Morgan Lord

It’s winter in Chicago, and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re indoors more than ever. This spells trouble for skin.
Outside it’s cold and crisp, while inside radiators and furnaces blow dry heat. We seek hot baths and showers, which further dry out our skin. And then there’s the ever-present worry of the pandemic, which also stresses our system.
Itchy winter skin is especially hard for people with the chronic condition eczema, also called atopic dermatitis.
“We’re living in a time of super-...

We wanted to share some of our favorite Denver-area spots and activities that have been introduced to us by this welcoming city.

We’ve collected a week’s worth of thrills—some day trips, half-day excursions, and some quicker outings—that you can sprinkle around as you choose. Setting out into the greater New Mexico from The City Different, no itinerary should be the same, so make yours magic.

What to look for when transitioning to memory care
For families who have a loved one with dementia, the many challenges — the emotional burden, constant unknowns and high cost of care, to name just a few — may feel endless and unrelenting.
More than 16 million family caregivers in the U.S. provide unpaid care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. And that constant caregiving takes a toll on the caregiver.
“It’s exhausting and tax...

Safety tips to accident proof your home

If you’ve experienced some form of urinary incontinence — the accidental release of urine — you are not alone. It’s an issue that affects 25 million people in the U.S., according to the National Association for Continence. And if you’re a woman, it’s twice as likely to be an issue, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“This is a huge women’s health concern,” says Kimberly Kenton, MD, chief of urogynecology at Northwestern Medicine and director of the Women’s Integrat...

Take a closer look at a man’s sperm cells and you’ll learn about more than just his fertility.

Chicago | Home & Garden

Five Overwater Ocean Villas To Book Now - Forbes

One in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety, the World Health Organization reports. While some video games and apps can contribute to anxiety, one new game is designed to increase optimism, self-efficacy and social support.
After suffering from a severe concussion in 2009, game designer Jane McGonigal created a resilience-building game and watched her anxious and depressive thoughts morph into positive ones.
SuperBetter, available online and as a mobile app, includes picking a goal — such ...

Not taking heart medications can lead to serious effects
You go to your doctor, receive a prescription and never get it filled. For heart disease patients, particularly those with high blood pressure (hypertension), this is a frighteningly common occurrence — one with potentially serious consequences.
As many as half of the 187 million patients with hypertension in the U.S. do not take their medications as prescribed, according to the American Heart Association.
Nonadherence to cardiovascular...

When brain dead means total death
Read Part 1
Seventy-five years ago, the concept of brain death wasn’t even imagined.
“It was only with the advent of successful mechanical ventilation and the advancement of critical-care tools and techniques that a patient could actually be systemically stable after developing the irreversible cessation of brain function,” says Dr. Jeffrey Frank, director of Neuromedical/Neurosurgical Intensive Care at The University of Chicago Medicine (UCM).
Now, in 2012, ...

The Institute for Leadership Excellence and Development (iLEAD) Professional Development Program in UIC Business discovered a big perk when classes moved online during the spring — the creation of the Professional Development Program Guest Speakers Series.
It was a two-week-long run of professionals sharing their work histories, advice and answering questions from business students enrolled in BA100, 220 and 420 — all via Zoom. From April 13-24, 13 guest speakers shared their expertise and an...

As vaccination rates decline, old diseases are making a sharp comeback
In less than two decades, the rate of unvaccinated children age 19 to 35 months has quadrupled, growing from 0.3% of toddlers in 2001 to 1.3% of toddlers in 2015.
The increase in the anti-vaccination movement is partially responsible for the steep decline in toddler vaccination rates, as is the trend of lower vaccination rates among the uninsured, Medicaid-insured and those living in rural areas.
In 2017, 2.8% of all child...

When we women leave our 20s and enter our 30s and 40s, we finally peak—comfortable in our skin, we exude confidence. But although our minds, like whiskey and leather boots, become better with age, our bodies are working in reverse—bone mass declines, our metabolism slows, and we’re more susceptible to a slew of new symptoms. Thankfully, we don’t have to be at odds with our aging selves.
I spoke to the experts to figure out the tests that we women need to consider and the health concerns to ke...