Health

In this “Ask the Doc” article, learn about how HPV vaccination is the best way to prevent infection, and HPV vaccines in the U.S are highly effective at preventing infection from nine of the most serious types of HPV viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all children get the HPV vaccine at a well-child pre-teen visit between ages 9 and 12. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jordan Hack)
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Ask the Doc: Should my child get the HPV vaccine?

Dear Doc: I’ve heard about HPV—I know it’s a sexually transmitted disease, and can cause some health problems, but not much more.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jackson Adkins
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Prevent serious illness, get updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines

The fall and winter months tend to be the time when most people are sick with respiratory illnesses—though, these can happen anytime of the year.
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Masks, compliance and confusion

Recently, news media have been reporting that the much-respected Cochrane Collaboration has concluded that “masks don’t work.”
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Preventing suicide through social connectedness

Suicide is a significant public health issue that impacts individuals, families, communities and society at large.
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Mental Notes with Hilary Valdez: Preventing depression

How do you prevent depression? Is it possible? Some researchers say yes, some say no.
Photo by 123RF
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Building the breathing muscles

Separating your chest cavity from your abdomen is a muscle shaped like a dome when relaxed. This dome is tethered at many points to the lower rib cage, the vertebrae of the low back, and at least two sets of low back muscles, giving it a somewhat parachute-like appearance. This is the diaphragm.
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Good nutrition through PCS season

PCS season is hectic, stressful, time-consuming and downright hard on your body. It’s also during this time that you might be settling for takeout, pizza delivery or just drowning your stress in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
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Why everyone should run a 5K

I am a serious runner. Whether it’s a family fun run, 5K or marathon, I put my everything into it. Although running a race competitively may seem like a no-brainer, some people like to run for fun — even if they hate running.
"Testing for prostate cancer is important because it’s a disease which is treatable and curable if it's detected at an early stage, and it's localized to the prostate," said Dr. Gregory Chesnut, a urologic oncologist and associate professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. "Our intention is for curative treatment, and we have excellent outcomes."
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New treatments for ‘quiet disease’ prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, with the National Cancer InstituteOpens Cancer.gov site estimating over 280,000 diagnoses in 2023.
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Mental Notes with Hilary Valdez: Mental health challenges

Ever wonder what people are thinking? I do, especially if I’m in a sour mood. What are they smiling at?
The Defense Health Agency observed LGBTQIA+ Pride Month with a June 21 virtual panel discussion on the theme “Equality Without Exception, Pride in All Who Serve.” (Graphic by Lance Cpl. Leighton Winslow)
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'Do ask, do tell,' says Defense Health Agency Pride Month panelist

“My hope for an inclusive workplace is one where I can bring all aspects of my identity to work, so that I can do the best job possible.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder is commonly associated with combat-related trauma, but service members may not know that PTSD can also be caused by many noncombat-related experiences. These noncombat-related trauma include car accidents, mass shootings, natural disasters, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. (Photo credit: Senior Airman Christian Clausen, Creech AFB)
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All trauma can cause post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is commonly associated with combat-related trauma, but service members may not know that PTSDopens Health.mil can also be caused by experiences beyond the battlefield.
The six pillars of lifestyle and performance medicine provide a framework that can be personalized to your individual health challenges. These best practices continue to spread throughout care in the Military Health System. For more information, talk to your provider (Photo Credit: Tim Beckwith, Defense Health Agency).
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Lifestyle changes lead to longer, healthier life

Lifestyle changes can help you live longer with fewer chronic diseases, feel great, and reduce your cancer risk, according to U.S. Air Force Col. (Dr.) Mary Anne Kiel, chair of the Defense Health Agency Primary Care Clinical Community.
U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Lorimay Melendez performs a physical exam of a service member’s dog at the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, May 2023. Melendez is a new U.S. Army Veterinary Corps officer assigned to the first-year graduate veterinary education program, where she’ll develop skills in animal care, food protection, veterinary public health, leadership, communication, and collaboration. Military veterinarians are experts in keeping animal companions, military working d
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Keep fluffy, Fido, and yourself safe from bug-borne illnesses

You love your pets and want them to be healthy. Two military veterinarians tell you what you need to know to protect your animal companions from illnesses caused by pests, such as ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes, that are vectors for infection.
A female Aedes aegypti mosquito while she was in the process of acquiring a blood meal from her human host. The U.S. military has a history of creating vaccines to protect against vector-borne diseases (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class William Phillips, Naval Support Activity Bethesda).
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Medical countermeasures for insect-borne diseases: Q&A with experts

Countermeasures for vector-borne diseases are often offered in the military when a service member is deployed to certain parts of the world.
Tacet Venari exercise participants analyze metadata to identify any suspicious activity on the network at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on May 12, 2022. The two-week cyber exercise provides airmen the opportunity to identify, detect, and respond to cyber threats. The exercise gives participants hands-on experience on how to recognize irregularities in the network. Cyber warriors and drone pilots face sometimes unique injuries to their vision and hearing. (U.S Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jared Lovett)
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How cyber and IT warriors fight sensory injuries

Service members and civilians in the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity and information technology fields can face unique challenges to their vision and hearing because of their workspaces.