Author: Emma Yasinski

Emma Yasinski

I am a freelance science and medical journalist, fascinated by how the scientific process leads to incredible discoveries, but also can lead to publication bias leaning toward positive findings and minimizing negatives. With a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Lafayette College and a Master’s in Science and Medical Journalism from Boston University, I’ve written about clinical trial transparency, organ donation, and basic molecular biology for publications like The Scientist, The Atlantic, Undark.org, Kaiser Health News, and more. At MedShadow, I research and write about the sometimes unexpected ways that medicines can affect us, and what we can do if and when it does.

December 31 Update: Proctor and Gamble issued a voluntary recall of 32 dry spray shampoos and conditioners that also were found to contain benzene. The products include the brands, Panetene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, Waterl<ss, Hair Food and Old Spice.  October 4 Update: Five more sunscreen sprays recalled for benzene contamination. The new group is from Coppertone and includes:  Coppertone Pure & Simple SPF 50 (5 oz aerosol  spray) Coppertone Pure & Simple Kids SPF 50 (5 oz aerosol spray) Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby SPF 50 (5 oz aerosol spray) Coppertone Sport Minteral SPF 50 (5 oz aerosol spray) Travel-size…

Read More

Are you having trouble finding a way to relax during the holidays? Singer Andy Williams may be crooning to us that “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many, the holiday season and subsequent “gay, happy meetings when friends come to call,” can also be harbingers of excess stress. That stress has the potential to derail your health. If you’re finding yourself under a little more stress than usual, MedShadow has compiled a list of our favorite stress-busting strategies from TikTok.  Warm Up With a Cup of Tea A cup of your favorite tea can help you…

Read More

Tyrvaya: A Nasal Spray for Dry Eyes The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tyrvaya, a new nasal spray designed to treat dry eye disease, in October 2021. A major benefit of the new drug is that it won’t require patients to apply drops directly to their eyes, which is very hard for some to tolerate. Some eye drops on the market irritate eyes and can even cause a rebound effect, making symptoms worse overtime. Some might wonder about the frequency with which patients are directed to use Tyrvaya. Rather than drops that are used as-needed, the new drug is…

Read More

Your parents were right. You need to brush and floss your teeth daily and thoroughly. Neglecting these healthy habits can do more than give you bad breath and cavities; your mouth is a doorway to your body. Food, water, air and germs from the outside world are invited inside you through your mouth and can be sucked down your airways or into your digestive system, making you sick now and possibly even increasing your risk of non-communicable diseases later. Doorway to Your Body “Our mouth is a gate into our body, which bacteria are happy to use,” says Henry Hackney,…

Read More

Monica Gandhi, who treats patients with HIV, has noticed that some of her female patients skipped or adjusted their doses due to side effects, she told MedShadow in 2020. One reason, explained Gandhi, an MD, MPH, professor of clinical medicine at University of California, San Francisco, is that the doses of many HIV drugs were designed for and tested primarily in men and woman need lower drug doses. It’s not just something that’s happening with HIV drugs. Women report nearly double the number of adverse effects as men across most types of medications. Women absorb and metabolize many drugs differently…

Read More

On this day, half a century ago, a study showed that a drug called diethylstilbestrol (DES) given to pregnant mothers to reduce preterm births, instead raised the risk of a rare vaginal cancer in their daughters to 40 times that of the general population. Since then, scientists have discovered that these so-called DES daughters, sons, grandchildren and the DES mothers are also more likely to experience malformed reproductive organs, breast cancer and a slew of reproductive problems. MedShadow’s founder, Suzanne Robotti, is one of those daughters.   “Between five and 10 million pregnant women were prescribed DES over 30 years,” says…

Read More

Missing out on sleep can dampen your mood and make you less focused and more prone to overeating. It can increase your risk of both depression and cancer and leave your body more vulnerable to infections. Still, some of the drugs you are prescribed can make it harder to get the all-important shut-eye you need. Below are the four types of drugs that can cause insomnia as a side effect as well as tips to help you get to sleep. 1 Oxycontin and Other Opioids A 2019 meta-analysis suggested that while opioids may reduce activity and restlessness while sleeping, they…

Read More

While bots, social media accounts programmed to post on certain topics, often get the blame for spreading lies online, some experts point the finger at influencers, especially when it comes to misinformation surrounding vaccines. With that possibility in mind, you should always double-check any health or medical information on social media with your doctor or other reliable medical sources. Social-media-marketing researchers Yang Feng from San Diego State University, and Quan Xie, PhD, from Southern Methodist University, explain that people may forget to fact check the details when the information comes from health influencers they trust. Online influencers can often feel…

Read More

As more of the teenage population gets vaccinated against COVID-19, reports of myocarditis—a type of heart inflammation that can cause symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath—have emerged. Pfizer recently reported that at an adjusted dose (⅓ of that given to adults) of its vaccine was 91% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID in 5-to-7-year-old children. The few vaccinated that did get sick in the trial had less severe symptoms than their counterparts who received a placebo. The kids experienced similar side effects as adults, such as fever, arm pain and chills, but many parents worried about the vaccine triggering…

Read More

Unlike COVID-19, the flu has a vaccination. Officials are renewing the annual call to encourage healthy individuals to get a flu shot. Even though the flu shot is not a perfect vaccine and offers only 40% to 60% protection from infection, it can provide enormous benefits. 

Read More