Latest Health News

30Jan
2020

Could Strep Throat Become Untreatable?

Could Strep Throat Become Untreatable?THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- When a child has strep throat, an antibiotic like penicillin usually has them back at school 24 hours later. But a new study warns that strains of bacteria that cause strep throat and "flesh-eating disease" appear close to becoming resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics known as beta-lactams. "If this germ becomes truly resistant to these antibiotics, it would have a very serious impact on millions of children around the world," said study lead author Dr. James Musser, chair of pathology and genomic medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital. "That is a very concerning but plausible notion based on our findings," Musser said in a hospital news release. The international team of researchers analyzed more than 7,000 group A streptococcus...

Checklist: What You Need to Know About Coronavirus

30 January 2020
Checklist: What You Need to Know About CoronavirusTHURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus that has rapidly infected nearly 6,000 people in China is spreading across the globe, with five cases confirmed in the United States. The death toll in China so far has topped 130. Here's what else you should know about the new coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, which originated in the city of Wuhan: "This is a new virus that has not been previously identified in humans," said Debra Chew, a former epidemic officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It belongs to a large family of viruses called coronaviruses. These viruses can cause respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, and more severe illnesses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or the Middle East respiratory syndrome...

Will a Face Mask Protect You From Coronavirus?

30 January 2020
Will a Face Mask Protect You From Coronavirus?THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The dreaded coronavirus in China has many reaching for face masks across the globe. But while mandatory in Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, a face mask is of little use, practically speaking, some experts say. "A surgical mask might provide some protection, but it's going to be very modest," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. No definitive studies exist that prove masks prevent infections. Also, masks are designed for different purposes, and only some guard against infectious diseases. Picking the right type of mask may be key, said one researcher. "Several studies, including research from my group, show that if worn properly, masks can protect people in...

Life Expectancy in U.S. Increases for First Time in 4 Years

30 January 2020
Life Expectancy in U.S. Increases for First Time in 4 YearsTHURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- After four years of declines, life expectancy in the United States increased in 2018, health officials reported Thursday. The jump in longevity comes as deaths from opioid overdoses dropped for the first time in 28 years, as did deaths from six of the 10 leading causes. The new data could be a glimmer of good news for Americans' health, with recent declines in average lifespans initially casting doubt on progress made over the past decades. "The three-year trend in life expectancy for the total population either decreasing or remaining steady has stopped, with the increase in life expectancy in 2018," said lead researcher Kenneth Kochanek, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics...

Coronavirus Infections in China Hit 7,700, as WHO Mulls Emergency Declaration

30 January 2020
Coronavirus Infections in China Hit 7,700, as WHO Mulls Emergency DeclarationTHURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the number of coronavirus cases shot to 7,700 in China on Thursday, almost 200 American evacuees remain at a California military base while health officials monitor them for any signs of possible infection. Meanwhile, countries around the world took steps to cut the risk of the virus spreading to their citizens, and World Health Organization officials are meeting Thursday to decide whether to declare the outbreak an international health emergency. Overnight, the number of cases of what is dubbed the 2019-nCoV coronavirus in China shot from 5,974 to 7,700, while the death toll climbed to 170. Those counts eclipse the 5,327 cases and 348 deaths reported in China during the 2003 SARS outbreak, the Associated Press reported. In the United...

Health Tip: Coping With Sleep Deprivation

30 January 2020
(HealthDay News) -- About one in five American adults fails to get enough sleep, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It has a variety of causes, including long work hours and certain medical problems. To help cope with sleep deprivation, the academy suggests: Sleep extra hours prior to a known period of sleep loss. Take a 30-minute nap to help boost your energy.

Health Tip: Treating Chicken Skin

30 January 2020
(HealthDay News) -- Keratosis pilaris, sometimes called chicken skin, is a condition that causes small rough bumps, says the American Academy of Dermatology. Though the condition is generally harmless, some people opt for treatment. To treat chicken skin, the academy suggests: Apply a moisturizer with urea or lactic acid after a shower or bath. Using a loofah or microdermabrasion kit to diminish bumps. Talk to your doctor about medication to exfoliate your skin. Consider laser treatment if moisturizer and medicine both fail.

Just 1% of Doctors Prescribe Nearly Half of Opioids in U.S.

29 January 2020
Just 1% of Doctors Prescribe Nearly Half of Opioids in U.S.WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of all opioid doses and more than a quarter of all opioid prescriptions in the United States come from 1% of health care providers, a new study says. The authors said this suggests that efforts to reduce overuse of prescription opioid painkillers should not focus on strict limits for all doctors but on a small percentage. "Most prescriptions written by the majority of providers are below recommended thresholds, suggesting that most U.S. providers are careful in their prescribing," they wrote in the study published Jan. 29 in BMJ. "However, a small portion of providers account for a highly disproportionate proportion of opioids," they said in a journal news release. Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral...

Study Confirms CT Screenings Can Cut Lung Cancer Deaths

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A new Dutch study is being hailed as proof of the need for annual CT screenings of former and current longtime smokers to reduce deaths from lung...

Hospitalized Coronavirus Patients Develop Pneumonia,...

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- It's still the early days, but a report on the first 99 cases of the new coronavirus treated at a hospital in Wuhan, China, finds severe respiratory...
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