Tegan and Sara Quin have been making music together since they were teens in the ‘90s, so it’s no wonder the sisters are slowing down a bit in their 40s.

The prolific indie-rock artists and LGBTQ advocates, both 43, remember entering this new decade during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That ushered in their 40s “in a strange way that, you know, wasn’t exactly casual,” recalls Sara. In 2022, Tegan and Sara left Warner Bros. Records, their longtime record label, for the indie outfit Mom + Pop. “And then I also became a parent at 42,” she continues. “So far, at least for me, there’s something really significant about how much foundational change has happened.” 

Naturally, these personal and professional shifts prompted Sara to reevaluate her work-life balance. “I think in your 20s and 30s, time is on your side…you’re just kind of excited to be ripping through life and doing what you’re doing,” she explains. “And whereas now with my 40s, I’m like, ‘Let’s slow down.’ I’ve really loved my 40s, but it’s definitely no joke. Like, here we are.”

Tegan isn’t a parent, but she echoes her twin sister’s sentiment. “There’s a lot of searching in the first couple of decades [of your life], a lot of strife and tumult,” she says. “And then you get to your 40s. And as Sara said, you take a breather; you slow down a little bit. My 40s are like, I need to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I need to think more about what my life should be in its second half rather than, like, freaking out through my 20s and 30s.”

Granted, Tegan and Sara have kept plenty busy over the past few years. In 2022, the Grammy-nominated duo debuted Crybaby, their 10th studio album and first with Mom + Pop Music; they toured the album in the latter half of 2023.

Last month, they also released Under My Control, an Audible Originals audio-memoir interspersed with new recordings of classic Tegan and Sara cuts. It’s the latest in a series of autobiographical projects for the Quin sisters, who previously penned a memoir about their high school days. The book, High School, was later adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series.

“We’ve been in a place the last handful of years where we’ve been looking back a lot,” says Tegan. “And I think some artists don’t want to do that because there’s still so much ageism in our business, especially for women.” But she and Sara have had a blast re-releasing older songs and watching them reach new audiences — not unlike Taylor Swift, a fellow music-industry disruptor. (They’re big fans; at the moment, Tegan is on an “Anti-Hero” kick.)

Given Tegan and Sara’s decades-spanning catalog, selecting which songs to re-record was no easy feat. First, they chose the narrative thread for the project, which helped tremendously, says Tegan. Their cornerstone? “Songs or moments in our career that allowed us to shift focus or to change directions, and do things that surprised people.”

And surprise people, they have. When Tegan and Sara began their career in the late ‘90s and early aughts, they were two of the few openly gay artists in their sphere. 

“To be stuck in this genre of indie-rock music, where it was really, really unusual to be talking about yourself being gay, and then to be young women in a predominantly male, straight, cis genre, it was really challenging,” Sara remembers. At times, “it really felt like we were the only people who were pushing back against some of the stereotypes and kinds of discrimination that we were experiencing.” 

She recalls being faced with a “very binary choice”: “Don’t say anything and just ignore it, or take it on. And then it actually becomes part of your identity. You’re the band that has to always be talking about these injustices.” She and Tegan chose the latter — a decision that has helped move the needle in their industry. “I love that we were able to do that and sort of change that narrative,” she adds. “But, you know, it was a pretty big burden.”

Thanks in part to celebrities like Tegan and Sara, our culture at large has also become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people. However, there’s still room for improvement — especially for LGBTQ+ women, who face more socioeconomic disadvantages than their male counterparts. 

Enter the Tegan and Sara Foundation, the Quin sisters’ namesake nonprofit. Founded in 2016, the organization raises awareness and funding for causes benefiting LGBTQ+ women.

“[The foundation] was a huge part of Sarah and I’s second half of our career journey,” Tegan says. “Like, okay, we’re done panicking through the first part of our career, where we’re just trying to make a name for ourselves and establish ourselves. And now we’re into a part of our career where we have the ear of a lot of important people, and we have a platform and a decent-sized audience.”

