HEALTH

WELLNESS--In recent years, bipolar disorder has been discussed more openly. More public figures have been candid about their experience with the condition, including Demi Lovato, Mariah Carey, Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones. And the conversation around mental health only continues to grow.

WELLNESS--Getting (and staying) asleep during oven-hot weather can sometimes feel like more work than, well, your job. You know an easy solution to staying cool and sleeping better would be to toss your covers ― yet no matter how sweaty and uncomfortable you get, you can’t bring yourself to go entirely free of a sheet or blanket.

WELLNESS--You’ve probably heard remarks like, “She could drink me under the table” or “He is a total lightweight.” Those comments, which come with (dubious) connotations of strength and weakness, are rooted in the concept of alcohol tolerance. 

WELLNESS--Los Angeles used to have some of the worst air quality in not just the country, but the world. One smog event in 1943 was so thick and toxic that Californians worried it was a chemical attack.

WELLNESS--Planning to travel abroad this summer? Before you go, keep in mind that Medicare usually does not cover health care services or supplies while you’re traveling outside the United States.

WELLNESS--The Food and Drug Administration approved the program Natural Cycles in August as a legitimate “method of contraceptive to prevent pregnancy” ― the first app-based fertility tracker to get the agency’s stamp of approval.

WELLNESS--It is no secret that addiction recovery can be one of the hardest things to do, but those who suffer from a co-occurring mental illness may have a more difficult time staying sober than those who do not.

WELLNESS--Can a supplement really make you smarter?

A quick online search for “mental clarity supplements” will turn up tons of products, such as Neurohacker Collective’s “Qualia Mind,” WTHN’s “Fully Charged,” and Bulletproof’s “Unfair Advantage,” just to name a few. These supplements claim to improve focus, sharpen thinking, boost productivity and fight fatigue.

WELLNESS--If you get injured or have surgery, your doctor may prescribe opioids, a class of drugs used to treat pain.

Although opioids can be an important part of treatment, they carry serious risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, especially if used continuously. This is true even for seniors and other people with Medicare coverage.

WELLNESS--For most “Game Of Thrones” fans, “The Long Night” was much, much longer than they had bargained for. It was so long, in fact, that fans across the country couldn’t unwind and fall asleep afterward.

WELLNESS--I’ve spent the past three years in therapy for trauma. I do a type of therapy called Somatic Experiencing that’s highly effective and has turned my entire life around.

WELLNESS--A person may experience a decreased libido from time to time during their lifetime, and for a variety of reasons. This could stem from being hit with a bout of stress, having a few late nights in a row or coming down with the flu.

WELLNESS--In college, I volunteered at an emergency room. It was standard stuff; I cleaned gurneys, escorted visitors, and ate way too much vending machine food. Whenever there was a code, a nurse would close the patient’s curtain, and my job was to stand in the hallway and make sure the family stayed away and that there was a clear path to the room. I didn’t have the bravado to elbow my way into the room to observe like other volunteers, and also I was a little afraid of what I would see. It wasn’t until I graduated and got a real job at a different ER that I realized something.

WELLNESS--When it comes to treating cancer, early detection can be beneficial. That’s why experts are constantly working to develop new technology that catches the disease or pinpoints your risk level as soon as possible.

WELLNESS--The night before my wedding, the symptoms started to creep in: A dull throbbing behind my eye turned into a piercing pain in my temple and slowly started to move to the other side of my head. I had worried for months that one of my frequent migraines would show up on the special day ― and that fear was slowly becoming a reality.

WELLNESS--I’ve struggled with weight loss for a long time. Like, a long, long time. Longer than the 2016 election cycle felt. Decades.

WELLNESS--"Generally, low back pain gets better quickly and you can get on with your life,” an expert said.

Back pain typically isn’t something to stress about ― but there are a few specific circumstances in which you might want to, well, watch your back.

Lower back pain is extremely common, affecting approximately 1 in 8 people, according to Neel Anand, a professor of orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. The good news is that 80-90 percent of lower back pain is innocuous and comes and goes, according to Anand.

WELLNESS--There's no playbook for responding to a loved one's cancer diagnosis, but there are things you can say to remind the person they're not alone. 

WELLNESS--Chances are that you know someone who is prescribed antidepressants. A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from 2011 through 2014 ― the most recent data available ― more than 12 percent of people ages 12 and over said they took antidepressants in the last month.

WELLNESS--Fertility rates in the United States dropped to a record low in recent years. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what’s causing the trend. Some theorize the dropping fertility rates are a result of women waiting longer to have kids and opting to focus on their education and careers instead.

WELLNESS--Fatigue, like stress and busyness, has become a default state for many people. The feeling, characterized by extreme tiredness and low energy, usually occurs after an especially mentally, emotionally or physically draining experience. (Think: hectic work travel or an illness.)