Three weeks after Sophia Bassan’s mastectomy, she felt a stabbing pain beneath her right armpit. In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back. Her body became so sensitive that at times she couldn’t wear a shirt or lift a fork to her mouth.

Bassan slept sitting up because it hurt to lie down, and she would ...Read more

The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families.

A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions ...Read more

Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe.

From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has sown distrust in scientific experts. The results are already visible through the return of diseases once thought...Read more

The BRAT diet — which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — has long been recommended for people coping with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These bland, low-fiber foods are easy to digest. But is this the best diet to help you recover from digestive woes?

There aren’t any studies comparing the BRAT diet with other options. �...Read more

The leap into April is a sign that crisp mornings are making way for sun-kissed evening skies. This change in weather also brings a shift in the produce selection available at the market. When you’re out shopping, snag these five seasonal selections and pantry staples that can help you create convenient, healthy meals that celebrate spring.

1...Read more

While vacation is supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation, accidents do happen. Planning ensures you have the protection you need in case you’re sick or injured during your trip.

Depending on where you are and what your primary health insurance policy covers, you might be stuck with the bill if you do end up in the hospital. For this ...Read more

Farro is an ancient grain that’s been cultivated for thousands of years. Delicious and nutritious (rich in protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron and magnesium), farro is enjoying a resurgence among gourmets and the health conscious alike.

The folklore

Legend has it that Julius Caesar himself brought it to Italy after invading Egypt in 30 B...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: We’re living in an area that’s seeing increasing episodes of wildfire smoke. I’m concerned about how it could be affecting our health. Should we be concerned?

ANSWER: As wildfires become increasingly common throughout the U.S. and neighboring Canadian provinces, the smoke from these fires should be taken seriously. Air ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My brother was experiencing severe back pain last year and decided to see a neurosurgeon for treatment. Now he is experiencing little to no discomfort. When I think about seeing a neurosurgeon, I picture major spine surgery and a long, difficult recovery. Seeing that he is doing better made me reflect on my own situation. I ...Read more

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature have passed and signed another supplemental budget, this time appropriating $300 million to fund health insurance for public employees as health care costs continue to burden the state budget.

The House and Senate both passed the emergency legislation (H. 5348) during informal ...Read more

A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products were sterile.

These products are sold under several names at major retailers across the country. The company, K.C. Pharmaceuticals, initiated the recall on ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Yentli Soto Albrecht is at risk of developing the same condition that claimed her father’s life two years ago.

The University of Pennsylvania medical student inherited a genetic mutation that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which patients progressively lose the ability to move. ...Read more

U.S. health insurers have made it easier for doctors to get approval before providing certain types of treatment, industry groups said, calling it a sign of progress toward alleviating burdensome delays for patients.

Major health plans said they collectively removed thousands of prior authorization requirements for medical procedures since they...Read more

Ollie Super has moved in and out of cancer treatment since she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a toddler in foster care. Now 8, the second grader is dealing with it again. Her cancer came back late last year.

Ollie’s parents, who adopted her in 2020, tried to sign her up for a clinical trial using CAR T-cell therapy — which genetically ...Read more

CINCINNATI — For four years, Kimberly Dudley has worked on the front line of the Affordable Care Act as a navigator, helping Ohioans solve the puzzle of buying private insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.

But the job is harder now, the answers scarcer. In one of its first acts, the second Trump administration cut annual ...Read more

A new variant of COVID-19, dubbed cicada, is less susceptible to vaccination and appears to discriminate based on age, scientists say. The variant appears less threatening to older individuals, preferring young people instead.

Cicada, formally named BA.3.2, is a mutation of the omicron COVID-19 branch that first appeared in 2021. It has been ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Children’s Minnesota hospital system resumed gender health care services it had suspended in late February in response to efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to cut off federal funding.

A favorable federal court ruling led to the reversal, Children’s said in a written statement on Monday, April 6. The health...Read more

Southern California’s Salton Sea was once a resort playground, with sunny beaches, celebrities and people waterskiing on the vast inland lake in the 1950s and ’60s.

Today, those resorts are long gone, replaced by a drying and increasingly toxic landscape. As the lake shrinks, wind blowing across the exposed lakebed kicks up toxic dust left ...Read more

Life Time is leaning into premium offerings and higher prices, a bet that’s paying off.

Founder and CEO Bahram Akradi said the fitness company continues to move away from a traditional gym model built on large numbers of infrequent users.

Instead, it is building what he calls “a social, athletic country club environment.”

Custom scent ...Read more