7 Lifestyle Habits to Prevent and Treat Peptic Ulcers

peptic ulcer prevention woman eating yogurt

Peptic ulcers come with some key telltale signs — and they’re not very pleasant. Upper abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, vomiting, heartburn, and back pain could all be signs of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). By far, upper abdominal pain ranks as the most common symptom, with almost 80% of people with PUD experiencing it. Peptic ulcers […]

4 Ways to Protect Against Skin Cancer (Other Than Sunscreen)

Natural ways to prevent skin cancer: Image of young woman, shot from behind, sitting on ground in sunny field with wide brimmed hat on.

Harvard Health Blog While sunscreen is essential to lowering your risk for skin cancer, there are other simple, over-the-counter options you can incorporate into your summer skin protection routine. Nicotinamide may help prevent certain skin cancers Nicotinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that has been shown to reduce the number of skin cancers. In […]

Are You Taking Too Much Anti-Inflammatory Medication?

Bunch of white anti-inflammatory pills spilling out of the top of a purple bottle.

Harvard Health Blog You might call them pain relievers. You might take them for back pain, headache, or arthritis. Your doctor calls them “NSAIDs,” which stands for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Whatever you call them and for whatever reason you take them, NSAIDs are among the most popular medications worldwide. In fact, estimates suggest that about […]

Is ibuprofen before exercise risky?

Bottle of ibuprofen open and on side on table with pills spilling out

Q: I often take a couple of over-the-counter ibuprofen before I go out for a jog to help the muscle aches afterward. I usually run for 45 minutes to one hour. Is there any danger? A: Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, generics) is one of the many non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) primarily to reduce pain. These drugs […]

Heart risk similar for all NSAIDs other than aspirin

Bottle of aspirin laying on its side with white pills spilling out

Q: I take ibuprofen almost every day for arthritis pain. I keep reading about warnings regarding a higher risk of heart problems in people that take these kinds of anti-inflammatory drugs. Should I be taking a different one? A: Despite new research, the answer is unclear. Like you, millions of people with aching joints and […]

Heart-safer NSAID alternatives

White pills

Harvard Health Letters In July 2015, the FDA repeated a previous warning about the heart hazards of common pain relievers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) and prescription-only NSAIDs. Should you avoid these medications at all costs? Not necessarily. NSAIDs have cardiac risks, but are still a […]