Alexander L. Lin, MD

02/21/2026

Ever wonder why your nose starts dripping when the outside temperature drops — even if you feel fine? It’s usually your body’s way of protecting you.

“When we breathe in, our noses warm the air and add moisture as air travels to our lungs,” says Melissa Schumacher, MD, internal medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine. “Cold, dry air irritates your nasal lining, so your glands produce extra mucus to keep it moist.”

This is often called “skier’s nose,” and it usually clears up when you warm up. To help prevent it:

• Wear a scarf over your nose and mouth
• Sip hot drinks
• Inhale steam
• Use saline spray
• Add humidity indoors

If your runny nose lasts more than 10 days or you notice thick, yellow-green mucus and other symptoms like fever or body aches, call your doctor.

That drip is your body’s natural moisturizer.

02/20/2026

Hearing loss often creeps in gradually — and hearing aids are usually the first step. But when they’re no longer enough, cochlear implants may offer a powerful alternative.

Learn how these electronic devices work, what surgery involves and how they help with understanding speech and sound.

An advanced hearing solution.

02/20/2026

Our cameras captured the moment this woman heard clearly again and … cue the tears.

02/20/2026

Over the past six years, the Neuro-telemetry nursing team at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital has grown from only a handful of nurses to now a team of more than 80 to support the community’s increasing demand for neurology care.

McHenry Hospital now provides full neurosurgical and Neurointensive Intensive Care Unit coverage, and is adding a fourth neurosurgeon in January 2026.

We are proud to bring better care to the northwest suburbs of Chicago so patients can get comprehensive neurology and neurosurgery services close to home!

02/19/2026

Cue the tears.

After 147 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Parker is going home.

Her mom says, “There are not enough words to thank the doctors who saved Parker’s life and the NICU nurses who saved hers and ours.”

Kudos to the Northwestern Medicine care team that was with Parker and her parents every step of the way.

02/19/2026

Neels de Coning was enjoying a lovely Sunday meal with his wife, René. But shortly thereafter, his world changed in an instant when he fell.

The fall resulted in a traumatic spinal cord injury with incomplete tetraplegia, meaning that Neels had very little movement in his arms and legs. In medical terms, tetraplegia means losing movement and feeling in all four limbs, while an incomplete injury means that some spinal cord function remains beyond the injury site.

What followed his fall was a seven-hour surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Thanks to a collaboration between teams at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, Neels is now walking again and enjoying activities he loves, such as cooking and photography. Although his recovery from the injury is still ongoing, the one thing that’s never faltered is his determination to keep pushing forward.

After a spinal cord injury left Neels de Coning nearly paralyzed, expert care and determination helped him walk again.

02/18/2026

Saving lives today. Shaping cardiovascular care for tomorrow.

At Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, world-class heart and vascular care is made possible by a community that believes in saving lives and advancing what’s next. Donor support helps bring discoveries from the lab to patients’ bedsides — offering a second chance at life.

This Heart Month, hear from patients whose lives were changed through extraordinary care.

Support the future of cardiovascular care.

nmgive.donordrive.com/events/1580

02/18/2026

A clinic dedicated to slowing down, even reversing, the pace of aging sounds like science fiction, but it’s a reality at Northwestern Medicine. Watch and learn.

02/18/2026

Think body mass index (BMI) tells you everything about your health? Think again. Learn what BMI really means, when it matters and why it’s only one piece of the heath puzzle. Discover how to calculate it and what to do if your BMI falls outside the healthy range. Plus, learn the differences in BMI for adults and BMI for children and teens.

BMI is only one measure of health.

02/17/2026

Love was in the OR at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital last Friday, as the Cardiovascular Operating Room team held their third annual Valentine’s Day staff party! We hope you had a great Valentine’s Day doing what you love.

02/16/2026

Does sneezing cause the heart to skip a beat? Watch for the answer, and other cool facts about the heart.

02/15/2026

Julian was misdiagnosed and faced a liver-heart transplant. A second opinion from Northwestern Medicine changed everything.