WEDNESDAY, Dec. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) – How singers use their voices, including the genre of music they perform, has an impact on vocal injury, new research finds. Dr. Lesley Childs, medical director of the Voice Center at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, led a two-part study of more than 1,000 patient records. The…  read on >  read on >

A facial scar may make a person self-conscious, but it doesn’t change another person’s first impressions of their attractiveness or confidence, a new survey shows. The results found that a single, well-healed facial scar may even increase perceived friendliness, according to the researchers, who had predicted different results and said the findings might be “surprising…  read on >  read on >

Depression may be a disorder of the brain, but new research adds to evidence that it also involves the gut. While depression is complex, recent research has been pointing to a role for bacteria that dwell in the gut — suggesting that certain bacterial strains might feed depression symptoms, while others might be protective. In…  read on >  read on >

Researchers may have sniffed out why colds are more likely in wintertime: The answer may lie within the nose. A previously unidentified immune response inside the nose is responsible for fighting off the viruses that cause upper respiratory infections, according to researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Northeastern University in Boston. Unfortunately, cold weather…  read on >  read on >

Chips, pizza, cookies: Delicious, but a diet full of ultra-processed foods like these may contribute to brain deterioration, researchers report. Ultra-processed foods have lots of added and unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors and preservatives. Examples include frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes and…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — No matter what winter holiday traditions you celebrate, you probably won’t find “think about blood pressure” on your to-do list, even after checking it twice. But that would be a nice idea for your heart’s sake, experts say. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor…  read on >  read on >

Advertising would have you believe that a big bowl of sugary cereal or a syrupy iced coffee drink will make you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. But that sort of sugar-laden breakfast may be one of the worst things you can do to help you wake up alert and refreshed. A major new sleep…  read on >  read on >

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned fruit-flavored vaping products in early 2020, the idea was to reverse the rapid rise in electronic cigarette use among youths. Now, a new survey of adult e-cigarette users finds that instead of quitting e-cigarettes, most vapers switched to flavored products not covered by the ban, or even…  read on >  read on >

Pharmacists can now. prescribe hormonal contraceptives in 20 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., giving women easier access to birth control, a new report says. Another 10 states have legislation in the works, according to research presented Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists, in Las Vegas. Having easy access to birth…  read on >  read on >