Severe period pain is not normal. Here's what it could be.
Severe period pain is not normal. Here's what it could be.
May 2, 2025 | 1:11 PM GMT
We need to stop normalizing severe period pain. It may be caused by endometriosis, a common condition that affects about 1 in 10 women. And it may be treatable. Internal medicine physician, Harvard Medical School instructor and Ask a Doctor columnist Trisha Pasricha explains some of the symptoms of endometriosis and why it's important to talk openly about period pain.
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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
What is Lyme disease, and does Justin Timberlake have it?
Justin Timberlake isn't the only person to recently contract tick-borne Lyme disease. New Jersey had the third-most cases of Lyme disease in the nation as recently as 2022, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. And with Lyme disease outbreaks on the rise throughout the country, here's what you need to know about Lyme disease and steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is caused by tick bites but isn't spread person-to-person, noted the the New Jersey Department of Health. The Lyme disease-causing ticks thrive in woodsy areas, such as much of New Jersey. What are Lyme disease symptoms? The three stages of Lyme disease have different symptoms, according to PennMedicine: Stage 1: chills; fevers; joint and muscle pain Stage 2: Nerve numbness; facial paralysis; fainting spells; meningitis Stage 3: fluid buildup in joints; neuropathy How you can prevent, treat Lyme disease The New Jersey Department of Health advises you to avoid wooded areas with dense shrubs and leaf litter, wearing protective clothing, using insect repellents, perform tick checks and mowing lawns frequently will help you avoid tick bites and Lyme disease. "After spending time in tick-infested areas, ask a partner to check you for ticks in areas on your body that you can't see very well," advised the Harvard Medical School. "The common bite areas are the back of the knee, the groin, under the arms, under the breasts in women, behind the ears, and at the back of the neck." Justin Timberlake confirms Lyme disease diagnosis Superstar pop singer Justin Timberlake told his fans in an instagram post that his Lyme disease diagnosis nearly forced him off tour. "Among other things, I've been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease - which I don't say so you feel bad for me - but to shed some light on what I've been up against behind the scenes," read a portion of Timberlake's lengthy Instagram post. "If you've experienced this disease or know someone who has, then you're aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically. "When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness," Timberlake's post continued. "I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out. I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I'm so glad I kept going." According to Business Insider, Timberlake is just the most recent celebrity to come down with Lyme disease. In 2020, both Justin Bieber and Amy Schumer reportedly confirmed their Lyme disease diagnosis, and Avril Lavigne was reportedly bedridden by Lyme disease in 2014. Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region. This article originally appeared on What is Lyme disease, and did Justin Timberlake say he had it? Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Researchers forecast what Trump's bill will mean for patients: Debt and delayed care
About 2.5 million people may no longer have a personal doctor. About 1.6 million patients will take on medical debt. The lack of care may cause nearly 22,000 deaths annually. 'There's really no questioning the basic reality that you can't take health care away from 10 million people without causing many preventable deaths,' said Dr. Adam Gaffney, lead researcher on a team that explored the new law's impact. Here's a deeper look at the research and challenges that could develop. Advertisement How the law may affect coverage It will become harder for many people to enroll in Medicaid or individual insurance plans and then stay covered. Medicaid is a state and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. States will have to verify every six months whether someone remains eligible for Medicaid. That could cause coverage lapses for people with incomes that fluctuate or for those who move and miss renewal paperwork. Many also are expected to lose coverage as states require Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or go to school unless exempted. Related : Enrollment in Medicaid has swelled in recent years. Republicans are cutting back in part to help fund tax breaks and pay for other priorities like border security. They also say they are trying to root out waste and fraud by rightsizing Medicaid for the population it was initially designed to serve — mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children. Advertisement People covered through the Affordable Care Act's individual insurance marketplaces also will see shorter enrollment windows and no more automatic renewals. About the research Gaffney, of Harvard Medical School, and other researchers looked to past studies to measure how many people would experience detrimental effects, like going without prescriptions, from the upcoming changes. Gaffney updated the published analysis, which was originally based on the House version of the bill, at the AP's request. One study in particular was critical for their work: In 2008, Oregon offered a rare opportunity to compare groups of people enrolled in Medicaid with those who were not. The price for a bottle of 60 tablets of Amanda Schlesier's prescription chemotherapy pill, Calquence, printed on a pharmacy statement. Paul Sancya/Associated Press After a four-year period of frozen enrollment due to budget limitations, the state determined it could enroll 10,000 more people in Medicaid. It used a lottery system to make the selection amid high demand. That gave researchers a chance to follow people who got coverage and those who did not, similar to how scientists testing a new drug might compare patients taking it to those given a placebo. 'This is a gold standard research design because it replicates a randomized-controlled trial,' said Christine Eibner, a senior economist at RAND Corp. who was not involved in the study. Related : Applying results from that study and other research to the recent CBO estimate allowed Gaffney and other researchers to estimate specific effects of losing coverage. 