School Cutoff Dates Affect ADHD Diagnosis
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, typically referred to as ADHD, is one of the most common learning disabilities. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 9.4% of children 2-17 years of age in America have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point. A new study published by The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that school cutoff dates may affect ADHD diagnosis. Grade cutoff dates in most states are on or around September 1, which
Energy Drinks Are Bad for Us. Why Are We Still Drinking Them?
Energy drinks are the most popular dietary supplement (besides multivitamins) consumed by teenagers and young adults. They deliver a rush of caffeine, often ranging from 80 mg to 200 mg per serving, which provides a surge of energy and increased mental performance. Oftentimes, energy drinks are taken to aid in late-night study sessions, drowsy driving and night shifts. Although they may be helpful in the short-term, they can have lasting negative impacts on overall health.
The 7 Most Unusual Phobias
Are you deeply afraid of spiders, heights, clowns, tight spaces, elevators, or snakes? If so, don’t be alarmed; these types of phobias (arachnophobia, acrophobia, coulrophobia, claustrophobia, elevatophobia, and ophidiophobia, respectively), along with many others, are fairly common. Phobias are excessive and persistent fears that tend to fall into one of three general categories: social phobias, agoraphobias (fears of situations or places in which one could become trapped, embarrassed, or helpless), or specific phobias. Approximately 18%
Savant Syndrome: A Prodigious Condition
If you’ve seen the television show The Good Doctor, you’re probably familiar with Dr. Shaun Murphy, the young resident and medical genius. His uncanny ability to visualize the inner workings of the body is unique to an uncommon condition known as savant syndrome. Savant syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person with a mental disability possesses an extraordinary artistic, musical, visual-spacial, calculation, or calendar-calculation skill. This exceptional condition often becomes apparent at
The 10 Major Threats to Global Health in 2019
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released their report on ten threats to global health in 2019– an important list to the citizens of our society and world in order to maintain awareness of international issues that can affect any and everyone. Vaccine Hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy, commonly coined “anti-vaxxing,” is the Western world’s ever-growing refusal to receive vaccinations. The “anti-vax” movement erupted in the United States largely due to a decades-old, recently retracted research study
We Need Control in Our Lives, and Here’s Why
Control refers to the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of event. Part of our fundamental human nature is the need to control our individual circumstances. Generally speaking, there are two different ways in which we can view the extent of personal control over our lives: internally and externally. People with an internal locus of control believe that they are in control of their own actions and decisions. They tend to
The Truth About Period Syncing
For the past few months, I’ve noticed the start date of my period arriving closer and closer to that of my best friend. This month, we were only two days apart. At some point, we’ve all likely heard that women who spend a significant amount of time together will notice a “syncing up,” or alignment of, the times in which they get their periods. Maybe you’ve even experienced this a few times yourself. For those
The Real Life “Perfect” Memory: Hyperthymesia
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to remember all that you’ve ever experienced, in almost perfect detail? Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to remember everything your teacher went over during class, or what it was like being an infant? This is the astonishing reality for those living with hyperthymesia, but it’s not always as “bright and sunny” as it may seem. What is hyperthymesia? Hyperthymesia, also known as Highly Superior
5 Reasons to Use Birth Control (Other Than Birth Control)
Studies show that nearly 66% of women of reproductive age use some form of birth control, whether it be condoms, the pill, patches, IUDs, or other methods. Hormonal forms of birth control act upon the endocrine system by releasing synthetic hormones that mimic the naturally-produced hormones estrogen and progesterone. While the primary reason for taking hormonal birth control is actual birth control, up to 14% of women who take it do so for other purposes.
New Study Suggests Sauna Bathing May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease Fatality
Heart disease is the the number 1 killer in the United States, responsible for approximately 1 in 4 deaths. Because of this, there has been a plethora of recent research dedicated towards finding ways to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. A new study from BMC Medicine suggests that there may be a new way to reduce the risk of death from heart disease — sauna bathing. Sauna bathing is a form of passive heat therapy,