Thousands of doses of childhood vaccines reportedly transported into Gaza Strip through Rafah crossing

Thousands of doses of vaccines against childhood diseases have started to be delivered into the Gaza Strip to support a growing health emergency in the region, the Palestinian health ministry in the Hamas-controlled government announced Monday.

The vaccines to treat childhood diseases, including polio and measles, are estimated to be enough to cover vaccinations for between 8 and 14 months, according to the health ministry.

Israeli forces' ground offensive into Gaza amid its war against Hamas terrorists has effectively stopped normal health services in Gaza, including vaccinations against highly contagious childhood diseases that had been under control by mass immunization programs.

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The health ministry said supplies had entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with the aid of Egyptian government cold storage facilities.

Israel said Friday it would facilitate the entry of the vaccines into Gaza to help prevent the spread of disease.

Yasser Bouzia, head of international relations in the health ministry in Ramallah, said there were an estimated 60,000 newborn babies in Gaza who would typically receive vaccinations but have instead been largely cut off from medical services.

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Bouzia said administering the vaccines would be difficult because hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza had been displaced from their homes and are living in tents or other temporary housing.

The ministry said that vaccines against diseases including rubella, polio, measles and mumps come from supplies either purchased by the Palestinian health ministry or donated by UNICEF, otherwise known as the United Nations Children's Fund.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Smoking shrinks the brain and drives up Alzheimer’s risk, new study finds

Smoking is notorious for causing damage to the lungs — but a recent study confirmed that it’s also harmful to the brain.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine (WashUMed) in St. Louis, Missouri, analyzed the brain scans, smoking history and genetic risk of 32,094 participants of European descent from the UK Biobank database.

Those who smoked one pack daily were found to have decreased brain volume compared to those who never smoked or had smoked fewer than 100 total cigarettes. 

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With each additional year of smoking, the shrinkage was greater.

The study, published in the January 2024 issue of Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, helps to explain why older people who smoke are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to the researchers.

"People who smoke are more likely to have deterioration in gray and white matter, which provides a possible explanation as to why 14% of global Alzheimer’s disease cases could be attributable to cigarette smoking," they wrote in the study findings.

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"Up until recently, scientists overlooked the effects of smoking on the brain, in part because we were focused on all the terrible effects of smoking on the lungs and the heart," said senior author Laura J. Bierut, M.D., the Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, in a press release from WashUMed.

"But as we’ve started looking at the brain more closely, it’s become apparent that smoking is also really bad for your brain."

It has long been known that aging is linked to a gradual reduction in brain volume, and this study shows that smoking speeds up that process, the researchers noted.

"This is important as our population gets older, because aging and smoking are both risk factors for dementia," noted Bierut.

One positive finding was that kicking the habit can prevent the loss of additional brain tissue — but the shrinkage can’t be reversed.

"You can’t undo the damage that has already been done, but you can avoid causing further damage," said first author Yoonhoo Chang, a graduate student at WashUMed.

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"Smoking is a modifiable risk factor. There’s one thing you can change to stop aging your brain and putting yourself at increased risk of dementia, and that’s to quit smoking."

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for additional comment.

Dr. Brett Osborn, neurosurgery section chief at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, was not involved in the WashUMed study but shared his reaction to the findings.

While aging — and some age-related diseases — can’t be prevented, Osborn noted that our lifestyle choices can accelerate or decelerate the process.

"We can age gracefully in part by choosing to avoid toxins such as alcohol and smoking, both of which increase the production of toxic free radicals, also known as oxidative stress," he told Fox News Digital.

When someone smokes, the doctor explained, the person's blood vessel linings are "bombarded" by free radicals, which are electrons that cause cell damage. That impacts not only the heart and lungs, but also the brain.

"When you smoke, the brain takes a hit due to the induced vascular damage," Osborn said. "Over time, the brain shrinks, and this is evident on MRI."

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The new study confirms not only the correlation between reduced global brain volume, but also causation, said Osborn. 

"It is not that those with reduced global brain volume tend to smoke from a genetic standpoint, but it is that those who smoke cause their brains to atrophy," he said. 

