Don’t let a picture-perfect snowfall turn deadly. Shoveling snow can cause heart attacks or sudden cardiac arrest in folks with heart conditions and even in those who are unaware that they have heart disease, the American Heart Association (AHA) warns. “Shoveling snow is a very strenuous activity, made even more so by the impact that… read on >
All Health and Wellness:
12 Steps to the Best Holiday Gift: Health
Give yourself and your loved ones the gifts of health and safety this holiday season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests. The agency outlines 12 ways to do that, beginning with a reminder that washing your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds helps prevent the spread… read on > read on >
Men (Santa Included) Need These Facial Hair Care Tips
Healthy looking facial hair starts with healthy skin – even if you’re Santa. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests some tips to prevent dandruff, ingrown hair, acne and itch under beards, goatees and mustaches, whether you’ve been growing facial hair for a long time or just stopped shaving during the pandemic. “Whether your beard is… read on > read on >
Coping With Cancer and COVID During the Holidays
Tempting as it is to mingle with friends and relatives, anyone with cancer should take extra precautions this holiday season to avoid COVID-19. Their families also need to be cautious to help protect them, experts say. Yale Cancer Center reminds people who are living with cancer that the disease and treatments can put a patient… read on > read on >
Humans Pass Coronavirus to Deer, Creating Reservoir for Variants
In a sign that white-tailed deer are becoming a reservoir for the new coronavirus, researchers report that COVID-19 variants are spreading among the wild animals. How they became infected and if these variants can infect humans isn’t known, experts say. “Animal reservoirs of zoonotic viruses pose obstacles to infectious disease control and open doors to… read on > read on >
Three New Studies Suggest Omicron Triggers Milder Illness Than Delta
In some heartening news for the holidays, three new studies that combed through early data on the new Omicron variant suggest it does not cause severe disease as often as the Delta variant does. On the other hand, Omicron is so contagious that it will likely increase hospitalizations, and the unvaccinated still need to worry,… read on > read on >
When Gums Aren’t Healthy, Mind and Body May Follow
Gum disease isn’t just a threat to your teeth. It also increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, mental woes and more, British researchers report. “The study reinforces the importance of prevention, early identification and treatment of periodontal disease, and the need for members of the public to attend regular oral health checks with a… read on > read on >
Could Meditation Strengthen Your Immune System?
Meditation done at an intense level may bring a significant boost to the inner workings of your immune system. The finding follows a blood sample analysis that took pre- and post-meditation snapshots of genetic activity among more than 100 men and women. That analysis suggested that meditation boosted the activity of hundreds of genes known… read on > read on >
Severe Illness in a Child Takes Big Toll on Parents, Siblings: Study
When a child has severe health problems, the suffering often extends to the entire family, new research finds. Using data from a single health insurance provider, the study authors assessed nearly 7,000 children with life-threatening conditions and their families, and compared them to a control group of more than 18,600 children without a life-threatening condition… read on > read on >
Parents Underestimate How Much Time Teens Spent Online During Pandemic
Parents, think you have a good handle on how much time your teens are spending on social media? Don’t bet on it. New research suggests your best guesstimate is likely way off. Parents significantly underestimated their teens’ social media use — especially girls’ — during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study showed.… read on > read on >