Healthy Living

Checking your testosterone levels involves either a blood draw at a lab or a finger-prick test you do at home and mail in. Both methods measure the amount of testosterone in your blood, but lab tests are more accurate and reliable. If you want a clear answer for a doctor, go to a lab. If … Read more

If you have seen a cactus that looks like it is covered in soft white hair or cotton, you have likely encountered a fuzzy white cactus. These plants are not a single species but a group of cacti that grow dense, hair-like structures called trichomes. The most common types are from the Cephalocereus and Espostoa … Read more

Fat burners are among the most popular supplements on the market, yet most people who take them have no idea what to expect when they stop. The short answer is this: most of the effects you noticed while taking them—the energy, the suppressed appetite, the slight metabolic boost—will reverse within days. Your weight may increase … Read more

Counting platelets with a hemocytometer is a straightforward lab technique that gives you a direct cell count per microliter of blood. You dilute a blood sample, load it into a counting chamber, and count the platelets under a microscope in a specific grid area. The formula is simple: multiply the average number of platelets counted … Read more

Yes, you can take Tylenol (acetaminophen) with amoxicillin. These two medications do not interact in a dangerous way. Tylenol works on pain and fever through a different pathway than amoxicillin, which is an antibiotic that fights bacterial infections. Taking them together is common and generally considered safe for most people. But like any combination of … Read more

What Muscles Does Walking Work in Your Lower Body? Your lower body does most of the work when you walk. Each step requires a chain of muscles firing in sequence. Your glutes (buttocks) are the largest muscles involved. They extend your hip and push your body forward. Many people have weak glutes from sitting all … Read more

Wasting baby formula is frustrating and expensive. The key to not wasting formula is simple: prepare only what your baby will eat in one sitting, store prepared formula correctly if you must, and use every last drop from the container. Most waste happens because parents make too much at once or don’t know the rules … Read more

Quitting birth control is straightforward: you stop taking the pill, remove the patch, or have your IUD taken out by a clinician. What happens after is different for everyone. Your body needs time to readjust to its natural hormone cycle. Some people get their period back within days. Others wait months. Most side effects are … Read more

Pregnancy changes your body in many ways, and your skin is no exception. If you are used to getting Botox for frown lines, forehead wrinkles, or crow’s feet, you need to stop during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Botox injections use botulinum toxin type A, and there is not enough research to confirm it is safe … Read more

That feeling of having a lump in your throat that you just cannot clear is frustrating. Phlegm sitting in the back of your throat makes you want to cough constantly. The most direct way to break it up is to thin the mucus so it moves freely. This means drinking enough water and using steam … Read more