HB Mag Health Research Team
Bloating and gas are normal byproducts of digestion. Everyone produces gas — typically several times a day — and occasional bloating is not a sign that something is wrong. But when it happens constantly, the cause usually comes down to one of a few things: swallowed air, how your gut bacteria ferment certain foods, constipation, … Read more
Plaque on teeth is a sticky, colorless film made mostly of bacteria, water, and a mix of proteins and sugars from your saliva and your diet. Those bacteria build the film as a place to live, and they stick to it within hours of brushing. Plaque is not just bacteria, though. It is a living … Read more
Weight loss happens when you consistently take in fewer calories than your body burns. There is no single food or timing trick that overrides that basic math. The nutrition tips that actually work are the ones you can keep doing for months, not days. This overview covers what the evidence supports, what it does not, … Read more
That plugged, muffled feeling in your ear is usually a pressure problem, not a wax problem. The most common cause is a blocked Eustachian tube — the narrow channel connecting your middle ear to the back of your throat. When it can’t equalize pressure on both sides of your eardrum, sound feels distant and your … Read more
That clicking sound in your neck when you turn your head is usually caused by gas bubbles popping in the joints between your neck vertebrae, or by tendons and ligaments snapping over bony surfaces as they move. It is rarely a sign of something dangerous. Most people who hear neck clicking have no pain and … Read more
The standard age to start colonoscopy screening for most adults at average risk is 45. That changed in 2021, when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the starting age from 50 to 45. If you are at higher risk because of family history, a genetic condition, or inflammatory bowel disease, your doctor may recommend … Read more
Slippery elm is a tree native to North America, and its inner bark has been used for centuries as a soothing remedy for sore throats, coughs, and stomach upset. People do take it daily, and for most healthy adults short-term use appears to be well tolerated. But “safe every day” depends on the dose, the … Read more
Fasting before a liver ultrasound is not about your liver being empty. It is about your gallbladder and your digestive tract. Eating triggers your gallbladder to squeeze out bile and sends gas and fluid through your stomach and intestines. Both changes make it harder for the sound waves to produce a clear picture of your … Read more
Joint attention is the shared focus of two people on the same object or event, usually with an awareness that both are paying attention to it. It shows up in everyday moments — a toddler pointing at a dog and checking that a parent is looking too, or a child glancing at a toy and … Read more
A tick bite can spread serious diseases, so finding a small, hard-bodied bug crawling on you tends to get your attention fast. Several bugs get mistaken for ticks, but the ones people confuse most often are bed bugs, bat bugs, and a few types of beetles and spiders. Ticks are arachnids, not insects, which means … Read more