The NHS says food poisoning usually clears within a week
Most UK food poisoning passes within a week, but the germ sets the clock. Here is what the NHS and Cleveland Clinic say to expect.
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Health.
Evidence on how bodies work, what helps and the care that reaches people.
A lung drug passed its main test and missed two others
NICE's appraisal of nintedanib shows how a trial proves a drug works: one pre-set outcome, a null hypothesis, and a p-value that either clears the bar or not.
Microplastics in bottled water: more particles, unclear harm
A review of 21 studies found more plastic in bottled water than tap, yet the World Health Organization says the health evidence still has gaps.
Cosmic radiation doubles with every 6,000 feet you climb
One long flight gives you about a week of background radiation. A 2019 UK law protects crew who could pass 1 millisievert of cosmic radiation a year.
Lightning can travel through your plumbing to the shower
Lightning can reach a shower through the pipes and the water in them. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before you wash.
A Wimbledon broadcast named Emma Navarro's hypothyroidism
An ESPN commentator named Emma Navarro's hypothyroidism live at Wimbledon in July, months after unexplained absences derailed her season.
Creatine near a workout might help. The evidence is still thin
A 2022 review found no settled answer on when to take creatine. The case for dosing near a workout rests on blood flow and timing theory, not trials.
The two kinds of hyperhidrosis, and what causes each
Most heavy sweating is a normal response to heat or stress. Primary hyperhidrosis has no known cause. The secondary kind is a symptom of another illness.
The body shuts down in stages before death
Doctors can describe dying stage by stage, from appetite loss to the last breath. Christians and Muslims expect judgement, and Hindus and Buddhists rebirth.
What your body does overnight, and what a short night costs
Overnight your heart slows, hormones pulse and memories settle. Too little sleep is linked to more hunger, more colds and less clear thinking.
The most common sleeping position isn't the best for everyone
Side sleeping is the most common position and wins on average. Snoring and sleep apnoea favour the side, while back or neck pain often eases on the back.
NHS England ranks 999 calls, and category 2 is the crowded one
England's ambulance services sort 999 calls into categories. Category 1 is the most urgent, and category 2 covers strokes and heart attacks.
Back pain is commoner in women, and strains are the top cause
Low back pain is more common in women than in men. A strained muscle is the commonest cause, and hormones, pregnancy and pelvic anatomy add more.
Eye twitches: the usual causes, and when to see a doctor
Most eyelid twitches are harmless muscle spasms linked to short sleep, caffeine, and stress, say the Cleveland Clinic and the National Eye Institute.
Arm position matters more than which arm for blood pressure
Which arm barely changes a blood pressure reading. How you hold it can shift the systolic number by more than 6 points, a Johns Hopkins trial found.
Thalidomide: the sedative that rewrote US drug law
FDA reviewer Frances Kelsey's refusal to approve thalidomide in 1960 led to the US law requiring proof a drug is safe and effective.
Doctors rarely find one cause for high blood pressure
Most high blood pressure has no single cause, say the British Heart Foundation and Cleveland Clinic. The NHS counts 140/90 as high, the United States 130/80.
Dissolved minerals crystallise into kidney stones
Kidney stones form when urine holds too much calcium, oxalate or uric acid and too little water. Fluid, salt and genes all drive that.