Health Now

We all know we should exercise. If your doctor prescribed it, would that help? WebMD medical editor Neha Pathak, MD, tells us why working out is so good for us -- and so hard to do, even for her. https://www.webmd.com/fitness/story/exercise-prescriptions

This new version of the coronavirus is changing the COVID pandemic in some big ways. Infectious disease expert William Schaffner, MD, tells us what the Delta variant means for people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated, what makes it so much more contagious, and the role that vaccine mandates might play in containing it. 

Photographic memory? Forget about it. You don't really need or want to remember every single thing. Learn about the balance between healthy and unhealthy forgetting from our conversation with Scott Small, MD, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Columbia University and author of the new book, Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering. 

Sandra Abrevaya shares what it's like to care for her husband, Brian Wallach, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), four years ago. She also discusses the mission of I Am ALS, the nonprofit the couple founded to provide hope for others with ALS -- and to help find a cure.

When you get a surprise medical bill or find an error on one, what should you do? Listen in as Marshall Allen, author of the new book Never Pay the First Bill, shares what works.

It's been 40 years since the CDC first reported on what we now call AIDS. James Curran, MD, is one of the first scientists who worked on this pandemic. Listen in as he recalls the biggest challenges -- and looks ahead to the future of HIV care. Is a vaccine on the horizon?

Joe Cobucci joins us to share his experiences, from getting diagnosed as a teen, to finding the right medications, to learning what works to help him manage the condition. He also talks about the second family he’s found along the way with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

Caitlin Jones is a physician assistant, so when her husband noticed that a spot on her scalp had changed, she did something about it -- even though she'd had it checked before and had no symptoms. She tells us what it's like to have biopsies, surgery, and what life is like on the other side of melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.

That worst-case scenario you're imagining -- how realistic is it? Clinical psychologist Seth Gillihan, PhD, shares what to do when your ready-for-anything thinking crosses the line into catastrophizing. Related: https://blogs.webmd.com/mental-health/20210406/how-to-stop-catastrophizing

It's something you don't even think about ... until it doesn't work anymore. If COVID-19 put your sense of smell on the fritz, or if you just have questions, we have answers. Harold McGee, author of Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells, explains the basics, including why a dog's paws can smell like corn chips and how you can improve your sense of smell.

We talk with Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, about vaccine availability, hesitancy, and what you can do after you're vaccinated. Related: https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/default.htm

Suicide and suicidal thinking have become alarmingly common. Clinical psychologist Seth Gillihan, PhD, shares advice if you or someone you know is dealing with this. Help is available 24-7 from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic one year ago today, life for everyone with a chronic illness got even more complicated. The Arthritis Foundation's Rebecca Gillet and Julie Eller -- who both have a form of arthritis -- talk about the pandemic's effects, from reimagining doctor visits to the hope the vaccine brings.

Our guest is Holly Whitaker, author of "Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice Not to Drink in a Culture Obsessed With Alcohol." Whitaker shares her experiences with alcohol, what helped her stop drinking, and what happened when Chrissy Teigen praised her book.

A year into the pandemic, we've learned that COVID-19 can affect your heart. We ask cardiologist Todd Hurst, MD, what the short- and long-term effects might be. Plus, a COVID long-hauler shares what it’s like to live with virus-related heart damage.