Blog
News, research and guides
755 articles from the VitMode editorial team.
GuidesAbsent periods (secondary amenorrhea): causes and step-by-step work-up
Secondary amenorrhea means that previously regular periods have stopped for at least three months (or six months if cycles were irregular). The first step is always a pregnancy test, followed by a basic set: TSH, prolactin, FSH and LH. The commonest causes are polycystic ovary syndrome, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (stress, energy deficit, excessive exercise), hyperprolactinaemia, thyroid disease and premature ovarian insufficiency, which according to the 2024 guideline affects about 3.5% of women. We explain the order of tests, when to think about bones and fertility, and when to see a gynaecologist or endocrinologist.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesScanty periods (hypomenorrhea): causes and whether you need to worry
A scanty period (hypomenorrhea) is bleeding clearly lighter or shorter than before, but there is no single, generally accepted numerical definition, and even methods of measuring blood loss have limitations. The commonest causes are hormonal contraception and the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (in a study of implants and a ring, blood loss fell by more than 50%), stress, weight loss and excessive exercise, polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disease, excess prolactin, perimenopause and, less often, adhesions in the uterus after procedures. We explain when scanty periods usually do not matter and when they call for a pregnancy test, hormone tests or an ultrasound, and we are honest about where good studies are lacking.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesDerealization and Depersonalization: Symptoms, Causes and What Helps
The feeling that the world is unreal, as if behind glass, or that your own body and thoughts belong to someone else, can be frightening — yet it is surprisingly common. Between a quarter and three quarters of people experience a brief episode of derealization or depersonalization at least once in their lives, while the persistent disorder affects roughly 1% of the population. We explain how to tell a passing episode from a disorder, what triggers it (anxiety, sleep loss, cannabis, trauma), what the research says about treatment and when it is worth seeking help.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesAnhedonia (Loss of Pleasure and Motivation): Causes, Link to Depression and What May Help
Anhedonia is the loss of the ability to feel pleasure, or of the drive to do things that used to be enjoyable — hobbies, meeting people, food, sex. It is one of the two core symptoms of depression, but it can also accompany Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, chronic stress and sometimes medication, including antidepressants. We explain the difference between not feeling pleasure and lacking motivation, which causes are worth ruling out (sleep, thyroid, drugs), what research says about behavioural activation and when to seek help.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesTics in Adults: Causes, Stress and Tics, and Treatment
Blinking, sniffing, throat clearing or head jerks in an adult can be tics — involuntary, repetitive movements or sounds that worsen under stress. Most often they are a remnant of childhood tics, but a sudden onset in adulthood calls for more careful assessment, because it may mean functional tics, a drug effect or, rarely, a neurological disease. We explain how tics differ from dystonia or muscle twitching, what worsens them in adulthood, which methods have the best evidence (CBIT, drugs) and when to see a neurologist.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesIntrusive Thoughts and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms and Treatment
Unwanted, recurring thoughts — about contamination, about causing harm, about things contrary to your own values — are experienced by most people and do not in themselves signal illness. We speak of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) only when obsessions and the rituals linked to them consume time and disrupt life. We explain the difference between ordinary intrusive thoughts and OCD, how the cycle of obsessions and compulsions works, what meta-analyses say about ERP therapy and SSRI drugs, and when and how to seek help, without making a diagnosis.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne13 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesNocturnal Panic Attacks: Waking Up with Fear and a Racing Heart
Waking suddenly in the middle of the night with a racing heart, breathlessness, a sense of mortal danger and no memory of a bad dream can be a nocturnal panic attack. Between 44 and 71% of people with panic disorder report such episodes, and they occur in sleep without dreams (NREM). We explain how to tell them from nightmares, sleep apnoea, arrhythmia or low blood sugar, what research says about cognitive behavioural therapy and when it is worth checking the heart, thyroid and sleep.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesOral allergy syndrome (OAS): itchy mouth after apples or nuts with pollen allergy
Itching and tingling in the mouth after a raw apple, carrot or hazelnut in a person allergic to birch pollen is most often oral allergy syndrome (OAS, in newer terminology pollen-food allergy syndrome). The cause is cross-reactivity: a food protein resembles a pollen protein to the immune system. Symptoms usually stay in the mouth and throat and cooking often removes them, but this is not a rule without exceptions. We explain the mechanism, the difference between PR-10 proteins, profilins and LTPs, the role of component testing, what the guidelines say about avoiding foods and whether pollen immunotherapy can help.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesNon-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS): does it exist and how is it diagnosed
