Tausi Insider

Photo : ambrozinio ( Shutterstock ) Driving at night can be challenging , even under normal circumstances. There are the lights from on coming traffic, the reduced ability to see important landmarks, and the risk of impaired drivers. However, although driving at night is harder, if your nighttime vision is especially bad— or if it has gotten worse in recent months— you should get it checked out by a doctor, as it can be an early warning sign of a more serious issue . 02:15 How to Steam an Egg Wednesday 11:19AM 02:50 Chopping Basics Wednesday 11:09AM “When nighttime happens, our whole optical system changes a little bit,” said Sumitra Khandelwal , an ophthalmologist at Baylor College of Medicine . At night, our pupils dilate in order to take in additional light. As a result, our vision becomes more sensitive to a number of issues that may not be noticeable during the day. Vision issues can be more noticeable at night S ome eye-related issues may be more pronounced at night . “I...

Photo : Alphonsine Sabine ( Shutterstock ) Having friends and family over for the holidays is stressful enough as it is, but if any of your guests have food allergies, you may be especially worried. If you’re not sure if anyone in your party has allergies, this is a great time to stop reading and send out a friendly message (individually, or via BCC so no one feels put on the spot) and ask. And if you get a yes back? Here’s what to know and do, according to Dr. Jeanne Lomas, a board certified allergist and the Director of Allergy & Immunology at WellNow Urgent Care . Make your ingredients clear As Lomas noted, there are so-called “hidden” allergy triggers that the average cook may not realize are triggers at all, like dairy and eggs, not to mention all the different kinds of nuts. Think about how much dairy or eggs you’re using in what you’re serving, from pies to cookies to mashed potatoes or mac and cheese—it’s a lot, I’m sure. Moreover, “many of these [dishes] are homemade...

Photo : Image Point Fr ( Shutterstock ) One of the most important things to know when choosing a method of birth control is how well it works. That’s especially important in a country where childbirth is expensive , maternal mortality is shockingly high , and our options for abortion are limited and shrinking . No contraceptive method is perfect, of course. A birth control method’s effectiveness is measured in two ways. One is the “perfect use” rate, which reflects the chances of having a baby when you do everything right every single time: you never miss a pill or forget to use a condom, for example. Everything works as designed. These calculations often reflect very low failure rates. But then there is the “typical use” statistic, which gives the failure rate that people actually experience in the real world when attempting to use that method. This includes all the variables that perfect use doesn’t capture. Maybe you forget to use it or don’t bother to use it consistently; or m...

Photo : VGstockstudio ( Shutterstock ) If you have a vagina, you’ve probably been told that it’s an absolute must to pee immediately after having sex to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). But it turns out there isn’t a lot of evidence to support this idea. There is shockingly little research on the question of whether this oft-repeated advice actually works. One study in a journal called Evidence Based Practice found that, overall, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. But that’s just one study, and the results didn’t point strongly in either direction. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not include peeing after sex in its tips for preventing UTIs . Here’s what they do recommend: Wash the skin around the anus and the genital area. Drink plenty of fluids (including water) to flush bacteria out of your urinary system. Empty your bladder as soon as you feel the urge or about every two to three hours. They point out that factors like being pr...

Photo : fizkes ( Shutterstock ) Oxytocin has often been described as a “love molecule” because it’s been associated with social bonding. When you look at your adorable child or puppy, oxytocin is probably sending signals in your brain and body to coordinate that “awwww” reaction. But it does a lot of other things, besides. Oxytocin coordinates the uterine contractions that are involved in giving birth, and it does that so effectively that when obstetricians want to start or speed up labor, they hook you up to an IV bag of it . It also has roles to play with other body parts, including the kidneys, heart, and testes. Even when we’re considering how the hormone makes us feel socially, it’s not all love and cuddles. In some experiments, it causes people to be more suspicious of those we see as different from us. It may also make us pay more attention to both positive and negative social cues, increasing feelings of fear in some cases. Not really what you would expect from a “love ho...

Photo : SKatzenberger ( Shutterstock ) You may have heard of people—elderly folks in particular—getting a heart attack from shoveling snow. But what’ s so dangerous about shoveling? And is everybody at risk, or is this pretty rare? Here’s what you should know. Snow shoveling is hard exercise The connection between shoveling and cardiac events is real. The American Heart Association cites several studies that found higher rates of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths after snowstorms. Shoveling is hard work, and it can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to rise far higher than levels that are considered safe for sedentary people with heart conditions. Cold temperatures also seem to make chest pain more likely, possibly because your arteries can constrict in the cold. Who should check with a doctor before shoveling? You may have heard the advice to check with a doctor before beginning an exercise program. We have more information on that here : most people don’t need ...

For many of us, the holiday season brings added responsibilities, obligations, and the unspoken pressure of perfection. “The most wonderful time of the year” can be an especially anxious time for those with high-functioning anxiety. “High-functioning anxiety refers to someone who appears to be managing their life very well and have everything put together, however, they still suffer from excessive worry, stress, and at times obsessive thoughts,” Dr. Amelia Kelley , a trauma-informed therapist and co-author of What I Wish I Knew: Surviving and Thriving After an Abusive Relationship , explains to TausiInsider. “The holidays can worsen anxiety especially for those who appear high-functioning on the outside because of the amount of expectations and obligations that occur during the holidays [particularly when it comes to socializing and showing up for other people].” Additionally, financial pressure and the “intensified pressure and break from normalcy can also negatively impact our he...

Photo : New Africa ( Shutterstock ) It happens to a lot of people: You start to notice a pattern of unpleasant symptoms, and they seem connected to your diet, so you begin to wonder if maybe you have a food allergy . Fair enough—and good on you for paying attention to what your body is telling you. If you’re worried you might have a food allergy, the next obvious step is to see an allergist and get a test—which is not cheap. Allergy testing can cost thousands of dollars depending on a wide range of factors, and are not always covered by health insurance. So it’s a good idea to be reasonably sure that an allergist is the correct next step for you. Forget home tests First and foremost, don’t bother with over-the-counter at-home food sensitivity tests . They’re not exactly cheap either, ranging from $100 to $250, and they’re largely useless . In fact, they can cause more trouble than anything else as they can trigger for foods that aren’t actually causing you any problems, prompting...

Photo : gpointstudio ( Shutterstock ) We like to think of our hair as permanently attached to our head, but that’s not exactly how it works. Each hair goes through its own cycle of growing, waiting around, and then falling out. So that explains why you’ll find hairs in your hairbrush. But how do you know how much is too much? The normal amount of hair to lose According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a typical loss is 50 to 100 strands per day . We’ll understand if you don’t count them all individually. Note that this is an average. If your hair is coarse, curly, or tangles easily, your lost hairs may just be hanging out on your head, clinging to their friends in those curls or tangles. When you take the time to do a thorough washing or combing, you may find that a lot of hair gets released all at once. That’s not because it all fell out on wash day, just that you’re seeing several days’ worth of shedding at once. When it might be more, and still normal Aside from your ha...