Some pain-relieving skin products contain potentially harmful doses of the numbing agent lidocaine and should be avoided, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. These creams, gels, sprays and soaps are marketed for topical use to relieve the pain of cosmetic procedures like microdermabrasion, laser hair removal, tattooing and piercing, the FDA said. The agency… read on > read on >
Ever immersed yourself in a book and lost all sense of the time and place you’re currently in? That’s how reading can meld with mindfulness, one neuropsychologist explains. The experience can bring real mental health benefits, said Dr. Samantha Henry, an assistant professor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Reading is a… read on > read on >
A strain of highly antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea first emerged in China in 2016, and cases of this tough-to-treat infection have tripled there in just five years, Chinese researchers report. It’s a warning to the rest of the world, they said. Strains resistant to the first-line treatment ceftriaxone (and many other antibiotics) “have spread internationally and collaborative… read on > read on >
Mpox cases are climbing again in the United States, with the number of reported infections now twice as high as they were at this time last year, new government data shows. In response, public health experts have raised alarms about the increase and stressed that vaccination rates against the disease need to improve. “This has… read on > read on >
Folks with genetically-driven stress are more likely to suffer heart attacks after nerve-wracking events or times of unrest, a new study shows. People with above-average genetic scores linked to neuroticism and stress were 34% more likely to experience a heart attack following stressful periods, researchers found. Further, these jittery individuals were more than three times… read on > read on >
Suicidal thoughts and contemplation of death haunt the minds of many rural Black men in the United States, a new study reports. One in three rural Black men said they had such dark thoughts within the past two weeks, University of Georgia researchers found. These thoughts are driven by childhood trauma, poverty and exposure to… read on > read on >
Living in a poor and unhealthy neighborhood could nearly double a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study says. The findings indicate that all the factors that make for a crummy neighborhood — air and water pollution, toxic sites, few parks, tons of traffic — play a significant role in heart health.… read on > read on >
Folks who consistently work out two to three times a week are less likely to suffer from insomnia, a new study says. That sort of long-term commitment to exercise also helps people get the recommended amount of sleep each night, according to findings published March 26 in the journal BMJ Open. The paper “indicates strongly… read on > read on >
People worry about deadly viruses leaping from animals into humans, but a new study suggests that wildlife is more at risk than humans are. Roughly twice as many viruses pass from humans to animals than the other way around, researchers report March 25 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. “We should consider humans just… read on > read on >
New research offers an easy prescription to get people to roll up their sleeves for a flu shot. Just ask them to. And then reinforce the invitation with a little video and print encouragement. “Our study adds to the growing body of knowledge showing that a number of important public health interventions can and should… read on > read on >
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