Opioid abuse-related job losses have cost U.S. federal and state governments tens of billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, a new study claims. Penn State researchers analyzed data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health along with estimates of declines in the U.S. labor force due to the opioid epidemic. Between… read on >
Mistaken beliefs about sleep are common and pose a significant health threat, a new study warns. Among these myths: some people only need five hours of sleep; snoring is harmless; a drink before bedtime helps you fall asleep. “Sleep is a vital part of life that affects our productivity, mood, and general health and well-being,”… read on >
Learning you have a cancer that looks imminently terminal is tough news to swallow. And new research indicates that when given just one month to live, a significant number of patients still opt for aggressive and often costly interventions, despite little evidence to suggest they’ll help. A study of just over 100,000 patients in the… read on >
Nosebleeds often occur from a leaky blood vessel in the nose, says Harvard Medical School. Here’s a description of a pinching technique to relieve a nosebleed: Nod your head forward. Place your thumb on one side of your nose and your forefinger on the other. Pinch your thumb and forefinger together. Hold. If the bleeding… read on >
Signs of dyslexia can appear in a child’s earliest years. For parents and teachers, looking for signs in preschoolers can help for early intervention, says the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. Preschoolers with dyslexia may: Have trouble learning nursery rhymes. Show difficulty learning the alphabet. Mispronounce familiar words. Have trouble recognizing rhyming patterns. Have… read on >
Could quitting tobacco involve something as simple as a pleasant scent? New research suggests it’s possible. U.S. smoking rates have fallen over the past 50 years, but about 40 million Americans still smoke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least half of adult smokers report trying to quit in the… read on >
Whether you call it snowplow, bulldozer or helicopter parenting, these child-rearing styles have gotten a lot of attention recently, and the acknowledgment that they may not be the best way to raise a confident, well-adjusted young person. Moving obstacles out of a child’s way is not the same as providing the nurturing he or she… read on >
Many people are plagued by self-criticism, that inner voice that questions every decision and every move. It can keep you from reaching goals and erode self-confidence. And when it happens during intimacy, it can ruin your sex life and your relationship. No topic is taboo for the inner critic’s scrutiny — your attractiveness or your… read on >
In many U.S. states, teenagers who send “sext” messages to each other can be prosecuted as child pornographers — and that should end, researchers argue. Many states have recently passed laws that specifically address teen sexting — exempting it, to varying degrees, from longstanding child pornography statutes. But in 23 states, those outdated laws still… read on >
A new Nutrition Facts label that highlights the amount of added sugars in food could prevent nearly 1 million cases of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The new label, first proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2016, adds a new line under the Total Carbohydrate category… read on >
