For reasons that remain murky, new research warns that a spike in social media use during the pandemic might have worsened tic disorders in children. Tics are sudden twitches, movements or sounds that people do repeatedly because they can’t control their body. In the study, 90% of 20 tic patients aged 11 to 21 said… read on > read on >
Adding regular strength training to your exercise routine may not only make you stronger, but let you live longer, too, researchers in Japan report. Their new study says 30 to 60 minutes a week of muscle strengthening may reduce your risk of dying early from any cause, and from heart and blood vessel disease, diabetes… read on > read on >
If you’ve had hernia repair surgery and you think you’ve solved your medical issue for good, you might be wrong. A hernia occurs when an internal organ pushes through a weak region of muscle or tissue, often creating a noticeable bulge. Hernias typically do not improve without surgery. Left untreated, a hernia can cause severe… read on > read on >
If you’re counting on a cloth mask to protect you from COVID-19, you may need to re-think that strategy, a new study shows. Researchers found that cloth face masks do little to fend off tiny airborne particles, while concluding that specialized N95 and similar masks do a much better job. “Masks are air filters, and… read on > read on >
Alexa can already play your favorite song or tell you whether it is going to rain, but soon you may also be able to tell the popular voice assistant to contact a doctor for health issues. The service from Amazon and telemedicine provider Teladoc Health will be available around the clock on Amazon’s Echo devices,… read on > read on >
Some portable tech devices equipped with powerful magnets can interfere with your heart implant’s ability to regulate dangerous irregular heart rhythms, a new study reports. Swiss researchers found that Apple AirPods Pro, the Microsoft Surface Pen and the Apple Pencil all can temporarily throw a pacemaker/defibrillator off if they are held too close to the… read on > read on >
Screening mammograms can lead to overdiagnosis of breast cancer, but a new study finds it happens less often than experts have thought. Researchers estimated that about 15% of breast cancers caught through routine mammography screening are overdiagnoses — meaning the tumors would never have caused harm if they had not been detected. The figure suggests… read on > read on >
Fresh data shows that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is far less powerful at preventing infection among children ages 5 to 11 than teens, a finding that could leave some parents of younger children worried. The vaccine — the only one authorized for that age group in the United States — does prevent severe illness in young… read on > read on >
Minimum staffing levels will be a main feature of a major overhaul of U.S. nursing homes that President Joe Biden is expected to announce in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night. Staffing levels are considered a critical marker for nursing home quality, but the pandemic has left many facilities short of nurses, nursing… read on > read on >
E-cigarette and hookah water pipe users may be at greater risk than tobacco cigarette smokers for cancers of the nose, sinuses and throat, according to a new study. That’s because vapers and hookah users are more than twice as likely to exhale smoke through their nose as cigarette smokers, who typically exhale smoke through the… read on > read on >