"Smoking does terrible things not only to the body but also to the brain, and in some parts, disproportionately more than others."

The regions most affected by smoking are the frontal cortex (involved in executive function, memory input and mood), cerebellum (coordination), corpus callosum (information bridge between the two hemispheres), and amygdala (emotional response and memory), Osborn pointed out. 

"It is also well-established that hippocampal volume, or the volume of our primary center, is reduced in daily smokers," he said. "It should be no surprise, therefore, that there is an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in smokers."

While other organs, such as the lungs, can recover after a person quits smoking, there are no subsequent increases in brain volume, said Osborn.

"The brain demonstrates a lower capacity for recovery, so the best you can hope for is a deceleration in induced damage when you stop," he said. "So, the sooner you quit, the better."

"Remember, staying healthy lifelong is about making the right choices to mitigate the cellular damage that is the hallmark of the disease we call aging, to which no one is immune," Osborn added. 

"Do everything in your power to slow it down, rather than accelerating the process by smoking."

One out of every five U.S. deaths can be attributed to smoking, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. David Seitz, a New York-based physician with a specialty in addiction medicine, previously shared with Fox News Digital some tips for kicking the habit.

The first step is to remove all traces of cigarettes and other forms of smoking.

It’s also important to have a strong support system in place, the doctor said.

He also suggested seeking out healthier activities to fill the gap, such as walking or jogging, listening to a relaxing playlist, meditating or going to a yoga class.

Some people find that it’s easier to gradually wean themselves off smoking instead of quitting cold turkey.

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"This could involve gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked each day until eventually giving up completely, cutting back to a certain number of cigarettes per week or focusing on specific dates when you need to be completely smoke-free," Seitz said.

For those who are unable to stop smoking on their own, Seitz recommended seeing a doctor for assistance.

"Your doctor can provide helpful information about how to quit smoking, prescribe medications that may help, and also monitor your progress along the way."

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New Year can bring better sleep at night if you follow these 9 smart steps

When it comes to setting healthy resolutions for the New Year, sleep is just as essential as nutrition and exercise, experts agree.

A lack of sleep can put you at a greater risk for obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, poor mental health and even early death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Also, a sleep deficit can adversely impact mood, productivity and focus throughout the day.

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Below are nine of the most noteworthy sleep findings that Fox News Digital has covered over the past 12 months. 

Each of these findings can bring you better sleep in the year ahead. 

A study published in the journal Sleep Health found that people who slept for at least one hour longer on weekends had lower rates of cardiovascular disease compared to those who didn’t get catch-up sleep.

The biggest benefit was seen in those who got less than six hours of sleep on weekdays and slept for at least two extra hours on weekends.

Although this was an observational study, Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said he believes the finding is valid.

"More sleep brings your metabolism down to a lower level where the risks are lower," he said.

Most people tend to focus on the number of hours of shuteye they get each evening, but experts say that might not be the most important metric.

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In November, Harvard researchers presented study findings that showed sleep regularity — drifting off and waking up at around the same time each day — could be even more important than quantity.

"When we disrupt our circadian rhythm by going to bed and waking up at different times each day, we can experience a number of negative health consequences, including insomnia, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating and increased risk of chronic diseases," one of the researchers told Fox News Digital. 

Using a wearable tracking device can help people get a healthy duration and quality of sleep — but when they fixate too much on that data, it can lead to a disorder called orthosomnia.

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The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine coined the term to describe patients who are "preoccupied or concerned with improving or perfecting their wearable sleep data."

People who become obsessive or anxious about sleep tracking should take a break from tracking and/or consult with a sleep specialist, experts say.

A majority of people (78% of respondents) found that a lack of sleep is negatively affecting their mental health, according to a fall report from Calm, the maker of the sleep and meditation app.

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"Sleep deprivation affects your psychological state and mental health," Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical adviser at Sleepopolis in California, told Fox News Digital. 

"And those with mental health problems are more likely to have insomnia or other sleep disorders."

