Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
If you’ve ever suffered from headaches, you’re well aware how disruptive they can be. When they strike, they might inconvenience an hour, wipe out an entire day, or in cases of migraine, especially vestibular migraine, they can negatively impact quality of life. More than 17 percent of women and nearly … Read More
As cold season gets into full swing, conversations over how to avoid becoming sick are a dime a dozen. Those dimes are adding up to big profit for vitamin and dietary supplement manufacturers. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that Americans spent approximately $55.7 billion dollars … Read More
PPIs are medications used to reduce stomach acid and heartburn. Heartburn is the burning pain you feel when stomach acid rises out of your stomach and flows up into your esophagus. (more…)
Egg allergy affects about two percent of children. About 70 percent of children outgrow this allergy by age 16. [1] Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies along with milk, peanuts, and shellfish. If you have an egg allergy, there is always a danger that even a … Read More
A flare up of allergy symptoms can happen any time of year. In fact, about two-thirds of people who have seasonal allergy, actually have allergy symptoms all year, although they may not be as obvious. Symptoms like cough and congestion may be caused by winter or indoor allergies like pets, … Read More
As the holiday season rolls into full gear, cocktail parties, happy hours, and long celebratory dinners encourage us to partake in a little extra imbibing of alcoholic beverages. And while a few glasses of wine can make the season a little brighter, they can also lead to a nasty hangover. … Read More
We’ve all suffered from an itchy scalp at some point. No matter the cause (e.g., dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, an allergic reaction, lice, or a fungus), itchy scalp can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. Just thinking about scalp pruritus (the medical term for this common condition) has got me scratching my … Read More
Ah-ah-ah-CHOO! You’re sneezing again. It’s that time of year when every other person seems to have the sniffles—nasal congestion, a runny nose, and frequent sneezing. These common symptoms most often are caused by two conditions that can be difficult to tell apart: allergies and the common cold. When it comes … Read More
When summer’s hot, sticky days give way to the cool, crisp air of autumn, the refreshing weather should offer relief from your allergies, right? Unfortunately, not. Fall allergies are a thing, and they could be the reason you can’t stop sneezing. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & … Read More
Many of us are walking around with chronic inflammation, and the reaction can be extreme, presenting as arthritis (inflammation of joints), colitis (inflammation of the colon), dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), or other inflammatory diseases. But inflammation can be chronic, low-grade, and the cause of vague symptoms like fatigue, runny … Read More