“Obviously, the LGBTQ+ community is super important to us — not just because we’re members of it, but also because they’ve been such a support to us over our two decades in the biz,” she explains. 

So, rest assured, “slowing down” doesn’t mean Tegan and Sara are out of commission. In some ways, they’re doing more with their platform, and their sprawling catalog, than ever.

Next spring, they also plan to hit the road for an acoustic tour centered on their first album, 2002’s If It Was You. Although the album has been out for more than 20 years, they’ve never played the whole thing live and start-to-finish. “That doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop making new things,” adds Tegan. “But I think it’s been really exciting to revisit some of the stuff from the past because it’s [still] so relevant.”

“She doesn’t have control over her muscles,” Dion’s sister, Claudette, told 7 Jours in French. “What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her, ‘You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.'”

The Grammy-award winning artist hopes to return to performing, but for now, the future is unclear. “It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage,” Claudette said. “In what capacity? I don’t know.”

Last December, Dion released an emotional Instagram video explaining her diagnosis to her fans. Speaking in French and English, Dion, 55, said she had been experiencing health issues “for a long time” — including severe muscle spasms that affect “every aspect of my daily life.” Sometimes, she had difficulty walking; other times, she is unable to use her vocal cords to sing properly.

“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” she explained.

In May, Dion was forced to cancel her Courage World Tour due to her health. “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100% … I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!”

For Dion, the priority is her health. “For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment,” she explained in the 2022 video. “And I have hope that I’m on the road to recovery. This is my focus, and I’m doing everything I can to recuperate.”

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Stiff Person Syndrome is a potentially disabling neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease. It affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include muscle rigidity in the trunk of the body and “heightened sensitivity to stimuli,” which causes the severe muscle spasms Dion mentioned in the video. There is no cure.

Stiff Person Syndrome is classified as rare because it only affects about 1–2 people per every million, according to the Stiff Person Syndrome Research Foundation. As a result, it is often misdiagnosed as more common illnesses with similar symptoms, such Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, or anxiety and phobia disorders. On average, it takes anywhere from five to seven years for patients to get a diagnosis.

According to Claudette, Dion is currently living with their sister, Linda, in Las Vegas while receiving care from specialists in the condition.

A version of this article was originally published in 2022.

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First, some background. Flaxseed contains lignans, which are “fiber-associated compounds” found in plants and common foods like grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, coffee, and tea, per research. They’re most highly concentrated in flaxseed. In the study, which involved young female mice, scientists found that these lignans impacted the relationship between microorganisms in your gut and the expression of mammary (milk-producing) gland microRNAs (aka miRNAs). The study found that some of these miRNAs have an effect on genes involved in breast cancer.

In the study, researchers analyzed how the lignans in flaxseed impacted the microbiota of the mice subjects. What they found was that, in processing the lignans, microbes in the gut released bioactive metabolites, which are “small-molecule chemicals produced during metabolism that influence physiology and disease,” the researchers wrote. In this case, that influence involved “antitumor effects.” Bringing it all together, the researchers concluded that “the microbiota and mammary gland miRNA are related and that flaxseed lignans modify the relationship to be non-cancer-causing.”

“If these findings are confirmed, the microbiota becomes a new target to prevent breast cancer through dietary intervention,” said Elena M. Comelli, associate professor at the University of Toronto and co-author of the paper, per Newswise.

It’s yet another reason to boost your diet with flaxseed, which is also packed with fiber to help with digestion and omega-3 fatty acids that can improve your cardiovascular health, per Mayo Clinic. We recommend adding a tablespoon or so of ground flaxseed to cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, baked goods (like bread, muffins, and cookies), or even mixing it into sandwich dressings. As more research into flaxseed and reducing breast cancer risk continues, it’s a good idea to sprinkle it into your diet when you can.