People who have sleep difficulties that impact their mental health — or vice versa — should consult with a specialist, experts say.

Six in 10 Americans said their sleep routines feel different during the winter than in other seasons, according to a survey commissioned by Mattress Firm and conducted by OnePoll between Sept. 26 and Sept. 29.

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A quarter of people said it is most difficult to wake up during the winter and 21% said the season makes them feel more tired.

"One of the best things you can do for your body is to get active during the day and give it a relaxing environment for sleep," said Dr. Jade Wu, sleep adviser at Mattress Firm in North Carolina, as reported by SWNS. 

It may be tempting to look at your phone or clock when sleep is interrupted, but according to experts, that could make it more difficult to drift back off.

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"Checking the time can increase stress and make it harder to sleep," Dr. Biquan Luo, a San Francisco sleep expert, told Fox News Digital.

"Additionally, if you check the time on your phone, the contents of the phone may be too stimulating, which further prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep."

Instead, Luo recommended trying such techniques as progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, white noise machines and other methods to help you relax. 

If that doesn’t work within 10 or 15 minutes, she said it’s best to get out of bed and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity.

Your choice of mattress can make or break the quality of your sleep, experts agreed. 

Sleeping on a hard mattress can increase the chances of getting poor sleep by 78%, according to data from Sleep Doctor.

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Some common signs that you might need a new mattress include difficulty falling asleep, aches and pains in the morning, allergy symptoms or visible signs of wear.

When choosing a new mattress, your sleep position, body type and personal preferences for feel and materials should all come into play, according to Dr. Shelby Harris, director of sleep health for the website Sleepopolis and a licensed clinical psychologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

External light can be a major sleep disruptor, warned Harris.

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"If your bedroom windows allow external light, such as streetlights, into your room, it's important to have curtains or blinds to block out this light and avoid sleep disruptions," she told Fox News Digital.

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Other offenders include the blue light that is emitted from cell phones, computers and tablets.

Instead, experts recommend using orange or sunset-colored lights ahead of bedtime and keeping lights dim.

A method used by the U.S. military during World War II could help people fall asleep in less than five minutes, some claim.

The "military sleep technique" involves relaxing every muscle in the body, starting with the face and working your way down, while taking slow, deep breaths.

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"Muscle relaxation going down the body, along with a focus on deep breathing, can be an effective way to both increase relaxation and reduce thinking," Dr. Alex Dimitriu, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, told Fox News Digital.

"It works even better with the final steps, which focus on increasing visualization and clearing the mind of thought."

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Vibrating weight loss pill could provide alternative to Ozempic and Wegovy, researchers say

A vibrating pill has shown promise in early studies as a possible obesity treatment.

Developed by engineers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), the capsule is intended to be swallowed prior to eating in order to "trick" the brain into thinking the body is full — thereby reducing the amount of calories consumed.

The vibrations activate the "stretch receptors" that detect satiety after eating, sending a signal to the brain that the stomach is full even if it’s not.

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In a study published in the journal Science Advances on Dec. 22, researchers revealed that animals who swallowed the pill 20 minutes before eating consumed 40% less food than those who weren’t given the pill, according to a press release from MIT. 

They also gained weight more slowly.

"For somebody who wants to lose weight or control their appetite, it could be taken before each meal," said lead author Shriya Srinivasan, PhD, a former MIT graduate student who is now an assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard University, in the press release. 

"This could be really interesting in that it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects that we see with the other pharmacological treatments out there," she also said.

The capsule, which is about the size of a multivitamin, includes a small oxide battery. 

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After it’s swallowed, stomach acids dissolve the casing of the pill and the vibrating motor is activated.

The vibrations then activate the receptors that stimulate the vagus nerve, which sends a signal of fullness to the brain. 

In the animal study, this triggered the production of insulin as well as the same hormones that are created after eating to a state of fullness. It also reduced levels of ghrelin, the hormone that creates feelings of hunger.

"We have the potential to overcome some of the challenges and costs associated with delivery of biologic drugs by modulating the enteric nervous system," said senior author Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in the release.

