Driving can become more difficult as people age and their eyesight changes. It may be harder to read signs and to see in the dark or during blinding sunshine. The U.S. National Institute on Aging suggests these safe-driving tips for older adults: If you’re 65 or older, see your eye doctor at least every 2… read on >
Basketball provides a great full-body workout. But there are steps you should take to reduce your risk of knee, ankle and foot injuries, an orthopedic specialist says. In 2016, more than 60,500 people were treated for basketball-related foot injuries in U.S. emergency departments, doctors’ offices and clinics. More than 355,000 sought help for basketball-related ankle… read on >
Learning how to do a skin self-exam could save your life. “Skin cancer is one of the few cancers you can see with the naked eye,” said Dr. Ali Hendi, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. “Yet sadly, many people don’t know how to be their own… read on >
Are tablets, smartphones and laptops robbing Americans of shut-eye? Absolutely, said researchers who found that the unending entertainments and the light the devices emit are a powerful, slumber-killing combo. The finding comes from a small analysis of nine otherwise healthy adults in their 20s. Their sleep was tracked after five straight nights of unrestricted tablet… read on >
Outdoor enthusiasts: Here’s a bit of good tick-fighting news just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer. A new U.S. government study confirms that insecticide-treated clothes marketed for preventing tick-borne ills do, in fact, thwart the pests. In lab tests of clothes bought from one manufacturer, researchers found that the… read on >
Endometriosis is a painful condition affecting many women, yet often years pass before it’s diagnosed. Tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus starts growing outside it, often affecting the ovaries, the bowel or tissue lining your pelvis. Cysts or scar tissue can form. Beyond intense physical pain, endometriosis can affect everything from your… read on >
Lots of things grow in the spring, including your risk of severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks. So people need to take preventive measures and know when to seek medical care, an emergency physician says. “Spring tends to bring more people to the emergency department,” Dr. Paul Kivela, president of the American College of Emergency… read on >
A pressure sore is an area of the body that breaks down because something keeps rubbing or pressing against the skin. A pressure sore can develop if you use a wheelchair or stay in bed for long periods, have a disease that affects blood flow, have fragile skin or are malnourished. The U.S. Library of… read on >
If you’re taking an antidepressant, you’re likely to gain weight, a new study out of Britain reports. That’s a finding that generated little surprise among mental health experts. “Psychiatrists have known about it, written about it and heard their patients talk about it for decades,” said Dr. Brian Keefe, a psychiatrist and medical director at… read on >
Many first-time mothers have mistaken ideas about managing the pain of childbirth, a new survey reveals. The survey, commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), included more than 900 U.S. mothers, 73 percent of whom had vaginal births. While many said they had less pain than feared, many went into labor with false ideas… read on >