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Whether you’re doing HIIT workouts in your garage or hitting the slopes to ski or snowboard, it’s all about finding ways to make working out in the winter both comfortable and fun. “The best workouts for winter are a mixture of cozy indoor activities and active outdoor pursuits,” says Rachel MacPherson, ACE-certified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews. It’s just a matter of finding indoor workouts that fit your space, or preparing properly for the cold temperatures if you’re working out outside.

So what are the best winter workouts, and what can you do to make sure you’re getting the most out of your exercise time? We talked to three personal trainers to find out.

Strength training

“Winter is a great time to focus on building strength,” NASM-certified personal trainer Andrew White tells SheKnows. Use this time to try weightlifting, either at a gym or with a couple pairs of dumbbells at home. You can also opt for bodyweight strength exercises like squats, lunges, or push-ups. You don’t have to face the cold, and strength training comes with tons of benefits, including strengthening your bones, weight management, and increasing your metabolism, per Mayo Clinic.

HIIT

If you really want to get warm in winter, high-intensity interval training (aka HIIT) is the way to go. “It raises your metabolism and keeps you warm by combining strength and cardio training,” certified health and wellness coach Cynthia Hamilton of Yogi Times tells SheKnows. “Rapid bursts of activity that are interspersed with brief rest intervals optimize fat burning and enhance cardiovascular health.” Plus, you don’t need any equipment or even very much room to get in a good HIIT workout, making it ideal for cold winter days when you don’t want to leave the house.

Indoor cardio

There are plenty of forms of cardio you can do indoors if you get a little creative, have some equipment, or can access a gym. White recommends hopping on a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical, and you can also try jumping rope, climbing on the StairMaster, or using a rowing machine. If you don’t have any equipment, try a cardio-based bodyweight workout or even a walking-in-place workout — YouTube has a ton of free options.

Yoga or Pilates

Yoga and Pilates “are great for indoors and help in maintaining flexibility, which can sometimes be compromised in colder weather,” White says. These kind of calming, breath-focused workouts can also help with stress reduction and improving your mental health, which is essential when the winter days get shorter and darker.

Swimming

Swimming isn’t necessarily a workout most of us associate with winter, but if you have access to an indoor pool, it can be a great option for relaxing, low-impact cardio. “Swimming is a fantastic full-body workout that’s easy on the joints and highly effective for overall fitness,” White says.

Outdoor workouts (dress warm!)

There are plenty of fun winter workouts to be found for those brave enough to venture out in the cold. Ice skating, downhill or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, running, or just simply walking outside will help you get your heart rate up and work up a sweat. Walking is an especially accessible choice that MacPherson describes as “an all-season activity that improves blood sugar, blood pressure, mood, stress, and physical fitness.” Just make sure you have the appropriate gear, shoes (adding grips if there’s ice), and clothes to stay warm. Speaking of which…

Winter workout tip #1: Dress appropriately and wear layers

Make sure you’re wearing suitable clothes for your activity, especially if you’ll be exercising outdoors. “Wear layers that you can remove as you warm up,” White advises. “Look for moisture-wicking fabrics for the inner layer and wind-resistant materials for the outer layer.” Use reflective gear so people and vehicles can spot you if visibility worsens, and don’t forget to cover up vulnerable areas like your head, neck, and hands.

Winter workout tip #2: Warm up properly

“In colder weather, muscles can be more prone to injury,” says White. This is because it takes longer for your muscles to acclimate in the cold, per Mayo Clinic, so it’s essential to warm up your body well before starting your workout. You should also do any aerobic warm-up before static stretching, to help with flexibility. Then, once you start your workout, take your time ramping up the intensity. Going too hard, too fast on cold muscles can lead to injury.

Winter workout tip #3: Drink lots of water

You may not feel as thirsty during winter workouts as you do in the summer, but your body needs just as much hydration — if not more, because cold air is drier than warm air, per Mayo Clinic. On top of that, it’s harder to tell if you’re dehydrated as the cold can mask some of your symptoms. Drink water before, during, and after your workout to mitigate the effects.