The hope is that the vibrating pill could one day serve as an alternative to other approaches — including invasive surgeries and expensive injectable medications — for people who don’t have success in controlling obesity through diet and exercise, doctors say.

"For a lot of populations, some of the more effective therapies for obesity are very costly. At scale, our device could be manufactured at a pretty cost-effective price point," said Srinivasan. 

"I’d love to see how this would transform care and therapy for people in global health settings who may not have access to some of the more sophisticated or expensive options that are available today."

The researchers aim to test the capsules in human clinical trials in 2024.

Fox News Digital reached out to the MIT researchers for additional comment.

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, joined "America’s Newsroom" on Dec. 29 to share his thoughts about the capsule, which he called "fascinating."

"The key is that it's going to be a smart pill that AI can regulate and can send signals back to a computer that are then analyzed, to try to figure out how much to make it vibrate," Siegel said on the Fox News program.

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"It stays in your stomach for four to five days and then it passes and you could replace it with another one."

Siegel compared the pill to injectable semaglutides such as Wegovy and Ozempic.

"Those medications also slow emptying of the stomach and actually have the same effect, but they also improve insulin and glucose management and they stop your brain from wanting to eat," he said. 

Given those extra benefits, Siegel said that Ozempic and Wegovy have a "metabolic advantage" over the vibrating pill, but noted that not everyone can tolerate those medications due to side effects. 

"This could very well be an alternative," he said. "I think it’s exciting and I think it’s on the road to smart pill technology for 2024."

In the U.S., approximately 30.7% of U.S. adults are overweight, 42.4% are obese and 9.2% have severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"If you gain weight, [it] increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer," Siegel told Fox News. 

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"Those are huge reasons to get people exercising, eating right and getting the weight off."

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Burn treatment made from pineapples reduces need for skin grafting surgery: 'New avenue of wound care'

A newly approved medicinal cream made from pineapples could be a "game-changer" for burn patients, doctors say.

At Stony Brook Medicine’s burn center in New York, doctors recently started using NexoBrid, which became commercially available on Sept. 20, to treat deep burns.

This is a departure from surgical skin grafting, which has been the go-to treatment for the past few decades, according to Dr. Adam Singer, an emergency medicine physician at Stony Brook.

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"Since 1970, the standard of care for deep burns has required an operating room and a surgeon to cut it out," he told Fox News Digital.

Singer compared the surgical treatment to slicing cheese — "where you cut sequential slices of the burn tissue until you get down to normal, healthy tissue where it bleeds, and then you put a skin graft on it."

With MediWound’s new topical medication — which contains an enzyme called bromelain that’s derived from the stems of pineapples — patients are far less likely to need a surgical procedure, the doctor noted.

"You apply it to the burn, and within four hours, it dissolves the burn tissue," Singer said.

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"It's very selective — so the minute it hits normal tissue that is not burned, it stops dissolving."

With grafting, healthy tissue is often inadvertently removed along with the burn tissue, Singer pointed out.

"That tells us that we’re not very good at distinguishing between third-degree and second-degree burns," he said. 

NexoBrid removes all of the burn tissue within four hours — allowing doctors to see how deep the burn is and whether the patient will require a skin graft.

"In many cases during trials, once we applied the cream, we found that the burn wasn't that deep, which then enabled the patient to heal spontaneously without the need for a skin donor site," said Singer.

The cream also allows doctors to diagnose the depth of burns much faster. 

Traditionally, they had to wait up to a week to make that determination, which increased the risk of infection.

"If we apply the burn cream right after the injury, we immediately know how deep it is," said Singer. 

In clinical trials, researchers found that use of the cream reduced surgery occurrence from 72% of patients to just 4%.

"It’s basically turning a surgical disease into more of a medical disease that’s treated at the bedside instead of in the operating room," Singer noted.

The amount of bleeding is also much less than when a knife is used to remove the tissue, as it’s a minimally invasive treatment.

At Stony Brook, doctors have treated many patients with NexoBrid during clinical trials, but this month marked the first time they used the medication on "regular" patients, now that it’s commercially available.