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a diagnosis for people who develop intestinal or extra-intestinal symptoms after eating gluten-containing foods when celiac disease and wheat allergy have been excluded. There is no biomarker for it, so diagnosis needs a protocol: first exclude celiac disease (while still eating gluten), then a gluten-free diet and a blinded gluten challenge. Double-blind trials show that in many people symptoms are provoked not by gluten but by fructans (FODMAPs) or by the expectation of a reaction, although some patients do react to gluten. We explain the Salerno criteria, the key studies, why you must not start a gluten-free diet before celiac testing and what to do in practice.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesIgG food intolerance tests: do they make sense and what to do instead
IgG food intolerance tests, sold in panels covering dozens or hundreds of foods, have no confirmed diagnostic value. The position of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is unambiguous: the presence of specific IgG or IgG4 antibodies against foods reflects contact with the food and the development of tolerance, not allergy or intolerance, so the test is not useful for complaints after eating. The only randomised trial that suggested a benefit from an IgG-based diet (in people with irritable bowel syndrome) has important limitations. We explain why the result is positive in healthy people, what harm an unnecessary elimination diet does, which tests are worthwhile and how to check in a structured way what disagrees with you.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesNut allergy in adults: symptoms, diagnosis and what to do in anaphylaxis
Nut allergy in adults can be a persistent childhood allergy or begin only in adulthood, and its picture varies widely: from an itchy mouth in pollen-food cross-allergy to anaphylaxis. The risk is decided not by the name of the nut but by the type of protein you are sensitised to (storage proteins and LTP are more dangerous than PR-10 and profilins), which is why component diagnostics is so valuable. We explain the difference between peanuts and tree nuts, which tests make sense, how to recognise anaphylaxis, how to use an adrenaline autoinjector in line with the EAACI recommendations and what is known about immunotherapy in adults.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra13 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesRed meat allergy (alpha-gal syndrome): the link with tick bites and delayed reactions
Urticaria, abdominal pain or even anaphylaxis a few hours after a dinner of beef or pork, in a person who had eaten meat without problems until then and was once bitten by a tick, is the typical picture of alpha-gal syndrome. It is an IgE-mediated allergy to the sugar galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose found in mammalian meat, and the sensitisation is linked to tick bites; in Europe the evidence points to the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus). The reaction appears with a delay of 3-6 hours, so it is easily missed. We explain the mechanism, data from Poland and Sweden, diagnosis (specific alpha-gal IgE), diet, the role of cofactors, the emergency plan and what is known about the fall in antibody levels.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra13 min
October 29, 2026
GuidesHigh Vitamin B12 in a Blood Test: Causes (Not Only Supplements) and When It Is Worrying
A high vitamin B12 result most often just means supplements or cobalamin injections — but not always. In a small share of tests it is a signal of liver or kidney disease, a blood-forming disorder, and in population studies also of a higher chance of a cancer diagnosis in the following months. Sometimes the result is simply wrong because of an assay artefact called macro-B12. We explain how to read the numbers (pg/mL and pmol/L), where to start looking for the cause and when a high B12 needs nothing more than calm.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesHigh Vitamin D (25-OH-D Above 100 ng/mL): When It Is Toxicity and When It Is Just a High Result
A 25-OH-D result above 100 ng/mL (250 nmol/L) is unsettling, but by itself it is not yet poisoning. We speak of hypervitaminosis D only when it comes with hypercalcaemia and its consequences. In a population study from the Mayo Clinic covering more than 20 thousand measurements, 0.2% of people had values above 100 ng/mL, and clinical toxicity followed from a high result in only a single case. We explain how to read the units, how a high result differs from poisoning, what role calcium and PTH play, and why errors in supplement content are sometimes the real cause of drama.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesZinc Blood Test: When It Makes Sense, How to Interpret the Result and Why It Is Imprecise
Blood zinc is one of those tests that is easy to order and hard to interpret. Only about 1% of the zinc in the body circulates in the blood, and its concentration depends on the time of day, the last meal, inflammation, albumin, and even on the type of tube and how long the tourniquet stays on. A single result therefore rarely suffices to diagnose or exclude deficiency. We explain what the thresholds from international documents (IZiNCG, BOND) indicate, when the test makes sense, how to prepare for it, and why a result after supplementation mostly speaks about the supplement.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesCopper and Ceruloplasmin: When to Test for Copper Deficiency or Excess
