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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
For decades, U.S. doctors have battled the long hours and demanding schedules that often lead to “burnout.” But a new study brings welcome news, showing a slight decline in the numbers of physicians dealing with the issue. In the third of a series of studies, researchers surveyed more than 5,400 doctors nationwide and found that… read on >
Osteoporosis is a threat to many women, especially after menopause. But the lead up to weak, brittle bones can start much earlier in life. When bone density drops but isn’t yet at the level of osteoporosis, it’s called osteopenia. Osteopenia affects more than 33 million Americans over age 50, men and women, while 10 million… read on >
Unwanted pigmentation problems, such as dark spots, can occur in all skin types. Dark spots are primarily caused by sun damage, the American Academy of Dermatology says, noting that the severity of dark spots varies with a person’s history of sun exposure. The academy mentions these ways to treat pigmentation problems among lighter-skinned people: Dark… read on >
Acne forms when hair follicles are blocked by dead skin and oil. Bacteria then begin to grow and irritate the skin. Pimples typically occur on the face but can also surface on the back, chest, neck and arms. The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these common triggers for acne: Hormonal changes during puberty, before… read on >
A half-hour of morning exercise can help control blood pressure in overweight and obese people for the entire day, a new study finds. And for women in particular, adding frequent short breaks from sitting through the day can offer additional benefit, the Australian researchers said. “For both men and women, the magnitude of reduction in… read on >
As excited as you are that your teen’s going to college, it’s normal to have mixed emotions, such as anxiety, sadness and possibly depression. It’s even normal to feel envious that his or her life is just beginning while yours is on the wane. For most parents, this rush of emotions will pass, but both… read on >
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