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A version of this article was originally published in 2013.

Our eyes hold a lot of tension, from consuming different screens with blue light to dealing with the sun’s harsh rays. In reality, the only time our eyes get to relax is right before bed — and even that’s debatable. Let’s face it, we can’t help but mindlessly scroll through social media before bed, which can lead to a lot of problems. Whether you have tired eyes or constant migraines, you need to take care of your peepers! Thanks to one of the best Amazon deals today, we may have found the answer to our eye problems.

Thousands of customers have been raving about an eye massager that’s more or less cured them of their migraines. Along with being deemed effective, this is the cheapest it’s been in a while. While this massager normally retails for $130, you can get it for only $45.99 for an extremely limited time thanks to Cyber Monday deals.

The RENPHO Eye Massager is a powerful, heated massager specifically designed for massaging your eyes. With oscillating pressure and a heated pad throughout, you can lay comfortably while the eye massager does its magic. You can use this to reduce eyestrain, improve sleep, and with the built-in Bluetooth, you can listen to serene music while you relax.

Per the brand, you wear this up to 15 minutes a day before bed for optimal effects.

One of the top reviews said it was “worth the money,” saying, “I got this for my migraines because I use a hot rice pad and thought this may be better. Man, was I right! The massage and heat helped relieve my migraine.”

Another customer called it “life-changing,” saying, “This HAS to be the best product I’ve bought from Amazon – EVER. And that’s saying something. I suffer from constant migraines… Headache? GONE! I felt AMAZING. This is the best freaking product for anyone who suffers from sinus pain or headaches or migraines. I’m shocked. It worked THAT FAST. I highly recommend this!!”

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If you’re a woman in the workforce, you already know that there are specific challenges to having your health supported on the job — challenges that historically haven’t been addressed by corporations and corporate leaders at all.

Thankfully, that’s starting to change. Increasingly, business leaders are recognizing that supporting women’s health in the workplace has value that goes beyond just being the right thing to do — and that was evident at the inaugural Women in Work Summit. Held on Nov. 9 in New York City, the Summit gathered leading business executives to share the innovative solutions they’re bringing to the boardroom table when it comes to supporting women — and women’s health — at work throughout every life stage, from menstruation to pregnancy to menopause.

From case studies and statistics to personal stories, the thought leaders on stage, including actor, advocate, and Stripes founder Naomi Watts and Alex Mahon, CEO of the UK’s Channel 4, shared the inspiring ways they’re taking action to remove barriers for women in the workforce and advocate for women at work.

“We were delighted to welcome over 130 business leaders to the Women in Work Summit, a first-of-its-kind event, designed to shape the way that workplace decisions, policies, and cultures are transformed to attract, support, advance, and retain women,” said Melissa Ashley, Co-Founder, Intuitive Events, US and Women in Work Summit US.

“The inaugural Women in Work Summit was filled with compelling information, case studies, statistics, and personal stories focused on creating equitable workforces to drive business growth,” she continued, “[and it] had a clear focus: “to tackle the barriers for women in the workplace and to provide practical solutions for business leaders and HR practitioners to close the gender health gap in the workplace. And to reinforce that what is good for women is good for business.”

Let’s say that louder for the people in back: What’s good for women is good for business. Below, our favorite takeaways from the event back that up — and offer insight and inspiration on how we can all prioritize women’s health in the workplace and break the taboo of talking about topics like menopause.

Intention Needs Action

How can we create a culture where women’s health is imperative? That was the topic of one of the Summit’s panels, where the discussion focused on ways HR leaders, in particular, can help foster meaningful policies that truly make a difference in employees’ day-to-day work experiences. The upshot: There has to be action behind intention,” according to Carly Pierpoint, Managing Director, JP Morgan. Pierpoint shared her own story of nearly leaving a job when she discovered she was pregnant, but the company’s maternity leave policy wouldn’t apply to her because she was new to her job. Rather than risk losing a valued employee, the company ultimately changed its policy — and not just for Pierpoint, but for everyone. “They took intention and made it into action for every woman there,” she said, adding: “Someone has to speak out.”