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The first patient, a 53-year-old New York man, was involved in an accident with his firepit that caused second-degree and third-degree burns to his legs.

"Normally it would have taken us several days to see what would stay healthy and what would convert to a deeper burn," Dr. Steven Sandoval, a burn surgeon at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital.

But in this case, the doctors applied the newly available medication.

Four hours after applying NexoBrid, the doctors were able to see exactly how deep the wounds were.

"The pineapple gel ate away at any non-living tissue," Sandoval said. "We were able to shave off days of hospitalization."

Within just two weeks, the patient was healing well enough to be discharged.

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The second patient who received NexoBrid was involved in an electrical-based fire, which typically creates even more severe burns than flame-based injuries.

"Again, within four hours, it removed the dead tissue and allowed the healthy tissue to progress," said Sandoval.

Both patients were able to avoid surgery.

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, noted that "enzymatic debridement" creams aren’t new.

"They have been around since at least 2008 and have been used extensively, including by Israeli [doctors], who have extensive experience treating burns from combat victims," he told Fox News Digital. 

"This particular cream may be more effective than previous versions," Siegel added, referencing NexoBrid.

It may not prevent the need for surgery in all cases, however.

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"When there is too much dead tissue in important areas, skin grafts become necessary," Siegel noted. "This cream does not rebuild new tissue and does not prevent the need for skin grafting in the most severely burned patients."

Singer and Sandoval acknowledged that other enzymatic agents have been available, but said they work much slower than the new medicine.

"There is no other current gel on the market that's as quick as this," Sandoval told Fox News Digital. "There's one other gel on the market that softens up the non-viable burn tissue, but it takes several weeks to work."

NexoBrid has been approved in Europe since 2014 but wasn’t approved in the U.S. until just before the start of 2023.

The medication is currently approved for adults with a certain depth of burns. 

It can be applied to any part of the body except the face and genitalia.

The only noted side effect of the medication is some degree of pain.

"Everybody is different in how they respond to the sensation of the cream itself," Sandoval told Fox News Digital. "Some patients require more pain medication than others."

Looking ahead, the doctors hope that NexoBrid will be cleared for use with children and for other wounds that have dead tissue, such as advanced bed sores.

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Sandoval added, "It really opens up a whole new avenue of wound care beyond just burns."

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Google reveals the top 10 health searches of 2023 — and experts answer them

Some 35% of U.S. adults have gone online in an attempt to diagnose their health symptoms — and now Google is revealing which conditions they were most curious about this year.

The search engine giant has released its annual "Year in Search," which breaks down the top queries for everything from news and entertainment to health and medical maladies.

Here are the top 10 health-related questions of 2023 — along with experts’ responses to each.

Cases of strep throat, an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by the bacteria group A Streptococcus, spiked in 2023.

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In February of this year, the number of cases was 30% higher than the same time in 2017, according to CDC data.

The length of time that strep is contagious depends on whether the person is taking antibiotics, noted Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor.

"If you are taking them, you will likely no longer be contagious in one to two days," he told Fox News Digital. 

"If you are not taking antibiotics (or if the diagnosis is missed), then you can be contagious for weeks," he said.

Strep throat is "very contagious," Siegel noted — especially at the beginning of the infection.

"It is spread easily by secretions and droplets," he said. "It can also spread through the air with sneezing or coughing."

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The bacteria can be spread via respiratory droplets while talking, coughing or sneezing, according to the CDC website.

People can also contract the bacteria by sharing drinking glasses or food with an infected person.

Infected sores on the skin are another potential source of spread, per the CDC.

Nearly two out of every five adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol, which is 200 md/dL (milligrams per deciliter) or greater.

When cholesterol builds up in the walls of the arteries, the risk of heart disease and stroke is elevated.

While genetics has some impact on cholesterol levels, poor dietary choices coupled with a sedentary lifestyle can cause a spike, warned Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida-based neurologist and longevity expert.

To reduce cholesterol, he suggested eating a low glycemic index, anti-inflammatory diet, plus exercising four to five times per week.

