Why You Get Milia and How to Remove Them

Milia, also called milk spots, are small, pearly white cysts that form under the skin. They develop whenkeratina protein that makes up hair, skin, and nailsgets trapped beneath the surface. About 40% of newborns have milia, but they can occur at any age. Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Raimo Suhonen dermnetnz.org 2023 The exact cause isnt always known, and thecystsoften go away within a few weeks. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing....

April 18, 2025 · 3 min · 495 words · Barbara Jones

Why You Have Cold Fingers—6 Causes and When to Worry

In chilly weather, its normal to experience cold fingers. Treatment will largely depend on the cause of your cold fingers. Verywell / Daniel Fishel Are Cold Fingers Normal? Verywell / Daniel Fishel Feeling cold is a normal reaction when your body is exposed to the elements and lower temperatures. Most people get cold fingers after shoveling the driveway or skiing. To understand why, its important to know a bit about circulation....

April 18, 2025 · 2 min · 421 words · Christopher Olson

Why You May Experience Diarrhea After Drinking Alcohol

Everyone experiences diarrhea on occasion. Bacterial or viral infection, chronic illness, and even things we eat or drink can lead to diarrhea. Alcohol is a common cause of diarrhea and other digestive problems. Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images Thepyloric valveseparates the stomach from the small intestine and remains closed when digesting food. This is why you process alcohol more slowly when you have food in your stomach. When alcohol enters the small intestine, absorption speeds up even more....

April 18, 2025 · 2 min · 291 words · Deborah Ryan

Why You May Have Pain Behind the Ear

Most conditions that cause pain behind the ear aren’t serious. Rarely, a tumor in or near the ear may be cancerous. An untreated ear infection can lead tomastoiditis, an infection of nearby bone. Illustration by Danie Drankwalter for Verywell Health Illustration by Danie Drankwalter for Verywell Health 1. “Occipital” means the back of the head. Neuralgia is pain from damaged nerves. It’s not clear what causes occipital neuralgia. Some cases are due to chronic muscle tightness or occur spontaneously....

April 18, 2025 · 4 min · 785 words · Jillian Norman

Why You May Not Feel Better After Using CPAP for Sleep Apnea

There are many reasons for this, some of which are transient and will ease over time. Others may require an adjustment of treatment to help you feel better. Fortunately, most of these will resolve as treatment is fine-tuned and your body adapts to therapy. Brandon Peters, MD Ifsleep apneais severe prior to treatment, the improvement may be more obvious. On the other hand, when the symptoms are mild, it may take longer to notice any changes....

April 18, 2025 · 4 min · 729 words · Albert Pierce

Why You May Pay More If You Are Hospitalized for Observation

Medicare, health insurance companies, and hospitals are always looking for ways to save money. Assigning you to observation status rather thaninpatient careis one way to do so. But depending on the coverage you have, it might end up costing you more. Caiaimage / Robert Daly / Getty Images What Is Observation Status? When you are put in the hospital, youre assigned either inpatient or observation status. From an insurance standpoint, observation patients are classified as a pop in of outpatient....

April 18, 2025 · 3 min · 507 words · Daniel Graves

Why You Might Experience Weight Loss When Sick

This key in of weight loss, however, isn’t usually permanent. You may also experience nausea,fever, stomach cramps, and exhaustion. These symptoms can be brought on by several different types of viruses, bacteria, or even parasites. Blend Images / John Fedele / Getty Images This drastic change in fluid volume in your body can show up on the scale. If your symptoms last for several days, the weight change can be significant....

April 18, 2025 · 2 min · 365 words · Jerry Stewart

Why You Need Valine and How to Get Enough of This BCAA

That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. Getty Images / Casimiro What Is Valine? Amino acids are the building blocks ofproteins. Getty Images / Casimiro Valine,leucine, andisoleucineare three amino acids known asbranched-chain amino acids. These BCAAs differ in both structure and function compared to other amino acids. Along with the other BCAAs, valine is an essential amino acid. Unlike non-essential amino acids, your body cannot make essential amino acids on its own....

April 18, 2025 · 5 min · 995 words · Daniel Lloyd

Why You Should Avoid Alcohol on a Long-Haul Flight

The study involved using an altitude chamber designed to simulate in-flight conditions. We also only looked at one single dose of alcohol, she added. In the real world, passengers might consume more or less alcohol. Photo Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health; Getty Images It is likely that the effect on oxygen saturation is dose-dependent. Passengers who doze off in uprighteconomy seats might not have the same experience as the study participants....

April 18, 2025 · 1 min · 152 words · David Miller

Why You Should Consider Eating Avocados If You Have Diabetes

If youre at risk for throw in 2 diabetes, these changes may help prevent the disease. Theyre also a great source of lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. But research has found that consistently eating some foods can help promote healthy blood sugar levels over time. Jupiterimages/ Getty Images Heres why avocados are such a good option for a diabetes-friendly diet. Research suggests that avocados could help keep blood sugar levels in check....

April 18, 2025 · 1 min · 181 words · Scott Flowers

Why You Should Keep a Consistent Bedtime Every Night

But its possible to achieve some consistency if youre intentional. Subtract eight hours from that, and you have a target bedtime. Published online September 21, 2023. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad253 Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health; Getty Images

April 18, 2025 · 1 min · 37 words · Brandon Rivers

Why You Should Pay Attention to Boxed Warnings on Medication

Understanding adverse effects will help you make a better-informed decision. (Warning issued July 2018.) (Warning issued May 2007.) UpperCut Images/Getty Images What Does One Look Like? The following excerpt from the prescription label of Zoloft is an example of a boxed warning. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Zoloft is not approved for use in pediatric patients except for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)....

April 18, 2025 · 1 min · 182 words · Terry Burke

Why You Should Stop Sleeping With Your Cell Phone (and How to Do It)

Sleeping with a cell phone can make it challenging to doze off and get enough quality snooze time. That deficit may affect your overall health. Sleep Disruption Cell phones can make it harder to fall and stay asleep. MarioGuti/iStock This is likely due in part to cell phones' effect on thecircadian rhythm. Exposure to cell phone light at night can interfere with this signaling, making it harder to fall asleep....

April 18, 2025 · 2 min · 214 words · Andre Carr