U.S. health officials are advising doctors not to overuse the only antiviral for monkeypox because there is a risk of the virus mutating and rendering the drug useless. TPOXX (tecovirimat) works by targeting just one protein found on monkeypox, as well as smallpox and similar viruses. Its use for monkeypox is still considered experimental, according…  read on >  read on >

While adults typically need steroid medication to treat Bell’s palsy, most children can recover without treatment, a new study finds. Bell’s palsy temporarily causes weakness and paralysis in facial muscles, making half of the face droop. The study — a randomized controlled trial held in 11 emergency departments in Australia and New Zealand — included…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Sept. 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight, the leader of the World Health Organization declared Wednesday, with deaths at their lowest level worldwide since the new coronavirus first began to spread in March 2020. However, the death rate is relatively flat and not yet at their…  read on >  read on >

It’s well-known that hot flashes, sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression are common issues during menopause. Yet not every woman experiences these symptoms at the same level of severity. A new study suggests that psychosocial stressors in childhood or early adulthood can exacerbate menopause symptoms almost two decades later. Such stressors include physical or sexual…  read on >  read on >

Air pollution may cause irregular heart rhythms in otherwise healthy teens within two hours of exposure, a new study shows. Irregular heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, occur when the heart’s electrical impulses don’t work properly. Symptoms may include heart flutters, chest pain, fainting or dizziness. Some arrhythmias increase a teen’s chances of sudden cardiac death or…  read on >  read on >

A new study hands parents what seems like a miraculous gift: A simple, free technique that takes just 13 minutes to put wailing infants to sleep. Researchers in Japan found that walking around while carrying infants for five minutes calmed the newborns, while another eight minutes of sitting while holding the sleeping babies quietly made…  read on >  read on >

Battling COVID and eager to do anything that will limit you to a mild infection? Grab a neti pot, a new study advises. Flushing your sinus cavity twice daily with a mild saline solution can significantly reduce a COVID patient’s risk of hospitalization and death, researchers report. “We found an 8.5-fold reduction in hospitalizations and…  read on >  read on >

Efforts to prevent concussions from happening at school or school-related sports activities may help keep teens from lagging behind on their academics. In a new study, researchers at the University of Washington found that those who had a recent concussion could be 25% more likely than classmates to be in poor academic standing. “History of…  read on >  read on >

Many women are unhappy with how their bodies look both during and after pregnancy, and it’s an issue that can trigger postpartum depression and eating disorders, a new study suggests. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, recently conducted a survey to learn more about body dissatisfaction in pregnancy and the postpartum period. They also…  read on >  read on >