Menopause & HormonesWhat to expect
A Clinician-Proposed Memory Assessment: What to Expect
Bring examples and your medicine list, then ask how the findings fit the wider assessment.
The library
Every article, in one place.
Menopause & HormonesMyth buster
Clonidine for Hot Flushes: Ask Before Stopping
The reason for your prescription does not remove the warning about stopping suddenly.
Bloating & DigestionConversation script
Known Cobalt Allergy? Discuss Your Prescribed B12 Treatment
Tell the prescriber about your allergy and ask for an individual treatment and reaction plan.
Odor & SweatComparison
Cold Sweat or Hot Flash? When Sudden Sweating Is a Heart Attack Warning Sign in Women
A drenching sweat after 50 is usually a hot flash. But sweating a lot for no reason is also on the federal list of heart attack signs, and women are more likely than men to have a heart attack without chest pain. Here is how the two compare, and when to call 911.
HairChecklist
Contact Lenses and Eye Makeup: Check the Order
Put lenses in before applying makeup and take them out before removing it.
PeriodsQ&A
Can't Feel Your Contraceptive Implant? Contact the Clinic
Ask for assessment and an explanation of your individual contraceptive plan.
Breath & MouthComparison
Conventional or Adhesive Dental Bridge: What Happens to the Supporting Teeth?
Ask your dentist how the proposed bridge affects neighboring teeth and why that approach suits your mouth.
Odor & SweatExplainer
Convinced You Smell When Others Can't? Olfactory Reference Syndrome
Checking your underarms before a meeting is ordinary. Showering many times a day, avoiding people and buying treatment after treatment for a smell others don't notice can be olfactory reference syndrome, now its own diagnosis. In one study of 20 patients, 95% did repetitive checking or washing, and medical or dental treatment for the smell didn't help anyone who got it. Here is what the research shows and where help lies.
SkinExplainer
Dark Velvety Skin on Your Neck or Armpits: What It Can Signal
Darker, thicker, velvet-textured patches in the folds of the neck, armpits or groin have a name: acanthosis nigricans. In one US study, adults who had it were twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes. It's usually harmless in itself, but it's worth a check. Here is what it can point to and what helps.
SkinQ&A
Gel or Acrylic Nails Before Day Surgery? Check Your Pre-Op Instructions
Ask your surgical team to clarify its requirements for your exact nail products before attending.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Depression in Perimenopause: The 'Window of Vulnerability' Studies
Low mood in your mid-40s is often put down to stress. Studies that followed the same women for years found depression risk rises during perimenopause: high depression scores were four times as likely, and in another study major depression was two to four times as likely, even after accounting for stressful events. A past episode is the strongest warning sign. Here is what the studies found and what treats it.
SkinEvidence check
Itchy Rash or Blisters on a Diabetes Pill? The Gliptin Warning for Bullous Pemphigoid
Bullous pemphigoid is a blistering skin disease that usually starts after 60, often with weeks of itch first. Diabetes pills called DPP-4 inhibitors, or gliptins, carry a label warning about it. Studies show the added risk is small but clear, and higher in people 65 and older. Here is what to watch for.
