• Health & Wellness

    In case you missed it: This week’s Top 5 stories on social media

Check out a few of the most popular News Network stories on @mayoclinic social media this past week.

Hormone therapy: Four things a Mayo Clinic women’s health specialist wants you to know

Hormone therapy is a treatment that uses medications containing hormones like estrogen or progesterone to replace those the body stops producing during menopause. It can be a powerful tool for managing menopausal symptoms.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Preventing stroke

A stroke happens every 40 seconds in the U.S., and the likelihood of stroke increases with age, according to the National Institutes of Health. Preventing a stroke is a crucial aspect of healthcare, as about 80% of all strokes are preventable.

Mayo Clinic Minute: What are gallstones?

Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid, called bile, in your gallbladder. They range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Dr. Irving Jorge, a Mayo Clinic general surgeon, says people who experience pain and other symptoms from gallstones usually require gallbladder removal surgery.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Advances in minimally invasive kidney stone surgery

Kidney stones that are too large to pass on their own can cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infections and may require surgical treatment. Dr. Aaron Potretzke, a Mayo Clinic urologist, explains some of the different surgical options for removing kidney stones.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Melanoma misconception — dark skin tones at risk, too

The myth that people with dark skin are immune to melanoma, a type of skin cancer, has persisted for many years. It's a dangerous misconception that has caused some people not to be diligent about protecting themselves against dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays.