Breath & MouthThe short version
Oral Piercing Jewelry That Clicks Against Teeth: Bring It Up With Your Dentist
Repeated contact with teeth deserves a dental conversation about the jewelry and your mouth.
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Breath & MouthEvidence check
Oral Probiotic Lozenges for Bad Breath: Do They Work?
Probiotic lozenges and mints are sold to freshen breath by changing mouth bacteria. Reviews of small trials suggest a short-term benefit, and one recent trial found a zinc mouthrinse did better. Here is what to know before you buy.
SkinEvidence check
Oral Tranexamic Acid for Melasma: What Studies Show and the Clot Checks First
Melasma's brown facial patches can persist into your 50s and beyond. Some dermatologists now prescribe low-dose tranexamic acid pills, a medicine approved for heavy periods, off-label. Small trials show the patches fade, but the label's clot warnings mean careful screening matters.
HairComparison
Minoxidil Pill vs. Scalp Solution for Thinning Hair in Women: How They Compare
Low-dose minoxidil tablets have become a popular alternative to the scalp liquid or foam. In a triple-blind trial in 72 women, a tiny daily pill worked about as well as the topical solution over nine months. Across four trials, results were similar, but the pill roughly doubled the chance of unwanted hair growth elsewhere.
Sleep & NighttimeComparison
Orexin-Blocking Sleep Pills Compared: Suvorexant, Lemborexant and Daridorexant
A newer class of prescription insomnia pills works by blocking orexin, a brain chemical that keeps you awake. All three approved in the U.S. need at least 7 hours in bed, can cause next-morning drowsiness, and are controlled substances. Here is how their labels compare.
Breath & MouthExplainer
Osteoporosis Drugs and Your Jaw: What to Know Before a Tooth Extraction or Implant
Bone-building drugs like alendronate and denosumab carry a label warning about a rare jaw bone problem called osteonecrosis, mostly after extractions or implants. At osteoporosis doses the risk is very low, and stopping denosumab on your own can backfire. Here is what the labels and an international task force say to do before dental work.
Intimate HealthComparison
Over-the-Counter BV Gels vs. Prescription Treatment: What a Head-to-Head Trial Found
Lactic acid gels are sold for vaginal odor and bacterial vaginosis. In a trial of 518 women with repeat BV, a prescription antibiotic cleared symptoms more often, though the gel caused fewer side effects. Here is how to choose.
PeriodsChecklist
The Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill in Perimenopause: Bleeding Changes and Label Checks
A progestin-only pill has been sold without a prescription since the FDA approved it in 2023. If you still need contraception in your 40s, here is what the label says about irregular bleeding, who should skip it and when to call a doctor.
SkinChecklist
Drugstore Wart Removers: Salicylic Acid, Freeze Kits and Who Should Skip Them
Salicylic acid liquids, pads and at-home freezing kits promise to clear warts. A Cochrane review found salicylic acid beat placebo, but labels warn people with diabetes or poor circulation not to use it, and a new bump after 50 may not be a wart.
Intimate HealthExplainer
Oteseconazole for Repeat Yeast Infections: A Prescription Only for Women Past Childbearing
If yeast infections keep coming back, there's a prescription antifungal approved specifically to reduce repeat infections. Because it stays in the body for a very long time, its label restricts it to women who can no longer become pregnant, such as after menopause. Here is what the label covers.
Intimate HealthEvidence check
Should You Ask for a CA-125 Test or Ovarian Ultrasound? What the Task Force Says
Many women over 50 wonder whether a yearly blood test or ultrasound could catch ovarian cancer early. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening for women without symptoms who aren't at high inherited risk, because it didn't save lives and led to unneeded surgery. Symptoms are a different story.
Bladder & Pelvic FloorEvidence check
Overactive Bladder Pills and Dementia Risk: What the Studies Show
Many older bladder pills are anticholinergics. Large studies in England and Japan linked long-term use of these medicines, including bladder antimuscarinics, with a higher chance of a later dementia diagnosis. Here is what that means and what to ask.
