A thin test strip — similar to a pregnancy test — can detect whether a street drug contains the dangerous opioid fentanyl, according to a new report. Fentanyl — one of strongest types of opioid painkillers — is often mixed into street drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. That makes it hard for users to… read on >
Can the adoring gaze of a dog or the comforting purr of a cat be helpful to people with mental illness? Absolutely, new research suggests. Although furry companions won’t replace medications or therapy for mental health concerns, they can provide significant benefits, according to British researchers. Their review of 17 studies found that pets can… read on >
In the wake of yet another deadly school shooting in the United States, one health specialist offers advice on how to ease children’s fears about acts of terror and violence. Consider the child’s age and emotional maturity when weighing the right time to discuss such tragedies, recommends Dr. Hannah Chow, a pediatrician at Loyola University… read on >
Some of the 17 people killed Wednesday in the senseless Florida school shooting might have survived if their bleeding could have been stopped in time, experts say. Noting that it takes only 5 to 10 minutes for a gunshot victim to bleed to death, the American College of Surgeons has long pushed a nationwide program… read on >
You’ve caught the flu, but you have to go to work and you can’t desert your family. What do you do? Believe it or not, one expert says there are ways to stem the spread of sickness — even if you can’t avoid being around other people. It sounds like a tall order during this… read on >
Less than a fifth of U.S. children with sickle cell anemia are getting the antibiotics that could save their lives, a new study finds. “Longstanding recommendations say children with sickle cell anemia should take antibiotics daily for their first five years of life,” the study’s lead author, Sarah Reeves, said in a news release from… read on >
The only equipment you really need to go running are running shoes. But choosing a pair can often feel like a shopping marathon. There’s no shortage of big box sporting goods stores, but ask the staff at a local running club for suggestions about where to shop. The salespeople at a specialty shoe store should… read on >
Taking blood-thinning drugs is typically thought to ward off stroke in people with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation. However, new research out of Britain hints — but cannot prove — that the drugs might actually raise the odds of stroke in seniors with a-fib who also have kidney disease. “Chronic kidney disease is common… read on >
Researchers from Denmark are suggesting a potential — and unusual — risk factor for stroke: Being short as a kid. The investigators found that men and women who had been about 2 inches taller than average at age 7 had, as adults, up to an 11 percent lower risk for an ischemic stroke. That’s the… read on >
They described hearing loud, unusual noises in either their homes or hotel rooms. Afterwards, they experienced concussion-like symptoms such as memory and thinking problems, headaches, dizziness and balance issues. But the exact nature of what harmed more than 20 U.S. government personnel stationed in Havana, Cuba, last year remains mysterious, reports a team led by… read on >