Leaders Need to Lead by Example

It’s not enough to create policies that look good on paper or sound good in principle — employees need to feel comfortable taking advantage of them. That starts with leadership. In a discussion titled “The C-Suite Panel — How can the C-Suite hold the business (and themselves) to account,” Dee Poku, CEO of The Wie Suite, shared an anecdote of one top-level exec who saw that the mothers in her company were making up excuses to leave early for childcare responsibilities and realized she needed to model the family-friendly policies that were being espoused. Leaders need to show that it’s okay to go to your child’s school event rather than making up an off-site meeting or just putting a nebulous time block on your calendar.

It’s Time to Talk About Benefits

Anyone who’s tried to navigate their company’s open enrollment period knows that truly understanding — and taking advantage of — a company’s benefits can be confusing and overwhelming. (Psst: That goes for HR folks, too!) In the panel “One Size Does Not Fit All: How to implement a personalized benefits program in a complex organization” Natalie Walker, a benefits leader for Stitch Fix, stressed the importance of demystifying benefits. “It’s so critical that we break this down and make it easy,” she shared. At Stitch Fix, the benefits are laid out in an on-brand way for the online styling service company; a magazine with different “personas” explains the different life-stage offerings of the company.

If your company doesn’t have such a neat, easy-to-understand offering, keep in mind what Brooke Bartholomay Quinn, Chief Customer Officer at global fertility care platform Carrot Fertility, told the attendees: “We have an obligation to use our privilege and voice to remove stigma from these conversations.”

There’s Never Too Much Talk About Menopause

Menopause is having a moment, and it’s about damn time. In the Summit’s closing session, a panel called Menopause Mandate Champions, we heard Pilar Guzman, Editorial Director of Oprah Daily and Flow advisor, moderate a no-holds-barred discussion on the topic with Naomi Watts, Karen Duffy, Menopause Mandate Co-Founder Mariella Frostrup, and Dr. Sharon Malone.   

Watts shared her story of going into early menopause, at age 36 — the journey that led her to found Stripes, while Dr. Malone, the Chief Medical Advisor to Alloy Women’s Health and a Washington, D.C.-based OB-GYN, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and menopause advocate, clarified what women need to know about menopause hormone therapy.

“If you can’t find someone that will prescribe [MHT] for you…then you need to find another avenue for accessing it, because we’ve been denied for too long and a generation of women has really suffered as a result,” she told the audience. “We have incorporated the language of suffering into the lexicon: we suffer from cramps, we suffer from migraines. We suffer from depression and somehow there is this notion that that is just a woman’s lot in life… But that’s the mindset that we’ve got a change. The mentality of suffering, powering through something that is affecting the quality of life. That’s unacceptable.”

And while menopause is a serious topic that deserves all the attention we can give it, Duffy shared a take we don’t often hear — one of humor and joy. “When one of my friends goes through menopause, they get a trophy that says ‘Congratulations, you’re finished! Period!’” she said. “I think it’s important to celebrate it because you know if this happened to men there’d be a parade and we’d be hearing cheers.”

Heather Rae El Moussa just opened up about something that occurred after her pregnancy. For a long time, she thought she was having a serious case of “mom brain,” but it turned out to be Hashimoto’s disease; and she told everyone her journey to her diagnosis.

In a recent interview with Today, The Flipping El Moussas star talked about the beginnings of this journey. “I remember saying to my assistant, ‘I feel like I’m dead.’ My brain was so tired. My body was so tired. I was exhausted all the time and no amount of sleep could make it better,” she said. “Filming was absolutely brutal because I could barely get out of bed.”

“I was like, ‘I’m probably just foggy because of mom brain,’” El Moussa added, thinking her symptoms were more of a postpartum feeling than anything else.

