All the posts from our Those Nerdy Girls Facebook page dating back to May 1st, 2020, are currently archived here and can be searched for by category, key words, etc. Be sure to check back often as additional posts are being added each day.
A parasitic fly called the New World Screwworm has recently been found in US animals for the first time in decades. Although the current risk to people in the US is very low, it’s worth knowing the signs, especially if you have pets and live in an affected area. What is New World Screwworm (NWS)? Read more…
There is an outbreak of cyclosporiasis happening. It’s a parasite that causes horrible diarrhea. Although we don’t know yet what the source is, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting infected. Although most cases have been reported in Michigan, more than 30 states are affected, so it’s worth knowing the symptoms and how Read more…
An asthma action plan is a form that you fill out with a clinician that details asthma medications, triggers, symptoms, and plans for asthma flares. An asthma action plan is a clinician-approved guide that covers medications, triggers, symptoms, and ER guidelines for people with asthma. You fill out the form with your clinician and it’s Read more…
Heuristics are fast, efficient mental shortcuts that we use all the time to help us make decisions and solve problems. These rule-of-thumb strategies can decrease our cognitive load to make choices without becoming overwhelmed. Heuristics can be both helpful and harmful so it’s important to recognize when a heuristic might not be such a great Read more…
A new drug called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time for patients enrolled in a phase-3 clinical trial. That’s a big deal, because treatment options for pancreatic cancer are limited and survival rates at 5 years are very low. In 2002, my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Six months later she was admitted to hospice, Read more…
Another in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse You may have heard recent buzz about antidepressants being “overprescribed” or difficult to stop. Antidepressants are not habit-forming, but like other medications, decisions about stopping them are best made in partnership with a clinician who can help guide what’s right for you. Many people Read more…
Yes, certain medications can make you more likely to experience heat-related illness. While we can’t control the weather, we can prepare and help more people stay safe. To understand how medications can affect our bodies when outside temperatures rise, let’s look at the body’s normal cooling process. Our warm-blooded bodies are designed to maintain a Read more…
Cold sores are caused by a virus called herpes simplex type 1, one of the most common recurring viral infections in the world. Let’s clear up some of the stigma and confusion that still exists. ❓ What are cold sores? Cold sores (also called fever blisters) are small, fluid-filled blisters that usually appear on or Read more…
Tl;dr: Differential diagnosis helps clinicians figure out what questions to ask, makes sure they rule out “can’t miss” diagnoses, and helps them determine what testing and follow-up a patient needs. If you’ve ever read the note your doctor, PA, or NP wrote about you on your patient portal for an emergency room visit, hospital stay, Read more…
TL; DR: Self-care is a set of things people do to support their overall health and wellness (mental and physical). Self-care can support emotional, physical, and/or spiritual well-being among other areas of life. It is not something that you do only if you have time. It is important for your health. (NOTE: This post was Read more…
Why do Those Nerdy Girls post about Juneteenth every year, and where can I find more information? Every year on June 19th, we take time to recognize Juneteenth and to reflect on how the ongoing legacy of American slavery shapes our understanding of health equity and the work still ahead. Here is our post from Read more…
Liberation and health equity go hand-in-hand. Here’s how. Juneteenth is observed by many as the formal end to the American institution of slavery. However, remains of this shameful legacy are still burrowed deeply into our healthcare system, impacting everyone’s ability to live freely in good health. Thus, while Juneteenth is a time of joyful celebration, Read more…
It’s Pride Month! Every June, communities across the U.S. and around the world come together to celebrate, honor, and uplift LGBTQ2SIA+ people and their families. Let’s keep building a world where these communities are seen, valued, and understood. Visibility is important because it leads to improvements in safety and health. When we see representation across Read more…
While that’s exciting (especially for sunscreen nerds), it doesn’t change what we already know: sun safety habits over time matter more than having one more product on a shelf. When I joined Those Nerdy Girls two years ago, sun safety was a topic I was excited to cover. A few years earlier, I’d had skin Read more…
Sun safety requires a combination of everyday protective measures. These include covering up, using sunscreen, and being sensible about sun exposure. 🌞 🌞 Be sure to look out for our post coming tomorrow: “There’s a new sunscreen on the block: Here’s what to know.” (Note: This post was updated by Those Nerdy Girls from the Read more…
While probably not harmful, there is not enough evidence that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism. Demand for the drug among parents of children with autism recently skyrocketed after a press conference last fall in which federal health officials claimed, with little evidence, that the drug is a promising treatment for autism. You may Read more…
Studies in mice can be helpful and important. They can point scientists toward new ideas. But they do not guarantee that the same thing will work in humans. That’s why scientists are careful about big health claims based only on Petri dish or mouse data. And it’s why I want to share a story from Read more…
Swimming is a great way to beat the heat and get some healthy, fun exercise outdoors and there are simple steps that we can take to protect children from water injury and drowning. Learn CPR, fence off pools, keep a watchful eye on children around water, teach kiddos how to swim, and use life jackets Read more…
In this episode of Nerdy OBGYN On Call, MK Haber, FNP-C sits down with Dr. Kat Cartwright to discuss why the global medical community updated the name, how PMOS (Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome) impacts the whole body, and why earlier diagnosis and multidisciplinary care can make such a difference. 🤓 Those Nerdy Girls want to Read more…
One Health is a framework for understanding how and why our impact on the planet can put human and animal health at risk. Incidents like the hantavirus cruise ship and Ebola outbreaks remind us that the environment can affect our health in unexpected ways. You may have followed headlines recently about a rare infectious disease Read more…
