A toothache is pain in or around a tooth, and it usually means something is wrong that a dentist needs to see. To stop the pain short-term, take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed on the label, rinse your mouth with warm salt water, and avoid very hot, cold, or sugary … Read more
Alcohol does not directly cause a yeast infection, but drinking can make one more likely. The link is indirect. Alcohol affects your immune system, your blood sugar, and the balance of microbes in your body. Each of those can shift conditions in a way that favors yeast overgrowth. The evidence for a strong, direct connection … Read more
Allicin can kill bacteria in the gut, and that includes some beneficial species. It is not selective. Allicin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound formed when fresh garlic is crushed or chopped, and laboratory studies show it damages a wide range of bacteria, both harmful and helpful. Whether this matters much in a living human gut … Read more
Most people take ashwagandha in the evening because the traditional use of the root is as a calming, restorative herb — and because a common side effect of taking it is drowsiness. If you are taking it for stress or sleep, evening or bedtime dosing fits both the traditional pattern and the side-effect profile. If … Read more
A sinus headache often gets worse when you lie down, which makes bedtime the hardest part of the day. The most reliable way to sleep with one is to prop your head and upper body up, keep the room humidified, and use a saline nasal rinse or steam before bed. Sleeping with your head elevated … Read more
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce in low-oxygen environments. You prevent it when canning at home by using a pressure canner for all low-acid foods, following tested processing times and pressures, keeping equipment clean, and never canning without an approved, up-to-date recipe. These steps are … Read more
Most of the weight people regain after keto comes back for a reason that has little to do with willpower: the diet was never designed to be a permanent way of eating. When you stop keto, your body returns to burning glucose as its main fuel, glycogen and water refill, and appetite signals shift. To … Read more
Most people who smoke started as teenagers, and most of them did not start alone. They started in a group — at a party, behind a school building, on a break at a first job — because smoking was the price of belonging. Peer pressure works less through a single dare and more through small, … Read more
“RAD” stands for reactive attachment disorder. In adults, it is not a recognized diagnosis. Reactive attachment disorder is a childhood condition that appears in the DSM-5, the standard psychiatric diagnostic manual, and its criteria require that symptoms begin before age 5. An adult who shows traits resembling RAD is usually describing something else — most … Read more
Iron is a mineral your body needs to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every tissue. You get iron from food in two forms: heme iron, found in meat, poultry, and fish, and non-heme iron, found in plants, eggs, and fortified foods. Most adults need about … Read more