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"I recommend a regimen consisting of anti-inflammatory fats such as olive oil, flax seed oil, avocado and nuts, leafy vegetables and beans, and protein from chicken, turkey, fish and eggs (limit of four whole eggs daily)," Osborn told Fox News Digital.

For exercise, he said he recommends strength training three days per week. At least two days a week, he recommends doing cardio at 70% of your calculated maximum heart rate (estimated as 220 – age). 

"The upshot? A leaner, more muscular body with lower cholesterol and an overall better bloodwork," Osborn said. 

"That’s where health lies — in your biochemistry."

Bloating is commonly viewed as a "minor and tolerable gastrointestinal issue," noted Melanie Avalon, an Atlanta-based health influencer, entrepreneur and host of The Intermittent Fasting Podcast and The Melanie Avalon Biohacking Podcast.

In some cases, however, addressing the source of the bloating can also enhance overall health.

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"Foods rich in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) can be hard to digest for some, and adopting a low FODMAP diet often helps alleviate bloating," Avalon told Fox News Digital.

Examples of high FODMAP foods are beans, lentils, wheat, and various fruits and vegetables. 

Supplementing with digestive enzymes, such as betaine HCl, can also help reduce bloating, according to Avalon.

An imbalance in gut bacteria can also lead to bloating, as the microbiome produces gaseous byproducts like hydrogen and methane, she said. 

In addition to what people eat, the way they eat can also contribute to bloating, she noted.

"Eating too fast, not chewing thoroughly, having large meals and drinking carbonated drinks can result in swallowing excess air, leading to bloating," Avalon said. 

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Instead, she said that "taking the time to enjoy meals, avoiding multitasking and starting with a moment of prayer or gratitude can help set a peaceful tone, aiding digestion."

Bloating might also indicate food intolerances or allergies, such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, as well as stress or hormonal fluctuations, she indicated. 

"Tackling bloating usually requires a comprehensive approach, encompassing dietary adjustments, potential probiotic supplementation, stress management and medical treatment for underlying conditions if needed," said Avalon.

"By actively addressing what may seem like a minor issue of bloating, many individuals can significantly improve their overall health."

Someone with low blood pressure has a reading lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for the top number (systolic) or 60 mm Hg for the bottom number (diastolic), according to Mayo Clinic.

Low blood pressure can cause dizziness and increase the risk of falls, Osborn warned.

"Outside of a primary cardiac issue, the most common reasons for low blood pressure are dehydration coupled with overmedication," the doctor told Fox News Digital. 

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To prevent this, he said it’s essential to stay well-hydrated with electrolyte-laden beverages. 

For those who are on medication to control hypertension, Osborn recommended checking blood pressure several times during the week to ensure that the levels aren’t too low.

"If your blood pressure is <110/70, please discuss this with your doctor, as you are potentially at a high fall risk," he said.

Endurance athletes or lifelong trainees may normally have low blood pressure, Osborn added.

"If you are not dizzy, lightheaded, diaphoretic (sweaty) or tachycardic (pulse > 100), it is likely that your system has long accommodated to the lower pressures, and there is no cause for concern," he said.

"Acute changes in blood pressure — with the above symptoms — are potentially problematic and should be discussed with your physician," he also said.

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which leads to an overgrowth of keratin in the skin's top layer, Avalon said.

"This results in various types of warts, including common warts on the hands and fingers, plantar warts on the feet, flat warts on the arms or face, and genital warts," she told Fox News Digital.

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Warts are transmitted through contact, especially on broken or damaged skin.

It can take weeks or months for the warts to appear after initial exposure. 

"Although most warts are harmless, an individual's immune system can influence their severity," said Avalon. 

Treatments for warts range from topical salicylic acid and cryotherapy to laser treatment and immune system support, among other methods.

Nausea is the result of interactions among the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear, according to Avalon.

"Disturbances in any of these systems can result in nausea, underscoring its importance as a marker of bodily imbalances or disorders," she told Fox News Digital.