'By taking coverage away, we are putting patients in a terrible position,' said Gaffney, a former president of Physicians for a National Health Program. Care could grow complicated Amanda Schlesier went four days without her cancer treatment Calquence this spring and wound up in a local emergency room, delirious with pain. Advertisement The leukemia patient worries about what might happen if she stops treatment again for a longer stretch because she's lost Medicaid. 'God forbid I forget to fill out a page of documentation, and suddenly I lose access to my medication or my doctors or any of the treatment that I've been going through,' the 33-year-old Farmington Hills, Michigan, resident said. People can still receive care when they don't have coverage, but important steps often are delayed, said Dr. Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Patients may be able to visit a doctor, but they would have to line up coverage or help before they can receive expensive chemotherapy. Diagnosis also may be delayed. Meanwhile, the patient's cancer continues to grow. 'It's a ticking time bomb,' Nichols said. Preventive care may lapse The first thing patients often ditch when they lose coverage are screenings designed to catch health problems before they become serious, said Dr. Jen Brull, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. That could mean patients skip tests for high cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease, or colonoscopies that detect cancer. Researchers forecast that a half million fewer women will have gotten a mammogram within the past year by 2034. When patients struggle financially and lose coverage, they focus on things like keeping a place to live and food on their table, said Brull, a Fort Collins, Colorado, physician. 'Seeing a doctor because you don't want to get sick feels like a much lower priority,' Brull said. Dennis Heaphy, an advocate with the Massachusetts Disability Policy Consortium, said he would likely be in a nursing home without MassHealth support, during a panel at the Cambridge Health Alliance Revere Care Center on May 27. To his left, Governor Maura Healey and Senator Elizabeth Warren. To his right, Senator Ed Markey. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Financial pressure can build Patients start taking financial hits at all ends of care when they lose coverage. They may have to pay up front or start a payment plan before they receive care, said Erin Bradshaw, an executive vice president with the nonprofit Patient Advocate Foundation, which helps people with medical bills. Advertisement Anyone with an outstanding balance will have to pay it before the next appointment. Related : Financial assistance may be available, but patients don't always know about it. Getting help also may take time and require the submission of tax returns, pay stubs or some validation that the patient no longer has coverage. Bradshaw said letters stating that a patient has lost Medicaid sometimes arrive a couple months after the fact. That can contribute to treatment delays or missed medication doses. Some patients also try to avoid financial stress by skipping care. Schlesier said she delayed seeing a doctor when she first felt symptoms of her cancer returning because she had no coverage at the time. Staying on medications If prescriptions are too expensive, patients may simply not get them or split the doses to stretch the medicine. For Thomas Harper, it's a question of priorities. 'Sometimes you have to make a choice, how well do you want to eat this week versus taking your medicine,' he said. The West Monroe, Louisiana, truck driver has around $300 a month in prescriptions as he deals with diabetes and recovers from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Harper, 57, recently returned to work. That meant he lost Medicaid, which covered more of his prescription costs. He's balancing buying his meds with shopping for healthy food that keeps his blood sugar in check and builds his immune system. 'I'll survive, but I know there's people out there that cannot survive without Medicaid,' he said. AP video journalist Laura Bargfeld contributed to this report. Advertisement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk shares dip further as Wegovy gains nearly erased
By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen (Reuters) -Shares in Novo Nordisk fell as much as 6% on Friday before recovering some ground later in the session, extending recent losses that threaten to wipe out all the gains since the drugmaker launched its blockbuster weight-loss treatment Wegovy four years ago. The fall on Friday means the Danish firm has dropped out of the top 10 constituents of the Europe-wide STOXX 600 index. Share price declines across the sector were prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump, who sent letters on Thursday to 17 major pharmaceutical firms, including Novo Nordisk, telling them to cut drug prices in the United States. Novo Nordisk on Tuesday slashed its forecast for 2025 sales growth due to competition from compounded, or copycat, versions of Wegovy and appointed veteran insider Maziar Mike Doustdar as its new CEO, prompting its shares to fall 23% on the day. Novo became Europe's most valuable listed firm after launching Wegovy in June 2021, worth some $650 billion in the middle of last year. But its shares have lost more than two-thirds since on concerns the drugmaker is losing ground in the obesity drug race. Its market cap is now $214.5 billion. "The U.S. healthcare system is complex, but Novo Nordisk will continue to work to find solutions that help people access the medicines they need at affordable prices," Novo said in an emailed statement. Novo's shares were around 2% lower at 1453 GMT, bringing this week's losses to around 30% - the stock's worst week ever. The European healthcare index was down around 1% to its lowest since April. "Trump doesn't have the mandate to tell Novo Nordisk how to price their products in the U.S., but investors are just panicking about the risk of another downgrade," said Nordnet analyst Per Hansen. The pressure to lower prices adds to Novo's problems in the United States, its biggest market. It faces competition from Eli Lilly and from compounders - custom-made medicines that are based on the same ingredients as branded drugs. "This is a repricing of the obesity market, it's a repricing of the United States as the world's most attractive drug market, and it's a repricing of the risk from Donald Trump," Hansen said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
