Health and Wellness News

(HealthDay News) - Raw milk and cheeses haven't been pasteurized, a process that eliminates harmful germs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises: - Consume only milk and cheese that have been pasteurized. If a label doesn't specify, it's best not to buy that product. Store dairy products in the refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. When dairy products expire, throw them...
January 2, 2015
(HealthDay News) - Just like their parents, teens may make resolutions to live healthier lives during the upcoming year. The American Academy of Pediatrics says teens should consider resolving to: - Saving soda for a special treat, and eating at least two servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily. Focusing on healthy foods, appropriate portion sizes and regular exercise. Limiting television...
January 2, 2015
FRIDAY, Jan. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Viral infections can happen at any time, but they're more common during winter when people spend more time in close contact with others indoors. Although most respiratory viruses clear up within a few days, some can lead to dangerous complications, particularly for smokers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports. Signs of complications include: a cough...
January 2, 2015
FRIDAY, Jan. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Strong bonds that tie people together can protect neighborhood residents from gun violence, a new study suggests. Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that exposure to gun violence declines as community participation rises. "Violence results in chronic community-level trauma and stress, and undermines health, capacity and productivity in these neighborhoods,"...
January 2, 2015
(HealthDay News) - Fad diets may promise to help you drop pounds quickly, but they generally don't help you lose weight safely and keep it off. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns against diets that claim: - To help you lose a lot of weight quickly. That you can eat huge amounts of certain foods, such as cabbage soup or grapefruit. That you should follow restrictive, rigid meal plans that...
January 1, 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Quitting smoking is a common New Year's resolution, and the American Lung Association has some tips that might help smokers make 2015 the year to really kick the habit. Smokers trying to quit should consider: - It's never too late.- Although quitting as soon as possible is best, avoiding cigarettes at any age will improve your health and help you live longer....
January 1, 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) - If exercising outdoors is on your list of New Year's resolutions, don't let the cold weather stop you, suggests the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). But the group cautions that it's essential to be aware of possible injuries associated with low temperatures, and to take certain safety precautions when heading outdoors in the winter months. "Many...
January 1, 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Some people who are blind develop an alternate sense - called echolocation - to help them "see," a new study indicates. In addition to relying on their other senses, people who are blind may also use echoes to detect the position of surrounding objects, the international researchers reported in -Psychological Science. "Some blind people use echolocation to...
January 1, 2015
(HealthDay News) - An annual vision exam is a good idea for children, starting in infancy. Kids at increased risk of vision problems may need to get an exam more frequently. The American Optometric Association says risk factors for childhood vision problems include: - Having low birth weight or being born prematurely. Having a family history of eye problems, such as cataracts. Having had a pregnant...
January 1, 2015
THURSDAY, Jan. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) - Although about one-third of cancers can be linked to environmental factors or inherited genes, new research suggests the remaining two-thirds may be caused by random mutations. These mutations take place when stem cells divide, according to the study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Stem cells regenerate and replace cells that die off....
January 1, 2015
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Using stem cells derived from a patient's own bone marrow, researchers have repaired a fistula - a potentially fatal tissue abnormality - in the man's lower airway. "This is another interesting new therapeutic approach for stem cells," said lead researcher Dr. Francesco Petrella, deputy director of thoracic surgery at the European Institute of Oncology in...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Progress in the war against cancer has triggered a 22 percent drop in U.S. deaths over the past two decades, translating to about 1.5 million lives saved, a new American Cancer Society report finds. Even so, the annual report also predict that within a few years, cancer will overtake heart disease as the leading killer of Americans. That's because "the decrease...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - People with drinking problems often make a New Year's pledge to stop or cut back on their drinking, but actually doing it can be a struggle, an addiction expert says. "Twenty percent of the people who make New Year's resolutions revert back to their old behaviors within a month," Janina Kean, president and CEO of High Watch Recovery Center in Kent, Conn.,...
December 31, 2014
(HealthDay News) - Whether you gain weight depends on more than just the foods you eat, and how often. The Weight-loss Information Network says other factors that can influence weight gain include: - Having family members who are obese. Whether you drive more than you walk. Whether you dine out more than you cook at home. Getting insufficient sleep. Taking certain medications that can increase hunger...
December 31, 2014
(HealthDay News) - When you're stuck in an airplane seat, your blood can pool in your feet, increasing the risk of developing a blood clot. The American Council on Exercise suggests how to reduce your risk: - If your flight is three hours or longer, take a walk through the cabin at least every 30 minutes when it's safe to do so. When sitting down, stretch your legs as much as possible. Make sure clothing...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - An investigation into the nutrition offered in meals from three major fast food chains finds little change in calories, salt or saturated fat from 1996 to 2013. A team led by Alice Lichtenstein, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, looked at the nutrition of four popular fast food menu items - fries, cheeseburgers,...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Exercises that focus on balance and leg strengthening may help some people with Parkinson's disease avoid falls, according to a new clinical trial. The study, reported online Dec. 31 in -Neurology-, found that the benefits were limited to people with milder Parkinson's symptoms. The exercise program - done mostly at home - cut their risk of falling by about...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Diaper rash is a common problem for babies, but parents can take steps that help keep skin from getting red and inflamed. "The best way to prevent and treat diaper rash is to keep your baby's skin as dry and clean as possible," Dr. Lawrence Eichenfield, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at the University of California, San Diego, said in an American...
December 31, 2014
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: - Lindsay Lohan Sick With Chikungunya Virus - Actress Lindsay Lohan has contracted the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus while on vacation in French Polynesia, -USA Today- reports. On her Twitter feed on Monday, Lohan said that "being sick is no fun. But Happy New Year everyone." And more recently...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Women who have a pre-cancerous condition known as atypical hyperplasia of the breast are at higher risk of developing breast cancer than experts had believed, a new study finds. Hyperplasia is an overgrowth of cells. When it occurs in a distorted pattern, it's called atypical hyperplasia. This condition is found in about one-tenth of the more than one million...
December 31, 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) - A small number of extremely obese people may be fat because their bodies produce a malfunctioning form of the appetite-controlling hormone leptin. That's the conclusion of a case study that appears in the Jan. 1 issue of the -New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers base this new theory on a 2-year-old boy of Turkish descent with an insatiable appetite....
December 31, 2014
MONDAY, Dec. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Although it's widely accepted that people with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin, a new study suggests otherwise: Roughly one-third produce the hormone long after they are diagnosed. Residual insulin production can last for more than four decades, researchers reported recently in the journal -Diabetes Care. Their findings could help avoid the misdiagnosis of...
December 30, 2014
TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) - Think a pill you saw advertised on the Internet can miraculously help you shed unwanted pounds? You're not alone: A new Consumer Reports survey finds many Americans are misinformed about the quality and effectiveness of these supplements. "The barrage of advertising leads us to think there's a magic way to melt away 10 pounds - even when we have no evidence...
December 30, 2014
TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) - The holidays can cause former smokers to reach for a cigarette, experts warn. But if you expect temptation, you'll be better prepared to fight it, they say. The group NYC Treats Tobacco, led by the NYU School of Medicine's department of population health, offers several steps former smokers can take to stay smoke-free until the holiday hoopla subsides: - Think...
December 30, 2014
(HealthDay News) - When you're caring for a loved one with the flu, it's important to protect yourself from getting sick. The flu.gov website suggests: - Create a sick room to help isolate the sick person. Frequently wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, particularly after contact with the sick person or something the sick person has touched. Encourage the sick person to cover...
December 30, 2014