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Proton-pump inhibitors: What you need to know

Proton-pump inhibitors are the strongest type of medicine available for treating stomach acid. There is some concern about their potential side effects and interactions with other medications.

Lightheaded? Top 5 reasons you might feel woozy

Lightheadedness is a feeling of wooziness or faintness. It is commonly caused by dehydration, drug side effects, blood pressure drops, low blood sugar, heart disease, or stroke.

Appropriate use of testosterone therapy does not appear to raise prostate cancer risk

A 2023 study confirms prior research showing that men with low testosterone levels who use testosterone replacement therapy for 14 months are not at a higher risk for prostate cancer over the following several years.

Get ready for allergy season

Allergy season runs from around March through October. Tree pollen dominates in spring, grass in summer, and ragweed in late summer and early fall. In people with an allergy, pollen exposure can trigger the hallmark allergy symptoms: sneezing, watery eyes, stuffiness, scratchy throat, wheezing, and coughing. There are many ways to manage allergy symptoms, such as using over-the-counter medication, taking allergy shots or oral immunotherapy to help the immune system better tolerate allergens, and reducing one's exposure to pollen.

Eating high-quality carbohydrates may stave off middle-age weight gain

A 2023 study suggests that avoiding low-quality carbohydrates such as refined grains, sugar-sweetened drinks, and starchy vegetables may help middle-aged adults avoid weight gain.

Should you try the keto diet?

The ketogenic diet deprives the body of carbohydrates for fuel. Instead, the body uses ketone bodies, a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat. Keto diet followers must eat fat at each meal. In a daily 2,000-calorie diet, that might look like 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. Ditching carbs means limiting fruits and vegetables, which raises the risk for nutrient deficiencies. The keto diet also increases the risk for kidney, liver, mood, and thinking problems.

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