Month: February 2022

Image By the end of last year, Stacey Ricks of Spring, Texas, had received five coronavirus vaccine shots. She is immunocompromised and faces a greater risk of death from the virus.Credit...Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday encouraged people with weakened immune systems to come forward sooner for additional coronavirus shots, part of what the agency’s scientists described as a bid to shore up those people’s levels of protection in the face of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Members of an advisory committee to the C.D.C. also signaled their support for another change to vaccination guidelines, indicating that they would endorse extending the gap between first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines...

Many people who have a drinking problem don't realize they have one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "Excessive alcohol use is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States, shortening the lives of those who die by an average of 29 years. Excessive alcohol use includes: Binge drinking, defined as consuming 4 or more drinks on an occasion for a woman or 5 or more drinks on an occasion for a man. Heavy drinking, defined as 8 or more drinks per week for a woman or 15 or more drinks per week for a man." If you or someone you know might have an issue with alcohol, here are the signs to look for according to Dr. Ryan Wade, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Clinical Team Lead Dual Diagnosis Transitional Living Program Silver Hill Hospital...

One of the most difficult parts of aging is trying to lose fat, get toned, and reshape your body. If you didn't keep up with an active, healthy lifestyle in your younger years, then it will feel harder—especially considering we lose 3 to 5% muscle mass every 10 years after turning 30. This makes it incredibly important for you to start strength training, because building and preserving muscle is the key to not only aging well, but also reshaping your body. Cardio is important for heart health and has its place as part of an active lifestyle, but if you want to reshape your body, you have to be resistance training. If you're over 60 and already strength training regularly, below are two trainer-approved tricks you can incorporate into your routine in order t...

Photo: Vika-Viktoria (Shutterstock) When the temperatures are low and you’re outdoors, it doesn’t take long for your fingers to start feeling cold and stiff. Depending on the weather and how long they’re exposed, they may start to feel numb, or turn red. But is this a normal reaction to the cold, or the beginning of frostbite? That’s a great question—and one that isn’t necessarily answered (at least very clearly) by many of the safety guidelines on frostbite. That’s because they often only mention skin color and appearance, like turning pale (yellow or white) and becoming waxy and shiny. But what if your skin is always kind of pale and waxy-looking? Or you aren’t sure what counts as “pale” in relation to your usual skin color? That’s when you look for the other signs of frostbite, wh...