Health care in rural America has become ever more scarce during the coronavirus pandemic, with folks finding it increasingly difficult to find a doctor or get to a hospital. For a decade, rural areas have been losing hospitals to financial problems, forcing residents to either drive long distances or shrug their shoulders and forgo needed… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
‘Ghosts and Guardian Angels’: New Insights Into Parkinson’s Hallucinations
Parkinson’s disease is widely seen as a movement disorder, but it can cause an array of symptoms, including hallucinations. Now a new study has shed light on what is happening in the brain during those disturbances. The study focused on Parkinson’s patients who have so-called presence hallucinations — a false feeling that another person is… read on > read on >
Why U.S. Hispanics Got COVID at Higher Rates: Their Jobs
Workplace exposure to the new coronavirus is a major reason for Hispanic Americans’ disproportionately high COVID-19 death rate, a new study claims. In 2020, Hispanics accounted for 19% of the U.S. population but nearly 41% of COVID-19 deaths, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. An analysis of federal government data… read on > read on >
Obamacare Gave More Breast Cancer Survivors Access to Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction rates rose significantly among Black women after Obamacare expanded access to Medicaid, a new study says. It also found a large increase in reconstruction rates among women with lower income and education levels. The findings suggest “that Medicaid expansion was highly effective in doing what it was supposed to do — breaking down… read on > read on >
Opioids After Dental Work May Be Dangerous
Getting a prescription for an opioid painkiller from your dentist could put you or your family at risk for an overdose, a new study warns. The finding is based on an analysis of data from 8.5 million Americans who had teeth pulled or 119 other types of dental work between 2011 and 2018. All had… read on > read on >
Stressed, Burned-Out Nurses Make More Medical Errors: Study
Critical care nurses with poor mental and physical health are more likely to make mistakes, but a more supportive work environment could improve the situation, a new study suggests. “It’s critically important that we understand some of the root causes that lead to those errors and do everything we can to prevent them,” said lead… read on > read on >
Urgent Care or the ER? Which Should You Choose?
Say you twist your ankle playing catch with your kids. Or maybe your daughter has a rash that’s spreading. Do you visit urgent care or the hospital emergency department? Many cases of injury or illness can be handled at an urgent care clinic rather than a hospital emergency department, an expert says. “Urgent care is… read on > read on >
5 Steps to Protect Young Athletes’ Eyes
As children begin to return to their favorite sports, parents need to ensure that their youngsters use protective eyewear, a leading group of eye specialists says. Nearly 30,000 people suffer sports-related eye injuries every year in the United States, but 90% of emergency room visits for such injuries could be prevented by protective eyewear, according… read on > read on >
Needle Anxiety Behind J&J COVID Vaccine Reaction Clusters: Study
Anxiety was the cause of 64 vaccine reactions, including fainting, in people who got the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in early April at sites in five states, a new study finds. Researchers led by Anne Hause of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that “anxiety-related events, including syncope [fainting], can… read on > read on >
Why C-Section Babies May Be at Higher Risk for a Food Allergy
Could there be a link between having a C-section and your baby’s chances of developing a peanut allergy? Yes, a team of Canadian researchers warns. Their new study found that babies born via cesarean section appear to have relatively low levels of so-called Bacteroides, a specific form of bacteria that is key to the proper… read on > read on >