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Some of the most common causes of nausea include alcohol consumption, pregnancy, motion sickness or gastrointestinal distress, but Avalon pointed out that there could be many different underlying triggers.

"Nausea can appear suddenly, triggered by factors such as eating or environmental shifts," she said. "Chronic nausea, on the other hand, may point to deeper health issues, like hormonal imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders or ongoing stress."

Nausea can also be caused by neurological issues or emotional distress, the expert added.

"Regardless of the circumstances, nausea indicates that something is amiss in the body, serving as a valuable signal pointing to deeper physical or mental health issues that need addressing for optimal health and well-being," said Avalon.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure and elevated protein in urine, which can be a warning sign of kidney damage, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

Swelling of the face and hands is another common indicator.

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Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, reduced blood platelets, severe headaches, increased liver enzymes, vision disturbances, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

The primary cause of preeclampsia stems from the placenta, Mayo Clinic states.

In a normal, healthy pregnancy, blood vessels are created to provide the nutrients and oxygen the placenta needs.

When those blood vessels don’t develop or function correctly, it can impair the flow of blood to the placenta — which can cause blood pressure to rise.

An estimated 45% of adults snore occasionally, while a quarter of adults do so on a regular basis, according to Johns Hopkins.

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At a minimum, snoring can disrupt sleep or annoy partners — but for some people, it can signal a serious health issue.

This common issue can affect sleep quality and lead to frequent sleep disruptions — but in some cases, it can be a sign of a serious health issue.

If snoring is accompanied by pauses in breathing, gasping for air or choking sounds, it could be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, warned Dr. Shelby Harris, a New York-based clinical psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis.

"Risks associated with OSA can include an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attack," the doctor told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

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In that case, she recommended seeing a sleep specialist.

For snoring that is not caused by an underlying condition, such actions as sleeping on your side, elevating your head, avoiding alcohol before bed, maintaining a healthy weight and using a humidifier in your bedroom can help reduce snoring, according to Harris.

Food poisoning is a sickness caused by the consumption of certain germs, such as Salmonella or E. coli, according to the CDC.

Common symptoms include diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. The effects can range from mild to serious.

Symptoms can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, the CDC stated.

People should seek medical attention if any of the symptoms become severe — especially bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than three days, inability to keep fluids down, fever over 102°F and signs of dehydration.

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Jewish students struggling with antisemitism at college now have use of walk-in mental health clinic

Touro University, one of the largest private Jewish universities in the U.S., recently opened a free, walk-in mental health clinic on its Times Square campus in New York City. 

One of the clinic's goals is to assist students who may have anxiety about growing antisemitism in the city, according to the university.

Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, the clinic's head, as well as a current student, told Fox News Digital about the importance of protecting students’ mental health — particularly during times of conflict and persecution.

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With over 20,000 students across many different campuses, Touro has always prioritized mental health services, Lichtman said during a Zoom interview.

"Research has shown that since the pandemic, the levels of reported anxiety and depression have not gone down — they have either remained the same or even increased," said Lichtman, the director of student mental health services at the university.

In many cases, students will seek help for anxiety related to academics, relationships, illness or career uncertainty. Yet in recent months, there have been heightened concerns surrounding the waves of antisemitism that have been reported throughout the city.

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While the university hasn’t experienced blatant acts of antisemitism, Lichtman said there have been "minor, low-level incidents."

"There is lots of anxiety, general feelings of unease and a sort of pervasive sadness," he said.

"You put on the news and there's very little other than who was killed today, or what violence is going on in different parts of the world or in your own city," he went on. 

"But people's individual lives go on, with a kind of heaviness. And so we try to provide some perspective and balance to help them."

The bulk of the university’s mental health service offerings have been individualized counseling, but some students prefer the "relative anonymity" of a group session or may crave the feeling of belonging.

"You know, it's a lonely world out there, in the age of social media," Lichtman pointed out. "You can have 1,000 friends and still have no meaningful friendships or relationships. And so being part of a group can begin to address that in some small way."

The clinic also offers workshops on managing anxiety and practicing mindfulness.

