Category: Simple Science

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes breathing problems for millions of Americans. Not only is it in the top five leading causes of death in the U.S., but also it can be tricky to treat. Depending on the type of COPD a patient has, like emphysema or chronic bronchitis, it can cause damage to their lungs and obstruct their airways, making it difficult to breathe and participate in everyday activities. How does COPD work? Our lungs have tiny, elastic air sacs called alveoli. In healthy lungs, breathing in causes the alveoli to inflate, and breathing out makes them deflate. With Read More …

After all the indulgence that can come with the winter holidays, it might seem like a good idea to get a fresh start in the new year. Dry January, a social challenge created by charity Alcohol Change UK, might be your inspiration to do so. The goal is to forego alcohol for 31 days, not only to “detox” from the holidays, but also to approach alcohol more intentionally. In the decade since Dry January was created, it’s exploded in popularity: A 2022 national survey suggested that up to 35% of US adults abstained from alcohol last January. But you don’t Read More …

What is the most common, permanently debilitating birth effect? Affecting approximately 166,000 individuals across the United States, spina bifida, which in Latin, literally translates to “split spine,” is a neural tube defect that causes damage to the spine. The condition can happen anywhere along the spine where neural tubes do not close all the way so that the backbone does not develop and protect the spinal cord. Spina bifida causes disabilities that can be intellectual and physical and range from mild to severe. Referred to as a “snowflake condition” because no two cases of the defect are the same, severity Read More …

Parkinson’s disease (PD), one of the most common neurological conditions, afflicts around 1.5 million people in the United States alone. More globally, it is estimated that that number grows to around 5 million people. Parkinson’s disease is a slowly progressing neurodegenerative disorder. It impacts the nervous system and can seriously influence one’s ability to walk and talk. Additionally, those with PD often exhibit behavioral and mental changes, sleeping problems, memory difficulties, and fatigue. The disease is usually seen in those aged 60 and older, and cases of PD are more commonly observed in men than women. The symptoms of PD Read More …

With the rise of products like vapes and e-cigarettes, the warning of lung cancer is not unheard of to most teenagers. Lung cancer is the most common cancer across the world, and the third most common cancer in the United States after skin cancer and breast cancer. In a normal, healthy lung, air enters through the bronchi that divide into bronchioles that ultimately lead to tiny air sacs known as alveoli. The alveoli are the site for gas exchange where oxygen is absorbed, and carbon dioxide is removed. Different types of lung cancer affect different parts of the lungs, but Read More …

Skin cancer is the unmanageable growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis, the skins’ surface layer. Mutations in DNA lead skin cells to quickly multiply and form malignant groups of tissue, creating tumors within the skin. While skin cancer is a relatively common illness, it has the potential to be deadly, especially when left undetected. Overall, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States than all other cancers combined, yet nearly two people die of the disease every hour. The only way to detect skin cancer is through examination of the skin, so it is essential to Read More …

Most of us perceive sleep as the one period of our day where our bodies, as well as our minds, are completely still and unmoving. When we sleep, we assume our bodies are completely at rest. This is partially true, as healthy sleep is an essential aspect of our rest and restoration processes. However, our brains remain active throughout our sleeping state. This active state is equally essential for brain function, to allow it to carry out the restorative and important processes that promote our overall health and wellbeing. Sleep impacts our mental and physical functions, our metabolism, and even Read More …

Haven’t heard of sarcoma? You’re not alone. Although there are more than seventy different types of sarcoma, it is a rare form of cancer. Sarcoma is the general term used to describe cancers that form in connective tissues, which are the cells that connect and support other kinds of tissue in your body. Sarcoma most commonly appears in muscles, fat, nerves, or the lining of your joints, though it can also appear in other parts of the body. Generally, sarcoma is separated into two main types: soft tissue sarcoma and primary bone sarcoma, with soft tissue being more common. Primary Read More …

One of the leading causes of irreversible blindness, Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. Glaucoma can occur in both eyes or just one eye. Most people with glaucoma do not even know they have it because symptoms are slow to appear. However, if treated properly, most people with glaucoma are able to keep their vision. Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure inside the eye. Normally, the fluid inside your eye, aqueous humor, drains out of the eye through a spongy tissue called the trabecular meshwork. Read More …

Certain types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer, rely on hormones to grow and develop. These types of cancerous cells have receptors that attach to hormones, allowing them to divide and spread. The growth of these cancers can be halted if the hormones are blocked or modified. Hormone cancer therapy accomplishes this by blocking specific hormones as well as changing how they behave. Especially when combined with other cancer therapies, hormone therapy can successfully eradicate specific types of cancers. The idea behind hormone therapy arose in 1874 when English doctor Thomas Beatson discovered that by removing the ovaries Read More …