Thanks to growing awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnoses have been on the rise among children in recent years. At the turn of the millennium, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 1 in 150 8-year-old children had an autism diagnosis. By 2018, the number was 1 in 44. But…
If you’ve experienced hearing loss, you may be missing out on more than conversations around you. Several studies suggest hearing loss can increase your risk for cognitive (mental) issues, including dementia. Geriatric medicine specialist Ronan Factora, MD, helps us understand the connection that occurs between our auditory (hearing) system and the rest of our brain, while…
Your chances of getting multiple sclerosis (MS) are relatively slim — only about 1 person in 1,000 develops it. But for those who do, this serious disease affects your central nervous system, disrupting communication between your brain and other parts of your body. However, MS affects each person differently and can range from mild to…
You can’t find your car keys (again!). Or you’ve started to cook your favorite meal, only to forget the recipe. Or maybe you just entered your living room, and now you’re not sure why. It seems like the memory bandit strikes at the most inconvenient times. But how do you know if a memory lapse…
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right? But when it comes to your vagus nerve (pronounced like the city of Las Vegas), it carries signals to your brain, heart, lungs and digestive system. It’s the longest cranial nerve in your body, running from your brain all the way to your large intestine. Your vagus…
Over your lifetime, the odds of developing a cancerous brain tumor are less than 1%. Usually, symptoms like a headache or confusion are just your body’s way of telling you to hydrate or sleep more. But rarely, these symptoms can signal a bigger problem. Unfortunately, the warning signs of a brain tumor can be as…
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that rapidly declines your ability to think, learn, organize, carry out daily activities and remember important details. It’s the most common form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 million Americans are living with the disease — a number that’s expected to grow to 12.7 million by 2050….