A study of hospital emergency departments suggests that women have more limited access to painkillers and medical care. By Lilly Tozer Women are less likely than men to be given painkillers.Credit: Natalia Gdovskaia/Getty Physicians treat men and women differently when it comes to pain — women in hospital wait longer to be seen and are...
Tag: <span>chronic</span>
Millions take antidepressants for chronic pain—but there’s little evidence the most commonly prescribed drugs work
Hollie Birkinshaw and Tamar Pincus, The Conversation Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain About 1 in 5 people globally live with chronic pain, and it is a common reason for seeing a doctor, accounting for one in five GP appointments in the UK. With growing caution around prescribing opioids—given their potential for addiction—many doctors are looking to...
Spicy foods: To eat, or not to eat
With spicy foods, pain is pleasure. No, really. The concept even comes with a term: benign masochism. “‘Benign masochism’ is when people come to enjoy pain,” explains Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology in the School of Arts and Sciences, whose research focuses on cultural psychology and humans’ relationship with food. “And that pain is...
Chronic fatigue syndrome: New evidence of immune role
Researchers recently investigated the immune system’s role in chronic fatigue system in unprecedented depth. The findings might help design future treatments. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a mysterious condition. The main symptom of CFS is extreme and often unrelenting fatigue. Others include muscle and joint pain, sleep issues, and flu-like symptoms. Researchers do...
New approach to treating chronic itch
UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH Two receptors in the spinal cord and the right experimental drug: Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach that suppresses itch. In a series of experiments in mice and dogs they successfully alleviated different forms of acute as well as chronic itch. For the latter, current treatment options are very...
The roles of RNA-RNA interactions
July 20, 2018, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Chronic regeneration of damaged endothelial cells at sites of disturbed blood flow in the vasculature promotes the development of atherosclerosis. Now an LMU team has further elucidated the role of a short RNA molecule in atherogenesis. Credit: Design-Cells / fotolia.com Atherosclerosis – the condition is popularly known as hardening...
Even minor distress puts you at risk of chronic disease
Dealing with anxiety, depression, and stress at intense levels for a long time can impact our long-term physical health. But what if we are exposed to low levels of psychological distress? Does it still jeopardize our well-being? According to a new study, the answer is “yes.” ‘Even low levels of distress’ harm our well-being in...