Folks suffering from dry eyes might have a problem with the naturally occurring bacteria found on the surface of their eyes, a new study suggests. There are key differences in the microbes found on dye eye patients compared to folks with normal eyes, researchers found. “Once we understand the eye microbiota properly, it will improve… read on > read on >
Some pain-relieving skin products contain potentially harmful doses of the numbing agent lidocaine and should be avoided, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. These creams, gels, sprays and soaps are marketed for topical use to relieve the pain of cosmetic procedures like microdermabrasion, laser hair removal, tattooing and piercing, the FDA said. The agency… read on > read on >
Ever immersed yourself in a book and lost all sense of the time and place you’re currently in? That’s how reading can meld with mindfulness, one neuropsychologist explains. The experience can bring real mental health benefits, said Dr. Samantha Henry, an assistant professor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Reading is a… read on > read on >
A strain of highly antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea first emerged in China in 2016, and cases of this tough-to-treat infection have tripled there in just five years, Chinese researchers report. It’s a warning to the rest of the world, they said. Strains resistant to the first-line treatment ceftriaxone (and many other antibiotics) “have spread internationally and collaborative… read on > read on >
Dr. Gary Gibbon didn’t have long to live. A harsh cocktail of chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy for his advanced lung cancer had permanently destroyed his lungs and caused irreparable damage to his liver. But Gibbon, a 69-year-old resident of Santa Monica, Calif., remains alive thanks to a groundbreaking, combined lung-liver transplant, according to his doctors… read on > read on >
Mpox cases are climbing again in the United States, with the number of reported infections now twice as high as they were at this time last year, new government data shows. In response, public health experts have raised alarms about the increase and stressed that vaccination rates against the disease need to improve. “This has… read on > read on >
There’s been a big push over the past few years to get automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed in public spaces, to help save lives threatened by cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, the devices are very seldom used. A new study finds that in nearly 1,800 cases where cardiac arrest occurred outside of a hospital, AEDs were only… read on > read on >
Folks with genetically-driven stress are more likely to suffer heart attacks after nerve-wracking events or times of unrest, a new study shows. People with above-average genetic scores linked to neuroticism and stress were 34% more likely to experience a heart attack following stressful periods, researchers found. Further, these jittery individuals were more than three times… read on > read on >
Puerto Rico has declared a dengue epidemic following a surge in cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. territory. In total, there have been 549 cases, including 341 hospitalizations and 29 severe cases, reported since the start of the year, the most recent data from the Puerto Rico Department shows. Cases are concentrated in… read on > read on >
The contraceptive injection Depo-Provera and two drugs used for menopause relief could be linked to a heightened risk for brain tumors in some women, a new study warns. Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) increased the risk of intracranial meningioma 5.6-fold if used for longer than a year, researchers report in the BMJ. “In countries for which the… read on > read on >
