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How to Do a Self-Check for Skin Cancer
Posted today in Daily MedNews
SATURDAY, May 26, 2018 -- Learning how to do a skin self-exam could save your life. "Skin cancer is one of the few cancers you can see with the naked eye," said Dr. Ali Hendi, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "Yet sadly, many people don't know how to be their own hero when it comes to skin cancer, including what to look for... Read more
Are Yawns Really Contagious?
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- We've all "caught" yawning from other people, but why that happens is unclear, according to a psychologist who has researched the behavior. "In short, we don't know why yawns are contagious," said Meredith Williamson, a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. "Researchers used to think that yawning was only signaling a need for sleep, but now they... Read more
5 Ways to Protect Your Eye Health
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Your risk of vision problems increases with age, but there are things you can do to protect your sight, eye doctors say. By age 65, one in three Americans will have a vision-impairing eye disease. But early treatment of many of these conditions can slow or halt vision loss, or even restore normal vision, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. To help save... Read more
Little Follow-Up for Many Concussion Patients
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Although millions of Americans suffer concussions each year, many aren't given information about traumatic brain injury or follow-up care, a new study finds. "The lack of follow-up after a concussion is concerning because these patients can suffer adverse and debilitating effects for a very long time," said study lead author Seth Seabury. "Even patients who reported... Read more
AHA: Aspirin May Help Some Pregnant Women Avoid Preeclampsia
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- A daily dose of aspirin could help pregnant women in the first stage of high blood pressure avoid a condition that puts both mother and baby in danger, according to a new study. New guidelines lowering the threshold for what defines high blood pressure pose a quandary for doctors who treat pregnant women at risk for preeclampsia. High blood... Read more
Obesity May Offer Some Protection When Severe Infection Strikes
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Obesity brings with it many health ills, but there could be one silver lining, new research shows. If you're in the hospital suffering from an infectious disease, you're half as likely to die if you're overweight or obese, Danish researchers report. For the study, Sigrid Gribsholt, from Aarhus University Hospital's department of clinical epidemiology, and colleagues... Read more
Here Comes the Sun, and Kid Sun Safety
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Summer sun brings childhood fun, but experts warn it also brings skin cancer dangers, even for kids. "Don't assume children cannot get skin cancer because of their age," said Dr. Alberto Pappo, director of the solid tumor division at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. "Unlike other cancers, the conventional melanoma that we see mostly in adolescents... Read more
New Treatment, Palynziq (Pegvaliase-pqpz), Approved for Rare Disease PKU
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Palynziq (pegvaliase-pqpz) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat phenylketonuria, commonly called PKU. People with the rare yet serious inherited disorder can't break down an amino acid called phenylalanine, which is found in many sweeteners and protein-containing foods. The disorder affects about 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 people in the United... Read more
Coal Miners Face Growing Wave of Black Lung Disease
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- The deadliest form of black lung disease is on the rise among American coal miners, a new study finds. Increases in cases of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) are occurring despite measures to control coal dust that were put into place decades ago. The finding stems from an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data on former coal miners who applied for benefits from the... Read more
Are You Ignoring Endometriosis?
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Endometriosis is a painful condition affecting many women, yet often years pass before it's diagnosed. Tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus starts growing outside it, often affecting the ovaries, the bowel or tissue lining your pelvis. Cysts or scar tissue can form. Beyond intense physical pain, endometriosis can affect everything from your mood and... Read more
Leave Tablets, Smartphones Out of the Bedroom for Better Sleep
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Are tablets, smartphones and laptops robbing Americans of shut-eye? Absolutely, said researchers who found that the unending entertainments and the light the devices emit are a powerful, slumber-killing combo. The finding comes from a small analysis of nine otherwise healthy adults in their 20s. Their sleep was tracked after five straight nights of unrestricted tablet... Read more
To Repel Ticks This Summer, Try Insecticide-Treated Clothes
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Outdoor enthusiasts: Here's a bit of good tick-fighting news just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer. A new U.S. government study confirms that insecticide-treated clothes marketed for preventing tick-borne ills do, in fact, thwart the pests. In lab tests of clothes bought from one manufacturer, researchers found that the garments either... Read more
Be Smart When It Comes to Spring Allergies and Asthma
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Lots of things grow in the spring, including your risk of severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks. So people need to take preventive measures and know when to seek medical care, an emergency physician says. "Spring tends to bring more people to the emergency department," Dr. Paul Kivela, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said in a college... Read more
Health Highlights: May 25, 2018
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Congress Approves Bill Expanding Private Care for VA Patients Patients served by the beleaguered Veterans Affairs health system may have wider access to private care, thanks to a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate. President Donald Trump is known to support the bill, which now awaits his... Read more
Health Tip: Care for a Pressure Sore
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
-- A pressure sore is an area of the body that breaks down because something keeps rubbing or pressing against the skin. A pressure sore can develop if you use a wheelchair or stay in bed for long periods, have a disease that affects blood flow, have fragile skin or are malnourished. The U.S. Library of Medicine suggests how to care for a pressure sore: Relieve pressure on the area by using... Read more
Health Tip: 5 Habits That Could Help You Live Longer
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
-- There are no guarantees, but adopting five healthy lifestyle practices could help you live longer, a study by the Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds. Women and men who had thehealthiest lifestyleswere 82 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65 percent less likely to die from cancer, the study found. The healthy choices included: Eating a... Read more
Newly Identified Form of Vertigo Responds to Treatment
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Because vertigo can have many causes, treating it can be difficult, but researchers have identified a new type that may be effectively treated with medication. "These conditions can be difficult to diagnose and quite debilitating for people, so it's exciting to be able to discover this new diagnosis of a condition that may respond to treatment," said Dr. Ji-Soo Kim, a... Read more
AHA: Heart Disease a Hidden Threat to South Asians in U.S.
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- South Asians living in the United States are more likely to die from heart disease than the general population. But this risk has been largely hidden by a lack of data, researchers say. Immigrants coming from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S. "We've... Read more
Low-Fat Diet Tied to Better Breast Cancer Survival
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Breast cancer patients who adopted a low-fat diet were more likely to survive for at least a decade after diagnosis, compared to patients who ate fattier fare, new research shows. The study has "found yet another health benefit to eating a low-fat diet, and more fruits and vegetables," said lead researcher Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, a research professor at City of Hope... Read more
Snorers, Could CPAP Help Your Sex Life, Too?
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Women with sleep apnea might experience a boost in their sex life if they regularly use a CPAP machine, a new study shows. Researchers found that women who used the device nightly reported a significant improvement in their sexual satisfaction after a year of treatment. The same benefit was not seen in men, however. Still, "this [study] provides further evidence that... Read more
