At first, Lauren Byington just felt tired, something she attributed to having a new baby. After a while, though, other symptoms appeared-yellowing skin, thinning hair, and pain in her liver, which made her think something was amiss. What that something was took Lauren, a 34-year-old entrepreneur in Bandera, TX, two years to discover. One doctor thought she might have Lyme disease; another worried that it could be cancer. Finally, allergy tests revealed that Lauren's symptoms were due to excessive exposure to mold.
Lauren had no idea where she'd been exposed to high levels of mold, so she combed her house for possible sources. She didn't find anything-no leaks under the sink, no cracks letting rain enter the walls, nothing dripping from the roof or the air conditioner.
Then she remembered how her health worsened when she got into her touring van, a vehicle she used almost every month to drive her family nine hours to visit relatives; she and her kids would sleep in the van's two king-size beds. When Lauren stuck cotton swabs into the air vents and around the air conditioning unit in the roof of her van, they emerged black as night. Even though the van had been brand-new when her symptoms had first appeared, driving it from one climate to another on a regular basis had apparently led condensation to build up in the AC, allowing mold to grow. "I felt shocked, but there was also a sense of relief to finally know the source of my problems," Lauren says.
MOLD ON THE MARCH
These fuzzy microorganisms are everywhere-outside in the shade and where leaves and grass decompose, inside in the damp parts of our homes or offices, and even on some of the crops grown for our food. Mold spreads easily because the spores on the top of it readily float through the air.
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WHY AM I SICK...AGAIN?
It's puzzling: It seems as if everyone's UNDER THE WEATHER MORE FREQUENTLY these days than before the pandemic. But that perception may be A COVID MIND TRICK. Here, top doctors help us piece together the truth.
Walk Away Pain - One of the best things you can do to ease joint and back pain and ward off future ouches is so very simple: just take it step by step.
Prevention's loyal readers are walking superfans, so we know you're aware of the boundless benefits of walking a regular routine keeps you fit and helps you maintain muscle strength (crucial during later-life years), and walking is fantastic for flexibility and balance. Yet here's one win from walking that you might not know as much about: It's a proven pain reducer.
A Solo Trip at 55 Boosted My Confidence - When I retired, a big, beautiful world opened up to me.
I had never taken a solo vacation before, and when I arrived in St. Maarten two years ago, the fact that I was traveling alone really hit me. I was 55 and divorced, and very apprehensive and self-conscious: With whom would I have dinner? With whom would I sit at the bar? But I put on my big-girl pants the first night and told myself I would grab a bite to eat and then head back to my room and read a book.It didn't turn out that way. I met a fabulous group of other retired women and men, and we talked and danced and drank and laughed all night. We hung out periodically throughout the week, whether at the pool or joining one another for dinner or drinks.
Hormones, ADHD, and the Midlife Balancing Act - Being in perimenopause is all kinds of challenging. Now more women are discovering that their brain fog, lack of impulse control, and constant feeling of distraction may be a clue to something else entirely.
Being in perimenopause is all kinds of challenging. Now more women are discovering that their brain fog, lack of impulse control, and constant feeling of distraction may be a clue to something else entirely. Melanie Hutchinson had always been messy, but in 2020, as she entered her 50s, her home became overrun with clutter. A mountain of laundry overtook her bedroom and piles of paper and junk accumulated everywhere. Before Zoom meetings, she'd hurriedly throw things into laundry baskets and stash them in the basement to avoid an embarrassing background.
Ease Your Allergies - These holistic remedies may provide relief from seasonal symptoms.
For people with seasonal allergies, sniffling and sneezing are just the tip of the drippy, itchy iceberg. And symptoms can range from mildly annoying to truly debilitating.Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, are allergic reactions to airborne allergens like pollen and mold spores, says Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D., an allergist at Clear Allergy in Culver City, CA. Normally harmless, certain allergens can prompt an immune response in some people, leading to itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; runny nose; congestion; coughing; and shortness of breath.
Mammogram Confusion, Solved! - It's the rare woman who doesn't vividly remember certain firsts
It's her first period, first bra, first use of a tampon, first kiss, and, yes, first mammogram. But for most women, the age at which they should get that first screening test has changed. Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new breast cancer screening guidelines suggesting that women get a mammogram every two years starting at age 40.
5 Myths About Arthritis- Creaky joints are a pain, but some facts” about them are pretty twisted.
Arthritis isn't the only culprit when it comes to achy joints. Infection, injury, bursitis (swelling of the fluid-filled pads that cushion the joints), and tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons that attach muscle to bone) are all reasons they might hurt, says Kirsten Ambrose, M.S., associate director of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center. Joint pain is also a symptom of autoimmune diseases like lupus and Hashimoto's disease. So how can you tell if it's osteoarthritis? Get it checked. To diagnose arthritis, doctors typically rely on a patient's history (family background, injuries, and symptoms); a physical exam (looking for bony enlargements or swelling); or imaging like an X-ray or an MRI, Ambrose says. Blood test can show markers of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout. If it is osteoarthritis, over-the-counter pain medication, physical therapy, and general movement can ease symptoms.
What's Up With...Smelly Gas - You can blame it on the dog, but it happens to everyone.
The average person toots around 14 times a day-it's how your body releases the extra gas that accumulates when you swallow air and digest food, says Shilpa Ravella, M.D., author of A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet, and Disease. If you chew gum or smoke, you'll have even more gas buildup, she adds.
WHAT'S UP WITH ...EARWORMS
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NUTRITION for Healthy Breasts
YOU KNOW THAT EATING MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN can cause your body to accumulate fat.
