, so diagnosis depends on putting … Read more