However, the instance that made alarm bells go off was her milk supply changed soon after she welcomed her and Tarek El Moussa’s son Tristan. She went to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. “When she told me what I had, I was in total shock,” she said, adding that the medication has her “feeling much better.”

Now, what is Hashimoto’s disease? It is a chronic autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, and can later cause hypothyroidism (also known as an “underactive thyroid”), per Cleveland Clinic. Per the same source, fatigue, muscle pain, weight gain, hair loss, and a decreased libido, to name a few.

It sounds quite scary, and we can imagine the shock Heather had. However, it’s more common than you may think, and thus, very treatable. It affects 5 in 100, but people assigned female at birth are around 10 times more likely to be diagnosed. However, per Mayo Clinic, it can be caused by a bunch of different factors like genetics or the environment.

And remember how we said it’s treatable? If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider. Chances are, they’d order a blood test to see. If you are diagnosed, then medication would be prescribed, but your doctor would help decide the best course of action, per Mayo Clinic.

We’re so happy Heather is getting the healthcare she needs, and that she’s being so open about her journey with her fans!

The study, published last month in The Lancet, found that taking a particular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) painkiller along with the morning-after pill increased the effectiveness of the pill by over 30 percent (!).

The research group behind the study worked with 860 women who got the morning-after pill (aka levonorgestrel) from a community sexual and reproductive health service in Hong Kong within three days of unprotected sex. The women were split into two groups: one group received the pill and piroxicam, a prescription anti-inflammatory painkiller used for arthritis pain, and the other received the morning-after pill and and placebo. The researchers then followed up with the women one or two weeks after their next expected period to determine whether they became pregnant.

The numbers were low overall, but the difference was significant: one woman in the pill-plus-piroxicam group became pregnant, versus seven in the pill-plus-placebo group. Those results showed that the morning-after pill and piroxicam taken together prevented 94.7 percent of expected pregnancies, versus 63.4 percent with the pill and placebo. That’s a whopping 31.3 percent difference in effectiveness with the addition of one more medication, with no significant difference in side effects (like changes to your period or stomach pain after taking the pill).

Why did the piroxicam help? The medication is designed to block the body’s production of prostaglandin, a press release from the University of Hong Kong stated. Prostaglandins are produced by most human body tissues in order to “mediate a number of biological processes, including inflammatory responses.” In the reproductive system specifically, prostaglandin mediates “processes like ovulation, fertilization, and embryo implantation.” Stopping the body from producing prostaglandin, therefore, had a “complementary effect” on the morning-after pill in helping to prevent pregnancy.

Piroxicam is only available by prescription in the US, per Mayo Clinic, though you can buy other anti-inflammatory medications (such as Advil) right off your drugstore shelves. While it’s not clear whether those lower-dose medications would increase the effectiveness of morning-after pills the way piroxicam does (and you should ask your doctor or pharmacist before pairing them up), the study definitely opens up new avenues of research — and, potentially, new guidelines for emergency contraception.

“Our study is the first to find that piroxicam, a readily available medication, taken at the same time as the levonorgestrel pill can prevent more pregnancies than levonorgestrel alone,” chief investigator Dr. Raymond Li Hang-wun said in the press release. “We hope these findings will lead to further research and ultimately changes in clinical guidelines to enable women around the world to access more effective emergency contraception.”

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Women are more likely to experience a worse reaction to their annual flu vaccine than men are, according to a recent study.

The news, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, analyzed data of more than 34,000 people who were split into two categories: younger adults, those aged 18 to 64, and older adults aged 65 and over.

What researchers found was that women of all ages were more likely to suffer pain at the injection site, fever, headache, and muscle aches, compared to their male counterparts. 

A higher risk was also found for systemic reactions, like inflammation or an allergic reaction, in women. They found that for every 1,000 people who received a flu vaccine, an additional 115 injection-site reactions and an additional 74 systemic reactions were reported in women than men.

