Adding to growing alarm about America’s opioid crisis, cases of a potentially deadly heart infection have jumped 10-fold among North Carolina’s injection drug users, new research shows. The infection is endocarditis, which strikes one or more of the heart’s four valves. Usually a byproduct of aging, it can also develop when bacteria is introduced into…  read on >

Plantar warts stem from a common virus and are formed on the bottoms of your feet. You increase your risk of infection by walking in bare feet in public showers or locker rooms, the American Orthopaedic Food & Ankle Society says. Plantar warts may be painful, but they’re easily treated or may go away on…  read on >

Many homeowners enjoy relaxing by a hot fire at the end of a cold day. But a crackling fire can lead to a disaster, especially if there are small kids at home and some basic safety rules aren’t followed, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Here are the academy’s suggestions for safer use of your…  read on >

Stimulating a specific set of nerves that are nestled along the spine may deliver relief to those who suffer from chronic back pain and cut the need for opioid painkillers, new research suggests. The therapy, which targets the root ganglion nerves, is more effective than other spine stimulation procedures because it places tiny leads precisely…  read on >

Young football players who suffer repeated head blows — but not concussions — may not sustain brain damage, a new study suggests. For the study, researchers followed 112 football players, aged 9 to 18, during the 2016 season. “We expected repetitive impacts to correlate with worsening neurocognitive [brain] function, but we found that sub-concussive head…  read on >

“Eyeballing” emergency room patients may be better than a formal medical assessment in identifying those most in need of urgent care, a new study suggests. Nearly 6,400 patients seeking ER care were assessed over three months. Nurses used an established triage protocol to determine which patients were the sickest, while medical students and phlebotomists (blood…  read on >

Acne is often thought of as a younger person’s condition — a symptom of the transition from childhood to young adulthood. But some people in their 30s, 40s and 50s still have acne, the American Academy of Dermatology says. Here’s the group’s list of common triggers of adult acne: Fluctuating hormone levels during the menstrual…  read on >

A year after a concussion, up to one-third of kids still have symptoms such as headache and irritability that may affect school performance, a new study finds. “Children with all types of injuries may show post-concussion symptoms,” said lead researcher Linda Ewing-Cobbs, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical…  read on >

Chicken pox used to be a rite of passage for young children. But with the development of the chicken pox vaccine, the vast majority of kids avoid this itchy and painful illness. While most people who develop chicken pox will recover completely without issue, it can be serious — and even deadly — for babies,…  read on >