Flesh-eating parasites — already found in Texas and Oklahoma — are possibly coming to a state near you. Why, you might ask, do we have to worry about flesh-eating parasites all of the sudden? Blame climate change (so you can worry about that at the same time — a twofer!). So what horror movie level of flesh-eating parasites are we talking about? Probably PG-13. Think crater-like ulcers, coated with a thick, yellowish pus — ew! Plus, while there are some life-threatening varieties of the disease, most are not — especially if you have the right medical care. Here’s hoping for a happy ending.
So...about those variants. Any mention of them makes you want to put your hands over your ears and sing “Lalalalalala,” right? Yep, we’re right there with you. But hear us out: There is mostly good news. First, if you’re fully vaccinated (two weeks after your second dose — no cheating!) you are probably fairly well protected against whatever variants make their way to your area. The kind of “eh” news is that no one knows exactly what “fairly well protected” means beyond you probably won’t get it, but if you do, it likely won’t be severe. The takeaway: Get vaccinated, say experts. It’s your best shot(s) at not getting COVID.
It couldn’t happen to my teen, think most parents when it comes to dating violence. Yet according to the CDC, 26% of women say they experienced intimate partner violence before they were 18. So do the math... and, yeah. What can grownups in a teen’s life do? NPR's Life Kit is here with advice. To start: A teen in an abusive relationship may not understand what's happening or have the experience to know how to handle it — so adults, you are critical.
Imagine a sound that travels with you no matter where you go. Whether it's a ring, a whoosh or a crickets-like buzz, you can't escape it. For some living with tinnitus, it’s a way of life — ranging from being a small nuisance to completely debilitating. What causes the ringing? There’s actually no external sound being produced, says Sarah Sydlowski, a doctor of audiology at Cleveland Clinic. It’s just the perception of sound. But that phantom ringing is often brought on or worsened by stress, she says. There’s no magic pill or surgery to cure it, but Sydlowski says there are techniques to make it bearable, including therapy to “retune the brain.”
Did you jump on the dog adoption bandwagon during the pandemic? Or maybe the cat caravan? For many of us, companion pets helped us weather an extraordinarily stressful year. They’ve entertained us during long conference calls, they’ve cuddled with us after we heard bad news, and they listened to us (or pretended to — we’ll take it) when there was no one else to talk to. Now, as many of us start returning to work, it’s time to think about what we can do to make them feel safe and happy.
NPR's Ina Jaffe has been keeping her metastatic breast cancer a secret so she wouldn't have to explain herself to friends and strangers. But she's decided to go public for two reasons: First, she realized her despair was based on bad information and the second — outrage.
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