The authors, led by researchers at the University of Montreal in Canada, said that the body’s response to vaccines and side effects can differ between women and men, “but most studies do not report results by sex,” which made this study and its findings unique. Study authors also noted that women may also be more likely than men to report side effects.

The study didn’t look into why women were more likely to experience these side effects, it just found an association. However, it did find that women over the age of 65 had the highest risk of severe side effects, but the younger a female participant was, the more that risk declined. Researchers were unsure of a direct link between age and worsening side effects, but one theory is that as estrogen production declines in women, inflammation can increase which typically occurs as women enter perimenopause. 

Other recent research has found that women experience more severe side effects to other kinds of vaccines as well. 

A study published last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that of the 6,994 participants who reported side effects to the COVID-19 vaccine, 79.1 percent of them were women. A 2021 analysis of 41 research articles and trials on COVID-19 vaccines also found that women had a higher risk of side effects than men. And in 2009, a study found that women were four times more likely to experience a reaction to the H1N1 vaccine.

The authors of this most recent study noted that the flu vaccine is safe and effective, and concluded, “Transparent communication of this risk could increase the trust in vaccines and limit vaccine hesitancy.”

How to prepare for flu season

The CDC currently recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months receive their annual flu vaccine, with the only exceptions being for anyone who is allergic to the flu vaccine or any of its ingredients. They highly recommend it for people over the age of 65 to reduce flu-related illness or hospitalizations. A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an ICU with flu by 82 percent.

To best prepare for the flu season, the CDC recommends in addition to getting your annual flu jab:

Avoid close contact with anyone who is or might be sick.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. 

Consistently wash your hands.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Practice other good health habits, like cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

If you’re worried about severe side effects from the flu vaccine, consult with your doctor beforehand, and schedule your flu vaccine for a day where you can relax or take it easy afterwards.

In short, their study, published this week in Cell, found that remaining viral particles present in some long COVID patients may trigger an immune reaction that leads to lower levels of serotonin. That, in turn, might be the cause behind some of the neurological symptoms of long COVID.

To get to those findings, the researchers analyzed the blood of long COVID patients, comparing them to people with no long COVID symptoms and patients who were in the early stages of a COVID infection. They found that infected people displayed altered levels of serotonin and other molecules involved in metabolic reactions, a common reaction known to follow viral infections, lead author Maayan Levy, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, told the New York Times.

In people with long COVID, though, serotonin didn’t bounce back to pre-infection levels. It was the only “significant molecule” not to do so, Dr. Levy said.

The researchers also found viral particles remaining in stool samples from some of the long COVID patients. The two factors — low serotonin levels and viral particles remaining in the gut — are opposite ends of the same pathway, the scientists believe. Essentially, the immune system mounts a response to those viral remnants. Part of that response is to produce proteins that fight infection, called interferons, which cause inflammation and reduce the body’s ability to absorb tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin in the gut. Blood clots, which can form after a COVID infection, may also disrupt the body’s ability to circulate what serotonin it does have.

That leads to lower serotonin levels, which affects the all-important vagus nerve system, the system that transmits signals between body and brain. Because serotonin plays a role in short-term memory, “the researchers proposed that depleted serotonin could lead to memory problems and other cognitive issues that many people with long Covid experience,” NYT reports.

The study is small, researchers said, which means further research will be needed to confirm the findings. In addition, not all long COVID patients have shown lower serotonin levels. Serotonin may only take a hit in some patients, Dr. Levy noted, such as those whose long COVID “involves multiple serious symptoms.”

Still, the link to serotonin has some major potential implications. The researchers told NYT that they plan to start a clinical trial to test Prozac as a treatment for long COVID. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is used to treat depression, OCD, and panic disorder, among other conditions, according to Mayo Clinic.

The idea is that, “If we supplement serotonin or prevent the degradation of serotonin,” Dr. Levy told NYT, “maybe we can restore some of the vagal signals and improve memory and cognition” in long COVID patients with neurological symptoms.

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