Author: Lance Garrison

I thought I was beyond shockable, but this week has been profoundly shocking for me. I spent the bulk of my adult life on the right-wing side of things, generally rooting for the Republican Party, because I thought that party best served America. People like Sarah Palin and Donald Trump chased me out of the Republican orbit (gradually and then all at once), but I have still held out the hope that my many friends on the right are kind of like an occupied country. They have to mouth the Trumpian prejudices to survive in this era, but somewhere deep…

The redness, discoloration, dryness, and itch of atopic dermatitis (AD) could send you to your dermatologist in search of solutions. Your doctor will start by taking stock of your symptoms.”The first thing is assessing disease severity,” says Lindsay Strowd, MD, an associate professor of dermatology and vice chair of the Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health.Doctors figure out how severe your AD is by the amount of your body surface that’s affected. The more areas of inflamed skin you have, the more severe your condition. They also look at the area of your body where AD is located.…

Almost four years have passed since Congress approved and Donald Trump signed a huge relief bill designed to limit the financial hardship created by the Covid-19 pandemic. The CARES Act did its job. Although around 25 million Americans temporarily lost their jobs — with the job losses mainly caused by fear of infection rather than officially mandated shutdowns — there was far less monetary pain than you might have expected given the magnitude of the public health crisis.In fact, according to a Federal Reserve survey, the percentage of Americans “doing at least OK financially” was actually higher in July 2020…

Atopic dermatitis (AD) can be a long-lasting condition that causes severe, itchy rashes. At times, you may feel like you can’t stop scratching,  which can lead to other problems.“With scratching, breaks in the skin can also get infected, causing impetigo, blisters, and swelling,” says Adam Mamelak, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Austin, TX. “These blisters can ooze fluid or crust over time, causing rough areas and scabs on the skin.”Here’s what you can do to help your skin heal and try to prevent infections. When your skin is damaged or broken:Try not to scratchInstead of scratching with your nails, try…

Claire Park, a pediatric nurse and mom to a 2-year-old in Atlanta, has been battling atopic dermatitis (AD) on her hands for years. But in the last 5, it’s gotten so bad that nighttime itching keeps her awake.During the day, Park can keep her mind off the itch. But when she’s falling asleep it’s harder and she notices it more. “I keep thinking about it, and it keeps me awake,” she says.She has plenty of company. Research has found that as many as 80% of children with atopic dermatitis have trouble sleeping because of it, and between one-third and 87%…

Is your red, itchy skin flare linked to your diet? Maybe, but foods or drinks aren’t always the trigger for a skin condition called atopic dermatitis (AD). So before you cut out certain foods, get a diagnosis and tests to be sure what you’re eating is really causing your skin flares.Atopic Dermatitis and Food TriggersAtopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that causes occasional dry, red, cracking skin flares that itch so badly, it’s hard to sleep. It is linked with allergic conditions.About 18 million people in the U.S. have atopic dermatitis. It’s more common in infants and children, but…

In a 2017 speech at Hillsdale College, the Claremont Institute’s Christopher Caldwell declared that if “we were to use traditional measures for understanding leaders, which involve the defense of borders and national flourishing, Putin would count as the pre-eminent statesman of our time.” In Caldwell’s words, Putin “is not the president of a feminist NGO. He is not a transgender-rights activist. He is not an ombudsman appointed by the United Nations to make and deliver slide shows about green energy.”In 2021, The American Conservative’s Rod Dreher praised a Putin speech condemning the West and said that Putin and Hungary’s Viktor…

For years, George Kramb, who’s 29 and lives in San Diego, CA, thought he had a severe case of dry skin.“I had dry skin basically my whole life. It was always flaky, irritated, and even got to the point of cracking,” he says. Sometimes, in the winter, his fingers were so cracked and dry that he couldn’t open his hands.Kramb tried over-the-counter ointments like Aquaphor, Cetaphil, and Gold Bond. “I used practically every single lotion and ointment that CVS sells, and nothing worked. It would offer temporary relief but didn’t address the underlying problem,” he says.What Kramb didn’t know was that he…

A defense of Gershwin’s masterpiece on the occasion of its centennial.

Pain that lasts more than a few months is chronic pain. Some types can’t be cured. But treatment can help you find relief.The right choice for you depends on:How long the pain has lastedHow bad it isWhat’s causing itWhere you hurtTreatments have changed a lot over the years, says Steve Yoon, MD, a sports injury and joint pain expert in Los Angeles. “There are more options than ever,” he says.Doctors may use many options together to help you feel better.RFA targets the nerves that send pain signals to your brain. Your doctor will use a needle with a tip that…