HB Mag Health Research Team

Adobe bricks are made from a mix of soil, water, and straw, pressed into molds and left to cure in the sun. The best soil is roughly 15 to 30 percent clay, with the rest sand and silt, and the mix is tested before molding rather than guessed. Bricks cure slowly in shade for several … Read more

Quitting nicotine takes more than willpower, and the evidence is clear on what moves the needle. The most effective approach combines medication approved for smoking cessation with behavioral counseling. For most people, that combination roughly doubles or triples the odds of success compared with quitting without support. Vaping is a different problem with less long-term … Read more

An itchy tear duct usually means the tissue at the inner corner of your eye is irritated, and the most common causes are allergies, dry eye, blepharitis, or a blocked tear duct. Most cases are mild and settle with simple care like cool compresses and avoiding eye rubbing. See a doctor promptly if you have … Read more

Having a cesarean section does not cause autism. That is the conclusion of the largest and most careful studies on the question. The link that shows up in some data appears to come from factors that raise the odds of both a C section and an autism diagnosis, not from the surgery itself. Researchers have … Read more

Raw honeycomb is honey still sealed in its wax cells, cut straight from the frame. It is a real food with real nutrients, and eating it is generally safe for most healthy adults. But it is still sugar — about the same as regular honey — and it carries a small but serious safety risk … Read more

A varicocele is a swollen, widened vein inside the scrotum. It is common, it is usually not dangerous, and it often causes no symptoms at all. The one real health concern worth knowing about is fertility, and even there most men with a varicocele can father children without any treatment. Here is the short answer. … Read more

No. People with a pacemaker or implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) should not weld. The risk is not theoretical. Welding produces strong electromagnetic fields, and those fields can interfere with how an implanted device senses and responds to the heart. Major device manufacturers and cardiology guidance advise avoiding welding and similar high-current electrical work. If welding is … Read more

You can make ginger powder at home by drying fresh ginger until it snaps cleanly, then grinding it into a fine powder. The three common drying methods are oven drying, dehydrator drying, and air drying in a warm, dry space. Each works, but they differ in speed, flavor retention, and how much attention they need … Read more

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the hormone that signals the body that a pregnancy has begun. It is produced by the cells that will become the placenta, and its first job is to keep the corpus luteum — the leftover follicle in the ovary — alive and producing progesterone. Without that signal, the early pregnancy … Read more

Yes, it is safe to take Plan B twice in one week. The active ingredient, levonorgestrel, is not toxic in repeated doses, and there is no established medical limit on how often you can use it. That said, taking it more than once in a short window is not ideal — not because it is … Read more