(FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images) Lea en español When some people stand up from sitting or lying down, they may feel dizzy or even faint because of a sudden drop in blood pressure. That phenomenon, which becomes more common in older adults, is called orthostatic hypotension. Previous research has suggested a link between orthostatic hypotension,…
Less than two weeks before her accident, Abbie Vara rode a swing in the vines of a banyan tree on a Waikiki beach, proudly wearing a favorite new dress. (Photo courtesy of the Vara family) For almost 19 years, whenever Tiffany Vara described the worst day of her life, she always included a particular word:…
Christina Roberto and her daughter, Charlotte, who is now 2. (Photo courtesy of Christina Roberto) Lea en español After enduring a difficult pregnancy marred with severe bouts of nausea and vomiting, Christina Roberto recalls the overwhelming sense of relief she felt two years ago when she finally brought her newborn daughter, Charlotte, safely home from…
Joffrey Ballet performer Edson Barbosa was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation at 26. (Photo courtesy of Edson Barbosa) Lea en español Even as a teenager, Edson Barbosa could sometimes feel his heart beating extremely fast during rehearsals. It didn’t seem normal. But as a competitive ballet dancer in Rio de Janeiro, he wasn’t sure what normal…
(xavierarnau/E+ via Getty Images) People who have uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes before getting COVID-19 may be at higher risk of hospitalization or being placed on a ventilator, according to new research that also shows an increased risk of death if diabetes isn’t kept in check. The study of nearly 1.5 million adults in…
(Nadzeya Haroshka/iStock via Getty Images) When Lindsey Huie arrived at the hospital that day in 2019, she had already hit peak stress. The inside of her chest felt ripped apart. She was thinking about her four kids and who would care for them if her wife had to come help her. But then, one of…
Stroke survivor Amanda Porter on her 38th birthday earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Porter) After a morning of working at home, Amanda Porter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, started getting ready to go to the supermarket. It was March 20, 2020, and the world was shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She needed to…
Musician and cardiac arrest survivor Sal Italiano. (Photo courtesy of the Italiano family) Heavy metal bass guitarist Sal Italiano spent the day at the casino with his wife, Christine, and her 93-year-old aunt, then they all grabbed a bite to eat on the way back to the couple’s home in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Sal watched TV…
(vm/E+ via Getty Images) Lea en español The responsibility of understanding what a health care professional is saying during a visit to the doctor’s office falls on more than just the patient. That obligation to ensure individuals can access and comprehend basic health information in order to make health-related decisions is shared by the doctor,…
Fitness instructor and heart attack survivor Angie Mayo. (Photo courtesy of Josie Porter Photography) A few months before her 50th birthday, Angie Mayo and her husband, Carl, headed to Key West, Florida, for an early celebration. She could use the break from the 12-hour shifts at her factory production job and all the time she…