When parents abuse prescription painkillers, their teenagers may follow their example, a new study finds. The study of thousands of U.S. teenagers found that kids were 30 percent more likely to abuse prescription opioids if one of their parents had. The results mirror what’s been seen in past studies of substance use, including cigarette smoking:… read on >
More than 60 million Americans have heartburn each month, the American College of Gastroenterology says. The fiery burning sensation is caused by stomach acid backing up in the esophagus. Steering clear of certain foods can help you avoid the problem. Limit your intake of these foods to lessen your likelihood of heartburn: Citrus foods such… read on >
Dry, cold air can trigger asthma attacks, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says. Breathing in the winter air can cause airways to restrict, making it difficult to breathe. The foundation offers suggestions to reduce asthma attacks during winter: Cover your mouth with a scarf. Exercise indoors, not outdoors. Always carry your quick-relief inhaler… read on >
It may still be winter, but it’s never too early to plan for your kids’ summer camp. And now’s the time to think about preparing them to handle allergies and allergic reactions, according to experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Kids who suffer from seasonal allergies, food allergies or asthma… read on >
If life looks gray and cloudy when you smoke, you might not be imagining it. Heavy smoking may actually damage color and contrast vision, researchers report. They looked at 71 healthy people who smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes in their lives and 63 people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day. The participants were… read on >
Americans aren’t out of the woods yet, as the flu season continues to spread across the country, health officials reported Friday. One major shift that’s occurred is in the viruses that are circulating. At the start of the flu season, the predominant strain was influenza A H1N1, but now a more severe strain, influenza A… read on >
Delivering “exposure therapy” via a patch to help curb peanut allergy in kids is somewhat effective, but not as good as delivering the tiny amounts of peanut by mouth, new research shows. The international trial involved 356 children, aged 4 to 11, from five countries. All had been diagnosed with peanut allergy and were asked… read on >
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (American Heart Association News) — Jog for long enough or engage in just about any physical activity that gets the heart pumping, and the result can be a feeling of euphoria commonly known as a runner’s high. Sure, it feels good, but does higher-intensity exercise lead to better health? It can.… read on >
Tax it, and fewer folks will buy it. So it goes with sugar-sweetened drinks, new research suggests. The California city of Berkeley introduced the nation’s first soda tax in 2014, and within months people were buying 21 percent fewer sugary drinks. Three years later, 52 percent fewer of these drinks were being sold while consumption… read on >
Obese young children may have less risk for high blood pressure if their mother took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA — found in fish oil — during pregnancy, new research suggests. The findings could be important since rising numbers of American children are obese and experiencing hikes in blood pressure. That could have long-term consequences… read on >
