Does your kid suffer from wheezing that returns again and again? They might be suffering from a “silent” viral lung infection that would be better treated by changing up their medications, a new study finds. Nearly a quarter of children and teens with severe wheezing have undetected lung infections, researchers reported recently in the Journal… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Obamacare Boosted New Moms’ Access to Mental Health Care
Pregnant women and new moms have better access to treatment for mood disorders, thanks to Obamacare, a new study finds. More women received treatment for their pregnancy-related depression or anxiety after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2014, researchers reported Aug. 9 in the journal JAMA Network Open. However, researchers said more… read on > read on >
How Excessive Heat Can Affect Your Mental Health
As Americans sweat through another scorching summer, one expert warns that while extreme heat can cause physical harm it can also wreak havoc with your mental health. Sizzling temperatures can make anyone irritable, but it can be far worse for some, especially those with mental health conditions, said Dr. Asim Shah, executive vice chair in… read on > read on >
How Common Drugs, Lotions Can Worsen Sunlight’s Harm to Your Skin
Most folks know that a good sunscreen can guard against the sun’s harmful rays, but many might not realize that some medications and creams can undo some of that protection. “There are multiple reasons we should be mindful of excessive sun exposure aside from skin cancer, although that’s certainly important,” said Dr. Kaveh Nezafati, an… read on > read on >
Childhood Vaccines Have Saved 1 Million U.S. Lives Since 1994, CDC Says
In findings that offer compelling evidence of the power of childhood vaccines, a new government report shows the routine shots have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations and more than 1 million deaths among Americans born in the past 30 years. The new data, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for… read on > read on >
Hospital Patients Can Bring ‘Superbugs’ Home
Patients discharged from a hospital stay are bringing antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” home with them, a new study warns. Family members of recently discharged patients are 71 times more likely to get a MRSA infection after their return, compared with people who didn’t have a hospitalization in their family, researchers found. Worse, the longer a relative’s hospital… read on > read on >
Text Messaging Can Help Teens Kick the Vaping Habit
An interactive text-message support program can help teenagers quit vaping, a groundbreaking new clinical trial finds. Teens who subscribed to the anonymous program, called This Is Quitting, were 35% more likely to report not vaping nicotine by the end of a seven-month study, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.… read on > read on >
Miscarriages in Horses Offer Insights to Help Prevent Human Miscarriages
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2024 (HeathDay News) — Researchers are gleaning important insights into miscarriages in women from an longtime four-legged friend: horses. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since female horses have long pregnancies (11 months) and embryos of both species grow at similar rates, said a team overseen by Mandi de Mestre, a professor… read on > read on >
Fewer U.S. Teen Girls Are Reporting ‘Persistent Sadness’
There’s a hint of good news for parents concerned about teen mental health: After 57% of U.S. teen girls surveyed in 2021 said they felt “persistent sadness,” that number declined somewhat by 2023, to 53%, new government data show. In the latest biennial poll of over 20,000 high school students nationwide, called the Youth Risk… read on > read on >
Too Much Fun? Fireworks Displays Quickly Harm Air Quality
Fireworks displays can cause worse air quality than wildfire smoke, a new study reveals. About 60,000 firework shells exploded over Manhattan’s East River as part of Macy’s Fourth of July show in 2023, researchers said. The colorful bursts caused air pollution in New York City to spike dramatically, with levels many times higher in the… read on > read on >