It’s critical for parents to maintain their children’s vision checkups during the COVID-19 pandemic, an expert says. “All children should have their eyes checked by their pediatrician at regular intervals, even if they don’t have any symptoms,” said Dr. Samantha Feldman, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Krieger Eye Institute in Baltimore. “Part of the reason…  read on >  read on >

Once Black Americans reach age 40, their blood pressure often begins a rapid climb, putting them at significantly higher risk of stroke than their white counterparts, a new study warns. Middle-aged Black people have roughly four times the stroke risk faced by white Americans, according to the analysis of data from nearly 5,100 patients. “High…  read on >  read on >

Brain activity increases when you start to learn a new language, but slows down as you become more proficient, a new, small study finds. “In the first few months, you can quantitatively measure language-skill improvement by tracking brain activations,” study co-author Kuniyoshi Sakai, a neuroscientist at the University of Tokyo, said in a school news…  read on >  read on >

Add another part of your body to the list of what COVID-19 can invade: New research shows mouth cells can be infected with the new coronavirus. Previous studies have shown that the coronavirus infects the upper airways and lungs, the digestive system, blood vessels and kidneys, which may explain the wide-ranging symptoms experienced by COVID-19…  read on >  read on >

If you must travel during the spring break, be sure to follow recommended COVID-19 pandemic safety measures, an emergency medicine doctor advises. Millions of people are packing airports, while only one-quarter of the U.S. population has received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, noted Dr. Lewis Nelson, director of the department of emergency…  read on >  read on >

There’s no cure for endometriosis, but women have several treatment options for the painful condition, an expert says. With endometriosis, tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it, where it can reach the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowel, bladder, diaphragm and, more rarely, other parts of the body. It can reduce…  read on >  read on >