Grandma’s pill organizer. Fido’s pain medication. A tossed-away tissue. All are potential sources of opioid poisoning for young children, researchers at the New Jersey Poison Control Center report. Their five-year look at 230 cases of opioid exposure in children between 1 month and 6 years of age shows how easily they get their hands on… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Upping Dose of Anti-Opioid Drug Might Work Better to Curb Addiction
Patients with opioid use disorder who receive higher doses of a drug to treat their addiction are more likely to have positive results, a new study finds. Daily doses of the drug buprenorphine is a standard treatment for opioid use disorder, and the findings suggest that higher doses may be a better way to manage… read on > read on >
Babies Who Got Only Breast Milk in Hospital Have Lower Asthma Rates
If you think it isn’t important to start breastfeeding your newborn while still in the hospital, think again. New research shows that infants who were exclusively fed breast milk during their hospitalization right after birth were 22% less likely to develop asthma in early childhood. The findings, to be presented Sunday at the American Academy… read on > read on >
One Gun Law Reduces School Shooting Deaths
Laws that ban assault weapons do indeed protect children from dying in mass shootings, but the same can’t be said for more common types of gun restrictions and regulations, new research shows. “Mass shootings are horrific events. We found that large capacity magazine bans may have the biggest effect on reducing child deaths in mass… read on > read on >
U.S. Suicide Death Rate Is Rising Again
U.S. suicide rates are ticking back upward again after a dip during the pandemic, new statistics show. Suicide deaths per 100,000 people had fallen from 14.2 recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2018 to 13.5 in 2020. However, by 2022, the latest year for which statistics are available, the rate had climbed once more to… read on > read on >
Airports Take Big Toll on Sleep of Those Living Nearby
As people living near airports probably already know, all that overhead traffic can take a huge hit to their sleep, a new study confirms. Night-time aircraft noise increases a person’s risk of tossing and turning in bed as engines roar overhead, researchers reported Sept. 25 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Airplane noise also appears… read on > read on >
Being a ‘Weekend Warrior’ Can Cut Your Odds for 200 Diseases
There’s good news for folks who struggle to fit regular exercise into their busy workweek. “Weekend warrior” workouts are just as beneficial as daily exercise to a person’s overall health, a new study says. People who get all their weekly recommended exercise in one or two days are about as healthy as those who spread… read on > read on >
Brain Injury & PTSD: Veterans’ Study Suggests Area of Damage Is Key
Brain damage that veterans suffered from flying shrapnel has provided a major clue that could lead to better treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study says. Veterans who suffered shrapnel damage connected to their amygdala, the fear center of the brain, were less likely to develop PTSD, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the… read on > read on >
Most Americans Won’t Get Vaccinated as Flu, COVID Season Looms: Survey
Most Americans don’t plan to get vaccinated against the flu or COVID-19 this season, a new survey has found. Fewer than two in five U.S. adults (38%) say they will definitely get a flu jab, and only one in four (26%) say they’ll get the updated COVID vaccine, according to a survey released Wednesday by… read on > read on >
988 Mental Health Crisis Calls Now Link to Caller Location, Not Area Code
In a move that could mean more Americans in crisis get help and get it quickly, federal officials announced Tuesday that major cellphone carriers now have the technology to direct 988 callers to local mental health services based on their location instead of their area code. “The goal of 988 is to help people in… read on > read on >