As high school sports get underway this fall, sports medicine specialists remind athletes, parents and coaches that concussions can be challenging to diagnose. Dr. Sean Bradley, a primary care sports medicine physician at Ochsner Health in Baton Rouge, La., emphasizes that neither lab tests nor imaging techniques can determine whether a concussion has occurred. “A…  read on >  read on >

Could you be at risk for a hernia? One expert gives the lowdown on hernias, who is most at risk for them, and how they are typically treated. Dr. Harvey Rainville, a general surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in New Jersey, said a hernia is a defect or opening in your muscle layer…  read on >  read on >

A survey conducted among American gay and bisexual men in early August found about half saying they’d cut down on sexual activity — including one-night stands and app-based hookups — in response to the global monkeypox outbreak. The survey, conducted online Aug. 5-15, was led by Kevin Delaney, of the Monkeypox Emergency Response Team at…  read on >  read on >

Most people have cherished memories of their grandparents reading to them as children. Ekaterina Pesheva’s memories are quite different. “I remember distinctly being very irritated and very angry listening to my grandmother reading children’s books to me, like fairy tales,” said Pesheva, 48, who lives in Boston. “I would become aware of her mouth getting…  read on >  read on >

Breastfeeding can deliver long-term heart benefits to both mother and child, a new statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) says. The immune systems of newborns and infants can be strengthened by breast milk, which has long been acknowledged as an ideal nutrient during those first months of life. But scientists also discovered recently that…  read on >  read on >

This year’s hurricane season has been quiet so far, but if and when it cranks up many American cities won’t be prepared to execute mass evacuations, a new study finds. After Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans in 2005, the country bore witness to the pitfalls of not having an effective evacuation plan. Since then…  read on >  read on >

Smoking is even worse for your heart than you might already think, new Danish research warns. “It is well known that smoking causes blocked arteries, leading to coronary heart disease and stroke,” said researcher Dr. Eva Holt, of Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen. “Our study shows that smoking also leads to thicker, weaker hearts,”…  read on >  read on >

An experimental antibody therapy for multiple sclerosis can cut symptom flare-ups by half, versus a standard treatment, a new clinical trial has found. The drug, called ublituximab, beat a standard oral medication for MS in reducing patients’ relapses — periods of new or worsening symptoms. It also proved better at preventing areas of inflammatory damage…  read on >  read on >