We are still learning about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain, but we know that the pandemic has resulted in worsening mental health for many people. A new study confirmed that COVID-19 infection increased the risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

The post Could COVID-19 infection be responsible for your depressed mood or anxiety? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Antidepressant medications are frequently prescribed for chronic pain, particularly neck or low back pain and certain types of arthritis — though other treatments are usually tried first. An analysis of past research considered how effective antidepressants are for these types of pain, but the results are not encouraging.

The post Are antidepressants also pain relievers? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

On top of the unprecedented strains that COVID-19 has has placed on all of us, Asian Americans have confronted skyrocketing rates of discrimination, verbal assaults, and physical violence. The cumulative burden of these incidents contributes to mental and emotional trauma, even among those not directly attacked.

The post Anti-Asian racism: Breaking through stereotypes and silence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

If you have upset someone, the best way to rectify the situation is by making a sincere, heartfelt apology. But just saying the words isn’t quite enough: for an apology to be effective, it has to be genuine. You have to mean it, and you have to make that clear.

The post The art of a heartfelt apology appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare neuromuscular disease that impairs the transmission of nerve signals to muscles, causing temporary weakness of affected muscles. While treatment is complex, recently updated guidelines have added to the understanding of MG and are improving approaches to treatment.

The post How is treatment for myasthenia gravis evolving? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

During perimenopause, some women notice that they are having trouble focusing or are more forgetful. Are sleep disturbances, stress, or hormones behind this brain fog –– and what can you do to feel less foggy?

The post Sleep, stress, or hormones? Brain fog during perimenopause appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Peer support groups in mental health allow people with similar lived experiences to listen, share, and encourage one another. A Black peer support group created around race and culture as well as mental health may offer a safe space that allows people to address aspects of shared identity and experiences around racism with others who understand their daily reality.

The post Black peer support: A role in mental health recovery appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Recent updates to asthma management guidelines produced by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program reflect advances in understanding of the mechanisms that cause asthma and current best practices to manage asthma symptoms.

The post What’s new in the updated asthma guidelines? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Excessive alcohol use is a common response to coping with stress, but the physical, mental, and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a disproportionate effect on women. There are medical and psychiatric consequences of increased alcohol use that women need to be aware of.

The post Women, alcohol, and COVID-19 appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Certain vitamins and supplements have long been promoted as having benefits for the immune system, which has led some to believe they may have similar effects on COVID-19 — and some doctors have been prescribing them. But so far, study results have not been encouraging.

The post Do vitamin D, zinc, and other supplements help prevent COVID-19 or hasten healing? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

Prostate cancer is often a multifocal disease, meaning that several tumors can be present in different parts of gland at the same time. Not all of these tumors are equally problematic, however. And it’s increasingly thought that the tumor with the most aggressive features — called the index lesion — dictates how a man’s cancer […]

The post An emerging treatment option for men with recurring prostate cancer after radiation therapy appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.