When the coronavirus pandemic began, one U.S. children’s hospital saw an increase in trauma cases from recreational and outdoor activities, even as total ER visits dropped by 50%, researchers report. What happened? Their new study suggests that being in lockdown, with schools closed, may have prompted more kids to go outside and play — and… read on > read on >
Most transgender women can safely continue their estrogen treatments during gender-affirming surgery, a new study finds. Estrogen therapy and surgery can increase the risk of blood clots, so experts have suggested that transgender women stop taking the hormone when having gender-affirming surgery. But the sudden loss of estrogen was sometimes very uncomfortable, causing symptoms similar… read on > read on >
Despite being locked down during the pandemic, child care responsibilities often fell on women’s shoulders, a new study shows. “Most people have never undergone anything like this before, where all of a sudden they can’t rely on their normal child care, and most people’s work situation has changed, too,” said researcher Kristen Shockley, an associate… read on > read on >
As more states legalize marijuana and more shops begin to sell it, more young adults are using pot and developing drug-use disorders, a new study finds. For the study, researchers looked at young adults in Los Angeles County before and after retail sale of recreational marijuana was legalized in California. The study linked areas with… read on > read on >
If you’re having eye problems, you may not know which type of specialist to consult. Here’s some help from experts who explain the roles of an optometrist, ophthalmologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, orthoptist and optician. Optometrists provide comprehensive eye care, including evaluations for glasses and contact lenses and common eye diseases. “They play a role in monitoring… read on > read on >
President-elect Joe Biden described an ambitious national vaccination plan on Friday that will deliver coronavirus vaccines to far more people and invoke a wartime law to boost vaccine production. In a speech in Delaware, Biden told Americans that, “The honest truth is this: Things will get worse before they get better.” He pledged to ramp… read on > read on >
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly shortened life expectancy in the United States, especially among Black people and Hispanics, a new study says. With more than 336,000 COVID-19 deaths nationwide last year, researchers decided to examine the pandemic’s impact on life expectancy. The projection: Due to pandemic deaths, life expectancy at birth for Americans will shrink by… read on > read on >
If you’re trying to decide whether to have your child tested for COVID-19, talk with your pediatrician, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests. Children and teens with COVID-19 symptoms should be tested immediately. This is especially important if they’re going to school, playing sports or have in-person jobs, according to the academy. Testing is… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Experts have a simple answer for heart and stroke patients questioning whether they need a COVID-19 vaccination. That answer: yes. “People with all kinds of cardiovascular risk factors and disease should definitely get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19,” said Dr. Mitchell Elkind,… read on > read on >
An inhaled medication might make every day physical activity a bit easier for patients with serious scarring of the lungs, a new clinical trial finds. The study, published online Jan. 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved patients with high blood pressure in the lungs caused by interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILD is… read on > read on >
