On a late summer morning in 2023, Jackie Taul sat on her back deck musing on gratitude, the joys of life and second chances. Her ideas were not the result of reading a self-help book or watching an inspirational film. Jackie knew what she was talking about. Two years prior, Jackie was diagnosed with Stage…
As you approach menopause, your body starts producing less estrogen. This affects not only your body, but also your behavior, and potentially could lead to anxiety and other changes. These behavioral changes happen because estrogen is not just a sex hormone. It also plays a role in the brain, and the transition to menopause can…
Hyperlipidemia means the levels of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood are too high. There are no hyperlipidemia symptoms, but the condition can have serious consequences for your health. Lipids perform a number of important and useful functions in your body. Too much of these fatty compounds, however, can be harmful. With…
Choosing the right epilepsy medication can have a big effect on the frequency of your seizures and your quality of life. First, finding the right medication depends on what type of epilepsy you have, partial seizures (also called focal seizures) or generalized seizures. All medications don’t work on all types of seizures, and the wrong…
Syncope and seizure both can cause a loss of consciousness, but there are important differences. Syncope — commonly referred to as passing out or fainting — often results from a drop in blood pressure. Seizures, on the other hand, are caused by abnormal brain activity. The reason behind the abnormal activity may be epilepsy, stroke,…
Some people who experience migraine face an increased stroke risk, but there are ways to lessen the danger, according to Brian M. Plato, D.O., headache and migraine specialist with Norton Neuroscience Institute. Nearly 1 in 5 women have migraine three times the rate for men. In the United States alone, 28 million women experience migraine….
Very rarely does the average person stop in the middle of the work day to count their blessings. Often, living day to day is taken for granted. But for Emily Hughes, this could not be further from the truth. Despite the hustle and bustle of Norton Hospital’s ever-busy mother-baby unit, this postpartum nurse reminds herself…
Strokes don’t just happen to older people. They can happen at any age. When a younger person has a stroke, it can upend their life as a romantic partner, as a parent and as a breadwinner. A young stroke survivor may faces physical limitations they didn’t have before, which can affect their ability to work,…
It’s 10 a.m., just a few days before Christmas. Several people have braved the December cold. Their destination — the Norton Sports Health Performance & Wellness Center. Some are older adults preparing for their weekly fitness classes. Others are college athletes, in the building to begin a pre-holiday workout. But among the few dozen people…
PCSK9 inhibitors are an injectable, cholesterol-lowering medication for people who have tried other treatments and still have high cholesterol. This medication may be especially helpful if you’ve had high cholesterol throughout your life or if you have a genetic condition called hypercholesterolemia that is causing high cholesterol. PCSK9 inhibitors reduce your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also…
The widely used anti-seizure medication Keppra can cause rare but serious behavioral side effects, including what users of the drug have called “Keppra rage.” “It’s important to let your health care provider know right away if you have any mood changes on Keppra,” said Rebekah J. Woods, D.O., neurologist, Norton Neuroscience Institute. Some epilepsy patients taking…
Dementia is characterized by a progressive loss of mental functioning, whether from Alzheimer’s disease or another condition. The result is an ongoing loss of memory and thinking ability. Dementia also can cause personality changes, such as agitation or aggressive behavior, and changes in sleep patterns like insomnia that make caring for people with dementia difficult….