https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/ en NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Copyright 2019 2019-08-21T04:30:00+00:00 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/steelers-quarterback-joshua-dobbs-i-have-alopeciaalopecia-doesnt-have-me https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/steelers-quarterback-joshua-dobbs-i-have-alopeciaalopecia-doesnt-have-me#When:17:02:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/alopecia-josh-dobbs2-su19.jpg Joshua Dobbs is a triple threat. He's a National Football League quarterback, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has a degree in aerospace engineering—literal rocket science—from the University of Tennessee, where he was a dean's list student. Joshua is also a leading advocate for those with alopecia areata, a hair loss condition he has had since childhood. He spoke to NIH MedlinePlus magazine about his personal experience and work with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation to inspire confidence in others with the condition. Please tell us about your experience with alopecia areata. My diagnosis was a little different]]> Tue, 17 Sep 2019 13:02:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/new-maps-feature-makes-drug-disposal-easier-and-safer https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/new-maps-feature-makes-drug-disposal-easier-and-safer#When:11:23:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/fightingopiodcrisisphone-su19.jpg If you have unused or expired prescriptions, where should you get rid of them? Look to your phone or other mobile device. A new pilot Google Maps feature makes it quick and easy to find approved drug disposal sites near you. Those include government facilities, hospitals, and pharmacies.  The feature was developed last year as part of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Opioid Code-a-Thon. The competition asked developers to find ways that technology could help fight the opioid crisis.  Prescription drug misuse and lack of proper disposal heavily contributes to the opioid crisis. In]]> Thu, 12 Sep 2019 07:23:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/brain-ripples-could-hold-clues-to-memory https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/brain-ripples-could-hold-clues-to-memory#When:00:29:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/remembering-su19.jpg You're trying to remember a word. You're thinking, thinking … and suddenly, it pops into your head. NIH researchers wanted to know just what happens in the brain at this moment. As it turns out, a split second before a person calls up a memory, fast waves of activity ripple across key parts of the brain that help store our memories. This discovery comes from a study of epilepsy patients enrolled in a trial at NIH's Clinical Center. Researchers recorded their brain activity to find out what was causing the seizures related to their disorder. The recordings]]> Mon, 02 Sep 2019 20:29:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/close-to-home-nih-researcher-and-alopecia-patient-seeks-a-cure https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/close-to-home-nih-researcher-and-alopecia-patient-seeks-a-cure#When:10:56:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/alopecia-research.jpg Angela Christiano, Ph.D., is not a typical researcher. Dr. Christiano studies a hair loss disease called alopecia areata. She also has it. Alopecia areata makes people lose their hair, usually in small patches. While it is not painful, the condition can cause serious confidence and self-image issues. "With the support of NIH, this research and the development of new treatments can help change the lives of those people with alopecia areata." - Angela Christiano, Ph.D. Dr. Christiano’s story Dr. Christiano was already doing research in dermatology, which focuses on skin, hair, and nails, when her hairdresser noticed]]> Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:56:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/it-doesnt-define-you-living-with-alopecia-areata https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/it-doesnt-define-you-living-with-alopecia-areata#When:11:24:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/alopecia-brittany-hammond.jpg Brittney Hammond was 8 years old when her hair started falling out. Her cousin was the first one to see the bald, coin-size patches when she was braiding Brittney’s hair. A visit to the dermatologist with her mother gave them the answer. Brittney had alopecia areata, a skin disorder that causes hair to suddenly fall out in small patches. Some people experience cycles of hair regrowth, followed by hair loss, for years. It’s not painful, but it can affect a person’s self-image. For Brittney, now 20, bald spots weren’t such a big deal when she was in elementary school. But things changed]]> Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:24:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/5-tips-for-living-with-alopecia-areata https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/5-tips-for-living-with-alopecia-areata#When:11:33:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/alopecia-what-you-need-to-know.jpg Alopecia areata is a difficult disease to cope with, but there are ways for people to feel better. The condition causes your hair to fall out. Some people lose all of their hair, but most people lose hair in small, round patches. While it isn't painful, the condition can cause serious confidence and self-image issues. Your genes and the environment work together to determine if you get alopecia areata. While there isn't a cure, researchers like Angela Christiano, Ph.D., and others supported by NIH are working to improve medicines to help hair grow back. Talk to your doctor]]> Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:33:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/tips-for-setting-screen-time-limits https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/tips-for-setting-screen-time-limits#When:10:51:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/screentime-5-su19.jpg Feel like your screen time may be eating into family time? Here are tips for setting screen time limits. Make family time a no-screen time Mealtime and family gatherings should be screen-free. Gaya Dowling, Ph.D., NIH's director of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, says her kids might be glued to their phones at other times, but not at dinner. A no-screens-at-meals rule encourages everyone to make eye contact—instead of looking down at their phone—and to actually talk to each other. Keep the bedroom screen-free Don't put a TV or computer in your child's bedroom—it can disrupt]]> Mon, 26 Aug 2019 06:51:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/notes-from-the-field-what-we-know-about-screen-time-so-far https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/notes-from-the-field-what-we-know-about-screen-time-so-far#When:10:30:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/notesfromthefield-su19.jpg NIH's Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study wants to know what—if any—impact screen time, among many other factors, has on children's brain development. Researchers are releasing data from the 10-year study each year so scientists can analyze it as the project progresses. What does the early data from roughly 4,500 participants say so far? Social screen time Basically, there's good news and worrisome news, says Martin Paulus, M.D. The good news: More social media use seems to be associated with some positive effects among 9- to 10-year-olds. "We can't just say all screen time is bad]]> Mon, 26 Aug 2019 06:30:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/what-is-all-that-screen-time-doing-to-your-childs-brain https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/what-is-all-that-screen-time-doing-to-your-childs-brain#When:10:00:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/whatsallthatscreentimedoing-su19.jpg Here's a surefire conversation starter: Tell a group of parents that you're studying whether too much screen time affects the brain development of children. Then stand back and wait for the avalanche of questions. "I can't tell you how many times I'm asked if too much screen time is bad or how to set limits. The most frustrating part is, everyone wants an answer and I don't have one yet," says Gaya Dowling, Ph.D. But some answers may be coming soon. Researchers are asking kids exactly how they use their screen time—multiplayer video]]> Mon, 26 Aug 2019 06:00:00 -0400 https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/just-30-minutes-of-daily-exercise-can-help-correct-a-day-of-sitting https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/site/just-30-minutes-of-daily-exercise-can-help-correct-a-day-of-sitting#When:19:00:00Z https://magazine.medlineplus.gov//images/uploads/main_images/exercise-su19.jpg Americans spend a lot of time sitting—at their desk, in the car, and on the couch. This can take a toll on their health. In fact, research has shown that long periods of sitting can increase the risk of heart disease and death. So how much daily exercise could help counteract the negative effects of sitting? Not that much, it turns out, according to new research funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The study of nearly 8,000 participants, age 45 and older, found that for less active individuals, replacing as little as 30 minutes a day of sitting with bouts]]> Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:00:00 -0400