How spider venom could help combat chronic pain, how to control your food costs amid rising inflation, and more.

Vivian Le's reads

How spider venom could help combat chronic pain. A bite from the king baboon spider, a tarantula found in Tanzania and Kenya, can cause days of pain, swelling, and muscle spasms—but it may just be the key to treating chronic pain. Writing for Vox, Neel Dhanesha explains how scientists are studying spider venom to see how it affect pain receptors and what this might mean for the future of painkillers.

The anguish of finally returning to the dentist. For many people, the pandemic delayed routine dental care and led to habits that negatively affected their teeth. Now, returning to the dentist's office can be an ordeal, both emotionally and dentally. Writing for the Washington Post, Ashley Fetters Malloy describes the anxieties many patients experience at their first dentist visit after the pandemic started, as well as the detrimental effects of putting off a visit for too long.

Alyssa Nystrom's reads

How to control your food costs amid rising inflation. As inflation in the United States continues to climb, many consumers are experiencing sticker shock in the grocery aisle. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, J.J. McCorvey suggests 4 strategies used by professionals in the food industry that can help consumers control their food costs.

Why blood pressure has spiked in the United States. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans experienced the loss of loved ones, lockdowns that limited social interactions, stress, rising unemployment, anxiety, and depression, all of which contributed to a nationwide rise in blood pressure that one expert said is "not surprising, but [is] shocking." Writing for the New York Times, Roni Caryn Rabin explains why nearly a half-million U.S. adults have shown a significant rise in blood pressure measurements over the course of the pandemic.