Copper and ceruloplasmin tests are ordered rarely, but in two situations they can be key: when copper deficiency is suspected (after bariatric surgery, with excess zinc, in malabsorption), with anaemia, neutropenia and gait disturbance, and when Wilson disease, a rare inherited disorder of copper accumulation, is suspected. Ceruloplasmin is, however, an acute-phase protein, so it alone does not settle the diagnosis. We explain what the individual tests measure, which data are solid (including a national Scottish review and a meta-analysis after bariatric surgery) and which need caution.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesToo Much Vitamin A: Symptoms, Doses and Who Is at Risk
Vitamin A is essential, but unlike most vitamins it is easy to overdose because it is stored in the liver. Hypervitaminosis A concerns preformed retinol (supplements, liver, cod liver oil, retinoid drugs), not beta-carotene from vegetables. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2024) kept the upper safe limit at 3000 µg RE a day for adults, based on the risk of birth defects. We explain what acute and chronic poisoning looks like, what is known about bones and the liver, why women planning pregnancy should be careful with liver, and which tests help and which mislead.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Żywienie, suplementy i trening12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesCold sores: why they keep coming back, what treats them and does L-lysine help
Cold sores keep recurring because the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) stays in nerve ganglia for life after the first infection and reactivates with UV light, fever or stress. The latest Cochrane review (87 trials, more than 22,000 participants) shows that antivirals shorten healing by roughly one day on average, and that L-lysine for prevention is not supported by controlled studies. We explain what actually works, when it pays to start treatment early and when a cold sore needs urgent medical attention.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesNail fungus (onychomycosis): oral and topical treatment, and do home remedies work?
Nail fungus (onychomycosis) is treated most effectively with oral antifungal drugs, above all terbinafine: in a Cochrane review of 48 trials and 10,200 people it performed clearly better than placebo and probably better than azoles. Topical treatment works less well, laser has no confirmed benefit in controlled trials, and the evidence for vinegar and tea tree oil is thin. First, though, you need to confirm that the changed nail really is infected with a fungus.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra13 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesWarts (verrucas): what really works and what does not
Warts are growths caused by the HPV virus that often disappear on their own but in many people last for months or years. A Cochrane review of 85 trials found that salicylic acid clears warts better than placebo, that cryotherapy is not significantly better than it, and that duct tape gave no advantage over placebo. We explain when it is worth waiting, when to treat, what the large primary-care trials showed and when a wart needs a doctor.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesOral thrush in adults (oral candidiasis): causes, symptoms and treatment
Oral thrush in adults is an infection of the mouth with Candida yeasts, most often Candida albicans, linked to inhaled steroids, antibiotics, dentures, diabetes and weakened immunity. The IDSA guideline recommends topical treatment (clotrimazole, miconazole or nystatin) for 7-14 days in mild disease and oral fluconazole in more severe disease. We explain how to recognise thrush, how to prevent it with an inhaler and dentures, what to do when it returns and when symptoms suggest the oesophagus is involved.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesPinworms in adults: symptoms, treatment and how to avoid reinfection in the family
Pinworms in adults show up mainly as night-time anal itching and usually spread within the family. Diagnosis rests on a morning cellophane-tape test (a single test has a sensitivity of about 50%, three mornings about 90%), and treatment is one dose of albendazole, mebendazole or pyrantel repeated after two weeks. We explain why relapses are so common, why it is worth treating the whole household, which hygiene measures make sense and when anal itching is not pinworm.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Odporność, infekcje i skóra12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesTesticular pain: causes and when it is an emergency
Sudden, severe pain in one testicle in a young man is treated as testicular torsion until proven otherwise, and in torsion hours matter, not days. In a large French cohort of 1,266 men the risk of losing the testicle began to rise after about 6.5 hours, and the median time from pain onset to surgery was 5.5 hours when the testicle was saved and 51 hours when it was removed. We explain how testicular pain differs in epididymitis, hernia or kidney stones, what a Doppler ultrasound examination looks like, and which symptoms mean going to the emergency department without waiting for an appointment.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia12 min
October 26, 2026
GuidesBlood in semen (hematospermia): causes and when to get tested
Blood in semen is usually benign and self-limiting, especially in men under forty, but it is understandably alarming and is often the first reason for a visit to a urologist. In a large American analysis of insurance claims data, among 56,157 men with benign hematospermia a urological cancer was diagnosed in 47, and among men under 40 in one out of 15,106. We explain the commonest causes (including prostate biopsy and infections), which tests are done first, when further work-up is justified and what the warning signs mean.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia12 min
October 26, 2026