The goal of the new drop-in center is to provide one more option for students who need impromptu support without having to make an appointment.

"Maybe they’re on campus and they had a tough day, and they just want to peek in and see who’s there," said Lichtman. "We’re trying to support students in ways that will speak to them."

For some students, the drop-in center has served as a stepping stone to getting longer-term care.

"It’s a first step — we get them in the door and then many want to continue with individual counseling," said Lichtman. "The primary goal is to get them to engage in a more ongoing and committed sort of way."

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Yakira Colish, a political science honors student at Touro’s Lander College for Women, told Fox News Digital that she appreciates the extra mental health services the university offers — especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

"It’s been more difficult in our college, especially the one that I'm in, which is entirely Jewish and orthodox, with really strong ties to Israel," she said.

"We’ve all been following the news, and that has contributed to heightened levels of anxiety, checking in to make sure your relatives are alive, which is a real concern."

She added, "There is a general feeling among a lot of Jewish students — not just in Touro — that America may be just as dangerous as Israel."

The mental health resources are especially vital in New York City, Colish noted, which she described as having "a bit of antisemitic undertones."

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"There have been threats to Jewish schools and synagogues," she said. "And when I walk around my dorm, there are posters of kidnapped children ripped down. I feel like anything can happen at any moment."

While the students at Touro have been relatively "sheltered" from antisemitism, according to Colish, she is concerned about what will happen when they move on to graduate schools or law schools.

"I think a lot of us are keeping up with the news of what's been going on at top universities — and we can't escape the fact that there's antisemitism," she said.

Colish, who is pursuing a career in diplomacy, recently applied to Harvard Divinity for a master’s in theology.

"In my circles, there’s a lot more hesitancy now when people hear I'm going," she said. "There's a real fear for my safety."

On the other hand, Colish said she doesn’t believe avoiding those places is the answer.

"I don't believe the solution is to like vacate spaces of pro-Israel voices," she told Fox News Digital. "I think that could be more dangerous. But I think there's a very weird irony to the world right now."

Some of the students have also experienced feelings of guilt, Lichtman and Colish agreed.

"These are 20-year-olds who are applying to grad school, trying to move on with their lives or just having a good time with their friends, while they have family in Israel," said Lichtman. 

"Some of them have disclosed to us feelings of guilt, saying, ‘How can I hang out with my friends when my cousin or my brother is in the Israeli army?’"

Not all anxiety is necessarily bad, Lichtman pointed out.

"A low amount of anxiety is actually very normal and even healthy — but when it becomes so intense and pervasive that it gets in the way of day-to-day functioning, that’s when it becomes problematic," he said.

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It’s important for students to recognize when they need help, the doctor said.

"We live in a culture of rugged individualism, where the message is that we should be able to handle it ourselves, but that’s not true — everybody needs help," he said.

Talking about the anxiety is a simple yet highly effective strategy, said Lichtman — something he calls "naming the monster."

"Talking about the source of anxiety literally helps to bring it down," he said. "For one, it might be food, for another it might be religion. Naming the monster helps to tame the monster."

Acknowledging and expressing gratitude is an important tool for combating anxiety, Lichtman said.

"For all the challenges that we may have, we also have blessings," he said. "Sometimes it's family, sometimes it's friends, sometimes other things."

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For many of Touro’s students, they may be the first in their families to go to college, for example, or the first to live in the United States.

"With all of the challenges that may exist in the U.S., it is still an amazing, wonderful country," Lichtman pointed out.

"I think it's important to reflect on those blessings, as they give us perspective and balance that helps us better manage the anxiety."

From a student’s standpoint, Colish recommended that young people keep up with the news, but in moderation. 

In terms of managing anxiety, exercise is one of her most effective tools. 

"Whenever I'm having a lot of big feelings, I like to go on a run or go rock-climbing," she said. "Movement is incredibly helpful."

"I also find it oddly comforting that this is sort of a wave of history that has happened before," Colish added. "Jewish history is like this, with ups and downs."

"As a nation, we've been through it before and we'll go through it again."

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